How has the Chernobyl disaster changed lives? | Foreign Correspondent

Once the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident, Chernobyl is now a major tourist destination, thanks to a wildly popular TV drama. We go beyond the crowds to reveal the secret life inside Chernobyl’s exclusion zone.
It’s byword for disaster and contamination. A lasting reminder of the devastation of nuclear meltdown, government-sanctioned cover-up and radiation sickness.
Now, thanks to the wild success of the HBO series dramatising the world’s worst nuclear accident, the site of Chernobyl in Ukraine has become a global tourist hotspot.
Geiger-counter in hand, Europe correspondent Linton Besser explores the enduring impact of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
He joins the hordes of tourists who arrive each day to wander around the ghost towns and near the abandoned reactor.
“I heard a lot of stories…there are mutants there, there are creatures inside ,” says Australian tourist Nick, one of hundreds visiting the site from around the world.
Besser goes where tourists can’t, beyond the decaying town of Pripyat, into the contaminated exclusion zone where he meets the secret communities who have defied evacuation orders to return home.
The ‘babushkas’ - grandmothers - continue to grow their own food and drink water from their wells, despite the persistent presence of radiation.
“This is our motherland, it cannot be replaced,” says one babushka, sipping homemade vodka. “We want to die in our village. It’s our most cherished dream ,” says another.
Foreign Correspondent uncovers the strange sub-culture of Stalkers, young rebels attracted to the dangers of the zone - the threat of police, wild animals and radiation. “Life among death, is the main philosophy of Stalkers ,” says one man who’s made a niche business smuggling thrill-seekers in by night.
And we meet the disaster’s youngest victims - the children from the fallout zone who are suffering from radiation-related illnesses. “The soil should have been removed from the contaminated area, ” says one nurse at a children’s hospital. “But that wasn’t done. Everything was left as it was.”
Thirty years on, Ukraine still has 15 nuclear reactors providing the nation’s energy and many are operating despite reaching their designed lifespan. Local anti-nuclear campaigners say another disaster is a real possibility.
While some locals see this tourism boom as exploitative, many are glad their story is being told. “Everyone should know what had happened her,” says 73 year-old Sofia, standing barefoot in her garden. “ It’s hard to remember. Very hard ,” she cries. “Radiation is an invisible enemy”.
Read more here: ab.co/2jTN1nu
About Foreign Correspondent:
Foreign Correspondent is the prime-time international public affairs program on Australia's national broadcaster, ABC-TV. We produce half-hour duration in-depth reports for broadcast across the ABC's television channels and digital platforms. Since 1992, our teams have journeyed to more than 170 countries to report on war, natural calamity and social and political upheaval - through the eyes of the people at the heart of it all.
Contributions may be removed if they violate ABC’s Online Terms of Use www.abc.net.au/conditions.htm (Section 3). This is an official Australian Broadcasting Corporation KZbin channel

[@glenpeachy4566]

“we cannot touch anything because it might me radioactive” *5 secs later* *opens one of the doors*

[@heehheh3247]

glen peachy I was going to say the exact same thing *cri*

[@clippy8067]

He said the dust might be radioactive there clearly wasn’t any dust on the door

[@glenpeachy4566]

Sophia Landry yah sure. cuz after so many decades that door still completely clean and has no dust on it right?? sure it cleans itself 🤣✨✨ not saying it in any bad way hahah

[@clippy8067]

glen peachy lol I know what you’re saying but by the amount of people who visit the place every year, there’s no way the doors haven’t already been cleaned. No way dust has settled on them, people go in and out of the rooms every day.

[@glenpeachy4566]

Sophia Landry actually. people don’t enter those places. they usually just visit around of what was chernobyl before, but they never really enter buildings. Because they (the people who works there) cannot take the risk of the visitors getting infected by radiation, so they just let them to walk around chernobyl in specific places that they cannot touch anything. only professionals or tv can enter buildings like those. 😅 also, it’s radiation, even if they clean the dust, the radiation won’t go away at all. because it’s imposible to “clean” radiation. that’s why even today we cannot enter chernobyl freely 😔😔😔✨

[@rhythmictiger]

Imagine if the money for a tour guide went to the children still suffering from the radiation.. .

[@AM-di4pq]

It goes to the people who live close to the accident.

[@anja1605]

But it’s the tour guides job?

[@quenchbench]

how can children still be suffering from the radiation? They aren’t children anymore...

[@anja1605]

QuinC Pie think OP means children being born with enlarged thyroid and other health ailments. It mentions it at the end of the video.

[@anja1605]

Małgorzata Rumowska the video specifically talks about children who live near the exclusion zone still being born with thyroid issues. Skip to the end.

[@marieSnowtruthjustice]

I don't understand the 'smiling' and posing for pictures.... this tour should be one of respect for all the people (children) who suffered and are still suffering from this major disaster..... sad.

[@d.george]

Do you say the same about people smiling & posing for pictures at the Vietnam memorial in DC? JFK’s grave in Arlington? I hate posed photos from an artistic perspective, but recognize most people don’t get that. Frankly? The town of Pripyat is infinitely more interesting & fascinating than the other things I mentioned. No one is going on yet another overly somber tour of an abandoned town. They just aren’t. It’s the kind of place you want to explore.

[@Sophya7]

The australian guy was so rude. jumping and smiling saying he wants to see aliens? Wtf have some respect for the people who died and all the familles who had their lives ruined. This is not Disneyland, real people lived there, you're visiting their houses, have some respect

[@detroitfettyghost8492]

@@d.george Found you being awesome with wisdom again!!! Hugs, love and light!!

[@d.george]

Epic okay, I can play that... what about the people visiting Dallas & smiling for pictures where the president died. They did the same at The Ambassador in LA. I often question what your waking lives must be like if people are so offended by this stuff. I’d imagine you do ultimately miss out on a number of experiences. I may be wrong of course. One fact: life is for the living. We have eternity to obsess over the rest. We all end up in the same box, so live while you can

[@plauditecives]

@@d.george In my view, then they're equally stupid. What's your point exactly? Anything for a laugh? Get some judgement.

[@manijike]

My mother told me how terrifying it was. She was pregnant with my sister. Soviet union kept the disaster a secret for a few days. And then people found out. She said if they would have told people, you could get gasmasks anywhere back then, wouldn't have been a problem. And she rembers walking by a river not knowing anything happened. She's a thousand kilometers away, but still, finding out this while pregnant was very scary. It's all good though, my sister is fine, she was born healthy and still is. I still don't know why so many people go there today. Many of my friends have been there. Why would I want radiation when I can watch videos of the place and spend my money to go somewhere better.

[@reveadozier8772]

Handsome Squidward ....yea imma head to da moon now BYE

[@S_u_n_Flower_]

You shouldn't wear stuff like that

[@jiminsthighsrapmonsdimples6240]

Unfortunately I know a Ukrainian girl that lost her mother from cancer after a couple of years. In Greece we saw an increase in cancer cases too and I lost my mother from it as well. This show isn't just something fictional, it did affect and still affects our life.

[@JD-ht7yw]

My mother was in Moldova and it was her cousin's wedding where the wind blew there... they were also by a river going out and about and having fun, meanwhile they had no clue

[@susanpendell4215]

Thank God that so far there hasn't been any ill effects on you and your family. It's beyond irresponsible that they didn't warn the people as soon as they knew the truth. Our government sprays the skies with Chemicals that can harm us here in the USA, and has been doing so for decades. Just look up. Those aren't contrails from the back of airplanes, but chemicals like Barium, Aluminum and Strontium coming out of the back of the planes.

[@Sam-xe2bz]

That one guy all giddy jumping up and down saying he was hoping to see “creatures” really made me sad. all these people taking selfies and shit like it’s Walt Disney World.... sick. 💔

[@ultron374]

The guy talking about creatures is like the worst idiot without respect I have ever seen.

[@jandedick7519]

I totally agree. People died horrible deaths because of what happened. People today are still suffering. When you go there you should be very very respectful and behave in a proper manner. People gave their lives that night and after to save millions. Shame on anyone who disrespects the people of Chernobyl and the people of Ukraine.

[@MrNewVegas101]

I know right you wouldn't go to Auschwitz, or the Ann Frank Museum with a buzz about you, this should be about recognising the mistakes of the past to better our future, and when we don't see our mistakes we should see the pain that this cause normal people

[@elaborat6421]

They do same shit in Auswitz concentration camp.🤦😑

[@southendbusker7534]

yeah, the thyroid is sooo weak to radiation as well, i got diagnosed thyrid cancer last year. stupid holiday

[@Faythe98]

So... he cant touch the potentially radioactive dust but he can breathe it in?

[@calisahardy4845]

Right.. I was thinking the same thing.

[@cx5954]

Innit

[@andreaphillips7595]

🌹 FAYTHE 🌹 he won’t breathe it in as long as it’s not allowed to be disturbed and sent flying through the air

[@justme-ew3ri]

Andrea Phillips Yea but dust doesn’t just settle and stay.. he is breathing in stuff he cannot see just them walking could lift the dust unless it’s heavy

[@cakes4494]

they place they are isn't as radioactive as the plant itself, so long as you don't touch anything that could have soaked up radiation too much staying there for an hour or so isn't dangerous

[@penglingwhisperer3382]

The tourists are laughing and behaving like kids visiting disney! Countless people suffered the most painful agonising deaths here. What the hell is wrong with them???

[@wint3rfaIls]

10.000 subs yes vidz why would the place a nuclear disaster that took so many lives and still causing problems to this day a "dream place"

[@Roeseexe]

Fortune because it’s been sensationalised, it’s not that hard to understand. chernobyl is cool asf.

[@broccolisalad9556]

I’m planning to go to Poland and Germany to go to the concentration camps and I’m not gonna be acting like I just lost my whole family. It’s interesting to learn about history and see the impact this disaster had on its surroundings, and it’s fun to go to abandoned places because it feels like a travel back in time. People don’t have to act depressed every time they visit a place where people died.

[@wint3rfaIls]

Roese.exe i believe that it shouldnt be "sensationalised". we dont go and visit sites of disasters thinking its a wonderland. we go there to remember the lives that were lost or even the event itself. i get some people may love chernobyl, but it just seems wrong to see it as a disney world type thing.

[@K9povnd]

@10.000 subs yes vidz wtf dude it's like people jumping and smiling in like Auschwitz

[@stephanie53127]

The people working there might be putting them self's at risk are you kidding me absolutely yes they are this should not be a tourist attraction ever

[@lidakeip8786]

Money and greed rule

[@ciprianpopa1503]

Money move economies. In a region like this any financial gain could help.

[@marimetr4261]

@@Tiosh You're wrong those people not aware of the danger they're putting themselves they think it is like going to Disney but it is not the same.

[@ciprianpopa1503]

@@marimetr4261 there is more rad hazard in a hospital than there. If you follow simple rules one should be safe.

[@anja1605]

I’ve been to Chernobyl twice. it’s safe.

[@star3674]

I’ve always wanted to visit bcs I’m a history nerd but this is making me change my mind, why do people just jump on trends and visit places when they don’t have any respect for it

[@RitualCat]

same

[@cristir3463]

Sameeee

[@fi-fi-]

I feel the same. Chernobyl has always fascinated me since I found out about it. I still want to visit, but with respect. Many people died because of this, and the effects are still present.

[@Firelord_Fried]

lol who are you to say that they don't have any respect for it? How can you tell who has and doesn't have respect based on a few seconds in a 30min mini doc? How do you plan on being any different when/if you go? And what kind of childish way of thinking is that, "well now I don't want to go because people are jumping on a trend"? Grow up lol

[@star3674]

Patrick McKee you can tell people don’t have respect when they stand there smiling and taking fun selfies at the site where this horrific event happened

[@LG-jb9zs]

good news is, the wildlife and plant life in Chernobyl are adapting! there are known growths of radiotrophic fungi (they perform radiosynthethis "to use the pigment melanin to convert gamma radiation into chemical energy for growth") and animals have long been seen returning to Chernobyl and the surrounding areas with fewer and fewer visible mutations over the last few years.

[@minnowthewarlock5988]

that's pretty dope tbh! Earth is always able to find a way, and sometimes, those ways are absolutely awesome!

[@kittybitty3099]

Yes BUT the forest is utterly deadly, none of the leaves nor dead trees are decaying; if it catches fire SEVERE consequences will be a result.

[@matthewmutz9337]

The animals don't live as long or grow as fast as they should, the animals go there because no HUMANS

[@matthewmutz9337]

@@kittybitty3099 Correct, a wild fire with spread cesium all over again

[@user-vf5ku1nn8w]

L G nature always wins lol

[@yoongismiddlefinger4526]

The tourists were ACTUALLY laughing and smiling and acting like children, in a place where many people have died and suffered? Wow.

[@dremey3152]

Only 31 people died

[@jackfanning7952]

@@dremey3152 Yeah, and the radiation release was about the same as a chest x-ray, right? 3.6 roentgen, not great, not terrible, right? People like you are the reason why no one trusts a damn thing nuclear proponents say.

[@dremey3152]

@@jackfanning7952 I just told him that 31 people died because he might spread misinformation, when it comes to how many people suffered its five million. That's why Chernobyl shouldn't be open for tourism.

[@sha3755]

Ok?

[@KhadaJhin04]

I don't think life is a binary nor should it be treated as such. On the night my grandmother passed away I laughed and joked and cried myself to sleep, all in one day, just because a tragedy occured does not negate the emotions we might feel at the time, it's human, by your logic we should never laugh or joke considering that where you're probably standing or living right now, people have died, and it's disrespectful go their legacy if you live your life as you would

[@anonymouswanderer2479]

The Chernobyl disaster should not have happened....I feel so sorry for everyone affected by that tragic incident

[@roli-3642]

anonymous wanderer yea it’s sad. It was because of the ignorance of a few people

[@matthewmutz9337]

Agree, should not have happened, Caused entirely by HUMAN ERROR, the machine did not do this on its own

[@FifalianaFR]

No disaster should happen, but human error happens, it's part of being human

[@soapiesoap5649]

matthew mutz not all human error they didn’t know the machines were made cheaply all that lead up to it was human error but if the reactor hadn’t been built by saving money it would of been ok.

[@ZeCoolGuy-lk5mg]

@@soapiesoap5649 have you watch the hbo documentary comrade

[@oliviagreen8853]

To see tourists jumping around, joking, and not taking the tragedy seriously then to see a woman crying over her two lost sons from the incident is just heart wrenching. So devastating.

[@meganford2285]

The lack of empathy.....This was a REAL tragedy for so many.....not a set of movie or a haunted house and thats how these people are acting. Humans always find new ways to absolutely disgust me.

[@faithlinkministries]

I visited the orphanages in 1994 and saw the children that had been born after Chernobyl this is no joke are these people mad. It was much bigger they were saying we prayed for the firemen who had gone in with no proper protection their arms were all burned. It was a nightmare.

[@marimetr4261]

I was in Poland at that time even people in Poland been and still effected by that. Many people have medical problems like that blonde girl even me.

[@marimetr4261]

My thyroid gland is enlarged and not working correctly which causes of lots of problems for me.

[@hannahcleo5604]

Do you remember anything that was wrong with the children? Just curious of the effects this had

[@zomb_bree7950]

Hannah Cleo there’s lots of rlly documentaries on KZbin for free that describes the effects

[@sorbetsorbet]

To all those saying you shouldnt be allowed in, i understand where you're coming from. However theres nothing wrong with curiosity as to what happened during a disaster. Its human nature to be curious, and its safer to have tours than to have people illegally wandering around and going into highly or lethally radioactive areas. I dont believe people should be taking pictures there all posing and happy. Chernobyl/Pripiat should be visited to learn and pay respects to those who died there. It should be visited, but visited with respect

[@RitualCat]

totally agree

[@kermit_ashryver6099]

Do you consider joining a debate club? I think you‘d be really good at it 😦🤔😂

[@sorbetsorbet]

@@kermit_ashryver6099 omg thank you sm! I actually am on my schools debating team as team advisor or second speaker :>

[@Vampxiii_]

Salty I 100% agreee with you

[@annonimooseq1246]

I was thinking that it may be helpful to have some sort of short documentary detailing the tragedy and the effects that it has had on the people exposed at the start of the tour. They might already have something like it idk, but if not it might help set the tone of what they’re going to be seeing. The only problem I can see with it is it might discourage people from spending extra money on the tours (like if there’s some sick gift shop or something)

[@jensonriley9396]

It broke my heart when she said she lost her son

[@yomama1169]

Why is this been recommended to everyone all of a sudden??

[@jeniferwizdom7424]

To remind us

[@emzshea]

Our family had a little girl from Belrus stay with us for 6 weeks. The charity who organised the trip said that for every 6 weeks the children spend away from their homes with high radiation, it would prolong their lives an extra 2 years.

[@stephiegetsit]

33 years.... wow doesn't seem like it was that long ago

[@d.george]

Because it wasn’t.

[@detroitfettyghost8492]

@@d.george unless of course you live there and suffered greatly for 33 years of course......

[@TheSunnyvaleTrailerPark]

@CT- 0399 people got contaminated world wide. Luckily where I lived I was fairly safe from Chernobyl. It was the nuclear testing in Nevada and elsewhere in the desert that kicked up plumes of radioactive dust that caused everything from autism to cancer. Companies detected the radiation that traveled to middle America but the government paid off companies who detected the radiation to be quiet.🤦‍♂️

[@krisquigley4497]

Why would someone WANT to tour Chernobyl?

[@marieSnowtruthjustice]

Morbid curiosity.

[@timsworld9342]

Its on my bucket list

[@MrWarrenwest]

pain of being old and cold in a heartless world

[@d.george]

Because there’s a haunted beauty in ruins. As an artist & photographer, I love exploring old ruins. It’s also a preservation of history. Most humans can’t process that kind of destruction. It’s different to see it in person. Make no mistake, there isn’t beauty in the coverup or in life lost. It’s difficult to put to words.

[@MrWarrenwest]

@@d.george at coffee shop now, its 4;30 good morning, another day , on my laptop, i feel so sorr for th babys of Chernobyl

[@bexter107]

A few years ago I was volunteering at RDA and a lot of these children came over and we took them horse riding there’s nothing better than seeing the hope and smiles on their faces after so much suffering even all these years later

[@buckingham1950]

You have such a kind soul

[@zomb_bree7950]

I couldn’t imagine how offensive this might be for the people who were effected and people are just having fun

[@akudumb3021]

Bree Mo So, here’s my chunk on this. •people going there to see what happened, learn, educate? Yes please! •people behaving like at Disneyland, basically being disrespectful? No thanks, chief.

[@zomb_bree7950]

Holiday Pup yep!! My point exactly 😁

[@akudumb3021]

Bree Mo Yup! 😊

[@zomb_bree7950]

@@averageweirdkid so, people should treat it like Disney land, or they shouldn’t?

[@zomb_bree7950]

@@averageweirdkid a couple comments above yours says it perfectly

[@cecirb2792]

Tours!? I’m sorry, no..I agree that we should never forget the horrible events that happened there, but we also shouldn’t forget how dangerous it was (and still is) and frickin tour it..

[@svby]

I don’t think tours are bad per se, but the way people take photos whilst jumping and stuff... that’s flat out disrespectful. I personally want to go to Chernobyl, but definitely not like that...

[@cecirb2792]

Saby I guess i agree...just in general, I find it sort of horrible to let people forget what went on there, but yea. As long as it’s respectful

[@okk73727hd]

White people like going on these tours

[@lapislake6084]

I think there is a right way to do a tour of this place and a wrong way focusing more on the tragedy and respecting the land

[@okk73727hd]

@juno oh god a columbine high school tour

[@TheCatzFranzNeko]

50 000 people used to live here. Now it's a ghost town.

[@billiebluesheepie2907]

I came here looking for this comment... and was not disappointed 😉

[@rubyshepherd4539]

the Soviet Union really just went and failed the Ukrainian people like that

[@MrsRyanna01]

Ruby Shepherd i think they may have failed more than just the Ukrainians

[@marynademirska8655]

Not the first or only time. There was Holodomor, people being sent to Gulag, post-wwII famine, shitty economy, no free speech etc.

[@inmusicsam]

Jokes on you, the Russian Federation is still failing us and Ukrainians too, hah Wait it's not funny actually

[@Eldalote87]

I've been there around kiev in a small village. I'm not surprised...

[@danielsmirnov7379]

While we were sending a satellite to space, America was still debating wether black people had lives or not

[@d.george]

It appears most commentators are new to the idea of people visiting Chernobyl. Even a few years back this was basically black market stuff for photographers. You had to find a guide to get you in & even then, you may have had to pay off guards manning various posts before you could even get in. It was risky af, it really wasn’t safe & you dealt with some shady people. Yeah, it’s a bit weird to see people acting like they’re at Disneyland, however, at least people are able to make some kind of a living. I’m not suggesting radiation isn’t harmful. What I’m saying is that in many instances people are able to provide for their families by being guides. It’s safer for all involved than it used to be. As an artist, I hate that what was once sacred and seen by few is overly commercialized by tourists who didn’t have 2 brain cells to rub together about the topic until HBO, but it is what it is. If it can help the people of Kiev to gain more in financial resources to care for their families, I don’t oppose it. Yeah, I can do without tacky tourists, but I feel that way about tourists in general. There’s just a type. I love to travel. One need not behave like a tourist.

[@detroitfettyghost8492]

Wrote perfectly with TRUTH, what a great summary of the reality of the situation You have a beautiful mind!

[@detroitfettyghost8492]

And it appears you have a beautiful face to match your mind.... sounds like a good combo to me!!!!

[@d.george]

Detroit FettyGhost thank you very much!

[@marimetr4261]

It's wrong what they doing they should not putting in danger and make money of it that this very wrong of them doing that. I do not agree with it.

[@latzulatzu5521]

Mari Metr True I completly agree with you

[@alinagluzman8624]

“ We have been told to not touch anything” * Touches wall and doorknob*

[@aaboueid_]

I can just feel the radiation just by watching this video

[@elleuiate6653]

I can understand the fascination with Chernobyl, I wasnt born yet when this happened,but remember hearing about it. My family comes from Ukraine. Theres no reason to act in a disrespectful manner IF you choose to visit. Remember the lives lost. Boh blahoslovlyaye zhertv.

[@howiedavis8258]

When the guys who are trespassing in exclusive area says "it's an experience" definitely an experience......a radiation experience. Later they'll wonder why they have cancer.

[@amylee3531]

A few months ago, a friend of mine died suddenly. She lived 10 miles from Chernobyl. Years ago she had a Thyroid tumor and other health stuff her whole life. Beginning of one week recently they found a lung tumor. Within less then 3 weeks the one tumor made several other lung tumors and 3 or 4 inoperable brain tumors. People shouldn't be messing around there. You dont just "get better" from radiation poisoning. Especially that one guy clearly lying about being a trained guide person. When hes hacking up blood clots he will wish he didnt keep sneaking in.

[@morgankeziah9509]

When my dad was a kid, him and his parents (my grandparents) used to live there. They left and came to America and no one in my family was affected badly. It’s sad but amazingly informative to see how where my family used to live now all abandoned.

[@80sBaybee]

"We've been told not to touch anything because the dust may be still radioactive" *guy walks around decaying building with no face mask breathing in the dust*

[@breonawarren1507]

Honestly I think as long as he isn’t sniffing directly into the dust he’s fine.

[@susieq8008]

It blows my mind that people go willingly into a highly radioactive waste area to have a look around. Some folks dont have a lick of sense ...

[@detroitfettyghost8492]

they go into safe zones for short exposure times.

[@marimetr4261]

I totally agree with you they are not inform it is not safe or just ignorant

[@taikauskali6406]

The tourist areas are not dangerous and they are regularly tested, they wouldn't let people there otherwise. Always there's someone who claims they're smarter than others :( honestly why would you think that they'd just let them go there if it was dangerous?

[@marimetr4261]

@@taikauskali6406 I do not agree those areas are not dangerous and I think people will do anything to make money of someone else luck of knowledge and ignorance for what happened there. Those Those tourist not aware of the danger there going there like a they are going to Disney which is actually very sad. I was in Poland when that happened and I am affected to this day by it. My thyroid gland is enlarged which causing lost of bad things like losing hair getting weight..... and in some people thyroid cancer and breast cancer and seizures. Even now the kids of those parents who been at that time young kids under 15 years old are suffering from it.

[@taikauskali6406]

@@marimetr4261 I totally get where you're coming from, I live in finnland witch is right next to Russia, the fallout here wasn't so bad but we also had to take some safety measures. I didn't mean to just brush off the accident but I just think they wouldn't let people there otherwise if it was too dangerous.

[@jaymevogl5089]

Why do these people act like they’re going to have fun?? Sick...wear hazmat suits? What about the people working there daily? WTH?

[@amandala00]

Even through this horrible devastation, I find it interesting that the babushkas still live, garden, shower and drink so close to the presence of radiation. They seem physically healthy and independent still living in their 80's- healthier than most Westerners that are 50-60yrs old. They just want to live and die peacefully in their village, their Motherland. 🇺🇦 ✌️♥️

[@chasegargus8936]

It really is sad, many don’t realize the danger they’re in, but it’s true, at their age there isn’t much to worry about. There’s a wonderful documentary called “babushkas of Chernobyl” on prime video that you might like.

[@annonimooseq1246]

I don’t know whether “we will always keep memories of you our dear apartment!” is more cute or sad

[@annonimooseq1246]

I say ‘cute’ as in it’s nice that when they were told they needed to leave their home their response was to write a note to their apartment saying how much they loved it, not in reference to the larger tragedy at all, that is very much not cute

[@mandirarai1215]

It made me sad

[@gemahoeksema6798]

This video should go viral. It breaks my heart to say so many people that lost their most valuable processions, their children. It hurts me to see so many kids impacted by the radiation, even many years after it happened. If people go to do tours here, they should respect the pain of so many people. Very good documentary.

[@nevloigef1323]

Still can't believe it was only 3 decades ago. They need to start planting hemp everywhere. Phytoremediation

[@stephiegetsit]

I thought the same thing watching it

[@susieq8008]

Radioactive weed....be my guest dumdum.

[@gretekontson8739]

Sunflower takes toxyti away

[@detroitfettyghost8492]

it scrubs the atmosphere and soil. amazing plant. also produces an oil that is beneficial to nature

[@kerrymarris4260]

That's amazing and I had no idea what a range of things that hemp can really do. Thanks, Wonka

[@moonshine2973]

imagine if the people evacuated went back there on a tour without the tour guides knowing and at a certain apartment be like, “ah yes, this is where i used to live”

[@ultron374]

I don' t think that those people want to be back there. They suffered enough after Chernobyl.

[@ronalrocco4922]

Visit there? Popular tourist area? Laughing? Joy? These people are nuts. What is there to see? Devastation, dust, bones of deformed animals? commentary.

[@katryna192]

I had relatives who I lost there, sorry breaks my heart people treating it like a fun park sorry if I offended some people

[@marimetr4261]

@Kyril J Animals don't live that long but still thay place is not safe to talk around

[@kai4435]

I would go there just to look its such a cool place or it looks it

[@chantejackson2734]

Ronal Rocco i would go there because it‘s interesting to see & i‘m a sucker for history. I also went to ausschwitz, but yes you should ALWAYS treat places like this with respect. Running around and laughing at a place where many lost their lives is always wrong.smh

[@marimetr4261]

@@chantejackson2734 If you love history you can read a great book like:" Hitler's Jewish Soldiers " by author Bryan Mark Rigg and more of his books like: "The Robbi saved by Hitler's soldiers" and other books

[@VerzatileDev]

Cant touch anything , goes ahead and opens the door

[@cucumber623]

with his foot

[@redstar9274]

Everything changed when the Reactor 4 was ripped open by explosion

[@shamsa.3711]

😂😂

[@mayellia6221]

Man, I could never go on a tour there. I found out I stayed in a hotel near the site of a nuclear power plant disaster and my anxiety went through the roof. It wasn’t close enough to get radiation exposure, but still freaked me out when I found out after the fact

[@finnsnow2495]

I don't understand how people are surprised by the tourist draw to Chernobyl. Ever hear of Pompeii? Why would you go there to see dust, disaster and ash. I think this is a good idea because people have always been visiting Chernobyl this way gives people a safer legal option to easing curiosity. People would go through dangerous and ridiculous length to get into Chernobyl and go to the most radioactive parts. At least this way people are making money. I'm not saying you should do it just that it's not suprisingbits so popular and it's a better way to see it than how people were.

[@stanleyhood4343]

Pompei not radio active.

[@finnsnow2495]

@@stanleyhood4343 I know that. But, I'm using Pompeii as a example of why people like to go to places like this. Everyone is shocked that'd it's a tourists atttaction but it's really nothing new. The access that tourists get is also quite restricted and they probably go into the least radioactive areas which will do nothing to harm you. You'd have to have major exposure over a short period or little exposure over a long period to affect you. Furthermore, tourists do dangerous things all the time to gain experiences which is again not new to Chernobyl at all. But, my point about Pompeii had nothing to do with danger just highlighting that people tend to be attracted to such things.

[@ray8440]

imagine watching this and the man just walks into your past home and wants to flip through your book DISGUSTING

[@minnowthewarlock5988]

It's a school book? That is now part of history? Let people be curious...

[@ray8440]

ye its just a school book until you remember that one time you and this kid andrew decided to draw pepes on your book because you were bored in language class

[@tacowolf9623]

a e n a XDomg 😂

[@judilynn9569]

Still dangerously radioactive and will be forever. But hey, let's go visit!

[@jonghyunsleftleg4453]

I did the Chernobyl Incident for a history fair project and for the people saying that he needs a suit or something, that's incorrect. The radiation doesn't immediately affect you, meaning you can spend a short time in these places without getting affected. Short time meaning less than 24 hours. Obviously, you need to avoid the areas with high radiation because that can hurt your health but for the most part, you're fine if you take a tour. On the other hand, actually living there isn't possible unless you want health problems.

[@akudumb3021]

kissablejoel What about masks with filters? Shouldn’t tourists wear them when exploring for example, the apartments?

[@jonghyunsleftleg4453]

@@akudumb3021It's forbidden for regular tourists to enter the buildings but they allow people that work for media coverage that are accompanied by people that work there

[@akudumb3021]

kissablejoel Oh yeah, i meant the self-tourists, haha. Thanks!

[@jonghyunsleftleg4453]

@@akudumb3021 you're welcome!! also stan yoongi cause he's a king

[@ray_ayy]

Horrifying. Horrifying and ridiculous how nonchalant these people are.

[@ultron374]

I personally would never go there. It was a tragedy, going there it would be too devastating for me even if I am not directly affected from it. I feel comfortable watching documentaries about it, watching pictures, it feels like ur there.

[@hamsnub]

Honestly the overgrown areas inhabited by wild animals is quite beautiful

[@marimetr4261]

Not just people from that town was negatively effectived but country near by like Poland.

[@chanelleboudreau5286]

Belarus got the worst of it after Prypiat.

[@sennituominen4425]

Sara Ford a lot of countries got radioactive particles brought by wind. Finland (in between sweden and russia) got a lot of it and my great grandmothers sister died because of it. Also toxic rain happened after the accident

[@Iuliia8]

It all went north because of how wind blew. Poland didn’t get it bad at all. I’m from the western part of Ukraine and no we didn’t get anywhere near the amours of radiation Belarus and northers countries got.

[@akudumb3021]

Julia Julie Yeah, we didn’t have very bad side effects. There still were side effects, but not as many and way more serious ones like in Belarus.

[@JAY-zf6jw]

My grandma died of cancer from the bomb tests in Nevada

[@boobooweezlz5764]

My mother’s family is from here. This breaks my heart and I wonder if my relatives are alright

[@summersingsalot308]

14:28 to 15:40 its really inspiring to see ppl with so little are still making it happen and they are still happy i love to see that its really a life lesson and beautiful

[@phirerising]

I can't imagine being told to leave all your things behind, because you can't bring them with you. The overgrowth is interesting, in a morbid and tragic way. I hope that most people who go aren't disrespectful to those who had to abandon their homes, and lost their lives.

[@102create]

So so sad, but I must say the vegetation is still growing the trees.

[@shawnafsworld7431]

And Now the Chernobyl Forest Is On Fire Burning like Crazy. Sadly.

[@cheyraqlynn1120]

Its frustrating that people have turned it into a spectacle. And its crazy to think ppl still choose to live there but i hope the best for them all. I would love for it to be more open to photographers and researchers. We should also help funding them to have proper equipment. I feel bad those kids go thru the same cycle and i wish there was a better solution

[@kev-the-windsurfer.]

The safety test was anything but routine, it was something that has been tried three times before, and was never successfully, completed. Many things together made the conditions for the test at the CNPP Reactor 4 not viable, but it was done anyway. Its one of the greatest tragedies of the world. Repsect for the people involved in the cleanup......those poor people who had to literally leave their homes with very little notice to never return.....unbelievable, still.

[@noka1979]

The poor children never asked for any of the horrors they face.. Born into a bad thing just

[@alice.s.m.6482]

It is absolutely disgusting that people treat Chernobyl with such disrespect when they visit it. It is not a tourist attraction. I can only compare it to Auschwitz because it is a reminder of a human mistake that costed hundreds if not thousands of lives, and we are still paying for it today. It is not a place to be cheerful and smiling. It is a place to remember and honor everyone who lost and sacrificed their lives.

[@innesrawdon1481]

Another channel I recommend people to watch if they’re interested in things like this is”bald and bankrupt” his videos are well good

[@og-sq8xt]

Yes. He gives voice to the people living there, the true victims of the disaster. He speaks their language, he values their lives and their culture. No silly video effects for KZbin views. Bald is just a normal guy with a camera, making sure these people's message won't be forgotten

[@reyofunnyon7757]

Australians and Americans be like :" I've heard there are mutans there." Lmao too much science fiction 🤣🤣

[@aleksifrmdao]

Too much S.T.A.L.K.E.R and Metro

[@reyofunnyon7757]

@@aleksifrmdao yeah true, I've played them too lmao.

[@corinw.5423]

I Can understand how tourism is helping. I wish the people that go would actually research what happened there and treat the area with the respect it deserves. Those people are vultures.

[@momofchaos8038]

It’s sad that people joke about it and going they’re laughing 😭😭 it should be a sad moment. Lots of people died there or later on because of all this

[@jenniferp7749]

Thank you for exposing this horror.

[@natashagreen-chillaxedprod7769]

Cashing in on a disaster is disgusting.... Mutants?? Seriously

[@aleksifrmdao]

They are using the money for the exclusion zone

[@kerrymarris4260]

She is right, that the place where you and I were born is our mother land and the very best place for us to be, I envy those who are able to go back to their birthplace. I still have a yearning to live in the house I grew up in, and always wished that someday I would buy it back from whoever my shady mother sold it to. I long to go home. Thanks again Wonka Luv'z y'all anyway.

[@HectorMiranda24]

Excellent video!

[@rjmulla6816]

“Oof” No offence. For those who don’t know there was a video of a kid saying “oof” in this city

[@stanleyhood4343]

What is it that these people roaming through Chernoble not understand that it is highly radio active still and will be for more than a thousand yrs?

[@1stepcl0ser]

If you leave after a few hrs and wear appropriate clothes youre gonna be ok

[@kai4435]

You do know that bananas have radioactivity in them and xray have dangerous amounts of radioactivity but do people still eat/use these yes

[@patrickmeyer2802]

1. Chornobyl (It's Ukranian after all), and 2. The background radiation of the Exclusion Zone is less than what you would experience on the flight to the Ukraine. It's not gonna kill you, no more than a flight is gonna kill you. Inside the reactor building is worse, but not by much. You can safely walk around without a respirator without receiving anywhere near a lethal dose. Remember, the other three reactors kept on working afterwards. The last one to be shut down was Unit 3, in *2000*. There were still people working in the same building, in fact in the same dual reactor unit, 14 years after the accident. Trust me, it's fine.

[@gracemulholland5328]

26:28 so they’ll let a cat in but not a journalist lol

[@fletcherdelvalle8459]

26:58 Luigi and Mario

[@akudumb3021]

Fletcher Del Valle Lmao

[@3fammy]

Rather than coming to the place, I prefer to visit the people who experienced the tragedy and just listen to their unbelievable story. The engineers, the liquiditors, the family affected by this, because their story is what makes people respect history. My prayers for them.

[@user-qu1xl3ee1d]

A large amount of power costs a lot of damage

[@unangelix2327]

I know some people may be on 'vacation' or whatever but in my opinion i think it's kind of disrespectful to the many people who've been hurt by this, to be posing and smiling somewhere so devastating.

[@patrick1992]

So sad the Chernobyl tour cost 100-120 USD but the country is poor...

[@zomb_bree7950]

Literal BABIES *DIED* here and people are running and jumping around. Wtf is wrong with people? Like imagine ur a mother who lost ur baby and then u see something like this?

[@gaslitworldf.melissab2897]

Touching and informative.

[@twinkharrylwt226]

So everyone saying you shouldn’t be allowed in.. do u also don’t want auswitch to be a place where we can see the past and learn from it?

[@dwightk.schrute162]

twinkharrylwt I agree, but I think some people are saying that people shouldn’t be allowed in because of the radiation.

[@debbiedoestinyliving85]

Totally different.. radioactivity is still dangerous. The slaughter of so many of Gods people at the hands of a government regime set to rule the world. Two totally different things altogether.

[@elizerbeltran6030]

If the stalkers are going in anyway, I don’t see why the stalkers wouldn’t document their findings seeing as they are going where they please. It would be interesting to see what they find and see seeing as no one else really wants to anyway. It would give us a clue as to what man made things have been frozen in time or eroded by it

[@noctain6683]

The indoor swimming pool gives modern warfare vibes.

[@floraschubert7911]

Isn’t the water radioactive in those villages?

[@sarahjenkinson729]

Yes

[@billiebluesheepie2907]

It’s also radioactive where you live. There is background radiation everywhere. If you have granite rock nearby, it can be very radioactive.

[@kathrynortt364]

Stalker: *talking about being connected to Chernobyl* There ain’t nothing connecting you to Chernobyl but the Adrenalin you feel from breaking the law. You don’t have any grief for the people that died there and you’re illegally making money to go in your own pocket. Taking advantage of a huge disaster isn’t okay! People got hurt and died and lost a lot in this explosion!

[@annagm8583]

My mom’s friends was a Chernobyl child and they met in Siberia where my mom was already living and where her friend moved. They’ve known each other for ages, but now she lives in Switzerland and is healthy and happy

[@kathymyers7279]

These that claim boredom with their young lives. Chemo can be very boring also.

[@Thai8521]

Can you rephrase that statement again?

[@whatsonmymind4848]

Why? It makes absolute sense!

[@zari2662]

Perfectly said 👏🏽

[@carolinerowles5951]

Belarus? The winds affected them just as much if not more!

[@jharrington08able]

I would NOPE right out of there. No tour is worth risking your health.

[@randomcat6228]

Very informative, dispels a lot of the myths and shows us what real people are currently going through as a result of this disaster. Gives us many things to think about as a society. The estimated 20,000 years until that is non radioactive - my 1st thought was we will have destroyed ourselves long b4 then. Thanks for posting.

[@cynthiaarons9373]

Surprising that none of tourist wore mask to protect their breathing.

[@martinemjt]

we still haven t learn. mankind still thinks we can control nuclear!

[@TheBryce98]

Actually, we can and do. Literally no one builds reactors with a positive void coefficient anymore.

[@danielsmirnov7379]

Before you throw out a 2nd grade grammar comment, please do some research

[@BlackParadeMarcher1]

Dark/Disaster Tourism always baffles me. It's the fact that there are so many people that pose for selfies for pointless 'likes' and whatnot in a place where people left their lives behind and died and are STILL being affected.

[@user-kk3nk5zf9s]

Bones' Coffee I've ssen pictures of 2 young women posing with angel filters in front of Auschwitz!

[@marcindrzewiecki5918]

Despite curiosity and need for being "Stalker-like", this historical site should be more controlled and not being open as some kind of Disneyland. Horrible, it's like going on Mount Everest by mountain train - these tourists at Pripyat have no realistic clue about this place. No tour or guide won't change their popcultural thinking.

[@jmikronis7376]

That there are tours going to any part of the site that is still radioactive is beyond belief!! If one needs to get into protective gear and carry Geiger counters should be a clear sign you don’t need to be there!!

[@petarv.6791]

"50 thousand people used to live here, now it's a ghost town."

[@desereeballentineaustinbla6402]

None of these children shouldn't have to. suffer nor anyone else. These villages and towns needs help. Non of them needs too be punished. They need too be taken away. Unsafe no matter what .What about the disaster which happen. And caused deaths and illness and sicknesses

[@lmills9798]

The courage and ultimate sacrifice of the firefighters really touched my heart back then! I am still proud of them! They showed true love for their fellowman! Can't say the same for their HATEFUL communist leaders!

[@janiner8047]

I hate how Chernobyl has become such a tourist attraction. On the one hand, I understand the want/need to make money but on the other hand, seeing people smiling and taking selfies in an area that killed so many people is so disrespectful.

[@voidcl0wn607]

Exactly. Like using it to tour for educational reasons but taking selfies is just...

[@3fammy]

24:25 excuse me? Lack of funddd??!! Crazy. Where is the moneyy? Oh God this is so sad.