Chernobyl. In three paragraphs. Blimey.
If you do ever happen to be in this part of the world go to Chernobyl. It is one of those places where you have leave the real world and face reality. 100km from Kiev, there are now organized (and highly supervised) tours to the 30km military exclusion zone around the mummified reactor that exploded in 1986.
It's a very eerie experience as you travel towards the reactor, perhaps more so because it was a lovely autumn day with clouds scudding across the sky and the trees gorgeously golden. But as you get closer the geiger counter begins to buzz more and more, and with 500m to go sounds it's alarm, and you know you cant hang around too long. Here it was that the military and mining operations took place over three months to contain the damage, clear masses of highly radioactive waste, and build the sarcophagus over Reactor Four to seal it. Troops were told that by working only a few minutes at a time they would be safe. Alas, complete lies. Official figures state 4000 deaths (a figure accepted by no less than Hans Blix). Independent research suggests that since 1986 40% of the recruits have died early cancer related deaths; meaning in excess of 100,000. Brave men doing their duty, and we owe them our thanks.
Then to Pripyat, the nearest town - only 2km from the reactor, and only evacuated 48 hours after the explosion. We looked around what is now a ghost town where it will be safe to live again in 245,000 years. There is great sensitivity about allowing people to look at apartment buildings, but we saw offices and hotels, contents cleared up by the military years ago. And the amusement park, never used: it was due to open five days after the accident. All the time you have a sense of looking into people's lives twenty years on. It wasnt for a couple of days that I realised what the nagging feeling I had at the time was. The absolute stillness in the middle of a town with no people, no cars, no lights....
Alex
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