The Plaice to Know
One-offhistoric site· Ukraine

Chernobyl

Chernobyl
Image via Wikimedia Commons

About Chernobyl

Chernobyl, also known as Chornobyl, is a partially abandoned city in Vyshhorod Raion, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. It is located within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, 90 kilometres (60 mi) to the north of Kyiv and 160 kilometres (100 mi) to the southwest of Gomel in neighbouring Belarus. Prior to being evacuated in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, it was home to approximately 14,000 residents—considerably less than adjacent Pripyat, which was completely abandoned following the incident. Since then, although living anywhere within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is technically illegal, Ukrainian authorities have tolerated those who have taken up living in some of the city's less irradiated areas; Chernobyl's 2020 population estimate was 150 people.

On the show · 63 mentions total

A reassuring Soviet letter to villagers near Chernobyl began, dear comrades, living and working in your village will cause no harm to adults or children, then advised them not to eat berries and mushrooms gathered that year.

from 574: No Such Thing as Pyramids in Johannesburg · read transcript

More facts about Chernobyl

  1. About 200 people returned to the Chernobyl zone months after the disaster, spread across roughly 164 villages, so just over one person per village.

    574: No Such Thing as Pyramids in Johannesburg · listen

  2. The first cover over Chernobyl was concrete and dilapidated, so they built a steel dome, one of the biggest domes ever made, meant to last 100 years.

    No Such Thing as Pyramids in Johannesburg · listen

  3. A YouTuber called BioNerd23 made over 60 videos of herself going into the Chernobyl exclusion zone, picking apples off trees and biting into them, as a scientist showing it was safe.

    No Such Thing as Pyramids in Johannesburg · listen

  4. In the aftermath of Chernobyl, experts went on Soviet TV claiming that small doses of radiation were actually beneficial.

    No Such Thing as Pyramids in Johannesburg · listen

  5. The men lowering material into Chernobyl worked inside lead-lined cabins because the radioactivity was so high, following instructions over the radio.

    574: No Such Thing as Pyramids in Johannesburg · listen

  6. It is illegal to move sheep in Wales until they have been checked for traces of fallout from Chernobyl.

    No Such Thing As A Ghost In Poland · listen

View on Google Maps →Open in Wikipedia →

Coordinates: 51.2763, 30.2219

Thoughts on this place?

🐟 Reel me another one · ← Back to the map