Chernobyl – it is not about the Cooling Tower

Chernobyl – it is about the Nuclear Reactor

Nuclear Reactors #5 and #6 – untouched for 20 years

The Square Building on the horizon is still today a secret defense system (like “SDI”), located outside Chernobyl behind Reactor #4

Entering CAES – “Chernobyl Atomic Energy Station” Radiation Level 0.158mR/hour

Entering the town of “Pripyat” Radiation Level 1.049mR/hour “Pripyat”

Everything looks green …

Nothing unusual here

This is Pripyat from 1986: a nice Soviet town of 50,000 people

This is Pripyat today – completely deserted, frozen in a time when the Soviet Union still existed Note the Hammer & Sickle on the deserted building

Everything is overgrown

This is the Hotel “Polissya” in 1986

This is the same Hotel “Polissya” today, completely abandoned

The back side of the Palace of Culture and the hotel today

Schoolkids parading in front of the local sports complex before 1986

Today these trees are growing on that street and the glass is gone from the same sports complex

Here is the inside of the same building, where the pool was

This used to be the gymnasium

This was the brand new amusement park that was supposed to be opened for May Day It was never used.

Pripyat was evacuated 36 hours after the accident and everything was abandoned

This used to be the jail

This used to be a kindergarten

This used to be the hospital

This used to be the main town square

Here is where it happened Reactor #4, now covered with steel panels

Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor #4

Reactor #4 – model to scale

Inside the reactor

The building structure collapsed

The core blew up, caught fire, spilling nuclear fuel everywhere

Pripyat was located 5 km (3 miles) from the accident. Everything was abandoned.

The town of Chernobyl is 15 km away. People work here today.

But check for radiation!

Lunch in Chernobyl

Mystery Meat in Chernobyl is quite a delicacy

Radioactive Armored Personnel Carrier In Chernobyl

Chernobyl still has a radioactive statue of Lenin

Leaving Chernobyl

Leaving Chernobyl: one more radiation check