After emergency evacuation of the Exclusion Zone on December 11, 2012, Chornobyl passed to uncertainty, expectations and finding a way out of difficult situations. Electrician repairing loosed wires, road service cleaned the snow and the weather continued “to please” and add problems – after almost zero temperatures and sleet, frosts struck up to -20^оС. It became quite obvious that if in the next few days power will not be restored in Chornobyl, the entire water treatment system, water-supply and heating engineering will be lost and there will be no place for staff to return…

18.12.2012. Chornobyl. Return

By the end of the week the situation managed to stabilize at least for a few hours a day to ensure the supply of water and heat. There was hope that on Monday December 17 staff, in spite of all, will be able to come back to Chornobyl.

December 16, Sunday. Jitney “Kyiv–Chornobyl”. Though most of Zone workers are working on schedule 4/3 (from Monday to Thursday) and come at work on Monday morning on their “Zone buses”, some prefer to come by ordinary “civil” jitney on Sunday evening.

In the cabin of the bus all the faces are familiar. Talks about the same thing: is everything done or not there, in Chornobyl?

On a halfway to Chornobyl, near Ivankiv, everyone’s phones start ringing.

– What do you mean “go back home”? Why? And how long should we wait?..

Operations man on duty of Chornobyl phoned chiefs of all enterprises, and those in turn started calling their subordinates: “On Monday, December 17 staff of “4/3” stays off the job, the situation is under control, but freezing temperatures increased and there is no possibility to provide electricity and heating for town in corpore. Wait for further instructions.”

People in jitney started stormy discussion of the situation. Most leaved bus in Ivankiv and returned home to Kyiv.

December 16. Chornobyl. Radiators already warm, but the building has not yet heated. With a faint hope I go to the electrical control unit room. I turn on the main switch, in response I hear the pleasant transformer’s “buzz”. Hooray! If there is a light we have chance! Though there is no water in pipes, but it does not matter, as there is enough snow outside. I go to the street to take some snow in kettle – will make some coffee.

In the evening mobile communication come into service: the base station of one of the three mobile operators start working.

December 17. Monday.

It is about -20^оC, sunny. Underfoot snow crunches loudly. Chornobyl, which comes alive with the arrival of “4/3 shift” to work every Monday, now look quiet and deserted.

Mobile communication is working and I'm starting to call to all the friends who own at least some information on the “current situation”. Information is contradictory, but today’s noon will be a meeting of the commission, everybody waiting for their decision...

December 18. Tuesday. Evacuation is ceased. Everyone returned back.