#чернобиль

[peacecorpspatrice]

Back in September my fantastic sister @mlmccormick33 came to visit me here in Ukraine. We decided a great vacation destination would be Chernobyl because чому ні why not? Chernobyl was a small village just over 100km from Kyiv and was determined a perfect place to build what was to become the largest energy producer in the world. The Soviet Energy ministry wanted to build 12 reactors and in 1977 the first reactor was launched. In April of 1986 all that changed. There were 4 reactors operating with two more being built when the largest nuclear disaster in history occurred. An initial sarcophagus was hastily built around the exploded reactor not to contain the radiation but to protect workers who still operated another reactor for years afterward. What you see behind us in the first photo is a second sarcophagus finished in 2017. This is expected to be viable for 100 years while crews working with robotics disassemble the reactor and move the radioactive material to what has been determined safe storage (I really have no idea what that means). It was an amazing day with history, nature and science all wrapped up in one story. I’ll be posting more photos over the next several days of the whole “Exclusion Zone” as it is called. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #україна #chernobyl #nuclearenergy #radiation #чернобиль #ukraine #travel #science #history #energy #explore #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney #mypeacecorpsstory (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs5FKFuHL1G/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=33bhz8pkwrhg

[fotoinform]

35 роковин Чорнобильської катастрофи. #смчм #чернобиль (at ОДА) https://www.instagram.com/p/COI9zM4hcWP/?igshid=11eb4wgesg3og

[findwayua]

То відчуття, коли за три дні дороги ти таки дістався її, і серед лісу побачив першого величезного привида атомного міста 😓☠️⚠️🚱☢️🛂☣️ That feeling, when in three days of hiking we finally reached it, and from the forest saw the first amazing ghost of the atomic city 😓☠️⚠️🚱☢️🛂☣️ #findway #chornobyl #hiking #ghost #town #prypyat #stalk #adventure #radiation #restricted #zone #kyiv #kievgram #phototravel #Ukraine #atomic #urban #nuclear #npp #kharkivtravel #stalker #abandoned #city #forest #building #lostcity #ua #polissya #Украина #Чернобиль #Припять #зона #чзо #сталкер #вход #радиация (Pripyat, Ukraine)

[vidamfiuk]

Azt nem tudjuk, hogy Чернобиль kísértete mit csinál ma, de megnéztük (@otthonmozi) az öt részes hbo sorozatot. 

Azóta  tudjuk, hogy a 3.6-s fizika átlag nem jó, de nem is tragikus :)

[zamonaviycom]

Асакада Чернобиль фожиаси қатнашчиси ИИБ ходимини пичоқлаб қўйди (видео)

Андижон вилояти Асака туманида эр-хотин жанжалини бартараф қилишга келган ИИБ ходимига пичоқ орқали жароҳат етказилди. Бу ҳақда Zo‘r TV телеканалида маълум қилинди.... Читать дальше »

[peacecorpspatrice]

I don’t remember anything about this metal sculpture. Only that I liked it. There is a one room building right after the security gates that serves as a modern art museum/interpretation of what Chernobyl meant to people and this is outside of it. I think many people still have a hard time making sense of it all and artistic representations help people sort out thoughts and feelings and hopes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #україна #chernobyl #nuclearenergy #radiation #чернобиль #ukraine #travel #science #history #energy #explore #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney #mypeacecorpsstory #nuclearreactor #sculpture #metalart #artistic #symbolism (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone-Pripyat) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtaushmHVjo/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=exshgb6cl8d1

[peacecorpspatrice]

The last thing every visitor does is go through another security checkpoint and radiation detector. Michelle and I made it though with flying colors. Nothing to worry about here. She probably was exposed to more radiation during her flight here than in our day spent in the Exclusion Zone. I’m glad we spent the day there. I was reminded of things I learned as a young person when it happened and learned a great deal more. My biggest take away or the most lasting impression I’ve had may seem a bit contradictory. The exclusion zone was the most natural, clean outdoor space I’ve been to in Ukraine. Because it has been close to the public with the exception of highly regulated tours and can’t be built on nature is taking its course here. The forests and trees were beautiful, there was no trash and almost no cigarette butts strewn about. Stories of sightings larger apex animals abound. I heard birds and saw so much diversity of plant life. It was surprising and very strange. Those of you know me know how much I like the outdoors and natural spaces. I never thought I would find it next to a huge human made disaster area. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #україна #chernobyl #nuclearenergy #radiation #чернобиль #ukraine #travel #science #history #energy #explore #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney #mypeacecorpsstory #nuclearreactor #nature #getoutside #radiationdetection (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtdOdMzH-9C/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=4d7xu1ernus4

[peacecorpspatrice]

Modern graffiti versus Soviet propaganda as seen in Pripyat. Propaganda comes at us on social media now but in the 70’s and 80’s it was posters and metal kiosks. There was so much to see and learn in the exclusion zone but sometimes the history and thoughts and consequences can be boiled down to a little public art. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #україна #chernobyl #nuclearenergy #radiation #чернобиль #ukraine #travel #science #history #energy #explore #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney #mypeacecorpsstory #nuclearreactor #graffiti #streetart #propaganda #art (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone-Pripyat) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtXq7aEnr3i/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1i22mgkvkq2px

[peacecorpspatrice]

And you thought your schools were in rough shape! These are photos of one of the schools in Pripyat. Again you can see the results of all the looting that occurred. But here in particular photographers came in and staged photos. The story goes the gas masks were found in a storage room and a photographer brought them out and dumped them around the room for symbolism. But the fact they were there at all is, well, odd? Creepy? Freaky? All of the above? The last photo is actually a different school that was in a separate village, a kindergarten we were told. Only the old creepy doll is napping now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #україна #chernobyl #nuclearenergy #radiation #чернобиль #ukraine #travel #science #history #energy #explore #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney #mypeacecorpsstory #schools #school #gasmasks #education (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone-Pripyat) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtOyBhfn9Y_/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=w1531nqo7d9y

[peacecorpspatrice]

We were able to go into what was once a world class sports center in Pripyat is now just a pile of rubble and debris. Most of Pripyat was looted and ransacked shortly after evacuation and for some time after that. Now the whole exclusion zone is strictly controlled. Most of the reason you see the destruction of property and buildings is from looting. Not from neglect. I enjoy staying fit as much as the next person but I don’t think I’m swimming in that pool. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #україна #chernobyl #nuclearenergy #radiation #чернобиль #ukraine #travel #science #history #energy #explore #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney #mypeacecorpsstory #fitness #gym #sportscenter (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone-Pripyat) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtL3rrDHnee/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=rxthmgh3tg77

[peacecorpspatrice]

The city of Pripyat Припять was built not only to house the employees of this huge energy facility it was also a come to life Potemkin Village. The Soviets used it to show visitors how great living in the Soviet Union was and how progressive and wonderful life was there. They had the first supermarket in the eastern block, a festive amusement park, brand new apartment complexes, a fancy restaurant overlooking the lake that provided rest and relaxation and a state of the art sports center. It is all in ruins now but can be visited. The next series of photos are what is left after looters stripped the place of anything they thought might be valuable. Residents weren’t warned immediately. And then when the 40,000 or so people were evacuated they were told it would be for a few days. Some people were even let back after several days to get belongings. It is now a ghost town of immense sorrow and hubris. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #україна #chernobyl #nuclearenergy #radiation #чернобиль #ukraine #travel #science #history #energy #explore #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney #mypeacecorpsstory (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone-Pripyat) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs7l9NWHRUb/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=k2c3f6b7pcqb

[peacecorpspatrice]

Our first stop was at what was once a classy restaurant on the lake. I was thinking I sure could use a water vending machine now in my village. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #україна #chernobyl #nuclearenergy #radiation #чернобиль #ukraine #travel #science #history #energy #explore #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney #mypeacecorpsstory (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone-Pripyat) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs7npvvHOJa/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=17dviy7hauwgq