Pripyat 2009

Is that kiev hostel any good? do they arrange passes?

I see they do pub crawls and ak47 shooting.

For most of the time we will be in Slavutych, town which was built after catastrophe to accomodate Pripyat folk. We will sleep in private flats rented to us by locals It's incredible, but those people just moving out for 3 days leaving everything in a house for our use lol (seems they have a lot of practice after Pripyat ). One night in Kiev we will be allocated in hotel "Bratislava", average standard, but it's enough to have a sleep and 200 yards from metro station (15 minutes to town centre by metro).

270 pounds including everything - food, rooms, passes, bribes, transport from Poland and local transport, even one evening in traditional Ukrainian pub with home made food and home made vodka (bloody strong stuff around 80% proof).

When I was at July, we had AK47 and Dragunov shooting organised - cost: 25 dollars. Everything in Slavutych is cheap as chips, beer was around 30p per pint lol

Sounds good.

I was hoping to fly out from bristol to kiev as return flights only about £160 so what would be a rough cost on top of flights?

Also i would like to do it over a long weekend, thursday to monday etc

Or would it be easier to fly to poland and go from there?

Edge has been telling me about this, im definatly up for it too, liking the idea of 30p pints!

It might be additional hassle for a bus to go to Kiev airport or anywhere to Kiev centre to pick up additional people. All trip take 7 days, 2 of them is driving there and back I say it will be easier to fly to Warsaw (there is many cheap flights there) and continue by bus to Slavutych.

I'd be VERY interested in this. I do a fair bit of UE around the UK when I can, and Pripyat has been top of my list for a very long time.

Keep me updated please

This is programme translated by me (sorry for grammar mistakes )

Day 1

22.00 Departure from Warsaw (meeting next to Congress Hall)

Day 2

17.00 - 19.00 Arrive to Slavutych (nuclear plant workers town), allocation in private flats,1-2-3 or 5

people rooms, possibility of sleeping in Europe Hotel, free time at evening.

Day 3

8.00 - 8.30 Breakfast in "Old Tallin" restaurant

9.20 Departure by train from Slavutych to Zone

10.10 Arrival to nuclear plant in Tchernobyl

10.30 - 11.00 Visiting area around Reactor No. 4

11.00 Departure to Tchernobyl town (way going through Lelew and Kopatchi villages)

11.30 Visiting Tchernobyl town, monument of firefighters who died during evacuation,

monument of chopper pilots who died during rescue mission, church Ilii est. 1789, barge

scrapyard, going back to power plant

13.30 Dinner in power plant building, visiting Prometeus monument, feeding fish.

14.40 Free roam around Pripyat

17.20 Departure from Zone to Slavutych

18.10 Arrival to Slavutych

19.00 Supper in "Old Tallin", free evening time.

Day 4

6.30 Breakfast in "Old Tallin" restaurant

7.30 Departure by train from Slavutych to Zone

8.20 Arrival to nuclear plant in Tchernobyl, departure to Pripyat (visiting Janov train station and

Pipyat 1970 monument on the way)

8.30-16.15 Free roaming around Pripyat

16.25 Dinner in power plant building

17.20 Departure from Zone to Slavutych

18.10 Arrival to Slavutych, free time

19.30 Supper at "Gut Hut" (old traditional ukrainian Inn), free evening time.

Day 5

9.00 Breakfast in "Old Tallin" restaurant

10.00 Visiting "Tchernobyl distater victims" monument in Slavutych.

11.00 Departure to Kiev

13.00-14.00 Arrival to Kiev, sorting out rooms in Bratislava hotel, free time

Day 6

7.00 - 11.00 Breakfast at hotel, leaving hotel rooms, free time to visit Kiev

around 16.00 Departure to Warsaw

Day 7

6.00 - 7.00 Arrival to Warsaw

So all in £270 for the trip from Warsaw then just the flights from the UK? (I would also be up for going from Bristol Airport). Any idea what the largest group that could be accomodated?

Every trip is for 40 people only. Information about new ones are given around 4-5 weeks before it will happen. StrefaZero is expecting deposit of around 130 pounds 3 weeks before trip to put someone on "sure" list. If I will get few 100% people, I could have a chat with admins to keep group reservation for us. Of course it could be hard to keep reservation for 40 people, but I think that 8-10 people is possible

Correct me if I'm wrong but im sure that chernobyl is still classed as radio active, and the structure that was built over the number 4 reactor Was suitable back in 86, but now it is rotten, leaking like a sieve and not any barrier of safety.

I would love to go her but all the above makes it a no for me. Unless suicide is your thing lol, or you really want to re inact the mr burns episode of the simpsons.

Correct me if I'm wrong but im sure that chernobyl is still classed as radio active, and the structure that was built over the number 4 reactor Was suitable back in 86, but now it is rotten, leaking like a sieve and not any barrier of safety.

I would love to go her but all the above makes it a no for me. Unless suicide is your thing lol, or you really want to re inact the mr burns episode of the simpsons.

Radiation are at safe levels (but elevated than normal), no more than taking 2 6hr flights which your body would absorb more!

Which still gives the area its "uninhabitable" status

So, am I right in saying that there are parts that you do not go near, as in closer to the plant.

you can only go so close to the plant,

you are not a allowed to roll about on the floor etc etc, and go into certain buildings (which had windows facing the plant) etc

Certain areas of woods/orchards

Things like that

Hmm, this has me thinking now, as I enjoy finding derelict and abandoned place to explore. This would be like heaven to roam around. There is not to many places around my area, and you get quite a bit of hassle of police and security.

From what I have heard you are probably ok these days as long as you stay away from the moss and anything that really soaks it up. They used to measure in roentgens per hour and I think around 5 roentgens per year was the maximum 'safe' dose a human should be exposed to a year, after the disaster the liquidators (just people in crude self made lead suits) were picking this stuff off the roof of reactor 4 with just their hands. Back then this stuff was at 500-1000 and even higher PER HOUR!.

These people were knowingly sent to their deaths, but probably saved hundreds of lives doing so.

Really interested in this trip, hopefully we can get some set dates together and approximate pricing. I admit I am crap at organising this type of thing so more than happy to meet people before I turn up at the airport and get lost .

What day do we shoot things then?

What day do we shoot things then?

Will be the Kiev day i assume so the 2nd to last

They only trouble i have is that i have only got 5 days leave to use.

Maybe i can fly from bristol to kiev and try and make our own way to the hotel or rooms as it will be saving 2 days of travelling.

Also if it can be arranged so i can use a saturday and sunday that will also be helpful.

I have about 3 friends who wantr to go and maybe more.

Konrad do they do tours all year round?

Yes, they will do one more in summer time and then prolly 2 at autumn.

About radiation levels - do not believe in legends, radiation is similiar to one you got in centre of London, area around 4th reactor is perfectly safe, radiation is only slightly higher than natural.On first page you can see photo of Reactor no 4 made by me last year You must remember that after explosion till today there are still 2000 people working there Some of them are scientists, a lot of technicians - area where all 5 reactors are located is biggest electricity trafo at the same time, it's place where all Ukraine/Russia/Bielorus electricity is splitted and sent away.

Of course, they still follow safety regulations like not sitting on grass/moss, wash your hands very often etc. but there is NO danger of getting radiation sickness at all

This trip is mostly exciting because of "Ghost Town" - Pripyat, once you go there, it will leave dep mark on your mind, this silence, all rotten buildings, 50k people town completely abadoned, Jupiter factory is incredible too. I still can't wait to come back there, as there is sooo many thing to see yet!

I've just had a look through your photobucket album: superb photos Konrad.

The interior ones (swimming pool especially) are quite poignant. I love the lighting on this one too:

Konrad - how far is it to drive to Slavutych from kiev?

Konrad - how far is it to drive to Slavutych from kiev?

2 hours by bus, but it will be hard to get any bus to Slavutych, train would be better option.

2 hours by bus, but it will be hard to get any bus to Slavutych, train would be better option.

That would save alot of travel time for me i think.

I'd love to go on a trip like this, but I fear rolling around the place in a chair would leave my hands glowing like aircraft handlers batons. Might come in handy for some late night disco moves though.

Short film filmed in Pripyat, I've not watched it...

http://www.thedoorshortfilm.com/

Photo's tell a thousand words.....Very true in this case.

Great photos