Report 5 from our epic trip to Chernobyl
A few sites near Pripyat, whilst still in the Chernobyl exclusion zone.
After a long drive down a bumpy track, we spent a hot humid afternoon at the military radar & control station.
The history is interesting: The Duga was a Soviet Union over the horizon radar used an early warning of a nuclear missile attack from the west. A similar radar was built in eastern Siberia. It operated from 1976 to 1989, and was extremely powerful, over 10MW in some cases. The signal appeared without warning, sounding like a sharp repetitive tapping noise, which led it to be nicknamed the ‘Russian woodpecker’. The signal disrupted legitimate broadcast in the west & in the USSR. The signal became such a nuisance, that some amateur radios & televisions began including ‘woodpecker blankers’ in their design. The signal was a source of much speculation, giving rise to theories of Soviet mind control & weather experiments. I had seen photos of it, but seeing it up close is something else. The ominous large command station was a dark and often dangerous building, that had a control station and would have housed banks of computers over several stories. The damp inside offered a welcome relief from the bugs & humidity, but it did mean getting dripped on through insulation & filth.
The Kindergarten was an interesting place to explore. Childrens toys, chalk boards, cots & books hastily abandoned in the wake of the evacuation. Radiaton was very low inside the building, but the vegetation outside harboured a few hot spots. Another thought provoking place.
The scale of this was mind blowing
even with the wide angle lens, I couldn't get it all in
This is the corridor that runs the length of the radar
Inside the command centre
Apologies; I forgot my bloody tripod,
so these are hand held with flash
I will explain where I can what you are looking at
This was the point of entry. Presumably computers & operations
Possibly a canteen?
Amazing that this has survived so well
Pictures celebrate soviet space achievements
Computer hall probably
Control room
More computer hall
TRAINING ROOM
this globe depicts the line between the USSR, and their opponents.... us
The UK can just be seen in the middle
Rooftop
(thanks to TLR for the tip on this one)
_______________________________________________________
And something very different
THE KINDERGARTEN
____________
Finally, a shot from the riverside of a rusting tanker
Thanks for looking
A few sites near Pripyat, whilst still in the Chernobyl exclusion zone.
After a long drive down a bumpy track, we spent a hot humid afternoon at the military radar & control station.
The history is interesting: The Duga was a Soviet Union over the horizon radar used an early warning of a nuclear missile attack from the west. A similar radar was built in eastern Siberia. It operated from 1976 to 1989, and was extremely powerful, over 10MW in some cases. The signal appeared without warning, sounding like a sharp repetitive tapping noise, which led it to be nicknamed the ‘Russian woodpecker’. The signal disrupted legitimate broadcast in the west & in the USSR. The signal became such a nuisance, that some amateur radios & televisions began including ‘woodpecker blankers’ in their design. The signal was a source of much speculation, giving rise to theories of Soviet mind control & weather experiments. I had seen photos of it, but seeing it up close is something else. The ominous large command station was a dark and often dangerous building, that had a control station and would have housed banks of computers over several stories. The damp inside offered a welcome relief from the bugs & humidity, but it did mean getting dripped on through insulation & filth.
The Kindergarten was an interesting place to explore. Childrens toys, chalk boards, cots & books hastily abandoned in the wake of the evacuation. Radiaton was very low inside the building, but the vegetation outside harboured a few hot spots. Another thought provoking place.
The scale of this was mind blowing
even with the wide angle lens, I couldn't get it all in
This is the corridor that runs the length of the radar
Inside the command centre
Apologies; I forgot my bloody tripod,
so these are hand held with flash
I will explain where I can what you are looking at
This was the point of entry. Presumably computers & operations
Possibly a canteen?
Amazing that this has survived so well
Pictures celebrate soviet space achievements
Computer hall probably
Control room
More computer hall
TRAINING ROOM
this globe depicts the line between the USSR, and their opponents.... us
The UK can just be seen in the middle
Rooftop
(thanks to TLR for the tip on this one)
_______________________________________________________
And something very different
THE KINDERGARTEN
____________
Finally, a shot from the riverside of a rusting tanker
Thanks for looking
