Chernobyl Exclusion Zone: World in Review

Much akin to the country it inhabits, Chernobyl is a destination that I was unsure on, I didn’t know exactly what I would see and feel. It’s a place that everybody knows of, due to the unfortunate meltdown of Reactor 4, an accident which has been disputed and explored since it happened nearly forty years ago.

Just so you know, if you are planning on visiting at some point, you cannot simply just drive in and walk around, it’s in total lock down. There are two borders you have to cross to get into Chernobyl and the nearby town of Pripyat, both guarded by the Ukrainian military. You need specific passports to get by them, that tour guides can provide for you; you have to pass through several scanners on your way out to ensure you haven’t stolen a radioactive piece of rubble. They take it very seriously. And rightly so, the official death count to this day is just 31 people, but an estimated 300,000+ have been affected, having to leave their homes and lives behind, with many developing disabilities before dying prematurely.

Let’s make this one super dramatic. – It was a brisk winters morn as we passed the looming sentry posts into the exclusion zone. A light snowfall sprinkled the silver sky as the sun tried its damnedest to show itself atop the abandoned ruins of Pripyat. – That’s a bit much actually, isn’t it. Anyway, the first stop of this adventure was the reactor itself, as well as half built cooling tower, never to be finished. I didn’t know this but people still work at the reactor, not to produce energy, but to remotely dismantle the nuclear remains of the the exploded core. There are lots of really interesting documentaries online about the construction of the giant dome that now shields the rest of the world from the devastating radiation, as well as the HBO show Chernobyl, I highly recommend watching one if you have the time. (Which I know you currently do. Hashtag quarantine)

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An abandoned children’s home, outskirts of Pripyat, Ukraine.

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Just before the reactor we came across an abandoned home for children, left dishevelled and forgotten to time. When we reached Pripyat itself, it was much more of the same. A gateway into the past, a time capsule of an idyllic and prosperous town, inhabited by power plant workers. I personally think that this is one of the most unique places on planet Earth. Everything here had just suddenly stopped, it’s a true insight into what the world would be like if us humans suddenly just up and vanished. I would not say it felt eerie as such, standing amongst abandoned shopping centres and apartment buildings, there was simply a solemn peace to it all. You could see how life was lived there, there were shopping trolleys still in the shops, sofas and beds still in peoples homes, just no people there to use them.

Nature has thrived there surprisingly, many forms of wildlife had returned with the lack of human presence, and despite a lot of radiated soil and forests, they lived relatively normally. We even came across a few dogs who lived freely there, descendants of the pets left behind amidst the chaos. Honestly, while a great tragedy happened there, it’s also encouraging to see nature reclaim a part of the world as it once was. I think it really goes to show that no matter what we do as a species, no matter the damage we potentially cause, life truly will always find a way.

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Young pooch. Pripyat, Ukraine.

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Bizarre. That is the word I would use to describe what it’s like to be there. It didn’t feel real, like a set of some post apocalyptic movie. My friends and I wandered through the streets, without much to say to each other. It’s a place that speaks for itself, tells its own story without the need for words. We climbed about ten flights of stairs to the roof of an apartment complex (which we actually were not allowed to do… But when in Chernobyl.) from there we had a view over the whole area, Reactor 4 looming in the distance, a shadow of doom once passed. The soviet hammer and sickle emblazoned onto the tattered buildings, and not a sound to be heard.

We then visited the fairground, which had only finished construction days before the meltdown. Rides sat rusted and decayed, never having had the chance to entertain. Football stadiums unrecognisable, nestled into an overgrown mess of trees and shrubs. Pripyat seemed like a great place to live to be honest, for the time at least. Cut down in its prime.

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The famed Ferris wheel of Pripyat, Ukraine.

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My goal in life is to visit as many places on this Earth as I can, and I’ll say this now; I don’t think I will ever visit anywhere else quite like Chernobyl. It is wholly unique. A real life portal to a time long gone. It is a place that you must go to. If you enjoy travel and ever get the chance, do it. Words and documentaries can’t express the feelings this place instils. The ruins have a strange ability to connect to you as a human, it reminds you how easily and suddenly your everyday life can just cease to be. This quarantine we’re in is one thing, with shops closing and being stuck to the confides of our immediate surroundings. But this… This is on another scale. The people that lived that had everything taken away. It’s as terrifying as it thought provoking.

Ukraine is a place I’ll never forget. It offers things that the rest of the world cannot. Just be respectful, I saw a lot of people taking selfies with the Ferris wheel, and it just felt off to me. Smiling and laughing in front of peoples homes they were forced out of doesn’t sit right with me, but that’s just my opinion. Overall though, this place has cemented itself to me as an absolute must visit. You have to see it for yourself.