Thirty years ago today, Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP) reactor number 4 blew its top, as from a malfunction in its reactor. The resulting explosion culminating in the worst nuclear disaster the world has seen. Even more so than today's Fukushima. Something near fifty people - reactor workers, fire-fighters - died as a direct result of the event but over the years the death-toll brought about from the radiation that leaked climbed into the thousands. Exact numbers can be politically charged.

In the aftermath, the nuclear utopia town of Pripyat - built to match the highest bar of Soviet living standards in the seventies and eighties in celebration of their nuclear energy sector - Chernobyl, and the area surrounding were evacuated of 60,000 residents in just hours and nuclear fires burned towards the CNPP

Today a thirty kilometer zone of exclusion separates the area from the rest of the world. Thirty years on the Zone of Alienation is a petri-dish for ecological study and "Dark Tourism", people visiting The Zone to bask in the grim glow of Chernobyl's world in Ukraine.

Figured after work I'd put this out, since while browsing the news on work-provided phones I was informed. Mostly writing this from memory and what I already know before I hit the bed.

Not gonna lie, one of the things on my bucket list is to visit the zone... legally or not.

But in all seriousness, I think it goes without saying that what happened back then was extremely tragic. Radiation is a bitch.

Not gonna lie, one of the things on my bucket list is to visit the zone... legally or not.

But in all seriousness, I think it goes without saying that what happened back then was extremely tragic. Radiation is a bitch.

Last I checked there are a myriad of legal opportunities to visit the Zone. Found at least one listing for a two-day private trip for one under 400 dollars.

Of course you still need to get to Ukraine.

<Snipped quote by TheMadAsshatter>

Last I checked there are a myriad of legal opportunities to visit the Zone. Found at least one listing for a two-day private trip for one under 400 dollars.

Of course you still need to get to Ukraine.

Yeah, this is true. Pripyat is a tour zone, I'm pretty sure that people do actually go there in order just to see it however there is an inner circle called the Exclusive Zone or something which contains the more notable Red Forest and Chernobyl itself is protected by arms forces. Attempts to approach it, I think are allowed to be meet countered with lethal force.

I haven't read on this for a while so it may be all my information is mixed up by my bad memory or out dated.

@TheMadAsshatter

Me too. I always had a dream of just travelling about as I please and always said that I would go by Pripyat when I have the chance. While Chernobyl is tragic, much like STALKER itself the ruins of the former soviet city do offer us insight itself the long term effects of radiation.

I imagine that someone with the right prestige and knowledge in radiology, ecology, physics or biology could gain access into the inner zone or even the infamous Elephants Foot but I doubt it would be very profitable or easy.

Me and my friend are dorks for the stalker series and been talking about what would be the most easiest form of DIY survivalist suit to make in an environment like that. So far, it consist of welding gloves, steel cap boots. Waterproof/anti-tear jump suit. Gas mask and looking into cheap body armor.

Maybe you should prepare a suit too, that place is still radioactive even in the tour friendly areas so putting together some clothing material that might lessen your rad intake at a cheap price while remaining comfortable could be a good idea. I mean, you know to bite the chance of any long term effects of unusual radiation, even small amount can have on your health....like cancer.

or maybe it isn't an issue. I'm a little out of it right now. I think I got a head cold.

<Snipped quote by Dinh AaronMk>

Yeah, this is true. Pripyat is a tour zone, I'm pretty sure that people do actually go there in order just to see it however there is an inner circle called the Exclusive Zone or something which contains the more notable Red Forest and Chernobyl itself is protected by arms forces. Attempts to approach it, I think are allowed to be meet countered with lethal force.

I haven't read on this for a while so it may be all my information is mixed up by my bad memory or out dated.

No, you can actually get up to Chernobyl NPP and look at it. One tour blog I read has photos of the guy right up at the memorial for the explosion, which as he said was maybe 500-600 meters away. Of course if you get any closer your geiger counter goes off. But he also passed through the Red Forest; you don't stop ever stop the car there.

The thing with the Zone is the entirety of it is military guarded and at least as far as Ukraine goes (because Belarussian Zone means basically nothing) you can go in and out provided you got a permit and what not (handled through tour companies). If you however exceed a radioactivity threshold they won't let you leave the country. They check you when you go in, and check you when you go out. But so long as you don't take anything from the zone and don't walk on the grass or unpaved ground then you'll probably be fine.

But going straight up to the CNPP is a thing that can happen and is on the day plan of most tour companies. The only really dangerous shit is inside CNPP. Like this handsome killer:

@Dinh AaronMk

Yeah, true. I do recall normal folks wandering around the city of pripyat with little protection and Geiger counters. I might of been confusing the restrictions to the red forest because of leaf contamination/ hunting restrictions and fire prevention by keeping entrance minimal with a greater zone that included Chernobyl because they were both notable and I recall that still radioactive refuse littering a lot of the roads around it.

You're pretty up to date on this. Have you been there, are you planning on going?

If it's this easy to take a tour there. I wonder if you can get a permit to study it scientifically more easily than I thought.

@ScreenAcne

I don't know about scientific study, so you're on your own.

But yeah, I'd like to go there and have been doing some research on costs and the like. Next I might as well try and figure out the average rate to get to Kiev, if I can get there. And what sort of things I need to get done to go.

And save up the money for the trip. I'm seriously considering setting up a "Send Aaron to The Zone" pot to budget some money into.

@Dinh AaronMk I'll totally join you on that trip. We can be STALKER buddies.

@TheMadAsshatter

Me, my camera, and some dude I met on the internet.

Hell yeah!