Alan in Chernobyl - Part 2 - Reactor Number 4

 

Back onto the empty, cracked road through the countryside. All the flora is irradiated. The drop-off in human activity has allowed wild boars to build up a population in the area.

 

 

 

Pylons are all over the landscape in this area. I don't know if any of them still carry power.

 

We pulled up alongside the cooling lake for the reactors of the ill-fated power station. The only vehicles we passed throughout this area were a car and a truck full of policemen.

One of the other reactors, I think Reactor 5. I believe this was under construction at the time of the disaster and has been untouched since.

 

The guide's Geiger counter reads a higher background radiation level in this area.

 

 

Damien and our guide, enjoying Ukranian cigarettes

 

Me with my rapey face (I am so bad in photos...). In the background to the left you can see Reactor 4, which is where the accident happened.

 

Reactor No. 4

 

The power plant cooling lake and water channels are now host to huge catfish, which now have no natural predators and have been thriving in the irradiated water.

 

 

 

 

 A long-dead power plant.

 

 

We drove just outside Reactor 4 to this memorial. It's hard to believe this was all covered in deadly radioactive ash in April 1986.

 

 

 

An internationally funded effort is underway to build a new sarcophagus to contain the reactor core. The original concrete one is falling apart and if left unchecked, more radiation could be released. They expect to finish in 2012 (update: now 2015), and this is why Chernobyl has so many workers at the moment. For more information check this article:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Safe_Confinement

 

 

The entrance to the reactor. The guide stopped us from taking photos in any other direction but didn't explain why. After some research we assume it is because there is a big missile detection frame and bunker in that direction which is still used by the military - you can see it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Woodpecker

 

 

 

We continued towards the abandoned town of Pripyat, crossing this rather dilapidated bridge. Most of the infrastructure around here is showing its age.  From this point on, the place was totally deserted.

 

 

 

A few minutes later we arrived at Pripyat, the famous ghost town. This is the entry checkpoint, which was manned by a lone guard. The guide told us the guy had a log fire in his hut to keep warm!

  

To see more, please go to Part 3 - Pripyat School:

http://chernobylvisit.blogspot.co.nz/2010/01/alan-in-chernobyl-part-3-pripyat-school.html