After the initial cleanup, Reactor 4 was covered in a cement structure known as the Sarcophagus. Due to the highly dangerous radiation levels at the site, this edifice was hastily built without following proper construction techniques and was meant to last no more than 20 years. Steel girders were placed on top of the remains of the existing building without welding them into place and cracks between cement sections were not always sealed.

For many years, due to this construction methodology and the effects of the weather, the Sarcophagus has been in danger of collapse. Work is currently underway to stabilize the structure and build a new containment vessel over the damaged reactor.

Immediately after the accident all reactors at the site were shutdown. Within a short time, the remaining three operational reactors were re-started in an attempt to continue supplying power to the surrounding area. In the years following the disaster, continuous international debate and pressure forced Ukraine to permanently shut down the station, with the final reactor ceasing operations in 2000. Though the site is no longer functioning, people still work at the plant to perform necessary and ongoing maintenance. Since there is currently no solution for processing the spent fuel, it is stored in a separate building on-site, and some still remains in the existing reactors.

After leaving the Chernobyl plant, we drove back to the Chernobyl InterInform offices in Chornobyl for a delicious 3-course Ukrainian lunch in their dining room. Following our meal, we drove north out of town to investigate some abandoned villages.

Close to the plant, we saw a train carrying workers back to their homes in Slavutych town, approximately 50 km northeast of the station. This city was built after the accident to replace Pripyat as the home for the plant workers. People who work at the station are required to live in Slavutych, and those who do not wish to live there lose their jobs. This policy began in Soviet times, but is still difficult for me to comprehend. Most personnel ride trains for the 45-60 minute trip between their homes in Slavutych and the station.

Travel Through the Zone, Wildlife and The Northeastern Villages

Over the past 20 years, the road surfaces in the Zone have greatly deteriorated. Due to existing contamination, the damage is never repaired. This makes driving in the zone a fascinating game of cat and mouse with pot holes and broken pavement. In most areas, we did not exceed 50 kph, our best efforts notwithstanding.

Despite what many people believe, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is not a radioactive desert but, due in part to the lack of human intervention, is a beautiful, thriving ecosystem where nature flourishes. In a sense, the Zone has become a wildlife sanctuary; home to turtles, wolves, Przewalski's horses, wild boars, birds, etc. Despite all the rumors, there are no known wildlife mutations in the Zone.

Not far from the east bank of the Pripyat River is a road we took north towards the Belarus border, past several deserted villages and dead farms. People used to live and work their entire lives in these small communities. Now, there is just eerie silence and the few material remains of those people's existence. Villages in this area include Koshivka, Starosillia, Zymovyshe and Krasne. The highlight of the afternoon was investigating St. Michaels Church (built in 1800) and the neighboring school in Krasne. I cannot describe the sadness I felt when we found a child's coloring book on the floor of one of the school rooms.

The end of the day brought us back to Chornobyl where we had a nice dinner and then retired to our rooms for the evening.

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