Pripyat Kindergarten

[UrbanX]

It certainly does bring it home to you when you see the dolls, cots and shoes. Those poor little souls. It does make me so mad with the vandalism and looters..........it's almost like desecrating a grave yard!!!!

Thanks for sharing the pics tho, they are awesome..

When we were travelling from Reactor 4, to the Kindergarten I asked one of my fellow travellers how he was feeling.
He coldly replied "It's like visiting a serial killer, and now we're going to see the victims beds"

That was exactly what I was thinking - it is absolutely ridiculous. Apparently the amount of radiation that would be released if the sarcophagus collapses would be comparable to the disaster itself!

I think in the regeon of 5% of the fuel went up in the disaster. Leaving some 190 tonnes of fuel beneath that decaying, rotton sarcopahgus. Cracks are visible with the naked eye, you can even see water pouring out. Work Is actually well underway with the new one. The iconic chimney will be dismantled in under 2 years...

I wonder if people will be doing tours to fukushima in 20 years time?

Get saving UrbanX!

I'm watching it right now. It was a popular topic among our group, and we'll be there asap.

 

[krela]

I'm watching it right now. It was a popular topic among our group, and we'll be there asap.

I don't think many people realise just how dire the situation is there. =/

 

[Curious Dragon]

I don't think many people realise just how dire the situation is there. =/

It is terrible, so many generations will be paying the price. Recovery will be slow and to be honest some families will never recover.
As far as the nuclear side of things... the information released is very carefully worded and I do suspect it is worse than they let on. There are cattle which aren't fit for anything, crops which cannot be consumed and the water supply is still in question.

Japan is now having a turn around and are changing their direction for energy production, coming away from nuclear. You know it must be very bad for that decision to be made.
I have followed the crisis in Fukushima closely and it has been heartbreaking to see and I was dreading a second Chernobyl. I dearly wish I could go out there and help somehow. Whatever grievences we have in our lives, they simply do not compare. The Japanese are a proud and resourceful nation but it is hard to be resourceful when you have been stripped bare.

 

[UrbanX]

It is terrible, so many generations will be paying the price. Recovery will be slow and to be honest some families will never recover.
As far as the nuclear side of things... the information released is very carefully worded and I do suspect it is worse than they let on. There are cattle which aren't fit for anything, crops which cannot be consumed and the water supply is still in question..

I'm not sure if you even know how how true your words are.

There is cattle in the highlands of Scotland, unfit for human consumption in 2011, because of radiation from Chernobyl. Here's the UNSCEAR report from 2008 saying petty much the same: http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/courses...sks/Advance_copy_Annex_D_Chernobyl_Report.pdf

Thyroid Cancer cases among newborns in Belarus are at an all time high NOW in 2011. in 2012 they'll be higher.

It was the worlds biggest humanist disaster. I can only think my facination is partly, morbidly, fuelled by that.

I don't want to stray from the point, so I'll say, anyone that wants to visit, do so now. IMO the radiation is a low risk, especially considering the stuff you'll do when you're there. I explored more her ein a week than 5 years of hardcore UK exploring!

This wasn't my first time to visit Pripyat, and it definitely wont be my last.

 

[Curious Dragon]

It is so close to my heart so I make it my business to learn as much as I can.

I hadn't realised Scottish cattle were still effected... its quite scary (to say the least).

I long to go out there but funds do not allow right now so I shall have to bide my time and hope the opportunity doesn't pass me by. This means I appreciate your efforts all the more and I love digesting all your posts (I sound like I'm sucking up don't I lol)

Deep down in my heart I know that if I had the money I would up and go to Japan to chip in and lend my rather feeble muscles. Watching the new disaster unfold left me with more than a single tear in my eye and praying history was not going to repeat. I stayed up overnight watching the reports, feeling like it was my duty to bare witness.

Nuclear energy does have it's place in the world but I can't help but wish the potential for catastrophic disaster could be eliminated

 

[King Al]

Superb report UrbanX, great pics and detailed write up really looks like you had the trip of a life time.

 

[Sectionate]

Most moving place we visited, top photos dude, was good to meet you!

 

[GhoulishGadgets]

I think the doll with the bright blue eyes is the most striking picture I've seen.

Hope you get to go back and gather more pictures when/if they start allowing visitors again.

Si

 

[nelly]

All of your other Pripyat reports have made me go "Wow!", this one made me go "Ah".

Fantastic photos as always mate.

Thankyou

 

[nickso]

Great pics.

The kindergarten we went to was one of the best bits of the trip for us. Very eerie.


Regarding looters, our guide said it was ridiculously easy to get round the Pripyat checkpoints, turn off the main road before or after the reactor and there are multiple backroads/tracks into the town. Probably partly the reason for a driving ban in Chernobyl City after a certain time. We were in the carpark of the motel drinking and a pickup went by with no lights on, the guides reckoned they were either drink driving home, off into the forest to shoot things or loot stuff in the area. It's also easy to get into Pripyat from the Belarus side even if it's a bit of a trek through the forest, our giude had found stashes from Belarussian hunters that hole up in the town between hunts.