Get Into The Zone

For those who don't know about Chernobyl's Alienation Zone, here's the quick and dirty version of where we're aiming to go for our photography excursion:

ZONE OF ALIENATION
The Zone was established after the disaster in 1986 in order to evacuate the local population and prevent people from entering the contaminated area. It is made up of 4 concentric circular zones with the closest in, about 30km from the site, being the most contaminated. Within the zones are hot spots of radiation where equipment has been buried and many of these remain unmapped - some committed to memory and some unknown. Authorities try to protect these spots not only from tourists but scrap hunters as well.

The Zone operates within its own civil rules, with its own police (the MVS) and State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, all administered by the Administration of the Alienation Zone. These branches work together to police the shift workers who come in to the nuclear site, tourists, visiting officials and dignitaries, and interlopers.

Interesting Facts

• The cloud of heavily polluted radioactive dust produced the Red Forest - a strand of highly-irradiated pine near the plant.
• Many species of wildlife have flourished due to the significant reduction of human impact - wolves, wild boar, red deer, moose, and beaver.
• Przewalski's Horses - a rare and endangered subspecies of wild horse native to the steppes of Central Asia - which were released in the area after the disaster are flourishing.
• Brown bear, which has not been seen in the area for several decades, has been reported as well as wild lynx.
• There are 800 known burial grounds for irradiated vehicles, hundreds of abandoned military vehicles & helicopters, and river ships and barges lie in the abandoned ports.

(photo: Entrance to Alienation Zone, Slawojar, Wikimedia Commons)
(With information from Wikipedia page Zone of Alienation)