Lost Places - Chornobyl Zone

In Kyiv already apricot-trees shed its blossoms and have blossomed cherry-trees, but here only the grass has gradually turned green... North country - Polesye. But no matter, spring will come to the Zone also. Maybe a month later, than to Kyiv, but will certainly comes...

Novoshepelychi forestry enterprise, Buriakivka, Krasnytsia, Tovsty Lis, Buda, Krasne.

The first stop after Janiv - are some houses almost near road: these are the rests of Novoshepelychi forestry enterprise.

We are on the acres of "Western track". Gamma background level does not fall more low then 2,5 - 3 mR/h.

In territory of forestry enterprise is scattered a lot of the industrial dust, obviously "station" origin, judging by a condition of twenty years’ prescription - suits, shoe covers, helmets... "Oh! This is the plastic apron, for work with isotopes" - exclaims Evgenie, showing on the cracked oilcloth thrown by last year’s leaves.

"Pripyat" has thinly whistled - 17-18-19... Pinning... It is more then 20 mR/h... How many here actually I will not tell precisely, but judging by speed of leaving in pinning, probably, nearby 50 mR/h. About a minute we stand and listen to hum of radiometer and we look in its empty screen. "Apparently better to go from here" - Evgenie at last said, and we on slowly follow to the car. And I regret to myself that I was not reserved by the device with wider range.

• Buriakivka

Buriakivka - small village to the West from Janiv. The mention of it can be found in the book by Pohilevich. Anything especial the village was not known, unless after failure 86, it has entitled to the biggest in the Zone radioactive burial ground (located, actually, not too close from the village). Approaching on village, we have seen in wood pair of deer.

Shake off from pants tens pincers, we sit down in the car and followed further to Nova Krasnytsia and Tovsty Lis.

• Tovsty Lis

We pass a railway crossing before Nova Krasnytsia. We pass through all village (it is here we struggled one year ago with the tumbled down tree :), we turn on the left and we drive in Tovsty Lis.

Here is the first sad news. From a monument to Lenin there were only plaster shoulders left... I am not a great admirer of V.I.Lenin, but do not be unable to stand stupid human vandalism... At road are scattered with shoot off sleeves of calibre 7,62. All that I can tell: shot either from a carbine, or from old АК. Some bullets passing a head of Ilyich have left hollows on the Recreation centre pediment... The Photo at the left is made one year ago.

• Buda

Next small woodland village. It was remembered by a little shop in which warehouse we have found the whole box of beaten bottles of mineral water with the picturesque name "Chornobyl".

• Krasne

We pass Buda and we get out on a narrow overgrown wood path. Under wheels water suspiciously squelches... The main thing not to stop - or the car got stuck in the mud. Water rises to the road and I already regret that we have not left the car in Buda - few kilometres to Krasne we could walk on foot :). Have reached! I will not think about of back road :)...

Krasne - small hamlet, deadlock... There is no place to go further. Around are woods and bogs. Huts - is less than ten. At the moment the bog has risen directly to houses...

And again, the most picturesque place - local shop :). With shod, "pre-revolutionary" lattices at windows, the alarm system (for the first time I see such in similar shop :), low doors in which I, with mine 175 sm height, came having bent down :)

So our trip to the Zone, first in 2007, has come to an end. I expected to see Zone all decorated with flowers, solar, spring, but day has stood out cold, windy and cloudy. And the spring here has not come yet... In Kyiv already apricot-trees shed its blossoms and have blossomed cherry-trees, but here only the grass has gradually turned green... North country - Polesye. But no matter, spring will come to the Zone also. Maybe a month later, than to Kyiv, but will certainly comes... Directly near road a pair of elks. "Look - everybody two by two: deers near Buriakivka, now elks" - I argue aloud... "Well its the SPRING!" - Natalia answers me.