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Zone of alienation

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Coordinates: 51.300° N 30.005° E

Entrance to the Zone of Alienation

Abandoned living blocks in the Zone

The Zone of Alienation, which is variously referred to as The Chernobyl Zone, The 30 Kilometer Zone, The Zone of Exclusion, The Fourth Zone, or just The Zone (Ukrainian official designation: Зона відчуження Чорнобильської АЕС, zona vidchuzhennya Chornobyl's'koyi AES, colloquially: Чорнобильська зона, Chornobyl's'ka zona оr Четверта зона, Chetverta zona) is the 30 km/19 mi exclusion zone around the site of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster. Geographically, it includes northernmost parts of Kyivs'ka oblast' and Zhytomyrs'ka oblast' of Ukraine, and adjoins the country's border with Belarus.

1 Purpose and status
2 History
3 Nature and infrastructure
4 The people
5 Development and recovery projects
6 Cultural precedents and references
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
- 9.1 News and publications
- 9.2 Other web-resources

Purpose and status

The Zone was established soon after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, in order to evacuate the local population and to prevent people from entering the heavily contaminated territory. The area adjoining the site of the disaster was divided into 4 concentric zones, amongst them the fourth (actually the nearest, within a radius of 30 km/19 mi) being the most dangerous. It should be noted that the territory of the zone is polluted unevenly. Spots of hyperintensive pollution were created not only by wind-spreading of radioactive dust at the time of the accident, but also by numerous burial grounds for various material and equipment. Zone authorities pay much attention to protecting of such spots from tourists, scrap hunters and wildfires, but admit that some dangerous burial sites remain unmapped and known only by recollections of the liquidators. Any residential, civil or business activities in the zone are legally prohibited and punishable. The only officially recognized exception is the functioning of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and scientific installations related to the studies of nuclear safety. The zone is partly excluded from the regular civil rule. It is controlled by the Administration of the Alienation Zone within Ukraine's Ministry of Emergencies and Affairs of Population Protection from Consequences of Chernobyl Catastrophe. The territory of the zone is policed by special units of the MVS and (along the border line) the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. Everyone employed within the zone is allowed there for certain shifts (ranging from a day to one month). The duration of shifts is strictly counted regarding the person's pension and healthcare issues. The personnel of the above-mentioned nuclear installations constantly reside in Slavutych (a specially-built remote city in Chernihivs'ka oblast'), others in different cities and towns of Ukraine. Access to the zone for brief visits is, however, possible; day-tours are available to the public from Kiev. In 2007, Ukrainian government adopted more severe criminal and administrative penalties for illegal activities in the alienation zone, as well as reinforced respective units assigned to these tasks.

History

Historically and geographically, the zone is a heartland of the Polesia region—the birthplace of East Slavs. This predominantly rural woodland area was once home to 120,000 people, living in 90 communities (including rapid-developing cities of Chernobyl and Pripyat). It is now mostly uninhabited. Leaving homes and parting with friends and relatives has been a major life tragedy for all evacuated. TV footage shot during the evacuation preserved the painful scenes of traditional folk houses and churches being crushed by army bulldozers. That is why the 1986 devastation is widely seen as the symbolic tragedy of the Ukrainian nation and spirit. When the authorities allowed brief touring visits to the zone, some evacuated residents of the Pripyat and Chernobyl established remembrance tradition, which includes annual visiting of the former homes or schools, and Internet sites describing the past and present life of their childhood places.[1]

Nature and infrastructure

The flora and fauna of the zone have been dramatically affected by the radioactive contamination that followed the accident. The cloud of heavily polluted dust left the Red Forest (Rudyi Lis)—a stand of irradiated pine wood near the plant, which was subsequently bulldozed. Cases of mutant deformity in animals of the zone were reported but none were scientifically documented except partial albinism in swallows. There have been reports that wildlife had flourished due to significant reduction of human impact.^[1] However, scientific studies have contradicted this, stating the levels of radiation are having a damaging effect on the wildlife.^[2] The zone is considered by some as a classic example of an involuntary park. Populations of traditional Polesian animals (like wolves, wild boar and Roe Deer), elk/moose, and beaver have multiplied enormously and begun expanding outside the zone. Even extremely rare lynx have appeared. Special game warden units are organized to protect and control them. The rivers and lakes of the zone pose a significant threat of spreading polluted silt during spring floods. They are systematically secured by dikes. The whole industrial, transport, and residential infrastructure has been crumbling since after the 1986 evacuation. There are at least 800 known "burial grounds" (Ukrainian singular: mohyl'nyk) for the contaminated vehicles with hundreds of abandoned military vehicles and helicopters. River ships and barges lie in the abandoned ports. A former Soviet military installation is relatively close by to the power plant, consisting of gigantic transmitter and receiver belonging to the Steel Yard Over-the-horizon radar. It allowed monitoring of ICBM launches east of its location using ionospheric reflection. The secrecy around this unit provoked a rumour that it was the real cause of the disaster. According to Ukrainian TV, the base is now defunct and handed over to the Ministry of Emergencies. The rusting iron superstructures of the station are considered for dismantling over the fears of their accidental collapse which would cause a microearthquake damaging the radioactive storages in the area.

The poaching of game, illegal logging, and metal salvage are the current problems of the zone. Despite certain police control, the unemployed from outside often infiltrate the perimeter and remove polluted materials, from electronics to even toilet seats, especially in Pripyat, where residents of about 30 high-rise apartment buildings had to leave all of their belongings behind. In spite of this extensive looting, some buildings remain untouched.

The railway lines at Slavutych station, which take employees to the zone of alienation.

The people

Dozens of people (mostly the elderly) refused to be evacuated from the zone or illegally returned there later. After recurrent attempts at expulsion, the authorities became reconciled to their presence and even allowed limited supporting services for them. These people (known as "samosely", translated as "self-settlers") declare their strong commitment to the surrounding nature and rural lifestyle. This population includes some vagabonds and other marginalized persons from the outside world, such as war refugees from parts of the former Soviet Union. Samosely usually deny or are resigned to any significant damage to their health resulting from the high levels of radiation in the environment.

Development and recovery projects

The eldest and most recognized vision of the zone’s future is a research and industrial ground for developing nuclear technologies, including technology of nuclear wastes disposal. Permanent waste facilities are already being constructed in the zone, although these projects suffer from environmental and business concerns. There are growing calls for wider economic and social revival of the territories around the disaster zone. For instance, special technologies are suggested for agriculture and energy projects that would avoid the danger of proliferating polluted material. The most vocal advocate of such revival is President Viktor Yuschenko who expresses his deep concerns with the exclusion of polluted territories from the society and economy of Ukraine. In November 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution calling for "recovery and sustainable development" of the areas affected by the Chernobyl accident. Commenting on the issue, UN Development Programme officials mentioned the plans to achieve “self-reliance” of the local population, “agriculture revival” and development of eco-tourism.^[3] However, it is not clear whether such plans of UN and Yuschenko deal with the zone of alienation proper, or only with the other three zones around disaster site where contamination is less intense and restrictions on the population looser (such as the district of Narodychi in Zhytomyrska Oblast).

Cultural precedents and references

Stalker is a 1979 film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, based on a 1972 novel by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky entitled Roadside Picnic. Both describe a mysterious and forbidden "zone", depopulated of human life by an unexplained disaster, and Tarkovsky's film in particular has come to symbolize the alienation zone in the minds of many commentators. Contrary to popular belief, the power plant depicted in one of the last shots is not Chernobyl; the entire movie was in fact shot in Estonia.^[4] ^[5]
A science fiction novella titled The Dragon of Pripyat, by Karl Schroeder, is set in Pripyat after the disaster.
Most of the Martin Cruz Smith crime thriller Wolves Eat Dogs, is set in and around the Zone of Alienation and goes into detail the events that led up to and were caused by the Chernobyl disaster.
A science fiction video game named S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, released in 2007 by Ukrainian developer GSC Game World, is set in the zone of alienation. Authentic photos and video footage from the zone were rendered into the graphics used in the game.^[6]
In addition to S.T.A.L.K.E.R., the game Cold War is also based in the zone of alienation. It suggests that the reaction was caused by the Soviet Government trying to create a new Marxist government.
There is a flashback mission in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare game that takes place within the abandoned city of Pripyat located in the zone of alienation succeeding the Chernobyl disaster, Chernobyl itself is visible in the preceding mission and is the site of an arms deal. This is also where the player gets to see one of the famous landmarks in Chernobyl, the Chernobyls Ferris Wheel.
In the American film Godzilla Matthew Broderick's character, an NRC scientist, is studying the effects on wildlife due to the radiation leaked by the reactors at the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone before going to Panama to observe the wreckage of the recovered Japanese fishing ship.