i’m not going to belabor the sad history and toll it’s taken in terms of nature, humanity, and economy, but the chernobyl disaster remains one of those vivid memories from my childhood (via CNN), and when i found out you could actually see the plant and surrounding ghost towns, i knew i had to do it. i went on the solo east tour, led by vita, and it was great. we covered a lot of ground and i wish we could have stayed in pripyat (the main ghost town) longer, but alas, we ran over as it was and i barely made my flight. i think i’ve seen overnight tours from another provider.
but yeah, if you like urbex or abandoned things, this is for you. i recommend going sooner rather than later, before they put up the new safe confinement (pieces of which you can see completed to the side, awaiting installation) in the next couple years, which will block the view of the original sarcophagus forever.
just be warned that we arrived back in kiev around 7:45 or so, much later than the 6:00 timeframe i assumed.
The town of Chernobyl, mostly populated by Exclusion Zone workers
Inside an abandoned school
Reactor 4 and the sarcophagus
Entering the ghost town of Pripyat (purpose-built to support plant)
Abandoned apartment block
Abandoned supermarket
Abandoned stadium
The famous Pripyat Ferris wheel
Abandoned ride chair
Abandoned stadium seating
Abandoned school #3
Books strewn about an abandoned school hallway
Gas masks left at a school cafeteria because it was too late