Chernobyl is one of the worst disasters in the history of humanity, if only because it set back the course of nuclear power for years. It’s the only major nuclear disaster to happen, and it’s a giant, radioactive hole in the landscape of Ukraine. However, history says where there are horrible accidents, there are tourist traps waiting to be made, and the Ukranian government is tired of missing out on the money. Ukraine is developing an official tour of the land around Chernobyl, opening up the exclusion zone for tourists.
“There are things to see there if one follows the official route and doesn’t stray away from the group,” said Emergency Situations Ministry spokeswoman Yulia Yershova. “Though it is a very sad story.” Currently, the 30-mile exclusion zone around Chernobyl’s leaky reactor is officially closed, but several underground tours of Chernobyl are operating.
I’ll admit, this is a tour I really want to take. I have a very weird fascination with Chernobyl, I guess because the land around it looks like a post-nuclear wasteland full of awesome crumbling ruins, like in the Fallout video game series that I love. Plus, how many people would volunteer to go soak up radiation from around one of history’s greatest disasters? Well, besides me, I mean.
Tags: Chernobyl, Ukraine, Yulia Yershova, Chernobyl disaster, nuclear plant explosion to open for tours, Emergency Situations Ministry, exclusion zone, zone around Chernobyl to open for tours, Ukraine developing Chernobyl tours, unusual tours, radioactive zone around Chernobyl to open for tours