Lost Places - Chornobyl Zone

The idea of this trip has arisen at me about two years ago after I unsuccessfully tried to pass by the car to a passenger platform "Buriakivka" from outside the village with the same name. By the car you will not approach, on foot - it is far. And to go on foot on cross ties of 16 km from Janiv to Tovstiy Lis is not a big pleasure.

So it was necessary to go one by rail.

Line South-west railway Chernigov - Ovruch has been constructed in 1930. After failure on ChNPP - movement has been stopped (last passenger train "191 Moscow - Khmelnitskiy" has proceeded station Janiv on April, 29th, 1986). Now on this line constant movement is only on a section Semihody - Slavutich (on it "runs" ER9s (ЭР9), which carry personnel of the ChNPP from the Slavutich to work and back). The section Janiv - Vilcha is abandoned and not used.

On October, 10th, 2008. We are trampled down near elegant blue TEM2 (ТЭМ2УМ) at station Yaniv

"Do ou want to sit in carriage?" - the machinist is interested, "If you want - we will fasten it now". But we don’t want to go in carriage, so we clamber up on lateral platform of the locomotive. "Hold on strong for hand-rail - we start". We squatted down of deafening diesel hooter and TEM smoothly "sails away" from station Janiv. On the sides float well-known " installations" of unconstrainedly scattered DRs (ДР) and the destroyed goods sheds. A permanent way in quite decent condition and a diesel locomotive, vigorously knocking on joints, gather "mad" speed of 40 km/h. We pass the unloading terminal with transporter crane. After all how many went here, and never noticed it... The syndrome of "photographer" - you see only that gets to a shot:)

• Platform "Shipelichi".

Actually (it is probably made on a war case, on purpose to confuse the probable enemy :), there is any Shepelichi nearby. To Stari Shepelychi is more then 5 km, to Novi Shepelychi more then 8 km... But not far from a platform there is a village Buriakivka. Why don’t give to a platform name "Buriakivka"? By the way, the platform «Buriakivka» exists. Somewhere in three kilometers from the village with the same name... Well here, I has gone deep into reflexions – and has missed and has not photographed this platform "Buriakivka":)

TEM reduces speed - the repaired part has ended. Concrete cross ties are replaced with wooden ties, between which fur-trees and birches very beautifully grow.

Trees and bushes rise directly to a roadbed and every second it is necessary to dodge and to close the face from branches flying towards. Last platform - "Krasnitsa".

• Tovstiy Lis ("Krasnitsa")

The diesel locomotive creeps up to the grassed crossing and stops. We have arrived in Tovstiy Lis. The village centre on the right is seen, directly (on the West) the road on Vilcha goes. The story with the platform name here is a same as with Burjakivka. From this place to the centre has sat down no more than five hundred meters, and to a platform "Tovstiy Lis" - not less than five kilometers :). Such scheme appears: if it is necessary for you to get to Buriakivka - you go to a platform "Shipelichi". If it is necessary to get to Tovstiy Lis - go to a platform "Krasnitsa" (if you will go down on a platform " Tovstiy Lis " – you will need to walk through the forest five kilometers:). However, my "ingenious" scheme is already property of history. Not anybody goes any more by "diesel engine" in Tovstiy Lis for mushrooms, or to cottage in Buriakivka. My scheme hardly will be interesting for clever scouts and dashing saboteurs, and to today's owners of these places - to wild boars, wolves, elks and roes, it especially unnecessary.

The diesel locomotive hooks and gradually moves back towards to Janiv.