Hi all,
(Would a mod perhaps be able to pin this please?)
On the 24th of August 2007, I, along with other riders from the bikeaid.org.uk team will depart on a gruelling 3,500 mile round trip journey across Holland, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Belarus and the Ukraine to Chernobyl ? the site of the world?s worst nuclear accident. We will visit the town of Prypiat ? the town built to house the workers of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant which has remained abandoned ever since that infamous day - April 26, 1986.
Please see www.bikeaid.org.uk and www.chernobyl-children.org.uk for details.
Please go to www.justgiving.com/timwheaton to donate online.
My website is www.wheaton.me.uk which I will update on a regular basis with details of the preparation for the trip,
and for comments, questions and advice!
You can e-mail me at tim@wheaton.me.uk
|
We will visit the town of Prypiat ? the town built to house the workers of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant which has remained abandoned ever since that infamous day - April 26, 1986.
Er, are you sure you want to visit Prypiat? I Understand that it is a highly contaminated NO GO area!
|
Only certain parts - don't go near trees or moss is one thing I've learnt as they draw up the radiation!
It's relatively safe believe it or not.
|
Actually believe it or not, if you can get the access permits, and you are careful, the town of Chernoybl itself is quite safe! You can walk around without any protective clothing, you just need a geiger counter to make sure you're not walking anywhere dodgy.
Blue
|
|
About three years ago someone posted on this site details of a female Russian biker who visited the area and took lots of photos. It was a very moving and weird experience, just viewing them remotely. I would love to go and have a look at how nature takes over from 'civilisation' so quickly.
|
Yeah I saw that as well. Fantastic, haunting photographs. The whole place was literally abandoned over the space of a few hours. Incredibly though it was several days after the explosion as it took radiation being picked up in Scandinavia before the Russian authorities would even admit there was a problem.
Apparently, ecologists have studied the local flora and fauna since the disaster, and it seems to have adapted remarkably well to the increased radiation levels. They have found no signs of genetic mutation on the sample animals and plants taken for analysis, and there isn't even evidence to suggest they are suffering from a decreased lifespan. This is despite their radioactivity levels being significantly above normal. With no people around to kill them or build on their habitat, they're thriving by all accounts. Wolves have been seen in the area for the first time in hundreds of years.
Nature really is remarkable.
Cheers
DP
|
|
|
I think that if you research it, you will find that the posted photos were part of a fraud. It would appear that she actually went there, but much of the posted material was just faked.
Google brings plenty of of speculation but no hard evidence.
--
pmh (was peter)
|
|
Thanks to the mod it was that pinned this! {You're welcome - DD}
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pripyiat is not a major problem, contingent on the time you spend there in fact many older people have moved back in to parts of the closed zone. Obviously, the dangerous place is close to the reactor........
If anyone is interested in more about Ukraine or wants a contact out here as my nickname implies i live here and will be happy to offer advice, help, dispel any myths or even create a few new ones.
|
|
|
|
Good luck and here are a number of pictures of the place from one of my favourite sites, EnglishRussia.com
englishrussia.com/?p=293
|
Here's the website about the girl visting the city.
www.kiddofspeed.com/chapter1.html
Blue
|
|
|
|
All the best with your long journey. I am just off to the website to make a donation, only small, but every litte helps, Cheers, Graham.
|
|
Thank you Graham - much appreciated. :o)
|
|
|
|
