HEAT IN THE ZONE
No, it's not what you think. In this case, we will talk about the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Which is located in the area around the nuclear power plant of the same name, where a big explosion occurred in 1986.
"The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a lamp, and fell on a third of the rivers and on the fountains of waters. The name of this star is wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many of people died from the waters, because they became bitter. "
Apocalypse, or the Revelation of St. John the Evangelist, chapter 8, verses 10 and 11.
Chernobyl (or Chernobyl) is the common name for wormwood.
In the early morning, all actions are performed automatically. Get to the metro station. Go down to the platform. Get to the metro station "Vokzalnaya". Rise to the surface and again descend into the tunnel under the tracks. Exit from the South Railway Station. Walk about three hundred meters. And bury yourself in a sign with a characteristic sign, fixed behind the windshield of the bus.
The first pancake, as always, lumpy. ADA password does not work. The bus is not the same. Everything works on the second try. The next transport is the one. And a pretty girl with an extravagant African-style haircut and dressed in a branded black T-shirt responds to the request of ADA. On the facade of the latter there is the same terrible sign, from the rear - the name, surname, and position - the guide. English letters. Probably to make it look cooler.
By careful comparison of the image in the passport with the original, a statement is issued that these subjects are most likely exactly those potential tourists. As evidenced by the entry in some secret list.
Those who come first are entitled to a bonus - the choice of a seat on the bus. The most comfortable in the middle of the cabin. Shakes less. Yes, and the door to enter and exit nearby.
In the meantime, the people are pulling up. According to completely random overheard conversations from all over the country. And even there are a few foreigners. Those who pretend to understand Russian. Otherwise, a separate group is formed for them with a guide broadcasting in the appropriate language.
Oddly enough, but by the time “H” everything is assembled. The doors close and the bus leaves on schedule. It takes about two hours to get to the zone border. There is time to think about your own, perhaps reckless act.
About two hundred travel companies have the right to officially conduct excursions in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. In reality, they are engaged in transportation by an order of magnitude less.
The included documentary switches attention. It refers to workers of dosimetric intelligence. Those who first climbed into all the unknown. And they cleaned up the jambs after others. In particular, on the roof of the destroyed fourth reactor. Smart technology in those conditions simply refused to work. People had to go. But the radiation levels were not some micro or miles. Weighty thousands of x-rays. Often the work shift was several tens of seconds a day.
And outside the window float villages and towns, the regional center Ivankov. A little more and the road rests against the barrier of the Dityatki checkpoint. All arrived. Border.
Everything is serious here. A barbed wire fence stretching somewhere into the distance. Vehicle inspection point. On both sides of the road there are branded kiosks with the same characteristic sign. In them you can buy souvenirs, informational materials and something edible. Prices, let's say, commercial. On the one hand, everything is clear, far to carry, high costs. On the other hand, its own toad presses.
Around the corner you can see the famous blue booths. This is unbearable for anyone. And by the road is a real military BRDM. Simply put, an armored car for reconnaissance. And you can ride it. But not now. Because the paperwork ends and the guides begin to issue electronic passes to the zone for tourists. They come with an individual drive that is worn around the neck. It lets you know who got what. And in which case it greatly facilitates the identification of the body.
The last step is to be checked by the police. They serve as border guards here. Finally, all formalities are met, the bus crosses the border and... stops. Ten minutes to visit the room of philosophical reflections with babbling water. There is no other opportunity like this before lunch.
Checkpoint "Dityatki" is the border of the thirty-kilometer zone. After the accident at the fourth reactor, it was urgently necessary to formalize the situation. Without further ado, they took the scenario of an atomic bomb explosion as a basis. And the area of defeat was outlined by two concentric circles. Large - thirty kilometers in diameter with moderate doses of radiation. The smaller one is ten kilometers long, the most dangerous.
True, literally from the very first day this scheme had to be corrected. Something blew in one direction. And the rising wind carried it to another. To get a true picture, dosimetrists had to work around the clock. As a result, it turned out that the infected areas are very uneven both in size and composition. In addition, the situation is constantly changing over time.
The first stop is in the center of Zalesye village. Once there was the head estate of a large collective farm. Today, nature has almost swallowed up the deeds of human hands. A comparison involuntarily comes to mind with Asian ancient cities swallowed up by the jungle. It's the same here. Only instead of exotic tropical vines native trees and ivy.
The savings bank was located in an ordinary rural house. Already more than half destroyed. A nearby grocery store was a little more fortunate. The walls and roof are still standing. In one of the rooms, even the remains of a counter have been preserved. The stone local house of culture looks best of all. It can be seen that it was built in the fifties of the last century. Inside, the stucco molding on the walls and ceiling is well preserved. But the floor was damaged by marauders.
Further along the road lies a rusted skeleton of a car. It can be seen that his owner was wealthy. Personal artesian well, solid house with a veranda, solid cellar, outbuildings. There is still an empty bottle on the windowsill. It looks like we had a good time.
But time does not wait. It's time to move on the route. Little surprise. For two hundred meters, a couple of moose slowly cross the road. It is evident that people do not particularly bother them. Probably already used to a herd of curious tourists.
A new bypass road has been built around the former regional center Chernobyl. On the lawn near the fork lies the famous stone egg the size of a car. What kind of bird left him?
Another checkpoint "Lelev". This time the entrance to the ten-kilometer zone. And soon it is followed by a turn into the forest onto a concrete-tiled road. A transport stop with a touching inscription “Pioneer camp” touches. For some reason, in the Soviet Union, such camps were located exclusively in the most remote places. And if there are still those who want to visit places of rest, then polite people instantly appearing out of nowhere will culturally explain that the pioneers now have a quiet hour and you should not disturb them.
Outside the window is evidence of a strong fire. Blackened by fire, but still surviving pines. And the lush emerald green of the undergrowth. Among the trees, an elk family slowly wanders somewhere on its own business. A little further on the clearing, Przhevalsky's horses graze. Once they were brought here for some experiments. And then either they were simply released, or they ran away on their own. In general, there are already three herds living in the Exclusion Zone.
The road makes another turn and the bus stops in front of the iron gate. Their green color and red star clearly indicate that they belong to the military department. Near the fence there is a rusted sign with a formidable inscription “Stop. Shoot. " We are standing. They don't shoot. Instead, the gate opens with a nasty creak. Well, if you're invited, you have to go.
By the way, at the entrance to the checkpoint there is a sign “Center for long-distance radio communications”. Judging by the giant metal structures visible in the distance above the trees, very long-range communication. In about five minutes, a slightly abandoned asphalt road leads to a fork. To the right - the same town of Chernobyl 2.
Although even calling it that would be too loud. The settlement consisted of four five-story residential buildings, a hostel for civilian specialists, a hotel, a club, a store and Chernobyl secondary school No. 3. It also had its own stadium. And, in fact, the territory of military unit 74939. All this farm was located on the only Kurchatov street.
Why was the city named that way? And that no one would guess. Local residents of the real Chernobyl knew well that they had only one post office. And if someone asked about the second, then he is a spy. And it should be reported to the competent authorities. The same applies to schools. The third never existed. In general, it is interesting to trace the geography of such similar educational institutions. For example, a certificate of secondary education looks very exotic, issued by some Moscow school, located somewhere in the wilds of the Carpathians. . .
And if you turn left at the fork. No, moralists can be silent here. Because after some hundred meters the road runs into another checkpoint with the same familiar sign of the Center for Long-Range Radio Communication. Excuse the tautology, here was the secret part of the secret city of Chernobyl 2.
The official name is the over-the-horizon radar station (ZGRLS) "Duga" 5N32. Or rather, its radio receiving center. The transmitter was located sixty kilometers on the other side of the Dnieper in the vicinity of the city of Lyubech. The complex was part of an early detection system for launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
It included: early detection node No. 5 (RO-5) with the Dnepr radar in Mukachevo, the RO-30 node with the Daryal radar in Pechora, the RO-7 node with the Daryal radar in Mingachevir, another ZGRLS "Duga" in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, remote receiving position "Daugava" at the RO-1 node in Murmansk. The command post was located in Solnechnogorsk.
The path leads into the forest. And quite unexpectedly, around the corner, cyclopean metal structures grow up overhead, going somewhere into the distance. These are ZGRLS antennas built on the principle of a phased antenna array. It is clearly seen that they consist of two parts. The one that is closer, low-frequency, has a height of 150 masts and a length of 500 meters. At the end, a high-frequency one 100 meters high and 250 meters long adjoins it.
The construction of the station near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was explained by its high energy intensity. One element of the vibrator weighed about a ton. In total, thousands of tons of galvanized steel were required. In order to obtain such a quantity of scarce raw materials, a special decision had to be made by the then Prime Minister of the USSR Alexei Kosygin.
Initially, the radar of the radar node operated at frequencies between 3.26 and 17.54 MHz. However, due to the fact that civil aviation lanes were partially captured, modernization was carried out. By the way, the radar signals were well heard even on conventional receivers in the form of a characteristic knock. Because of this, the complex was nicknamed the Russian woodpecker abroad.
The service building stretches parallel to the antennas. It is adjacent to the building of the command and computer center. It was based on the K-340A supercomputer, built on discrete elements and running on 45-bits with 2.4 million operations per second. The arithmetic of this supercomputer was based on a residual system. A total of 50 sets were made from 1966 to 1973. Some of them work to this day. Blocks of this gigantic machine are lying almost under every bush. So you have to move with extreme caution.
At the end of the service block is the building of the reserve command post. In his now empty rooms are the same remnants of a large calculator. The path leads to car repair shops. Like all other objects, everything here is done to last. That's just the discovered locomobile raises the question. And where did he come from? And most importantly, why?
Already outside the gates of this secret town, on the fence, the inscription "Club of the center of long-distance radio communications" is found. And what a joker hung it here. Because the hole leads to an institution like a toilet, which is categorically not recommended to use. The smell is just overwhelming. So who needs it, you have to be patient. There is very little left before the next point.
The bus leaves for the main road and in fifteen minutes a panorama of the Chernobyl buildings opens before your eyes. At its end is a huge reinforced concrete arch of the new confinement. On the other hand, the unfinished buildings of the next line of reactors. Indeed, according to the plan, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was supposed to be one of the largest in the country.
But that's for later. Because service is service, and lunch is scheduled. The canteen building is located somewhat away from the main buildings of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Officially - the 19th dining room of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Where the other 18 are is unclear. Or again, to confuse the ubiquitous spies.
The large building has two floors and two dining rooms. However, getting inside is not easy. First, it is necessary to pass the mandatory automated dosimetric control. The installation is more like some kind of sophisticated torture chamber. Moreover, the role of the executioner is played by the subject himself. So, open the metal curtain. Stand on the platform inside the apparatus. Place the palms of your hands on the sensors. Wait for the verdict of the system. After a few seconds, the green display will light up. Everything is good. The curtain on the other side opens. You can go out.
It's scary to even think what will happen if the red color lights up. Immediately where you need to receive a signal about an infected object. Then the problem solving team arrives. What happens next is the big question. After all, the easiest way is to simply recycle. . .
But let's not talk about the bad. After all, life is beautiful. And the stomach gives signals that you need to hurry. But first visit the sanitary room. Everything is on the level here. Cleanliness and tidiness. And hot water flows from the taps. There is also a little secret. Those who prudently grabbed the containers fill them with amazingly tasty water. After all, it comes from a 170-meter artesian well. And it's completely free!
Now you can go up to the second floor. The dining room is huge. Two distribution lines and traditional plastic trays. For tourists, a set menu is offered. Although, even here there is little choice. Borscht or soup. Two types of salads Chicken or cutlet. And a garnish. This is accompanied by juice and compote. For vegetarians, fruit cuts are separate. Everything is not just tasty, but very tasty!
He ate himself - feed your smaller brothers. This is the law. Thankfully you don't have to travel far. At the end of the administrative building of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a bridge was thrown over the canal. And here is the process of feeding the fish. They perfectly feel the approach of people and are already ready to eat. Which is prudently stored in the dining room bread.
The size of the fish is amazing. Where else can you see a rudd about half a meter long. But quite recently, catfish also lived here. They were like crocodiles. And then they disappeared. It looks like they were starving to death. Although evil tongues say that they saw their mortal carcasses being sold in the bazaars of Kyiv.
Now that all the formalities have been met, we can head to His Majesty the fourth reactor. The one that raged in 1986. Solemn passage along the fence of the station. Which, by the way, is strictly forbidden to photograph. And a stop near the monument to the participants in the liquidation of the accident.
Now it looks very impressive against the background of the new safe confinement. Simply put, a cyclopean-sized reinforced concrete half-barrel stuffed with a bunch of various devices. Its height is 110, length - 150, span width - 260 meters, weight - more than 31 thousand tons. And all this was created in order to stop the spread of radioactive substances from the sarcophagus. Which, in turn, was erected over the destroyed fourth reactor. More specifically, about 180 tons of low-enriched uranium-235.70 thousand tons of radioactive crumpled metal, concrete, glassy mass, 35 tons of radioactive dust with a total activity of more than 2 million curies.
After the thrust of the arch, the background in its vicinity decreased significantly. But still, it is not recommended to linger. On the way to the city of atomic scientists Pripyat, a short stop at the stele, its symbol. A traditional photo for memory and a short excursion to the roadside where there is a formidable sign of radioactivity with the inscription "Red Forest". From here, all the more I want to get out as quickly as possible, the dosimeter floods with indignation.
At the entrance to Pripyat, another checkpoint. The village is surrounded by a barbed wire fence. For protection mainly from marauders. And from the raids of too curious comrades.
The high-rise buildings, gradually disappearing in the local jungle, look strange somehow. And there is some irresistible desire. That is, if there is something high, you must definitely climb there. Mandatory rule of all vagabonds. In this case, a standard nine-story building. The elevator, oddly enough, does not work. Moreover, there are no doors to the mine. Looking in is not recommended for those who are afraid of heights. The stair railings were also cut long ago and sold for scrap. So you have to carefully sneak along the wall.
Climbing to the very top is another step test. Not everyone can beat him on the move. But along the way, you can take a break. And at the same time, see what is left of the residents' apartments. It’s worth saying right away that there are few chances to find some zest. But if you set yourself a goal. . .
After the people of Pripyat took their things, the question arose: what to do next? First of all, to prevent the occurrence of epidemics, it was necessary to take out products. The technology of this process is very interesting. At first, everything edible in the apartment was packed in the refrigerator. He, in turn, was tightly tied with ropes or wire.
And then. . . they threw him out the window!! ! Just imagine this picture: a hefty metal box is flying from the sixteenth floor. It would seem wild. But no, it turns out that this is the most technological and fastest way in these conditions. At the bottom, the team picked up the landed object and loaded it onto the car. Which took out the packaged products for burial. The issue has been resolved.
Meanwhile, the last flight. Metal stairs and finally the roof. The view is amazing. On the city, the surrounding forests, the station itself. By the way, from a height everything looks very beautiful. High-rise buildings standing among the jungle. Distance hides their condition. In the dense green foliage, all this splendor is more like the tropics. Local Machu Picchu.
Going down is much easier. The main thing is to look under your feet. In order not to screw up in the end. And then dive into the same urban jungle.
The city stadium is recognizable only by the stands suddenly opened among the trees. For such, in fact, a very small town, it was a chic facility. Blocks of high-rise buildings begin nearby. It must have been great for their residents to watch football from their balconies.
The famous town of attractions did not have time to entertain its admirers. It was opened just before the accident. Electric cars froze under a metal frame. The swing of the boat has long since sank to the ground. The famous "Chamomile" will not rise into the sky. And only the Ferris wheel looks drearily at this chaos from its height.
And it is somehow unpleasant to find one of the many specks of invisible radiation under your feet. As usual, you notice him when you already get into the most I can’t. And the numbers over five hundred of those same micro-roentgens do not at all add optimism. So it's better to move on quickly. And don't forget to dust off your clothes and shoes.
The walk along Pripyat ends at the central square. She is huge. Although now the true dimensions are hidden behind a thicket of trees that have grown directly from the asphalt. Here, along the circumference, are the former buildings of the local White House, the Polesie hotel, the Energetik Palace of Culture, and a shopping center. Even the capitals can envy their original architecture.
Previously, you could go inside and admire the various highlights of the abandoned buildings. But every year it becomes more and more dangerous to do so. Everything falls into disrepair and falls into disrepair. So today they are only allowed to be viewed from the outside.
Real stalactites hang from the ceiling. Trees are bursting from the floor in many places. And, of course, in many places there are chic moss pads of the most delicate emerald color.
Looking through the window of the Palace of Culture, among the heaps of propaganda materials, you can see perfectly preserved portraits of the leaders of the Soviet era. On the walls, the paintings are already of the modern period. Mysterious shadows scare visitors. But the she-bear protects her cub from the annoying looks. Artists of all stripes who come to the zone try to leave their mark on history. Even in such an unusual way.
Meanwhile, a bus slowly floats out of the thicket of the city forest. It's time to go home. At the checkpoint "Lelev" stop at the border of the ten-kilometer zone. Here, dosimetric control is mandatory. The settings are the same as in the dining room, only the number of them is greater. To get people through faster. Transport is checked manually.
Traditional stop in Chernobyl near the monument to the liquidators. He, in turn, is located at the fence of the very famous fire station. She is still in service. Nearby is a platform with a display of equipment that took part in those events.
And the nearby grocery store is bustling with life. End of the working day. And the checkout line. Interestingly, the requests are almost identical. Half liter with trailer. Tough men with their modest needs.
A little more - and the second border. Again, strict dosimetric control of tourists and the bus. Everything is good. Now jump into the very famous sanitary house and run to the kiosks. Buy something wet, liquid and cold. And no one pays attention to prices anymore. Heat, however!
