Chernobyl Photos

[Loz]

I had fancied visiting Chernobyl and Pripyat for several years, but never thought I'd actually end up getting there. However, it just so happened that I went last week. I enjoy a bit of photography and I have also dabbled with urban exploration in the past, which is one of the things that interested me about this place. I have always wanted to go to a ghost town.

 

We visited reactor 4, the one which famously melted down on 26th April 1986 causing the evacuation of the nearby workers town Pripyat two days later. Pripyat is now completely abandoned except for a laundry, which is still used to wash the uniforms from the plant. We visited the secret military facility where Duga 3, the USSR over-the-horizon radar system was built and operated as an early warning system for US nukes. It was built next to Chernobyl plant due to the enormous amount of power needed to run the antenna, apparently the same amount as a fair sized town would use! The mast was secret, however caused an awful lot of interference with radio stations etc and was nicknamed 'Woodpecker'. There were all sorts of theories as to what it may be, but eventually people worked out it was an OTH radar.

 

We visited reactor 5, which was never used as the disaster at reactor 4 happened before it was finished. It is almost fully constructed and incredibly dark. I didn't stay in there long as I didn't have a torch on me and there are sheer drops inside! We were allowed to visit the scrapyard, which apparently most people can't, because one of the organisers is friends with the man who runs it. (this organiser was also working on reactor 2 the night of the disaster and survived with an 80 year dose of radiation). The scrapyard has been used to bury tons of contaminated waste and there are also loads of vehicles there that were used in the clean up which are heavily contaminated, including tanks, helicopters, claws and other things. We had to wear protective over clothing in that bit otherwise they wouldn't have let us in!

 

The final day and a bit were spent in Pripyat where we managed a whistle stop tour of all the main buildings including 2 hospitals, 3 schools, the fairground, the pool, cultural centre, police and fire stations, Jupiter factory, post office, hotel, Fujiyama (16 storey high rise) stadium, harbour, bus station etc. The whole thing was quite incredible!

 

Here's a select few photos that some of you may be interested in.

It's hard to choose just a few from the many things I saw! I have a load more in my album on facebook here. I actually still have some to add to that too!

 

 

This is reactor 4 and the original sarcophagus. The new radiation shield known as 'the dome' is being built just next to it (to the right out of this shot). It is too dangerous to work directly above the reactor, so it will be slid on track over the top once it is complete (approx. another 2 years). Apparently it is the largest moveable structure that's been made.

 

I feel it in my bones, enough to make my systems blow...... I'm radioactive by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

This is Duga 3 rising up behind one of the many abandoned building on the site. I can't actually describe to you just how incredibly gargantuan this thing is. It looks quite small on this photo! It is awe inspiring, literally to the point that you stand under it and just say 'wow'. The closer you get, the more it seems to grow and become more and more imposing, especially given the utter silence around you and the way it was rising up into the low clouds that day...

 

All we hear is radio gaga... by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

This is one of the control rooms for the Duga antenna

 

I want you to take over control, plug it in and turn me on by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

This is the frightening reactor 5. We also went to the cooling tower built for it.

 

I'm waking up to ash and dust, I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

This was in a nursery. I couldn't tell you where it was as it was on it's own somewhere in the exclusion zone! Not in a town or anything. One of the many memorials stands outside it.

 

Twinkle, twinkle by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

A couple of the main hospital.

 

A ward

 

Hiding with your eyes shut tightly all the way to the Hospital by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

An operating theatre

 

Anaesthesia by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

The infamous ferris wheel. There are also dodgems and a swing ride there.

 

Like a ride up high on a ferris wheel, it ain't wrong to feel like you can fly by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

View of the main square in Pripyat from the top of the hotel.

 

We live in cities you'll never see on screen, not very pretty but we sure know how to run things.... by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

mural inside the cultural palace

 

I see your true colours by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

gym hall in the cultural palace

 

Gym Class Heroes by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

The fabulous swimming pool, complete with diving boards

 

So baby's gonna take a dive and push the shift to overdrive by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

The cells in the Police Station

 

Cell Block Tango by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

Views from the top of Fujiyama

 

This one with reactor 4 and the dome in the background

 

Meet me in the Middle of the Town by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

And this one with Duga 3 on the horizon! (and it's not particularly close by either! Much further away than reactor 4 is!)

 

Woodpecker by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

Classroom in one of the schools

 

What I go to School For... by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

Gas masks on the school floor

 

Little Doll by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

Mural in the post office

 

Living in ruins of a palace within my dreams by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

one of the main rooms in the vast Jupiter Factory

 

Drops of Jupiter by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

A Tunnel from my Window to Yours by dreamzscape, on Flickr

Edited 3 November, 2014 by Loz

[Dean-]

Wow... Amazing post and so jealous you got to go see things like this!

Currently looking through all your other photos on Facebook

[Loz]

I can't believe how many people have said they are jealous of my trip to a radioactive warzone!   I bet none of you would have cared if I'd gone somewhere nice like the Maldives!

 

thanks though for your kind words

[Dean-]

Wow... Amazing post and so jealous you got to go see things like this!

Currently looking through all your other photos on Facebook

 

 

Some of them photos on your Facebook page of the trip look rather eerie.. Kind of expecting a zombie like creature to jump out and have a chew at your leg - ever seen 28 days later?  :p

[Dr Zoidberg]

I can't believe how many people have said they are jealous of my trip to a radioactive warzone!   I bet none of you would have cared if I'd gone somewhere nice like the Maldives!

 

thanks though for your kind words

Anyone can go to the beach.

Out of interest, was there any signs of conflict going on?

[Toxicvrs]

Wow,

[Tim1631]

Those are awesome!!

Do you have more?

[Jonny5ive]

Loz, hope you're well.

Photos loading slowly on the phone, but look epic.

J5

[Loz]

Some of them photos on your Facebook page of the trip look rather eerie.. Kind of expecting a zombie like creature to jump out and have a chew at your leg - ever seen 28 days later?  :p

 

Haha I know!  In truth it wasn't eerie at all. Pripyat actually has rather a nice feel to it on a sunny day. The only eerie bits were reactor 5 and a couple of the bigger buildings like Jupiter. Especially as I'm not sure we were meant to be in there. The guide told us no noise and don't get lost! We were wandering round it in groups of 2 or 3 and then all of a sudden you'd hear a massive crash as someone trod on something or knocked something over

 

 

Anyone can go to the beach.

Out of interest, was there any signs of conflict going on?

 

No, not there. The problems are on the other side of the country. The only people in the exclusion zone are the people who work there (though that's hundreds maybe thousands). We stayed in Slavutich which is the new Pripyat, just a small town in the middle of nowhere but outside of the zone. It's a 45 min train journey, we got the commuter train with the workers, then you have to go through security/passport control. And there is a dosimeter scan to get out again!

 

Those are awesome!!

Do you have more?

 

Yes, there is a link to my facebook album in my original post

['daiking']

Very interesting, thanks for sharing.

[Loz]

Forgot the other infamous sight - the gas masks on the school floor

 

Little Doll by dreamzscape, on Flickr

 

Now added to main post

Edited 3 November, 2014 by Loz

[Tim1631]

Epic photos.

Out of interest what camera did you use?

Thanks

[Loz]

Nikon D300

[RobClubley]

Wow, fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

[mr rooney]

Very interesting place to visit! Much better than your average beach holiday! I'm completely fascinated by this place.

How do you go about planning a visit to Chernobyl?

Have you seen the film Chernobyl Diaries? If not it's worth a watch if you like scary films.

[samuir1974]

Wow.... Very powerful scenes captured in those pictures.

Thanks for sharing.

[Loz]

Very interesting place to visit! Much better than your average beach holiday! I'm completely fascinated by this place.

How do you go about planning a visit to Chernobyl?

Have you seen the film Chernobyl Diaries? If not it's worth a watch if you like scary films.

No I've not seen it, wouldn't have dared watch it before going haha!

You just organise it through the people who do the tours. They sort everything including putting you on the authorisation list for the zone and flat rentals. We were with a brill bunch of people!

They also organised visiting a shooting range on the way back so I got to shoot an AK47 and a Dragunov sniper.

[hmmmm]

Amazing!

 

How do you go about getting there? Do you not need to wear a suit when you're in the zone as i noticed on your Facebook pics there is no suits haha!

[mr rooney]

Amazing!

 

How do you go about getting there? Do you not need to wear a suit when you're in the zone as i noticed on your Facebook pics there is no suits haha!

I did a quick search and it seems if you fly to Kiev you can catch a day trip from there.

If you stayed in Chernobyl for five days straight it would be equivalent to an x ray so it's safe....ish.

Just don't take anything home such as uranium soaked rocks or eat anything growing on the trees as it's hazardous to your well being.

Top Gear went there as well and they all survived .... even Clarkson!

[samj2013]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing. You seem quite the photographer too.

[R1DAVIE]

Wow Loz, some amazing pics there. Have always had a weird interest in the Chernobyl and would love to visit there....honest im not jealous at all.

Thanks for sharing with us :-)

[Paulbrown]

I used to be well into all this and well jell of your trip!!

Would loved to hear gone :(

[hmmmm]

I did a quick search and it seems if you fly to Kiev you can catch a day trip from there.

If you stayed in Chernobyl for five days straight it would be equivalent to an x ray so it's safe....ish.

Just don't take anything home such as uranium soaked rocks or eat anything growing on the trees as it's hazardous to your well being.

Top Gear went there as well and they all survived .... even Clarkson!

Need to add this to the bucket list.

[Loz]

Amazing!

How do you go about getting there? Do you not need to wear a suit when you're in the zone as i noticed on your Facebook pics there is no suits haha!

Think you just answered your own question there - no you don't have to wear anything unless you go in the scrapyard, which you won't as most tours aren't allowed to

As for a day trip from Kiev - no thanks!!!!! It was a 2.5 hr bus ride just to get to slavutich, it's then another 45 minute direct train ride (which cuts through Belarus, if you drive it would be hours as you'd go around the line of the border).

Even staying in slavutich we had to get up at 6, have breakfast at 6:30 then get the 7:40 commuter train. We then left the zone on the 4:45 train back each day (3 days). If you only did one day you'd have to pick one thing to see as you wouldn't get to see everything. You'd probably just go to Pripyat.

Edited 4 November, 2014 by Loz

[jlwah]

I can't believe how many people have said they are jealous of my trip to a radioactive warzone!   I bet none of you would have cared if I'd gone somewhere nice like the Maldives!

 

thanks though for your kind words

Oh, I don't know, a nice beach scene is always welcome and then there'd be some bikini shots . . . .  .