Pripyat, was a flourishing city of 50,000 inhabitants until April 26, 1986, when it was evacuated after suffering the worst accident in the history of nuclear energy, the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which emitted 400 times more radiation than the atomic bomb that fell on Hiroshima in 1945. After more than 30 years of that event, this ghost town is considered a tourist destination for some fans of new experiences.
Before the Chernobyl accident, Pripyat was an idyllic model of a Soviet city that had all the basic needs of a large city: large supermarkets, swimming pools, hotels, cultural centres, theatre, numerous schools, a hospital, cafes, restaurants, cinema, gyms, stadiums, sports centre, factories, efficient public transport with more than 160 buses, among many other services and amenities.
Currently it has no inhabitant, other than researchers, scientists and security forces that guard the exclusion zone. The city is now a museum of the late Soviet era. It has many apartment buildings, inside which are abandoned photographs, children’s toys, clothing and personal belongings.
However, despite the devastation, there are those who consider visiting Pripyat today. In the first place, because it is a unique experience for that traveller hungry for knowledge and understanding of historical events that have left their mark on humanity. It also provides a first-hand understanding of the effects and dangers of radiation.
Secondly, it offers the possibility of getting to know an intact Soviet-model city, with no other alteration than that caused by the passage of time. Despite the fact that the visit to Pripyat includes some risks and limitations regarding the length of stay in each site visited, it does not matter as long as you can know an area of the world where there will be no stable life again in the next 24,000 years because of radiation.
Forbes magazine claims that Pripyat, along with Chernobyl, is one of the most exotic places on the planet for sightseeing. Many people wonder if it is dangerous to visit the city, in this regard the Ukrainian authorities allow visits to the area, but this does not mean that there are no risks of radiation contamination. People who decide to visit Pripyat must follow the established rules to avoid major incidents.
Furthermore, the guides take visitors along scheduled routes where the level of radiation is controlled and where radioactive decontamination tasks have been carried out. However, said decontamination is not always complete, so in certain places the guides indicate the maximum time that they can stay there. For example, in the nursery you cannot stay more than 10 minutes, because the radiation level is higher.
Another element that infringes on greater security is the fact that the guide carries with him a device that measures the level of radiation, called the Geiger counter, which is used to monitor existing levels at all times and even if a tourist wishes, he can rent it.
When explaining this, it should also be clarified that there are two types of hazards: the first, represented by the radiation to which visitors are exposed during their journey, which can be of 3 types: alpha, beta and gamma; and the second is the possibility of ingesting some radioactive particle and therefore being contaminated.
It should be noted that, according to the companies that offer these tours, the dose of gamma radiation received during a normal 6-7-hour visit to Pripyat is equivalent to that received during a two-day stay in cities such as Kiev, New York or London and less to undergo an X-ray or that received during a transatlantic flight, hence the importance of the time spent in the place.
Regarding alpha and beta, their inclusion in our body is repelled by our clothes and skin and their amounts are very small, unlike the moment immediately after the reactor explosion, so they do not represent greater risks than those we expose ourselves daily.
Regarding the risk of contamination by ingesting a radioactive particle, the companies that carry out the tours, allege that the possibility of ingesting or breathing a radioactive particle is very low as long as the directions of the guides are followed and you do not leave the marked routes.
It is important to mention that to date only one tourist breathed this particle and it was due to leaving the indicated routes. And if reference is made to external contamination of the body, it is eliminated by washing with detergent that removes said contamination. Therefore, according to the Ukrainian authorities, there would be no problem traveling to Chernobyl.
Finally, when the visit in Pripyat ends, it is verified twice that none of the tourists is intoxicated through special machines, as well as the vehicle in which they transport you. Therefore, the combination of all these factors seems to indicate that, although the existing danger may be less than what many people might believe a priori, it cannot be denied that the risk always exists. However, if you decide to make such a visit, to mitigate this risk, the most correct thing is to follow common sense and the guidelines.
At the same time, it is advisable to follow some basic recommendations such as: get rid of the clothes worn during the trip, do not eat or drink anything in the vicinity of the city of Pripyat, carry a bottle of water, and make a good breakfast to avoid eating anything during the visit.
On the other hand, there is a greater risk than the radiation itself, the conditions of the buildings. Many of these have collapsed, have holes or uneven floors, so those who are not careful can seriously injure themselves. Likewise, you can find uncovered sewers, due to metal sellers, representing a great danger, so when visiting Pripyat, you must be very careful where you walk.
Thus, visiting Pripyat, the radioactive city, represents a very different experience from most tourist visits. Today the so-called exclusion zone welcomes tourists from all over the world seeking explanations, knowledge, meaningful learning, living unique experiences attracted by that strange sensation of danger in a place that looks like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie.
ALFA