I was 9 years old when the catastrophic events at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant evolved – and I lived only 10km (about 6 miles) away from a German nuclear power plant. Of course at that age I didn’t fully understand what happened, but back in the 1980s and 1990s many people were really scared of nuclear power in general, especially around the time when the Cold War was current events, not history. And for me the topic didn’t end once Chernobyl was old news: At school I read youth novels by Gudrun Pausewang, I joined a field trip to the nearby nuclear power plant and I watched “The Day After” during Social Studies classes – and of course there were safety drills and siren tests; the nuclear threat was present until the mid-90s when the Cold War actually finally was history for sure. In addition to that I always had a faible for dystopian / post-nuclear literature and movies. I grew up watching movies like The Time Machine and The Omega Man, reading books like 1984 and A Clockwork Orange.
So going to the Zone Of Alienation (also known as Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone, Chernobyl Zone or 30 Kilometer Zone) to finally see Pripyat, Chernobyl and their surroundings was a dream come true on many different levels, especially since I started urban exploration as a hobby just a couple of months earlier.
The tragic events in Chernobyl were summed up so often by people who are doing it for a living, so I will concentrate on how I experienced the Zone Of Alienation – and what the area looks like now; if you would like to know where all the locations are exactly you can have a look at the map.
This page I created to make it easier to navigate between the different blog entries, similar to what I did with Nara Dreamland.
Without further ado here’s a chronological list of ZOA-related articles, one picture each will follow below:
Zone Of Alienation – Getting Started / Kiev
Zone Of Alienation – Entering The Zone / Chernobyl
Zone Of Alienation – The Red Forest / Pripyat In General
Zone Of Alienation – Pripyat: Palace Of Culture “Energetik”
Zone Of Alienation – Pripyat: Amusement Park
Zone Of Alienation – Pripyat: Propaganda Room
Zone Of Alienation – Pripyat: Supermarket
Zone Of Alienation – Pripyat: Apartment Building at Lesya Ukrainka Street 56
Zone Of Alienation – Pripyat: Swimming Pool “Lazúrnyj” (“Lazurny” – Azure)
Zone Of Alienation – Pripyat: Middle School #3
Zone Of Alienation – Pripyat: Police Station / Prison
Zone Of Alienation – Chernobyl: CNPP Cooling Towers 5 & 6
Zone Of Alienation – Chernobyl: CNPP Sarcophacus
Zone Of Alienation – Chernobyl: All The Pretty Przewalski’s Horses
Zone Of Alienation – Pripyat: Hospital No 126
Zone Of Alienation – Pripyat: Jupiter Factory
Zone Of Alienation – Pripyat: Kindergarten “Zolotoj Kluchik” (Golden Key)
Zone Of Alienation – Pripyat: Apartment Building at Lazarev Street 1/14
(And since I expect this article to be a quite popular one, especially with first time visitors: You can *like Abandoned Kansai on Facebook* and *follow this blog on Twitter* – and of course there is the *video channel on Youtube*…)
(So all the search engines can find this article here is a list of terms: Prypiat, Pripyat, Pripet, Pripiat, Prypiat, Prypyat, Prypjat, При́п’ять, При́пять, Chernobyl, Chornobyl, Чорнобиль, Чернобыль, Tschernobyl, Tschornobyl, Zone of Alienation, Ukraine, Red Forest, Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone, Chernobyl Zone or 30 Kilometer Zone, Рудий ліс, Рыжий лес, Зона відчуження Чорнобильської АЕС, Чорнобильська зона, Четверта зона, チェルノブイリ, プリピャチ)
Wow! Great photos and videos! I too was 14 when that happened, and we lived about 40 miles from a nuclear power plant here in Oregon, USA. It was dismantled about 6 years ago, due to public concern about it’s safety. I was curious if you remember the BBC movie ‘Threads’? Great movie, better than ‘The Day After’ in my humble opinion.
Hey Brad,
first of all: sorry for my late answer! Busy days…
Thanks a lot for your kind words – I’m glad you like my articles!
The plot of Threads sounds familiar, but I am not really sure if I watched it. Definitely not at school, but maybe it was broadcast on German TV… “When The Wind Blows” was, I remember that vividly!
Did you wear a ventilator or mask while you were there?
No, I didn’t – I relied on a Geiger counter and that the guide we had knew what he was doing.
Thanks for the excellent photo essay.
You mentioned accounts of the accident; Frekerik Pohl wrote a very good novel called Chernobyl almost immediately after the events that sticks quite closely to the facts (at least as they were known at the time) while still telling a very compelling story. It’s out of print, but if you find a used copy it’s well worth picking up.
Nas
Thanks for your recommendation – I’ll try to find a copy, but I guess the chances are rather low to get one in Osaka.
True. I’m not sure if it ever appeared in a Japanese edition and the English version probably isn’t readily availalbe there. I have the same problem here in Brazil–any large book store will have a small section of English-language fiction, but it’s pretty much restricted to current best sellers. As an expat I have to say thank the various gods of technology for the ebook or I’d never have a decent library here.
It’s the same here. A couple of German books, several dozen English ones 10.000s of Japanese ones. I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to pick up a copy somewhere when I am on vacation to Germany next time.
You’re brave. I’m still afraid of nuclear power and wouldn’t feel safe exploring places like Chernobyl. I’m glad to visit it vicariously through you instead.
Spending time in Pripyat and Chernobyl was actually way less scary than the average urbex location where you don’t know what to expect.But I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed the articles I wrote about my trip there!
The doll with the gas mask on was really freaky. Chernobyl happened in 1986, 7 years after the movie “China Syndrome” (1980) came out. They both followed the movie, “Three Mile Island,” in 1979 – I was working as a radio reporter when that happened. It definitely was a scary time.
Great photos. Thanks for visiting my blog.
The doll was a real surprise as the kindergarten was surprisingly dull – and then I entered that room… (It was already sitting there, I didn’t mess with it.)
Wow…thanks for this poignant information, photos and video. I definitely remember growing up with the fear of a nuclear holocaust and watching “The Day After.” Such a tragedy with Chernobyl. Thanks for sharing your post. Thanks also for stopping by Travel Oops. Steph
It’s good to hear that you liked my little series. The topic will be with us for at least a couple of more decades and it was a weird coincidence that Fukushima happened a week before I wrote my last article about my visit to Chernobyl and Pripyat.
I was pregnant & living in Nuremburg Germany. The air tasted like metal. I couldnt drink milk or eat cheese. It was frightening.
I was going to elementary school at the time, but I watched the news on TV every morning – and I can still remember the newscast about Chernobyl. I guess it’s one of those events everybody remembers. Which is why I don’t understand that they make stupid horror movies based on it! I wonder how the American public would react to a “The zombies of 9/11” movie…
I so agree. The American public would be horrified & offended. Yet it is okay for them to produce such a movie. I hope everyone reads your post. Yotaki
Well, the American movie industry is so “sensitive” now that they changed the evil guys in the remake of Red Dawn from being Chinese to being North Korean – AFTER they shot the movie…
This genre of post, video, photographs should be required viewing in high schools around the world – as they say, history can and does repeat itself… Thanks for visiting.
Thank YOU for visiting – and please feel free to spread the word, this blog isn’t supposed to be a secret… 🙂
http://thestory.org/archive/the_story_051911_full_show.mp3/view
Have you heard of Henry Shukman? He has photographed in this area many times, as well. On this site, there is an interview that he did for “The Story” in which he tells of the “resettlers,” or people who have returned to the area, even though it is still technically off limits. They live far enough away from the actual reactor site, but within the Exclusion Zone. They are pretty much self sufficient, and get very little from the outside, living on food that they grow. It is very interesting. The sound interview is at the bottom of the page.
I haven’t heard of Henry Shukman before. Thanks for sharing, it’s a very interesting article!
I think you will find his photos and story very interesting :0))
I lived in Ukraine for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the eastern Donbass region. The Chernobyl event is very close to the heart of many Ukrainians, and one of my good friends was a “Chernobyl child.” If you are looking for a more mundane, yet somehow more representative of the real collapse of economy and government that happened at the fall, you should head to eastern Ukraine. There, littered through the landscape like pockmarks of Soviet planning, stand rusting factories and dying mines. I used to run through an abandoned mine site, home now to “pirate” miners and archaic machinery. Likely as not, some of these sites may be more dangerous than Chernobyl, as the street gangs that patrol these ruined wrecks are a more immediate danger than radiation. But the Ukrainians themselves are a tough people who still find the courage and strength to carry on, and you’ll nowhere find a better bowl of borscht, or smoother shot of samahon!
During my stay in Chernobyl I heard some stories about the “Wild East”… not sure if I am brave enough to explore the Ukrainian countryside myself. Personally I found even Kiev a bit intimidating, but I live in Japan for six years now – here an area where a homeless person has been seen within the past 3 years is considered a “dangerous area” by local people…
Love your blog. I discovered it/checked it out after you stopped by on mine. You had me laughing on your expat views of Japan. Very funny.
Thanks a lot! I’m sure my expat life will shrine through in my writing more often in the future as you can only write so many articles about vandalized rooms and deserted buildings without being repetitive…
Loved the tour I took of your blog. Abandoned sites always make me feel rather wistful. Chernobyl more so than most. Thanks!
These images are so powerful and poignant-thank you for posting them. I look forward to discovering more on your blog. And thank you so much for stopping by mine-I do appreciate it-
Thanks a lot for stopping by and leaving that nice comment – much appreciated!
Thanks for liking my peacock image at yvettemaubusson. Your site is very very interesting! Really well done.
Oh, I love that peacock image – and if you come back once in a while you’ll find out why pretty soon!
OK… will do. 🙂
There is a lesson here that is being missed by most people The Japan thing teaches us too but still no understanding. This is what happens when you use nuclear weapons. HEY STUPID PEOPLE you cannot use nukes in war! Setting off a dozen or so of these missiles contaminate the entire atmosphere and means the death of the planet as this report eloquently illustrates. Having nukes does not make you safe – they make you unsafe. The United States’ military forces are so superior to the rest of the world with conventional weaponry, unilateral disarmament would not weaken the United States one bit. Thanks visit my blog.
I remember very clearly when Chernobyl happened, and then many children whose families and homes were affected came to Kazakhstan for the summer, to recover. I heard of so many horrible stories since then, tragedies big and small, immediately after and resurfacing years and years later. I don’t how I would feel to go there. Was it very quiet? Or did the birds return? I wonder how did those horses take care of themselves.
I actually don’t remember hearing birds… I remember hearing the trees in the wind, but no birds. The atmosphere was so surreal, and I felt so out of place as a visitor. It’s really hard to describe, because visiting the Zone of Alienation is such an emotional rollercoaster.
It is good to see a glimpse of what it’s like there. Thank you.
Amazing. I get blasted away every time I see this city. Hopefully I’ll have a chance to visit it.
If you get the chance – jump on it. I’ve been there and I really want to go back…
Somewhere I’d like to go some day as well…
I went to Ukraine just to go to Pripyat and it was totally worth the trip – espcially if you are in your mid-30s or older it’s one of the most intense places you can go to.
Very interesting post. Thank you for liking mine!
Thanks a lot!
Great documentation work here! I’ve linked to this page from mine about the disaster, thanks for liking my post!
I agree with Cheryl Knobel. Great work | Fascinating
Thanks a lot Josh!
Moving pix and video of Pripyat. Nukes passion of mine since my master thesis on MRS nuclear waste disposal.
Thanks – it was very moving being there, so I am happy that I was able to catch the atmosphere.
the image of the doll ? in the gas mask is most stunning and sticks like flypaper in my mind — very good photo essay thank you
and thank you for visiting my blog
Thanks, the doll with the gas mask is a general favorite – I was really lucky to find it that way, all I had to do was take the photo. 🙂
This is so amusing. Every time I try to explain to people what I like so much about urbex, but I don’t know how to explain to them.
Is a kind of fearish-beauty, I don’t know. It makes me happy in some way.
Beautiful photos. ❤
Although I am actively doing urban exploration for more than three years now I think only a couple of colleagues friends and family members really understand what I am doing and why I am doing it – and it’s usually those I took with me on a day trip. Photos are a lot more effective than wordy explanations – especially those taken at Chernobyl as the location is way closer to people’s hearts than a random abandoned hotel in Japan.
Impressive series of photos! Thanks for sharing. And thanks for visiting my blog,
Thanks a lot! I love your photos too – I wish I had more time to travel…
Love this post! I haven’t been close to enough to warrant atrip out here, but I plan to in the future. It got me into the urban explorer field too, awesome photos and videos here!
Thanks a lot! As much as I enjoyed my *trip to North Korea* – I think Chernobyl and Pripyat are still a bit closer to my heart…
Very impressive, thanks for sharing. You mentioned going there with a guide, is it possible to visit the are alone?
Thanks for reading!
As far as I know you can go there without a guide if you have the Ukrainian citizenship. Everybody else needs a guide, even if you book a private solo tour.
thanks a lot
your image and your films on YouTube are interesting
I enjoyed a lot
Thanks, Johann! Please tell a friend. 🙂
Fantastic and comprehensive post! Pripyat and the Chernobyl disaster are extremely fascinating to me. You capture it well.
Thanks – please tell a friend! 🙂
Very interesting page. I was 12 and live in Sweden. Our area was hit pretty hard from fallout.
Very nice article and I love the photos!! Chernobyl is one of the places I wish I could photograph someday.
Seeing Chernobyl with my own eyes was a deeply moving experience, on par with my trips to *North Korea*. If you ever have the chance to go there… do it! With or without a camera.
This blog was very interesting to me. My husband and I adopted our twin, special needs boys from Ukraine, so anything from Ukraine always gets my attention and some of my heart. Thanks for sharing this.
You are very welcome – thanks for reading!
So very spooky.
I was once within about 40 miles of Chernobyl in 1993 only seven years after the catastrophe, and you would never know such a massive event happened although some locals told me of horror stories relating to cancer and deformities of relatives they knew who grew up there or nearby.
was you not allowed to take pictures of the shelter being made.
To be honest, I don’t remember what the status of the new shelter was back then. I only remember that our guide was pissed regarding the French maker, because it was way behind schedule.
Well thank you for the quick respond. sorry for being away for while