Chernobyl Opening For Tours

[tim 360]

Book your Chernobyl Tour now.  Group discounts available with full day tours starting at $100.  Bring your own dosimeter.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/12/13/ukraine.chernobyl/index.html

[FredC]

Book your Chernobyl Tour now.  Group discounts available with full day tours starting at $100.  Bring your own dosimeter.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/12/13/ukraine.chernobyl/index.html

I would but my employer would get upset if they had to record my dose as occupational exposure....

[Nat]

It's not "opening" - such tours exist for a long time. But only an insane person can go there.

[ECOCKS]

Complete silliness. Rather than spruce up the beaches, build real ski resorts or work on police/political corruption they increase existing access to a nuclear contaminated site in order to attempt to draw more tourism.

[tim 360]

Complete silliness. Rather than spruce up the beaches, build real ski resorts or work on police/political corruption they increase existing access to a nuclear contaminated site in order to attempt to draw more tourism.

Maybe a Romantic Getaway...like this couple.

[JR]

Complete silliness. Rather than spruce up the beaches, build real ski resorts or work on police/political corruption they increase existing access to a nuclear contaminated site in order to attempt to draw more tourism.

And it'll probably work

[Nat]

Complete silliness. Rather than spruce up the beaches, build real ski resorts or work on police/political corruption they increase existing access to a nuclear contaminated site in order to attempt to draw more tourism.

I see you haven't been to Crimea and Bukovel for a long time

[ECOCKS]

No, just talked to the people who have been and felt ripped off.

[ECOCKS]

And it'll probably work

Minimal bang for the buck. The problem is that there will be some who point to this as proof that Ukraine understands how to go after tourism dollars. They can barely fill the tours going to the limited areas.

[JR]

Minimal bang for the buck. The problem is that there will be some who point to this as proof that Ukraine understands how to go after tourism dollars. They can barely fill the tours going to the limited areas.

It's a cheap gimmick, no sprucing up to do...in fact it'd be counter productive. It'll get some attention, people always slow down to check out the car accident.

[thompsongunner06]

The "Bang for your buck" is a few years latter,,,when you try to have kids or get some other cancer! I would do it if I was 55+,already had a good life or had only a few years left(bucket list!). For now we will visit the Virgin Islands or do good crusies in tropical weather. I like seeing hot chicks not "hot" buildings!

[ECOCKS]

TG:

I don't know bud, Pina Coladas on the afterdeck at twilight or visit a potential movie set for a remake of The Island of Dr. Moreau or 28 Months Later?

Decisions, decisions........

[JohnDearGreen]

It's not "opening" - such tours exist for a long time. But only an insane person can go there.

Correct.  There was an article in the Kyiv Post 2 years ago by a man who took a tour there.
He described it as a place where time stood still.  Dinner still sitting on the table as people
rushed to get out.

[Rubicon]

Complete silliness. Rather than spruce up the beaches, build real ski resorts or work on police/political corruption they increase existing access to a nuclear contaminated site in order to attempt to draw more tourism.

+1.  why should I go to Crimea or ski resort in Ukraine when I can go to Thailand or Hawaii instead of Krim and real ski resorts in Switzerland or Austria or of course Colorado, Utah, etc etc??  Ukraine has a very very long way to go to attract western tourists.

[Boethius]

The "Bang for your buck" is a few years latter,,,when you try to have kids or get some other cancer! I would do it if I was 55+,already had a good life or had only a few years left(bucket list!). For now we will visit the Virgin Islands or do good crusies in tropical weather.

Not all spots at Chernobyl will expose you to radiation.  There are "hot spots", and then other spots that are radiation free. 

[possum]

Dinner still sitting on the table as people
rushed to get out.

Are you serious? All food was destroyed along with tableware and refrigerators as part of clean-up efforts as early as 1986.. Most of the photos that look like people had just left are staged, including the famous daycare pictures with dolls sitting on the beds. Although, there may have been individual homes in Chernobyl proper that were just abandoned and no efforts were made to 'sterilize' them, because the levels of radiation in the city of Chernobyl were barely even dangerous following the disaster as it was located downwind of the plant.

As an aside, I wonder how many of the women who lived in the area surrounding the Chernobyl station ended up with foreign husbands after the break of the SU.. My guess is not many, considering the level of ignorance regarding nuclear disasters.

[possum]

It's not "opening" - such tours exist for a long time. But only an insane person can go there.

Why? It's a great place to visit- a monument to human ego and incompetence.. However, only responsible adults should be allowed on those tours, preferably people who work in the nuclear power industry..

[dbneeley]

One story I have never seen reported is that there was an international team of engineers--mostly American--who were an instrumental part of the cleanup and containment effort at Chernobyl.

I know this because I met a large group of them on their way back from Christmas holidays in America during a flight to Kyiv in 2002. If I recall correctly, that group was about a dozen engineers, including the director of the project. We chatted both on the plane and during a flight change at London Gatwick.

David

[possum]

One story I have never seen reported is that there was an international team of engineers--mostly American--who were an instrumental part of the cleanup and containment effort at Chernobyl.

I know this because I met a large group of them on their way back from Christmas holidays in America during a flight to Kyiv in 2002. If I recall correctly, that group was about a dozen engineers, including the director of the project. We chatted both on the plane and during a flight change at London Gatwick.

David

When were they at Chernobyl? As far as I know, the only foreigners that were allowed on site in the months following the disaster were a bunch of Swedes headed by Hans Blix, the director of IAEA.. The Soviet Union never officially requested foreign help during initial clean-up operations.

[dbneeley]

When were they at Chernobyl? As far as I know, the only foreigners that were allowed on site in the months following the disaster were a bunch of Swedes headed by Hans Blix, the director of IAEA.. The Soviet Union never officially requested foreign help during initial clean-up operations.

As I say, they were definitely there during early 2002, and had been there for some time previously as they were returning after the holidays with a couple of young engineers new to their team.

As I say, I have never seen this publicized--I suspect the Russians were still rather sensitive about it all, especially since the Chernobyl design as I understand it was a fairly common one among those of Soviet design and manufacture.

I spoke with the leader of the group long enough during the flight and layover that it wasn't some fluke or newly arrived group--as I say, they had been there for some time but I don't recall after all these years if they said how long they had been there.

The director was quite striking in appearance, by the way--he had the most gorgeous ushanka I have ever seen--it was either mink or sable, I believe--and was dressed in complete custom tailoring from the suit and shirt to the overcoat. At the same time, he was very personable. The group ranged from mid 20s--not long out of engineering school--to the 40s in age for the most part. The leader was either late 40s or early 50s in age. They were met in Kyiv by some sort of government official, so they were gone before I got out of baggage claim and passport control.

David

David

[possum]

Oh, plenty of foreigners have worked in the Exclusion Zone since the fall of the SU.. The clean-up operations I was referring to took place in the first couple of years after the disaster.

[Boethius]

Are you serious? All food was destroyed along with tableware and refrigerators as part of clean-up efforts as early as 1986.. Most of the photos that look like people had just left are staged, including the famous daycare pictures with dolls sitting on the beds. Although, there may have been individual homes in Chernobyl proper that were just abandoned and no efforts were made to 'sterilize' them, because the levels of radiation in the city of Chernobyl were barely even dangerous following the disaster as it was located downwind of the plant.

No, possum.  Everything was left.  My husband worked at Chernobyl' (that's where the military coordination occurred).  He also walked through apartment buildings in Pripyat.  He said everything was left, refrigerators, cribs with blankets, clothing in closets, food in the refrigerators.  He said if you've seen the movie Stalker, it is eerily similar to that movie.  There were also still people living in Chernobyl'.

As I say, I have never seen this publicized--I suspect the Russians were still rather sensitive about it all, especially since the Chernobyl design as I understand it was a fairly common one among those of Soviet design and manufacture.

It wasn't the design that caused the explosion, it was human error and stupidity.

[JohnDearGreen]

24 years later, radiation haunts Chernobyl
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/42147410#42147410