January 2008 Archives
Just when you think you know the facts about something, new information becomes available that makes you take a deep breath, scratch your head and say “Hmmmm.”
When researching the Chernobyl disaster, people are typically surprised to discover that the city of Pripyat, former home to the Chernobyl plant workers, had a small amusement park. The park was a new facility, and according to most sources, was due to open on May 1, 1986. Since the city was evacuated on April 27, the park never opened, and therefore the rides were never used.
Flash foward to a discuss we had today on the Pripyat.com forums, I learned from my friend Sasha that this information may not be 100% accurate. First, there is no concrete information about the planned start date, but it may not have been May 1. Further, the amusement park actually did operate for one day - April 27, the day of the evacuation!
How do we know this? The primary source is “Unforgettable,” an amateur film shot by Michael Nazarenko in Pripyat on April 26 and 27, 1986. Besides many “live” scenes in Pripyat, the film shows three still photographs of the amusement park in operation. In the third photo of the Ferris Wheel, you can clearly see people riding in one of the cars - upper right corner (click on the photos for links to normal size photos on the Pripyat.com site).
One questionable theory is that the park was open on April 27 to keep the townspeople busy until the evacuation started. Keep in mind, this is only an assumption. Sasha does not remember the park ever working, and neither do any of his friends. However, the photos clearly show people using the rides.
“Unforgettable” has been available for viewing on Pripyat.com since June 2006. I know I have seen it before, and could just kick myself for not paying close enough attention to these photos and questioning what I previously heard about the park rides working.
In light of these new insights, I am quite comfortable saying that the amusement park was indeed used before the evacuation, even if only for a short time. I would also say that the official scheduled opening day was probably May 1, but could have been earlier.
“Unforgettable,” is available for viewing at the Russian-language Pripyat.com site (the film is Russian and runs approximately 11 minutes).
When researching the Chernobyl disaster, people are typically surprised to discover that the city of Pripyat, former home to the Chernobyl plant workers, had a small amusement park. The park was a new facility, and according to most sources, was due to open on May 1, 1986. Since the city was evacuated on April 27, the park never opened, and therefore the rides were never used.
Flash foward to a discuss we had today on the Pripyat.com forums, I learned from my friend Sasha that this information may not be 100% accurate. First, there is no concrete information about the planned start date, but it may not have been May 1. Further, the amusement park actually did operate for one day - April 27, the day of the evacuation!
How do we know this? The primary source is “Unforgettable,” an amateur film shot by Michael Nazarenko in Pripyat on April 26 and 27, 1986. Besides many “live” scenes in Pripyat, the film shows three still photographs of the amusement park in operation. In the third photo of the Ferris Wheel, you can clearly see people riding in one of the cars - upper right corner (click on the photos for links to normal size photos on the Pripyat.com site).
One questionable theory is that the park was open on April 27 to keep the townspeople busy until the evacuation started. Keep in mind, this is only an assumption. Sasha does not remember the park ever working, and neither do any of his friends. However, the photos clearly show people using the rides.
“Unforgettable” has been available for viewing on Pripyat.com since June 2006. I know I have seen it before, and could just kick myself for not paying close enough attention to these photos and questioning what I previously heard about the park rides working.
In light of these new insights, I am quite comfortable saying that the amusement park was indeed used before the evacuation, even if only for a short time. I would also say that the official scheduled opening day was probably May 1, but could have been earlier.
“Unforgettable,” is available for viewing at the Russian-language Pripyat.com site (the film is Russian and runs approximately 11 minutes).
I recently had the opportunity to view two documentary films about Ukraine’s Orange Revolution. Both films were released in 2007 and take different approaches in their coverage of the events surrounding the mass protests.
Steve York’s “Orange Revolution” is a combination of archival footage and film shot by York with a handheld camera. This film covers the election campaign and concludes with Yushchenko’s hard fought victory.
The second film is Damian Kolody’s “The Orange Chronicles.” Kolody, whose family comes from Ukraine, went to Ukraine as an election observer and shot the movie with handheld cameras. This technique puts the audience right in the middle of the action. Quite notable in this film are rare scenes from Ukraine’s pro-Russian, pro-Blue south and east.
Both films are quite good, but my preference is “The Orange Chronicles.” The handheld camera techniques used throughout the film make it seem less polished than “Orange Revolution,” but allows you to feel like a participant.
You can read my detailed reviews of the films at Suite101:
Orange Revolution - Documentary
The Orange Chronicles - 2007 Film
Both films can be purchased directly via the films’ official websites:
Orange Revolution
The Orange Chronicles
Steve York’s “Orange Revolution” is a combination of archival footage and film shot by York with a handheld camera. This film covers the election campaign and concludes with Yushchenko’s hard fought victory.
The second film is Damian Kolody’s “The Orange Chronicles.” Kolody, whose family comes from Ukraine, went to Ukraine as an election observer and shot the movie with handheld cameras. This technique puts the audience right in the middle of the action. Quite notable in this film are rare scenes from Ukraine’s pro-Russian, pro-Blue south and east.Both films are quite good, but my preference is “The Orange Chronicles.” The handheld camera techniques used throughout the film make it seem less polished than “Orange Revolution,” but allows you to feel like a participant.
You can read my detailed reviews of the films at Suite101:
Orange Revolution - Documentary
The Orange Chronicles - 2007 Film
Both films can be purchased directly via the films’ official websites:
Orange Revolution
The Orange Chronicles
Photos are courtesy of Damian Kolody
Hasbro recently announced the creation of the world’s first global Monopoly game. This new version, titled “Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition,” will be available for purchase in over 100 countries and manufactured in 37 languages.
We all have an opportunity to help decide which cities will be included on the game board. On the Monopoly website, they have pre-selected 68 cities to choose from, and you can nominate any other as a Wildcard city. You can vote for up to 10 cities at a time, and can vote once per day. Voting continues through the end of February, and the 20 cities receiving the highest number of worldwide votes will be included in the game. Voting for two wildcard cities will occur from March 1 - 9. The selected cities will appear on the board from highest rent property to lowest based on the number of votes each city receives.
I am really excited that Kyiv, Ukraine is one of the 68 pre-selected cities. My understanding is that it took much lobbying of Hasbro Europe to get Kyiv included. I think it would be extremely neat to have Kyiv represented in this game. So join me in casting your daily votes for Kyiv, and any of your other favorite cities across the globe.
As of this posting, Kyiv is currently ranked #26.
Visit Monopoly Worldwide Voting now. (Note: you need to create and verify an account to have your votes included)
We all have an opportunity to help decide which cities will be included on the game board. On the Monopoly website, they have pre-selected 68 cities to choose from, and you can nominate any other as a Wildcard city. You can vote for up to 10 cities at a time, and can vote once per day. Voting continues through the end of February, and the 20 cities receiving the highest number of worldwide votes will be included in the game. Voting for two wildcard cities will occur from March 1 - 9. The selected cities will appear on the board from highest rent property to lowest based on the number of votes each city receives.I am really excited that Kyiv, Ukraine is one of the 68 pre-selected cities. My understanding is that it took much lobbying of Hasbro Europe to get Kyiv included. I think it would be extremely neat to have Kyiv represented in this game. So join me in casting your daily votes for Kyiv, and any of your other favorite cities across the globe.
As of this posting, Kyiv is currently ranked #26.
Visit Monopoly Worldwide Voting now. (Note: you need to create and verify an account to have your votes included)
Ukraine's Ministry of Emergency Measures announced on January 24, 2008 that construction of the New Safe Confinement structure at the Chernobyl Atomic Energy Station will begin in earnest this spring. Minister Volodymyr Shandra said, "I believe that in spring we'll start work to build a safe shelter and the construction of this facility will be completed in 2012."
Ukraine signed a contract with France's Novarka in September 2007 to build a new structure to cover the remains of Reactor 4. Another deal was also signed with U.S. company Holtec International for the construction of a "dry storage" facility at the Chernobyl pant for spent nuclear fuel.
Ukraine signed a contract with France's Novarka in September 2007 to build a new structure to cover the remains of Reactor 4. Another deal was also signed with U.S. company Holtec International for the construction of a "dry storage" facility at the Chernobyl pant for spent nuclear fuel.
photo: Muumi - Gnu Free Documentation License v. 1.2+
It should come as no surprise that Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, supported by a Parliamentary majority, is seeking to regain presidential powers lost during the last several years. His attempts however, are coming at the expense of new Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and her Cabinet.
Continue reading Yushchenko's Attempts to Restore Presidential Power.
The administration of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant signed a new contract on January 10, 2008 to continue stabilization efforts on the existing Sarcophagus. Contract SIP 07-1-00 covers repairs to the Sarcophagus roof, installation of physical protection systems, and the reinforcement of supporting beams.
The project's contractor is the Stabilization Consortium, led by Russia's Atomstroyexport, and includes Ukraine's YUTEM-Engineering and Atomenergostroyproekt Institute. The project moderator is the International Chernobyl Shelter FUnd, and project funding will come from the G8 and European Union countries. Over $1 billion for the project has already been collected by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The Sarcophagus' 20 year expected lifespan has already been extended due to previous stabilization efforts. Over the past three years, builders have used 750 tons of metal, 245 tons of reinforced steel and falsework, and 4,500 tons of reinforced concrete for the foundation to strengthen the structure.
The Sarcophagus, built hastily after the accident in 1986, was the quicker to construct and less costly of two considered options. Remote-control methods used during construction prevented installation of the concrete panels at the required tightness, leaving behind unfilled gaps. Currently, the total area of these cracks has reach almost 1,000 square meters, allowing up to 2,000 cubic meters of rain and melted snow inside the structure each year. This moisture can spread radioactive material, and in a worst-case scenario, could produce a runaway nuclear reaction. These cracks also allow small amounts of radiation to continue escaping into the atmosphere.
This new project will provide additional time for the construction of the New Safe confinement, an arch-shaped structure with an expected lifespan of 100 years, that will ultimately cover the radioactive remains of Reactor 4.
The project's contractor is the Stabilization Consortium, led by Russia's Atomstroyexport, and includes Ukraine's YUTEM-Engineering and Atomenergostroyproekt Institute. The project moderator is the International Chernobyl Shelter FUnd, and project funding will come from the G8 and European Union countries. Over $1 billion for the project has already been collected by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The Sarcophagus' 20 year expected lifespan has already been extended due to previous stabilization efforts. Over the past three years, builders have used 750 tons of metal, 245 tons of reinforced steel and falsework, and 4,500 tons of reinforced concrete for the foundation to strengthen the structure.
The Sarcophagus, built hastily after the accident in 1986, was the quicker to construct and less costly of two considered options. Remote-control methods used during construction prevented installation of the concrete panels at the required tightness, leaving behind unfilled gaps. Currently, the total area of these cracks has reach almost 1,000 square meters, allowing up to 2,000 cubic meters of rain and melted snow inside the structure each year. This moisture can spread radioactive material, and in a worst-case scenario, could produce a runaway nuclear reaction. These cracks also allow small amounts of radiation to continue escaping into the atmosphere.
This new project will provide additional time for the construction of the New Safe confinement, an arch-shaped structure with an expected lifespan of 100 years, that will ultimately cover the radioactive remains of Reactor 4.
I have not watched the entire show yet, but did see it through the segment covering Pripyat. Before the Pripyat segment, they made it seem as if nature would completely take over a city after only five years, showing graphics of streets being totally covered by vegetation. The Pripyat segment followed, as a case study of what can actually happen in 20 years. Having been to Pripyat myself, I need to make some comments about the show's presentation.
First of all, after 20 years, the surface of Pripyat's streets are clearer than the show's computer graphic from the "after 5 years" segment. Pripyat's roads are not completely covered by vegetation. Sure, some of the pavement is covered by moss and there are definitely weeds growing out of the cracks, but as a whole, you see much less vegetation than cement. When you travel through the city, many of its streets look like poorly maintained sidewalks, but that is due to the massive amounts of overhanging trees and bushes, not because of vegetation covering the pavement. Pripyat is definitely being slowly overrun by vegetation, but the show used specific camera angles to make it look worse than it really is.
The show also seemed to treat Pripyat as if it has been completely devoid of humans for the last 20 years. Yes, the city's population was evacuated the day after the accident, however Chernobyl plant workers as well as researchers still made use of some city facilities well into the 1990s. For example, the city's indoor swimming pool "Azure" was used by plant workers and city services until it finally closed for good in 1998.
I also have an issue with one scene focusing on gas masks strewn across the floor of a Pripyat school. While the show did not specifically mention the gas masks, it used the scene to evoke emotions and make an impression. Most people seeing images of the gas masks believe they were used by children after the accident. In fact, the masks were stored in school basements for use in case of a "Cold War" nuclear attack by the United States. The masks were moved upstairs by looters who extracted the filters that were made from silver. Gas masks in the schools had absolutely nothing to do with the Chernobyl Plant. I think the scene was misused and deceptive - it had nothing to do with the show's topic.
Finally, I found part of the segment with Ron Chesser to also be misleading. In one scene he made a comment that the radiation levels were basically normal, but that it was too late to repopulate the city. There are definitely areas within the city where radiation levels are at or near normal background levels, however there are also sections that have much higher levels. Normal urban background radiation levels are typically between 20-50 microroentgens per hour (µR/h). During my visit to Pripyat, I found many places with radiation levels over 1,000 µR/h, and on the dock behind the Pripyat Cafe, the levels reached 3,400 µR/h. These levels are way beyond the normal range and are not safe over extended periods of time. I agree with Chesser that, regardless of radiation levels, conditions in the city prevent repopulation, but the show was wrong to insinuate that radiological conditions in the city are now safe enough for human habitation.
Don't get me wrong. I think the show, from what I saw, was very interesting. It really makes you stop and think about what will happen to our planet in the future. I only wish they were more truthful with their presentation of Pripyat. The Chernobyl disaster was a terrible tragedy and does not need embellishment and misinformation to get that point across.
First of all, after 20 years, the surface of Pripyat's streets are clearer than the show's computer graphic from the "after 5 years" segment. Pripyat's roads are not completely covered by vegetation. Sure, some of the pavement is covered by moss and there are definitely weeds growing out of the cracks, but as a whole, you see much less vegetation than cement. When you travel through the city, many of its streets look like poorly maintained sidewalks, but that is due to the massive amounts of overhanging trees and bushes, not because of vegetation covering the pavement. Pripyat is definitely being slowly overrun by vegetation, but the show used specific camera angles to make it look worse than it really is.
The show also seemed to treat Pripyat as if it has been completely devoid of humans for the last 20 years. Yes, the city's population was evacuated the day after the accident, however Chernobyl plant workers as well as researchers still made use of some city facilities well into the 1990s. For example, the city's indoor swimming pool "Azure" was used by plant workers and city services until it finally closed for good in 1998.
I also have an issue with one scene focusing on gas masks strewn across the floor of a Pripyat school. While the show did not specifically mention the gas masks, it used the scene to evoke emotions and make an impression. Most people seeing images of the gas masks believe they were used by children after the accident. In fact, the masks were stored in school basements for use in case of a "Cold War" nuclear attack by the United States. The masks were moved upstairs by looters who extracted the filters that were made from silver. Gas masks in the schools had absolutely nothing to do with the Chernobyl Plant. I think the scene was misused and deceptive - it had nothing to do with the show's topic.Finally, I found part of the segment with Ron Chesser to also be misleading. In one scene he made a comment that the radiation levels were basically normal, but that it was too late to repopulate the city. There are definitely areas within the city where radiation levels are at or near normal background levels, however there are also sections that have much higher levels. Normal urban background radiation levels are typically between 20-50 microroentgens per hour (µR/h). During my visit to Pripyat, I found many places with radiation levels over 1,000 µR/h, and on the dock behind the Pripyat Cafe, the levels reached 3,400 µR/h. These levels are way beyond the normal range and are not safe over extended periods of time. I agree with Chesser that, regardless of radiation levels, conditions in the city prevent repopulation, but the show was wrong to insinuate that radiological conditions in the city are now safe enough for human habitation.
Don't get me wrong. I think the show, from what I saw, was very interesting. It really makes you stop and think about what will happen to our planet in the future. I only wish they were more truthful with their presentation of Pripyat. The Chernobyl disaster was a terrible tragedy and does not need embellishment and misinformation to get that point across.
A central element in Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's governmental policy is combating corruption and strengthening the rule of law. Tymoshenko is dead serious about this goal. She has stated that she will not run for President in 2009 if her government is able to implement reforms against corruption. It is an honorable goal, to be sure, but it is also an extremely daunting task.
There is evidence that corruption runs through all levels of government, from the local raions to the country's general prosecutor, parliament and possibly the judiciary. This battle recently came to a head when new Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko physically struck Kyiv Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky over allegations of Chernovetsky's involvement in corrupt land deals.
Lutsenko is just as intense as Tymoshenko in his fight against corruption. On December 7, 2007, Lutsenko and Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc deputy Svyatoslav Oliynyk introduced a parliamentary resolution to remove General Prosecutor Oleksandr Medvedko from office. The call for removal is due to Medvedko's failure to resolve high-profile cases such as the 2000 murder of journalist Georgy Gongadze, the dioxin poisoning of now-President Viktor Yushchenko during the 2004 Presidential election, and high-level election fraud during the same campaign.
The problem lies not only with Medvedko, but with President Yushchenko himself. Very little progress has been made in the fight against governmental corruption since Yushchenko took office. Yushchenko's selection of general prosecutors has been completely inconsistent with his claims of wishing tot break with the Kuchma-era regime and fight corruption. Medvedko is aligned with the Party of Regions (PoR), and his appointment was part of a deal Yuschenko cut with PoR to end the spring 2007 political crisis that became a direct causal factor in the snap September 2007 Parliamentary election.
Yushchenko is stuck in the middle; he has to choose between protecting the Party of Regions and further inaction against abuses of office, or supporting his new Prime Minister. It will be very interesting to see how the corruption fight progresses throughout the year. It was only two and a half years ago that Yushchenko dismissed Tymoshenko as Prime Minister, partly due to her aggressive policies against corruption.
There is evidence that corruption runs through all levels of government, from the local raions to the country's general prosecutor, parliament and possibly the judiciary. This battle recently came to a head when new Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko physically struck Kyiv Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky over allegations of Chernovetsky's involvement in corrupt land deals.
Lutsenko is just as intense as Tymoshenko in his fight against corruption. On December 7, 2007, Lutsenko and Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc deputy Svyatoslav Oliynyk introduced a parliamentary resolution to remove General Prosecutor Oleksandr Medvedko from office. The call for removal is due to Medvedko's failure to resolve high-profile cases such as the 2000 murder of journalist Georgy Gongadze, the dioxin poisoning of now-President Viktor Yushchenko during the 2004 Presidential election, and high-level election fraud during the same campaign.
The problem lies not only with Medvedko, but with President Yushchenko himself. Very little progress has been made in the fight against governmental corruption since Yushchenko took office. Yushchenko's selection of general prosecutors has been completely inconsistent with his claims of wishing tot break with the Kuchma-era regime and fight corruption. Medvedko is aligned with the Party of Regions (PoR), and his appointment was part of a deal Yuschenko cut with PoR to end the spring 2007 political crisis that became a direct causal factor in the snap September 2007 Parliamentary election.
Yushchenko is stuck in the middle; he has to choose between protecting the Party of Regions and further inaction against abuses of office, or supporting his new Prime Minister. It will be very interesting to see how the corruption fight progresses throughout the year. It was only two and a half years ago that Yushchenko dismissed Tymoshenko as Prime Minister, partly due to her aggressive policies against corruption.
A colleague sent me a message today about a new two-hour special on the History Channel titled "Life After People." The show takes a look at what would happen to Earth and the remnants of our society if the human race suddenly disappeared. Part of the show will focus on Pripyat and Chernobyl since they are an
existing case study on the topic.
The premier is tomorrow night, January 21, at 9:00 PM Eastern Time. The History Channel website has a preview available online.
The premier is tomorrow night, January 21, at 9:00 PM Eastern Time. The History Channel website has a preview available online.
Welcome to the new home of Chernobyl and Eastern Europe. It took longer than I anticipated, but the site is finally up and running. Here is some information to get started:
The main site is at www.chernobylee.com
The blog is now at blog.chernobylee.com
All the blog posts and comments from Blogger have been transferred, so you will be able to find your favorite posts here.
New Site Configuration
You will find a navigation bar/menu just below the site header. For now, the “Chernobyl” and “Eastern Europe” items do not work because there is no existing content for those modules.
Besides the blog, there are also Links, About and Contact pages. Finally, there is also an Articles page. Currently, the only article is a copy of my Chernobyl trip report that has been available on Nikongear.com for the past year (and will remain there for now). It may seem strange to have the article in two places, however:
Final Thoughts
This site is still a work-in-progress and may be unavailable for brief periods of time. I will try to keep this activity to a minimum, but sometimes it will be unavoidable.
Now that this site is finally live, I plan to return to a regular schedule of writing new posts (and additional content). I hope you enjoy the new site. Please feel free to send me your thoughts and suggestions regarding the site or any ideas you have for content, whether it be blog posts, articles or anything else.
The main site is at www.chernobylee.com
The blog is now at blog.chernobylee.com
All the blog posts and comments from Blogger have been transferred, so you will be able to find your favorite posts here.
New Site Configuration
You will find a navigation bar/menu just below the site header. For now, the “Chernobyl” and “Eastern Europe” items do not work because there is no existing content for those modules.
Besides the blog, there are also Links, About and Contact pages. Finally, there is also an Articles page. Currently, the only article is a copy of my Chernobyl trip report that has been available on Nikongear.com for the past year (and will remain there for now). It may seem strange to have the article in two places, however:
- Articles I write should be on my own website
- Since this article has a year-long established web presence at Nikongear, it would be wrong to remove it from that site (at least for now).
Final Thoughts
This site is still a work-in-progress and may be unavailable for brief periods of time. I will try to keep this activity to a minimum, but sometimes it will be unavoidable.
Now that this site is finally live, I plan to return to a regular schedule of writing new posts (and additional content). I hope you enjoy the new site. Please feel free to send me your thoughts and suggestions regarding the site or any ideas you have for content, whether it be blog posts, articles or anything else.
Just a quick note about the recently announced site changes. There is an outside chance that the blog will be moved this weekend, but most likely, it will be next weekend. I will post the appropriate new URLs in the first post from the new site (there’s no content there right now, so there’s no reason to list it yet). Hope to see you there!
Ukraine's new government, headed by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, has achieved many successes in its first several weeks in office. Accomplishments to date include:
- Passed a revised 2008 budget
- Trimmed lawmaker perks
- Deputy pensions cut in half
- Eliminated free transportation and lodging at exclusive health resorts
- Stopped subsidies and compensation for apartments in Kyiv
- Doubled government financing for Ukraine's cultural and arts institutions
- Increased pensions, salaries and higher education stipends
Continue reading Tymoshenko Government - Positive Accomplishments.
First of all, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year!
This site has been quiet for a while because I decided to take a short break during the holidays, and to also work on a project - a new web site. That’s right ... I finally decided to create and maintain my own web site.
The name of the site is “Chernobyl and Eastern Europe.” Strange, that’s the name of this blog, too. The name is the same because ... this blog will be moving over to the new site within the next several weeks. That’s right, this blog is moving. Don’t worry, I’ll post the new URL several days before the move, and I also intend to set the old Blogger site to redirect to the new one. Those of you with a feed subscription should not need to make any changes. I run my feed through Feedburner, and will make the appropriate changes there when the site moves. Hopefully you won’t notice the difference.
Continue reading Update - Changes Are A-Comin’.
