Some of the most impressive pics i ever saw - the remains of Chernobyl...

It's not so much the photos she took were faked, it was the entire story behind it.
It's not a crime in itself, it's just disappointing - I remember being enthralled by her story.

In an interesting side note, was chatting to some friends there, and asked them how easy it would be to slip into the regulated zone, and spend a few nights in Pripyat.

Amusingly, they said the biggest risk would not be the radiation, but the bears. The wildlife continues unchecked, essentially.

It'd be ironic to go to Pripyat and get eaten by a bear.

Some good photos, but her story is all false. Try not to read any of the shit there, because she makes up stuff to make the photos look more 'amazing'.

this is the most fucked up shit in our history not to joke around. I was 16 when it happened. I stayed in Kiev, so fuck knows if it reached us or not but hey if you think about quitting smoking you better do, I did.

Okay really bizarre!

id like to see massive hydro plants versus nuclear power

ok, i don't care much whether she went there alone or not - i like the pics and her wrtiting style

and honestly: i would be more worried about the radiation. i'm sure you can find a place that is "bear safe", but you can't hide from the radiation. but it would be ironic for sure - lol

Like I say, her story was incredibly captivating - I was just disappointed to have the images I'd conjured in my head evaporated when the truth came out.

Radiation is a funny thing - it's not consistent at all. It has a tendency to linger in organic compounds, but will also render large steel items (cars, trucks, helicopters etc) incredibly dangerous as well.

Wandering around with a Geiger counter makes for interesting times. There are areas of Pripyat where the radiation levels are hardly above background, and quite a few where it's in safe tolerances.

Walk down the road, for example, to the red forest, radiation jumps from 2x background to 1 roetgen per hour, or 1000mrem. Acute radiation poisoning sets in w. a dose of 'just' 500.

The most eerie thing is the fact it's undetectable without tools.
Most dangers that present themselves to humans are tangible: heat, fire, gas, poison, etc. There's a physical stimulus that prompts you that something is wrong.

With radiation, there's nothing. Literally walking 2 steps forward in some places can place you in an area that's harmful. All the while, the breeze is blowing, the sky is blue, and there are animals running around.

That was probably the most 'impressive' thing about heading to Chernobyl. That, and the fact that Reactor 4 just looks like a normal building.

I've got a bunch more photos if anyone is interested...

Very interested here!

Was this the girl who had the yellow (I think) site years and years ago about her motorcycle trip through the Chernobyl area? She said she brought a Geiger counter with her and her dad was a nuclear scientist or something so she knew what she was doing. Or is this a new person?

That's the one. Sadly, the story was fiction.

That was a very informative post, quantum-x. You speak well on the issue. As far as your other photos, I would love the oppertunity to view them.

whoa, amazing site ill have to check it out in detail when i finish with my work...

VERY interested in the pictures!

and there are some videos on her page that show what you mean: they are from the day (or weekend) after the catastrophe and everything looks normal. people in the city, at the beach etc. - just the police is wearing gas masks, claiming it's a "training". they obviously sent people knowingly to their death.

Here we go. It's almost 6AM, so I'm pretty exhausted.


Initial border control of the zone of alienation. By this stage, you've already passed the 'egg' that the girl photographed, by about 20 mins. I quite liked it.


The normality of the place is striking. There were a bunch of friendly kitties running around. Must be paradise for the animals. Research shows the biodiversity in this place has jumped by 20%. Animals are thriving, because humans can't go there.


Statue to the firefights that died. Scores of men died from radiation poisoning as they were sent in to fight the fires without anyone understanding the scope of the situation.

Then, of course, there was the helicopter that crashed into the reactor [little known fact..]

Road bridge, leading away from the reactor (behind). Memorial zone, plus restricted buildings - very KGB do-not-ask-esque.


The reactor itself, plus another monument.


Pano, reactor.
Note- in the distance from taking the photo above, to this one (5 meters max) - radiation levels jumped 8 times.


Pripyat entrance. Most famous building, hotel building. We gave the group the slip, took a mezzanine floor and then rooftopped the building. Was quite something. Oddly peaceful.





Pripyat building.


The ever-so-famous ferris wheel.


And the dodgem cars. Trainspotters take note, this isn't me.


Building w/ a stash of soviet portraits.


From here, we dashed off again as far and fast as we could go. Ran through an abandoned supermarket (with trolleys) and ended up in this building - amazing mural tributing the CCCP Kosmos / space program


Rolling out, after a very hearty meal. They put on a great 3 course feed. yet another ukraine oddity, before the radiation check, and the 2 hour trip back to kiev.

Ugh, forum resized everything. You get the idea, or right-click and open the images in a new window. The panos are particularly interesting.

I was living in Germany in the 80s when chernobyl went down. It was a pretty big deal then. I thought most people forgot about it. I hope it never happens again anywhere.... bad stuff...