Chernobyl

I went to Chernobyl twice in 2019. The first visit was a single day trip in the spring, booked through a standard tour company. It was structured and informative, offering a solid overview of the history, the disaster, and how the exclusion zone functions today.

The second visit took place later that year in the autumn and lasted three days. Unlike the first, it was mostly unplanned. A friend's father worked inside the exclusion zone and had enough access to allow a less restricted visit. It was still careful and controlled, but it felt closer to the actual rhythm of the place than a guided pass through it. We were able to move more deliberately and spend time in areas that are usually restricted.

The visit included several locations, among them the interior of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant at Reactor 5. These were not spaces designed for prolonged presence.

Reactor 5

Rooftop area of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Reactor 5, showing rows of exposed concrete support columns, rusted metal fixtures, ladders fixed to the columns, and debris scattered across the surface

The Town of Chernobyl

During the second visit, we stayed overnight in a hotel located in the town of Chernobyl itself. While the surrounding exclusion zone remains largely abandoned, the town continues to function as a support hub for workers, researchers, and administrators operating inside the zone. The hotel felt more like worker housing than tourist accommodation. Despite the number of contractors living there during active rotations, the official census lists only a single permanent resident.