Only2Eyes
03-12-2011, 10:09 PM
Let's try again shall we? The 'internet' ate my last post, the hungry sod.
On April 25th 1986 a test was planned at Chernobyl NPP to see if enough electricity remained in the grid to power the cooling systems during an emergency shutdown. One particular shift had been specially trained to carry out the test however due to an unexpected load on the grid the test was put on hold for 24 hours. On April 26th 1986 a different shift initiated the test. A combination of inadequate training and a flawed reactor design resulted in a steam explosion in reactor 4, releasing at least 5% of the radioactive reactor core into the atmosphere.
One of our guides was at the power plant at the time of the explosion. He was working on reactor 2 and told us he heard a rumbling noise much like thunder. He went outside to see reactor 4 starting to collapse. Returning to the turbine hall he started to walk towards reactor 4, joined by 1 of his friends. As they reached reactor 3 another friend joined them and told him to go and get help. He turned back to raise the alarm and his 2 friends continued along the turbine hall. He didn't see them again.
If you have a spare 90 minutes then I recommend watching this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiCXb1Nhd1o) documentary for insight into what happened.
Reactor 4
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6033/6266554037_c482754cab_z.jpg
Work is currently underway on constructing a new cover to replace the hastily build and ageing sarcophagus. I'm sure if you ask Mr. Jellyfish nicely he will link you to a recording he made of the pile driving, it really was something else.
One of the most contaminated areas in the zone is at Burakivka. There are 30 trenches here, 27 full of contaminated material. Beyond the trenches is the vehicle graveyard containing all manor of vehicles used in the clean-up. We were only allowed 10 minutes here.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6159/6266556377_6418ccc68a_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6041/6267084900_1ae8958cb8_z.jpg
Of course for most people the main reason for visiting the zone is to see Pripyat.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6105/6254084908_8d93b90ae0_z.jpg
Pripyat was built in 1970 for workers at the power plant. It was a closed city, 1 of 9 such nuclear cities in the Soviet Union. At the time of the disaster it was home to about 50,000 people.
This is the view from Fujiyama Bis. You can see reactor 4 looming on the horizon.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6161/6262097508_9d4b2005a9_z.jpg
There are some wonderful murals. This one is in the post office.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6177/6261569151_ffc2e597a5_z.jpg
And from the cultural centre.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6222/6262089376_718c633e00_z.jpg
Pripyat has several schools and kindergartens.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6214/6261577173_4d200664ca_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6060/6262106480_e846906f64_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6099/6261584627_6710b4450e_z.jpg http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6108/6261585123_088b69e3df_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6224/6261795698_eb905f4cef_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6120/6261267407_6dd199a07b_z.jpg
Amusement Park
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6158/6261567913_839058e5f7_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6178/6262090952_504124fc58_z.jpg
Swimming pool
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6097/6261570649_0795eb05cb_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6100/6261572097_c61b7a1756_z.jpg
Handball court in the cultural centre
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6224/6261594515_0ac7371f7f_z.jpg
The hospital
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6113/6261271795_395c565829_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6111/6262114988_c0e0db6c64_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6157/6262116120_11df6871cf_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6104/6262112582_a58d0cf094_z.jpg
And finally here is a rather knackered apartment.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6031/6261597675_9f1435cdb5_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6056/6267063740_3c16e45cfe_z.jpg
More on Flickr.
Thanks for looking.
On April 25th 1986 a test was planned at Chernobyl NPP to see if enough electricity remained in the grid to power the cooling systems during an emergency shutdown. One particular shift had been specially trained to carry out the test however due to an unexpected load on the grid the test was put on hold for 24 hours. On April 26th 1986 a different shift initiated the test. A combination of inadequate training and a flawed reactor design resulted in a steam explosion in reactor 4, releasing at least 5% of the radioactive reactor core into the atmosphere.
One of our guides was at the power plant at the time of the explosion. He was working on reactor 2 and told us he heard a rumbling noise much like thunder. He went outside to see reactor 4 starting to collapse. Returning to the turbine hall he started to walk towards reactor 4, joined by 1 of his friends. As they reached reactor 3 another friend joined them and told him to go and get help. He turned back to raise the alarm and his 2 friends continued along the turbine hall. He didn't see them again.
If you have a spare 90 minutes then I recommend watching this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiCXb1Nhd1o) documentary for insight into what happened.
Reactor 4
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6033/6266554037_c482754cab_z.jpg
Work is currently underway on constructing a new cover to replace the hastily build and ageing sarcophagus. I'm sure if you ask Mr. Jellyfish nicely he will link you to a recording he made of the pile driving, it really was something else.
One of the most contaminated areas in the zone is at Burakivka. There are 30 trenches here, 27 full of contaminated material. Beyond the trenches is the vehicle graveyard containing all manor of vehicles used in the clean-up. We were only allowed 10 minutes here.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6159/6266556377_6418ccc68a_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6041/6267084900_1ae8958cb8_z.jpg
Of course for most people the main reason for visiting the zone is to see Pripyat.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6105/6254084908_8d93b90ae0_z.jpg
Pripyat was built in 1970 for workers at the power plant. It was a closed city, 1 of 9 such nuclear cities in the Soviet Union. At the time of the disaster it was home to about 50,000 people.
This is the view from Fujiyama Bis. You can see reactor 4 looming on the horizon.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6161/6262097508_9d4b2005a9_z.jpg
There are some wonderful murals. This one is in the post office.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6177/6261569151_ffc2e597a5_z.jpg
And from the cultural centre.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6222/6262089376_718c633e00_z.jpg
Pripyat has several schools and kindergartens.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6214/6261577173_4d200664ca_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6060/6262106480_e846906f64_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6099/6261584627_6710b4450e_z.jpg http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6108/6261585123_088b69e3df_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6224/6261795698_eb905f4cef_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6120/6261267407_6dd199a07b_z.jpg
Amusement Park
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6158/6261567913_839058e5f7_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6178/6262090952_504124fc58_z.jpg
Swimming pool
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6097/6261570649_0795eb05cb_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6100/6261572097_c61b7a1756_z.jpg
Handball court in the cultural centre
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6224/6261594515_0ac7371f7f_z.jpg
The hospital
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6113/6261271795_395c565829_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6111/6262114988_c0e0db6c64_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6157/6262116120_11df6871cf_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6104/6262112582_a58d0cf094_z.jpg
And finally here is a rather knackered apartment.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6031/6261597675_9f1435cdb5_z.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6056/6267063740_3c16e45cfe_z.jpg
More on Flickr.
Thanks for looking.