Chernobyl and Pripyat (pic heavy)

TheTimeChamber

TheTimeChamber

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I recently spent three nights (two full days) within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, as part of my brothers 30th birthday present. This was an amazing experience.

I could waffle on for ages on what we saw, did and said - I would be here all week if I tried that, 16 blokes with a lot of beer and no evening entertainment (there was a curfew at 8pm), leads to a lot of random talk!

I will say this, when we took a background radiation reading at Luton Airport, it turned out that Chernobyl Village and the majority of Pripyat had lower readings...! There were obviously some parts that had very high readings, the read forest is 300 times higher than background, the reactor is 50-100 times, and the sand bucket used in the clean up is 2000-5000!!!

Anyway, some photos - I will try to add some more, computer problems have meant I have not sorted them all out yet! All taken on my D7000, with a varying amount of ISO, this tripped confirmed to me, how awesome it is!

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More will be added to this set in the coming weeks: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sectionate/sets/72157626875858744/
 
ove seen otehr sets from other people, and i always love looking at them. Very interesting. Just like looking at call of duty in a few photo's.

Were you allowed to use a tripod as i've heard if you drop anything you are not supposed to pick it up.

Was it a good experience?

As for the photo's, well done!
 
Thanks, I had a great trip - I took over 1200 photos, half of which are still unprocessed...

Nah, no tripods were allowed, so many were taken at ISO3200 (so I could preserve f/8, f/9 on my lens - any lower and it is too soft round the edges). As for dropping things, they weren't to concerned, but sitting down in massively dusty areas was frowned upon and lead to some aching feet at the end of the day lol

But we had a fairly relaxed guide, apparently ones directly out of Kiev are more stringent on what you can do ;)
 
This is a great set, I've always said that this is a place I'd love to go to, I've added you on flickr as then I can keep up with your updates

I've been fascinated with URBEX photography for age's but only just getting to a position of fitness to do it myself

I've heard that Chernobyl is not as good as it used to be, as the authorities have buried a lot of the equipment that was used there, the helicopters and trucks. Not the this factor will stop me visiting when I get my first chance...it would make the ultimate TP Meet

Matt
MWHCVT
 
I've heard that Chernobyl is not as good as it used to be, as the authorities have buried a lot of the equipment that was used there, the helicopters and trucks. Not the this factor will stop me visiting when I get my first chance...it would make the ultimate TP Meet

I beleive there are still areas were there are helicopters parked up etc, i've seen recent photo's taken from roads and bridges showing fields with rows of machinery. To be fair though, the helicopters were one of the things greatest contaminated with the hours spent flying over the open reactor days following the accident.(y)
 
Thanks, I saw you added me!

Some of it does still exist, but it is out of bounds now, and the Ukrainian government has changed the rules so there are more restrictions. Our tour guide, is of the thinking that in a few years, you will get driven round in a minibus and only shown the sites from there, without actually getting out...

Few more that have randomly uploaded...!

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great photos well done. Didnt really know chernobyl was open to tourists.. bit scary that.
 
Great photos! I would really like to go there and see it for myself think it would be pretty hard to convince the wife though!
 
Thanks all

e902717 said:
Great photos! I would really like to go there and see it for myself think it would be pretty hard to convince the wife though!
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haha, my misses was sceptical!

sthwild said:
love the shots! they have this strange "atmosphere"...
great set!
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Cheers, having the sunlight streaming through the windows makes it a bit surreal - I have always envisioned the Soviet Union as a dark and dreary place (propaganda??), yet the buildings were airy and light. And the weather was clear blue skies and 28degC

frenchman said:
Wow, I really want to go there! Do you have any information on who to get in contact with etc?
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I don't myself, a friend of a friend organised it for us, but there are many tour companies in Kiev offering brief tours...
 
I really like the respirator/till shot but generally Urbex stuff rarely does anything for me (it reminds me of my days grafting away in the demolition game and brings back memories of ears full of dust).

Next stop Fukushima?
 
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What an awesome place and great photos !

Chernobyl has got to be the strangest but most exotic choice for a blokes weekend away.
 
Fascinating and brilliant pictures!!

I so want to play Call of Duty again though!! Some of the pics are eerily familiar to the game!! (y)
 
Glad you all like the photos!

eos1 said:
What an awesome place and great photos !

Chernobyl has got to be the strangest but most exotic choice for a blokes weekend away.
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So many people have said that too me lol

starkersclark said:
Fascinating and brilliant pictures!!

I so want to play Call of Duty again though!! Some of the pics are eerily familiar to the game!! (y)
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Cheers, some of the places were very familiar to me because of that game, although we didn't go to the sniper post as we decided trains were more interesting :LOL:

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Scottynoooo said:
Fascinating stuff. I'm subscribed as I want to see ALL the pictures :D
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More soon come.
 
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Type write one is amazing shot you got some really good stuff I love doing this kind of ruined building shoots unfortunately no days re-devolvement has taken away most of the good places :-( old gas works in beckton is what first started my life long photography obsession!
 
This was always something I really wanted to do - but now there are guided tours?

Jesus that's put me right off that idea.
 
Great set and location, I've always browsed the interent for shots of Pripyat and would love to get there some day...
 
Thanks!

Alan Clogwyn said:
This was always something I really wanted to do - but now there are guided tours?

Jesus that's put me right off that idea.
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It has always been guided tours - more a bloke that works there showing you the goodies, rather than a museum tour, we had free run of the buildings until we moved to the next location. Being caught within the exclusion zone without permission and a guide leads to all sorts of fines, imprisonments and a whole lot of trouble...
 
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Plus no guided tour you could end up somewhere you no way should be and end up coming back glowing!
 
Fascinating

Somewhere on t'internet is a blog of someone who motorbiked through the area. I think she was a Russian female if my memory serves me correctly.

I'm sure it would be on Google
 
johnb said:
Fascinating

Somewhere on t'internet is a blog of someone who motorbiked through the area. I think she was a Russian female if my memory serves me correctly.

I'm sure it would be on Google
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I spent hours reading her blog. Extraordinary photos and great commentry.

I'd love to go there!!

I
 
Thanks all, glad you have enjoyed them!

johnb said:
Fascinating

Somewhere on t'internet is a blog of someone who motorbiked through the area. I think she was a Russian female if my memory serves me correctly.

I'm sure it would be on Google
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Ahh, the famous blog - she paid one of the guides to take her through, with her bike, and then pretend that she went throguh by herself. The Agency we went with, find it hilarious s they know it was all staged lol
 
some really good photos, I would love to go the ferris wheel one is good.
do you have to wear somthing over your shoes?
 
Some excellent photos of an even better subject.

I'd love to hear more about the trip and what is involved? How radiation levels are handled etc.
 
Great stuff, a really interesting set of photos. I've been interested in this since seeing kidofspeeds Chernobyl pictures years ago. Thanks for sharing! :)
 
I don't generally comment on photos - however these have interested me a lot. Thanks for posting, and if you have more please keep adding ;)
 
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