On my List – Chernobyl
Unconventional, maybe. But visiting the Chernobyl site and surrounding area is definitely on my list of dream trips.
Luckily, my dad is a nuclear physicist and can get me government issued documents so I can enter the Chernobyl area. That way I can ride my Kawasaki Ninja all over the radioactive zone because I’m special. I’ll bring my very own personal Geiger counter and everything!
Just kidding!! Everyone’s favorite Chernobyl internet hoax aside (google ‘Chernobyl motorcycle lady’ if you’re one of the 5 people who haven’t seen this website), many people are surprised to learn that it’s now possible to take a tour of the Chernobyl area and the nearby deserted town of Pripyat.
drmonowsky via Flickr
For those of you who don’t know me in real life, I work in the nuclear industry. My particular engineering discipline actually requires a lot of understanding of how accidents can occur and progress in power plants, and which safety systems are needed to mitigate them. We’ve studied the Chernobyl accident and the sequence of events that caused it, although not in super great detail because we don’t work with that type of reactors.
Here are a couple facts about the accident.
1. The fuel did not explode. The Uranium-235 is not enriched enough to sustain a fusion-like explosion. What did happen was a large steam bubble formed due to the uncontrolled heatup of the cooling water, reacted with the core, and blew up due to the intense heat and pressure.
2. This accident could not happen in the US. All US plants (and most other plants around the world) have a reactor containment building of 3 foot thick concrete that would have prevented the release of fission products in the event of a meltdown (as with Three Mile Island).
3. “Fun” fact: the accident was not discovered internationally until a worker in Sweden entered a nuclear plant and set off the on-site radiation monitors due to low levels of airborne radiation in the air from Chernobyl. The Soviet government has been accused of trying to cover up the incident.
Given my background, I definitely want to visit the site.
stuckincustoms via Flickr
Here are some reasons a someone who’s not a nuclear engineer might want to visit Chernobyl.
It’s a Historical Site
Many of us remember hearing about this when it happened. I was only 3, but I definitely remember learning about it when I got a little older. It’s always interesting to visit a place we’ve seen on TV and heard about so often. It would definitely be neat to see the site in person, learn more about the history, and meet the people who were impacted by the incident.
Visiting the area would also afford an interesting glimpse into the former Soviet Union. Reportedly old Soviet propaganda was left (planted?) in the buildings, and the town of Pripyat is a good example of a planned “nuclear-city.”
See the Nuclear Ghost Town
The tours also include a visit to the nearby town of Pripyat, which was evacuated after the accident. I can’t think of too many places in the world you can tour a town that’s basically been abandoned as-is. While many areas around Pripyat are reportedly contaminated, some of the abandoned buildings of the community are included in the tours. It seems like the old school, ferris wheel, and swimming pool are very popular. Plus, the tours do offer an opportunity to meet “resettlers,” people who moved back to their homes in the exclusion zone to continue living as they always have. I think this would make for a memorable experience like no other.
drmonowsky via Flickr
Way off the Beaten Path
I’m sure lots of people have no interest in seeing this old beat up reactor or abandoned town. Ukraine certainly isn’t on the list of your typical Europe vacationer and many people don’t even know a tour to the Chernobyl site exists. It’s definitely a destination off the beaten path. Plus, it’s a bit tough to get to and not really easily accessible. There’s just a certain travel “street cred” associated with going here. I don’t know anyone who’s been on a Chernobyl tour.
Here are some specifics of the Chernobyl tour that I found through SoloEast Travel. They’ve been doing it since 1999.
It’s $160 per person (if you have a big enough group), they’ll pick you up in Kiev for a full day tour.
They have several selected days of each month that they’ll conduct tours.
The website even offers a special package that allows you to spend 1 or 2 nights in the Chernobyl hotel!
