Chernobyl: A Catastrophic Disaster

Chernobyl: A Catastrophic Disaster

On April 15^th, 1986, a nuclear reactor in Ukraine at Chernobyl exploded. The result in damages was catastrophic, with deaths in the thousands along with hundreds suffering from health complications. The people who worked there were told it would be safe and that there was no way any reactor would ever explode, but then one finally did. It was so bad that even after the fire was put out, the damage had been done. Many died either because of the explosion, they helped put out the fire in the reactor, causing radiation exposure, or suffered health complications later on, resulting in their deaths. It is one of the biggest tragedies in world history, and despite the fire being put out and the reactor being contained, Chernobyl over 30 years later, remains one of the deadliest places to be. Though it's been years and the levels of radiation have gone down, they still linger in the year and all around Chernobyl. It’s said they will remain there for another 1000 years. It is worth noting, however, that while radiation levels continue, they have gone down enough that Ukraine has tried to rebuild parts of the city today. It’s become a popular urban exploring destination, and people are warned to stay out; only those with clearance can enter.

Now, despite the rebuild and keeping the place off-limits, much of Chernobyl is abandoned. The years of non-use have put the city into dormancy, and nature has taken over much of it. Yet, even though such a horrific event took place, and as the years have gone by, Chernobyl is a site to behold. The wonders of what would be seen in any abandoned setting is always a thought, but a place that has been locked down and many parts of it that have not been entered in for over 30 years must be a beautiful relic of a time capsule in city form. People such as urban explorers and risk takers have gone to take unsanctioned tours of the scarred city. Wildlife is even said to have slowly increased over the years since the incident, showing that even animals want to give life to the city once more. It’s truly hard to believe that a place that had such a catastrophic world incident happen and the effects are still present, and yet it is a beautiful abandoned island of radiance. I myself once thought about going to Chernobyl until I watched the HBO mini-series and heard about the radiation still in the area, and decided against it. It’s become one of those places you can just hear about and appreciate from afar, and think to yourself that perhaps if it wasn’t contaminated, oh what an amazing place it would be to explore.

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