Chernobyl & Kiev Long Weekend

This trip starts in Kiev, Ukraine's mighty and fast-evolving capital city. A
sightseeing tour of Kiev will be offered on the last day of the trip before
departure but those wishing to spend more time exploring this eclectic city
and its many interesting heritage sites such as the National Museum of the
History of Ukraine in the Second World War, may wish to extend the trip by a
day or two. After check-in, we meet our local tour leader for a welcome
briefing and group dinner. Overnight in Kiev.

 

This morning we leave for Chernobyl and travel by comfortable private minibus
for approximately 2 hours to Dytiatky, the main check point before entering
official Exclusion Zone. After passing passport control and learning about
some essential safety rules we start our comprehensive sightseeing tour by
vehicle and on foot.

On the way to the power plant we stop at  the almost fully buried Kopachi
village, which was highly contaminated by the high-level of radioactive
fallout after the nuclear blast and subsequently bulldozed. A macabre and
desolated kindergarten and one other brick building are the only structures
that remain standing. We continue towards the third stage of the Chernobyl
Nuclear Power Plant, driving by the uncompleted reactors 5 and 6, the
unfinished cooling towers, and reach the main disaster site, Reactor 4. It
was right here that, on the on the fatal night of 26th April 1986, two large
explosions took place following a failed safety test, releasing tons of
radioactive substances into the air to an altitude of 1.5km. We will learn of
the catastrophic consequences of the largest nuclear energy disaster in the
history of mankind, while observing the mighty New Safe Confinement ('Arch')
from a safe observation point at distance of 270 metres.

Our tour continues with a special private visit inside the Chernobyl Nuclear
Power Station (Usually Unit 3). We will be provided with a special protective
gown of an NPP employee, shoe covers and dosimeter and enjoy a 3-hour long
tour of the still functional parts of the power plant. This
once-in-a-lifetime experience includes a visit to the control room, where
you have the chance to fill the shoes of those who once stood here during the
tragic event. We also see the hydraulic pump system, the ‘golden
corridor’, and finally the room enclosing the main circulation pumps. We
may also meet and listen to fascinating explanations from the current
employees of the Chernobyl NPP and enjoy lunch with the station workers at
the main canteen (where ecological cleanliness of products is guaranteed). 

Later, we continue our exploration of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone with a
visit to one its most mysterious sites. In 1975 the grand construction of
Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant drew the attention of thousands but few would
have known that a gigantic, top secret radar was also being erected a short
distance away. This fascinating and complex defence system was built to
protect Soviet citizens in case of nuclear war and the giant antennas, still
visible today and known as Duga-1, were supposed to watch the launches of
intercontinental ballistic missiles. There is a lot of speculation around the
history and purpose of this site, and we will hear some of the theories
during our visit.

Tonight, we enjoy the unique opportunity of staying in a basic but
comfortable hotel within the Exclusion Zone end conclude our busy day with a
warm traditional Ukrainian meal in a cafe near our accommodation.

Please note that the order of activities and choice of buildings visited
within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone may vary depending on weather, time
available and local restrictions.

After breakfast we drive 20 minutes to Pripyat, the once lively town that was
home to the Chernobyl workers and their families. Incredibly, the
inhabitants were evacuated in just three hours on the day of the disaster.
Over three decades later, this ghost town is now a freeze-frame of the Soviet
Union in 1986. Communist propaganda still decorates the walls, personal
belongings litter the streets and the abandoned buildings and toys are strewn
around a schoolhouse where they were last dropped by children before
escaping. All clocks are still frozen at 11:55, the moment the electricity
was cut. We will walk by many derelict and desolated buildings, including a
fish farm, the cinema, the music school and the athletic stadium, as well as
some filming locations of the popular HBO TV series. After lunch we will
also hopefully get the chance to meet one of the so-called self-settlers, the
locals who went against the order issued by the governement and chose to
return to their homes within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone soon after the
tragic accident. This is a special opportunity to hear some interesting and
touching stories of what life in Chernobyl was like before and after the
explosion. In the afternoon, time permitting, we head to the Red
Forest, the 10-square-kilometre area surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear
Power Plant that take its name from the ginger-brown colour of
the pine trees that died following the absorption of high levels of
radiation. To date, it remains one of the most contaminated areas in the
world, but we will approach it from a safe distance. There will also be time
to pay a visit to the Monument to the Chernobyl Liquidators, dedicated to
the hundreds of thousands of firefighters, engineers, military troops,
police, miners, cleaners and medical personnel who took part in the
liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl Disaster and prevented
apocalyptic consequences for Europe, sacrificing their lives or health for
the sake of saving others. A we leave the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and make
our way back to Kiev (approx. 2 hours) by private transport. Overnight in
Kiev.

This morning we enjoy a walking tour of Kiev's main sights starting with
the amazing view of two golden-domed monastery complexes while walking along
Sophiiska and Mykhailivska Squares. We continue along Andrew Street and pass
St Andrew Church before entering Arsenalna subway station, currently the
deepest in the world at 105.5 metres. Travelling by metro, we head to the
UNESCO Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Monastery, founded in AD 1051, and visit the
stunning interior and complex of caves housing mummified nuns. The tour
usually ends early afternoon so to those not travelling on the group flight,
we suggest booking a flight that departs Kiev not earlier than 6 pm in order
to enjoy the full sightseeing tour. Alternatively, you may choose to fly back
the following day and enjoy more time in Kiev for further independent
sightseeing. Please note that we will check-out from the hotel in the morning
but we will be able to leave our luggage safely stored during the included
sightseeing tour.

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