In the past few years, the number of trips to Chernobyl has increased significantly. If in the first few years there were relatively few of them, today the Zona Exclusion is considered one of the main tourist points in Ukraine. Many associate this interest with cultural projects that have been released since the early 2000s.
Why are trips to Chernobyl so popular?
Organized excursions to the 30-kilometer zone began to be conducted in the late 1990s when the radiation level gradually began to decrease. Then this place was not very popular. It was of interest only to scientists and radiation researchers.
In 2007, the incredibly popular computer game “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” was released, which dramatically increased public attention to this area. After its release, foreign tourists began to come to Ukraine more and more often to look at the area, which was so beautifully and realistically shown in a video game.
But Chernobyl trips gained real popularity among foreign tourists after the release of the series of the same name on Netflix. It is not a documentary, but many moments are shown very realistically. Thousands of people around the world after viewing take their smartphone in hand and purchase a ticket to Ukraine.
Presentation of the Chernobyl disaster in culture shows not only historical facts or realities today but helps to better understand the atmosphere of those events, to understand the emotions that people experienced during the disaster.
Trips to Chernobyl: what does Pripyat look like today?
Before the Chernobyl disaster, Pripyat was a rapidly developing city. It was located 3 km from the nuclear power plant, where people lived who were engaged in servicing the strategic facility. At the time of the disaster, more than 40 thousand people regularly lived here. Everything was necessary for life here:
- Hospital;
- School;
- Sports objects;
- Amusement park;
- Shops and much more.
Today, all of the above have become popular trips to Pripyat objects. An exception is a hospital, general excursions are not conducted here, as there are places (storage room for liquidators’ clothes) where you can receive a lethal dose of radiation.
For a long time, the 30-kilometer zone was closed to visitors, and despite all the prohibitions, looters did a good job here. They took out almost all the valuables except for large furniture, so the city looks different from the day of the disaster.
Because the disaster happened more than 35 years ago, nature has recaptured most of the city. Today there are incredibly many trees and greenery, birds singing around, and wild animals walking along the streets. Such unusual landscapes can be found not so often on the planet, so they make a huge impression on tourists.
As for safety, experts believe that a 10-kilometer zone will never be habitable, but being here for a day will not do much harm to your health. Tourists receive a dosimeter to make sure that they are standing in an area where the radiation fund is not much higher than in a metropolis.