... in response to Leaving for Ukraine, posted by Philb on Jan 14, 2004[This message has been edited by LP]
I've been to the zone twice and have another visit scheduled for April. Some things to know:
While the normal tours are interesting it's possible to bypass the middleman and deal with InterInform directly to gain greater access. My second trip was with a university professor and my third will be on my own since obtaining a researcher's permit. Whatever the type of access all visits to the zone must be accompanied by InterInform personnel. You can't simply wander around, although with the proper permit you can visit some fairly restricted places including entering the "shelter object" (what the Ukrainians call the sarcophagus) itself for a limited time
Accomodations for such non standard access can be had through special arrangments in the town of Chornobyl itself, located about 10 km from the station but still inside the zone.
Photography on the normal tours is permitted everywhere but on the balcony of the small information center located in front of Unit Four. (Odd because it's only 30 feet from an area where photography is completely unrestricted.) The current dose rate is displayed above the balcony entrance and seldom exceeds 5 mrem.
While there is little to worry about on the normal tour, if you go anywhere else I recommend you have a good electronic dosimeter. The exposure rate can jump in places and there were several times my dosimeter went into low level alarm and surprised my guide who carried no instrumentation at all. The normal tour routes are surveyed often and the changed depending on the results. Again, assuming you gain other than tour access, I would not go anywhere else without dosimetery.
Politely refuse the food offered to you by the villagers still living in the zone (especially the milk) as the ground is contaminated with Cesium 137 and Stronium 90 in places. I'm told the homebrewed vodka is not a problem but it's your call.
Spend as much time as you can in Pripyat and outlying villages. You'll find those few people still living in the zone to be very hospitable and it'll give you a good perspective on rural Ukrainian life. Lastly, study up on what really happened (especially in Pripyat and at Unit Four) before you go because it'll make your experience much more meaningful. A good start is Piers Paul Read's book "Ablaze" for a balanced viewpoint. A perusal of the WHO and UNSCEAR reports are also enlightening. When it comes to Chorno, things are not always what they appear to be.
A side trip to the museum in Kiev is nice but a bit slanted. However, a visit in Kiev with Lyubov Sirota (search on Google) is a must if you have the time and interest.
Winter is the best time for photography as in summer Pripyat is seriously overgrown and the views obstructed. Still, I prefer summer because it's warmer and the area is quite beautiful.
It's a fascinating place, I could spend months there. However, even the workers are limited to a two week period before they must leave for two weeks. Chorno is an epic story and one that is tied to the collapse of the USSR more than many realize. With a little prior study even a standard visit to the site of the world's worst industrial accident is a moving experience, one you'll not soon forget.
