Pripyat Blog

Did you know that even though it is prohibited for people to live in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (though some people do live there now), it is possible to visit the area for a day or two?Many people would like to visit the area but are concerned about the radiation levels. Though the levels in much of the Zone are higher than normal, they are not dangerous for short visits such as a day or two. Actually, there are some areas of the Zone where the background radiation levels are fairly normal. Yes, there are dangerous hot spots in the Zone, but the guides who escort you through the Zone know these areas and will keep you away from them (you will be required to have a guide with you).

There are several tour operators in Kyiv that offer day trips to the Zone. The trips include a brief visit to the information center close to Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant, and several hours in Pripyat, the city that used to be the home of the Chernobyl Plant workers.

Another option is to look at the Pripyat.com website forums at Pripyat.com forums. Members of the site administration typically conduct monthly trips to the Zone, usually focusing on the abandoned city Pripyat. You can find announcements in the English-language forum or the Russian-language forum

If you would like to read about visiting Pripyat and the Zone, you can view the threads about previous trips in the Russian-language forum.

Also, I personally visited the Chernobyl area for two days in June 2006 with a friend and former resident of Pripyat. We toured the Chernobyl Plant (including the Reactor 4 control room), several of the abandoned villages, and Pripyat. I have posted a photo journal of my trip at:

My Journey To Chernobyl: 20 Years After the Disaster

So, if you’re interested in seeing Pripyat and the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, you now have the opportunity to do so.

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• Chernobyl Radiation Equal to Everyday Risks -Study
  Chernobyl Radiation Equal to Everyday Risks -Study
  The risk of survivors of the Chernobyl accident dying early is far less than supposed, ranking about the same as exposure to air pollution or passive smoking, according to new research published on Tuesd
  (tags: tion Equal to Everyday Risks -Study The risk of survivors Chernobyl accident dying early is far less than supposed ranking about same as exposure air pollution or passive smoking according new research published on Tuesday)

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• Tatsachenbericht zweier Touristen aus Deutschland
  Tatsachenbericht zweier Touristen aus Deutschland Dies ist der Erlebnisbericht der Hamburger Geschwister Moritz und Janni Eidam von unserem Besuch der Exclusion Zone vom 29.08. – 31.08.2006.
  (tags: Tatsachenbericht zweier Touristen aus Deutschland Die Stadt Tschernobyl)
• Wildlife defies Chernobyl radiation
  The exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power station is teeming with life. As humans were evacuated from the area 20 years ago, animals moved in. Existing populations multiplied and species not seen for decades, such as the lynx and eagle owl, be
  (tags: search linux free software music blog mp3 news javascript css reference webdesign inspiration photography online internet)
• How to make pictures in Chernobyl
  National Geographic to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, Ludwig returned to the region to document progress. His images have been seen in the magazine as well as exhibits internationally.
  (tags: mysql .net del.icio.us pictures in Chernobyl drupal s ’s)
• Ukraine is in the list of world’s worst polluted places
  Ukraine appeared in the list because of the land around Chernobyl nuclear plant. One major reason for the concern is that though an enormous amount of radiation was released during the disaster, most of the radioactivity remained trapped within the plant
  (tags: Chernobyl Chernobil chornobyl chornobil tschernobyl)
• Chornobyl threatens Ukraine with another danger
  This time it will be polluted water for the next 300 years and radioactive clouds that will remain in the atmosphere up to the middle of this century. This tragic forecast was given by experts of the estrangement zone around the Cornobyl NPP as “5″ tv cha
  (tags: cd power dns script dhtml style Chernobyl chornobyl)

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THQ will release S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl for PC on March 23, and to wet everyone\’s appetites the publisher is releasing a series of development diaries. The sixth dev diary can be found below and focuses on the game\’s combat system. A number of new screenshots have also been released to show the game in action.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl -

Getting down to developing the combat system in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. our ambition was to make it involving and fun to play, while at the same time realistic. The second goal was, due to the game having vast open-air spaces, to allow the player freedom to play the scenes from any side he would wish. This required us to develop a universal and complex combat system, able to function in many varied circumstances.

Initially we needed to provide the player with basic skills and abilities. Thus, we taught them to walk, run, bend and duck, jump from standing and sitting positions. So that the player could traverse the game expanses faster, we also enabled him to do quick sprints. Subsequently the run function proved quite useful when dashing for cover or away from grenades and even rockets. As high structures, watch towers and so on are plentiful in the Zone, we enabled the player to climb ladders while still allowing them to use one-handed weapons (pistols, knives).
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is getting ever nearer to release

As weapons are an essential component in S.T.A.L.K.E.R., it was logical for us to take the next step to work out the ballistics system in the game. We are quite proud of what we have achieved in this area - bullets in the game fly along the right trajectory and fall down. Due to big and open in-game levels we had to take into account such an important factor as true calculation of bullet speed, loss of fire strength with the distance, etc. Now, when firing at long distances you need to take into account the distance from the target and its movement speed, hence shoot in advance of moving targets. Straight afterwards the question of developing a system of sighting and target seeking was raised. As a result, we added sniper sights and binoculars for the player\’s use. The binoculars in the game allow you to scope out targets from long range, but also to identify them for you.

Even though the player was now trained, we still hadn\’t provided them with the means, i.e. weapons. We got down to develop the basic set: knife, pistols, rifles, machine-guns, gradually increasing the number of pieces to about 30. Similarly as with ballistics, we paid every detail to working on each of them and desired the player to truly feel the advantages of each of the weapons.

Bearing in mind the core S.T.A.L.K.E.R. idea of a full-fledged living-and-breathing world, existing independently of the player, in the context of combat system we strived for an AI which would live on the scenes objectives and adequately react to any actions of the player. On the player\’s path there will be plenty of stalker camps, army posts, patrols, grouping bases and so on. Our task was to develop a universal system of combat AI, which any of the NPC would take as guidance, taking into account the circumstances and individual characteristics. Firstly, we decided to gift each character with virtual hearing and sight, and provide the player, accordingly, with detectors of his visibility and noise heard by other characters. As a result, a combat against NPCs would start only after they have truly spotted the player. In case the player, for instance, sneaked up to an army post, sniped out an enemy with a skillful headshot and hid away, the battle against the remaining NPCs will not start until he got found. Once the AI spot their friend\’s body, they will react with raising alarm and seeking the enemy. As soon as the enemy is detected, the NPCs will, while shooting, run for cover, reload whilst covered there, look out for skirmishes (from different sides of the cover). The combat AI was taught to load up the guns, change cover if wounded, etc.

… if there are two groups fighting with the player, not all of the enemies will be firing at the player - they will \’distribute\’ the enemies between themselves depending on strength.
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Shelter object. Current status

Actually it is possible to consider as established, that inside the Shelter object remains about 90% of fuel, which was in a reactor at the moment of accident. Its total activity makes about 18 mln curies. Destructive processes, occurring in fuel containing materials (FCM), every year increase their hazard. Lava-like FCM destructs spontaneously and radionuclides containing in them are transformed from the bound state in mobile dust particles capable to live the Shelter boundaries with air flows. The radioactive dust amount according to conservative estimations makes about 4 tons.

There is a potential risk of a radioactive dust releases in an environment during probable collapse of supporting constructions, and due to water migration.
At the site near the Shelter under the layer of the ground, sand and concrete there is significant quantity of radioactive substances, non-isolated from hydrogeological environment.

Object’s constructions don’t meet the requirements of the normative and technical documentation on Safety if the field of mechanical durability, structural integrity, constructive reliability and have undetermined operational term.

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Started during the first days after the accident complex diagnostic investigations were continued after Shelter object construction completion. Main arias of investigations were:
• сlarification of quantity and location of nuclear fuel inside the Unit;
• determination of fuel containing masses mechanical, physical and chemical condition;
• nuclear and radiation safety assessment;
• creation and operation of diagnostic systems;
• facility’s constructions reliability monitoring.
Investigation of the Shelter object started from hols drilling. Results of these investigations provided wide volume of information. It was possible to determine character of internal damages, constructions condition, to penetrate to fuel congestions and to sample fuel containing materials (FCM), to measure directly neutron multiplication factor in congestions, which showed that FCM in the Shelter were in subcritical state. It was established, that inside the Shelter the fuel was in the form of destroyed reactor core fragments, stark glassy mass (lava) and fuel dust.
Results of drilling allowed to determine new penetration ways into the Shelter premises and stimulated creation of the special diagnostic robots for works implementation inside the sarcophagus.

Initial large-scale works on Shelter’s constructions reinforcement were started in 1987 and completed in 1989. It was revealed three zones requiring urgent anti-emergency measures: deaerator stack, main circulating pumps premise and premise 805/3.
In spit of additional measures on constructions reinforcement, experts understood, that in existing status the Shelter couldn’t be considered as facility, safety of which is ensured for decades.
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At 01 hr 23 min 49 sec Moscow time on April 26, 1986, the world’s worst-ever nuclear disaster occurred at Power Generation Unit No.4 of the Chornobyl NPP. As a result, the reactor core was destroyed completely, and almost all its supporting structures were severely damaged. The reactor and its building were destroyed by two powerful explosions. The upper biological shielding of the reactor (scheme “E”) was torn off and turned at 15° to the vertical. All high-pressure pipes were destroyed. Hot graphite blocks, fragments of pipelines and equipment were thrown outside. Most of the debris piled up at the north wall. The explosion destroyed the separator room. All the four separators, each weighing 130 tons, were moved from their supports and torn off from the pipelines.

The roof collapsed and hung down on the separators.
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