The best disco in the entire Kiev region, a supermarket, which hadn’t been seen by any other Ukrainian city before, the latest infrastructure created without looking back at the reconstruction of the past of the USSR – all this is remembered by the residents of Pripyat, who were forced to leave the city because of the Chernobyl accident. This incredible city, made in white colors, served its residents for only 16 years. Nowadays, to visit Pripyat and Chernobyl is only possible as a part of a tour.
The atmosphere in Pripyat is very similar to that prevailing in Chernobyl – and in general, these two cities are inseparable. Visiting Chernobyl today tourists are surprised when they see a considerable number of residents there. Driving along the main street, you can see people waving from the balconies, approaching the nuclear power plant – workers walking around and greeting. These are mainly employees of enterprises in the exclusion zones who are building a new sarcophagus. They work on a rotational basis.
What will be imprinted in the memory of tourists during the Pripyat visit?
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Palace of Culture ‘Energetic’. It is located in the very center of Pripyat. It concentrated all the cultural activities of the city: events, discos, children’s clubs and studios worked. In the Palace of Culture, the remains of marble tiles, which were used for the building, stained glass windows and mosaics, have been preserved. This gives the building a particularly apocalyptic look.
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The amusement park. This is one of the most famous places, and the view of the Ferris wheel has practically become a ‘must see’ visit to Pripyat. The park is one of the most heavily contaminated areas due to the abundance of metal.
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Swimming pool “Azure”. The pool worked even after the disaster – almost until the end of the 90s, while the nuclear power plant continued to function. The pool has featured in several computer games and films.
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The hotel “Polesie”. Tourists come there to look at the views of Pripyat, the Soviet-style building and the trees that sprout through the floor.
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ChNPP. At this nuclear power plant, you can see how the construction of a protective arch is going on, which should reliably close the power unit building.
Years pass, everything changes, but the rules for safe visits to the Exclusion Zone do not change. For a safe visit to Chernobyl certain rules must be followed. It is prohibited:
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Outdoor eating and smoking;
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Touching any structure or vegetation;
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Sit down or place photo / video equipment on the ground;
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Take something from the zone;
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Violate the rules for wearing clothes;
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Drink water from wells, rivers and other open water sources. Water in the “exclusion zone” can only be used from originally closed containers etc.
Before leaving the exclusion zone and the resettlement zone, you must undergo:
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Passing mandatory control over the irradiation of clothing, shoes and personal items;
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Compulsory transport exposure.
If contamination exceeds established control levels, personal clothing, footwear and articles are destroyed. During the day of Chernobyl visit, you will receive a dose of radiation that does not exceed the level of radiation during a normal stay in a metropolis.