The Zone

Posted by dlugasek on 29 October, 2016

Strefa zamknięta wokół elektrowni Czarnobyl ma promień około 30km. Najbardziej znanymi miejscami są Prypeć no i sama elektrownia. Rzecz jasna znajduje się tam wiele innych ciekawych miejscówek, z radarem Duga na czele. Jest to obszar opuszczony, tak, ale nie do końca. W miasteczku Czarnobyl (15km od elektrowni) mieszka na stałe około stu osób, ale tymczasowo nawet do trzech tysięcy. Głównie robotnicy pracujący przy oczyszczaniu strefy.

Klimat jest tam bardzo specyficzny. Niby wszystko ok (tylko trochę pusto). Drzewa rosną, ptaki latają, ryby w jeziorze obok elektrowni mają się wyjątkowo dobrze (nikt ich nie łowi, nie wiedzieć czemu…). Ale co jakiś czas stoi przypomnienie gdzie jesteśmy w postaci znaku ostrzegającego przed promieniowaniem. W tym momencie człowiek zdaje sobie sprawę, że wcale tu tak ok nie jest i cieszy się, że przewodnik przyniósł ze sobą licznik Geigera… Aczkolwiek mi taki klimat jak najbardziej odpowiada 🙂

The zone around Chernobyl power plant has around 30km radius. The most famous places are Pripyat and the power plant itself. Nevertheless there are many more interesting places there, with the Duga radar being a prime example. The area is abandoned, but not completely. In the town of Chernobyl (about 15km form the plant) around a hundred people live permanently, but there are up two three thousand temporary inhabitants. Mainly labourers working towards cleaning the whole place up.

The atmosphere, as one might assume, is very specific. Things seem fine (just bit empty). Trees grow, birds fly, fish are particularly well in the lake close to the power plant (for some reason, nobody fishes them…). But every now and again you can see a clear reminder of where you are, the radiation sign. Whenever that happens one realises that it is not as ok as it seems and is happy that the guide brought the Geiger meter… Nevertheless I do enjoy this atmosphere 🙂

Zdrowaśki

Nazwy wyludnionych wiosek. /Names of abandoned villiges

Ku chwale strażakom, którzy zmarli po akcji gaszenia reaktora. /In the name of fireman who died after putting down the reactor fire.

Nasze najbardziej napromieniowane znalezisko! /Our most radiated finding!

To miejsce było jednym z bardziej napromieniowanych, bo podczas powodzi spływa tędy woda z miasta. /This place was one of more radiated spots because water from floods comes here from the town.

Hmmm…

“Most Śmierci” – mieszkańcy Prypeci przychodzili tu popatrzeć na pożar reaktora. W następnych dniach padali na ulicach, dawka śmiertelna prawie dla wszystkich… Ponoć pod mostem promieniowanie jest wciąż bardzo silne! /”The bridge of Death” – people of Pripyat were coming here to have a look at the reactor fire. The following days they were collapsing on the streets, fatal dose for most of them. Apparently underneath the bridge the radiation is still strong!

The Team

Sarkofagi

Posted by dlugasek on 23 October, 2016

Tak, w liczbie mnogiej. Trafiliśmy na moment kiedy obydwa stoją obok siebie. Za kilka miesięcy nowy, prawie ukończony, zostanie nasunięty na stary, zakrywając raczej nieprzyjemny symbol współczesnej historii. Ale tylko symbol – konsekwencje tej katastrofy będą odczuwalne jeszcze długie lata. Rząd Ukrainy planuje oczyścić i otworzyć strefę zamkniętą w roku 2065. Ponoć jest to plan bardzo ambitny…

Nowy sarkofag jest ogromny, zapewne technicznie bardziej zaawansowany i krótko mówiąc lepszy. Ale ten stary… To jest niesamowite, że oni postawili tę konstrukcję w pół roku, szczególnie w takich warunkach. Ponadto projekt był rysowany praktycznie rzecz biorąc na biężąco. Przy projektowaniu elektrowni atomowych nie zakładano ich wybuchów i nie projektowano gigantycznych osłon na takie okoliczności – ciekawe, czy robi się to teraz. Przyjrzyjcie się temu staremu sarkofagowi. Wyobraźcie sobie, że robotnicy stawiali go kawałek po kawałku ze świadomością, że jakieś ustrojstwo zza ściany powolutku ich wyniszcza – chociaż nikt za bardzo nie kwapił się im powiedzieć, co to tak właściwie jest…

Yes, plural. There are two of them at the moment. The new one, nearly finished, will cover the old one, hiding a rather unpleasant symbol of recent history. Just a symbol though, the consequences of this catastrophe will still be felt for years to come. Ukrainian government has plans to clean up and open the closed zone in 2065. Apparently this plan is very ambitious.

The new sarcophagus is huge, surely more advanced and better for the role than the old one. But the old one… What a piece of engineering. It is incredible they built it in six months, given the conditions they were in. And, on top of that, the design was practically improvised. While designing nuclear power plants they did not assume they will blow, hence they did not draw huge covers for them in case of such event. Hmm, I wonder if they do it now. Have a close look at the old sarcophagus. Imagine the workers building it piece by piece with the awareness that something ominous is killing them slowly from behind the wall – just no one bothered to tell them what it was exactly…

A następne dwa reaktory były w budowie / Meanwhile two new reactors were under construction

Apocalypse

Posted by dlugasek on 30 September, 2013

The site is surrounded by easily passable fence. You can either jump over or crawl under the gate. But whoever is responsible for security knows that and he is smarter then you. Maybe he does not have enough funds to get a better fence to keep you out but at least he can ruin your clothes by cunningly leaving some grease on it (luckily we noticed it in the last moment). Just a small reminder how nice people can be to each other sometimes.

When you approach closer you are not sure where to start. There is one complex of buildings to your right and the main one in front. You can go around all of it or step in. Once you get in, the only things you see around is bare concrete structures with metal pipes and rods sticking out, connected with submarine-like metal door frames. If someone used to play some apocalyptic games he understands where the title of this post comes from. It really makes you ask a question “what if everything did look like that?”. The site, being an unfinished nuclear power station, tickles your imagination generously.

I have been there on two occasions, second one during the winter – even better because ice allows you to enter spots which you cannot really get to other way (unless you have a canoe with you). This is because most of the main complex is flooded, probably due to the pumps (or whatever kept the water out) not functioning anymore. Anyway, ice allowed us to get to the place where the reactor was supposed to be – a cool place to be for a fun of industrial sights.

We were just about to enter the second block when the cunning security guy appeared. As he was a typical, rude security guy threatening us with police and all that we decided to retreat while he was looking for the rest of our team (whoever that was). Bit unfortunate as my brother did not manage to see all the place from above, which one can do from an observation tower at the far side of the complex. I did have a chance when I was there first time with two of my friends. Beautiful view on the whole area.

The site looks still more or less as on the pictures (which were taken 5 years ago). Nowadays though it is seriously considered to host new nuclear power plant, which should be finished around 2025. I guess there is many more cunning security officers there nowadays hence I suppose it must be much more difficult to get in. I am happy I managed in time.

Here is a few pictures, enjoy.

Zdrowaśki, Dlugas