Buzz
The haunting interior of Chernobyl’s Reactor 4 control room, where the catastrophic nuclear disaster of 1986 occurred, is now available for public tours—provided visitors suit up in full hazmat gear and pass two radiology tests before leaving.
According to Gizmodo, this area, which emits 40,000 times the radiation of a natural environment, is enclosed in the New Safe Confinement, a 32,000-ton structure designed to isolate the room from its surroundings. While a visit to this radioactive site is not without its risks, radiation levels typically don't pose a significant threat, and tour guides report they don't usually exceed dangerous limits throughout the year.
Although many souvenir hunters have taken the plastic switches from the machinery, the control room still preserves its original diagrams and wiring; and, as reported by Ruptly, it’s been coated with a special adhesive to prevent dust accumulation.
The newly accessible site is part of Ukraine's broader initiative to reshape the perception of a chapter in the country's history once regarded as internationally shameful.
In July, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky declared, 'We must give this territory of Chernobyl a new life. Chernobyl is a unique place on Earth where nature recovers from a global man-made disaster, a true 'ghost town.' We need to share this place with the world: scientists, ecologists, historians, tourists.'
This move is also an effort to tap into the tourism surge sparked by HBO’s popular miniseries Chernobyl, which led to a 35 percent rise in visits to the exclusion zone earlier this year. Zelensky’s administration, in addition to designating the zone as an official tourist destination, has worked on improving paths, creating safe entry points, setting visitor guidelines, and lifting the photo ban.
Want to experience Chernobyl's chilling atmosphere without the radiation? Browse these eerie photos from the safety of your own couch.
