Today (if you have a time machine and live in 2016) we are vising the V.I. Lenin Nuclear Power Station in Chernobyl Reactor Block no. 2. The power station complex comprises of 4 reactors located in two buildings, with blocks 1&2 and 3&4 joined together. As we all know, the accident occurred at the reactor no. 4. Block 3 is sometimes accessible to the visitors but at the time of my trip, the New Safe Confinement was ready to be moved and some preparation work made it impossible to enter. Instead I have seen the reactor block no. 2 you can admire on the photos below. The block’s turbine hall suffered from a fire in in 1991 however no casualties or serious risk of radioactive contamination occurred. As a result the reactor 2 was shut down by the Ukrainian government’s decision.
All four of the reactor blocks are identical however you can find a plaque commemorating the victims on the wall dividing blocks 3 and 4.
Oh, and do not, and I repeat – DO NOT mess with the buttons or an angry man will stare at you. A lot.
State of the art heavy construction equipment:
The New Safe Confinement is a steel arch 92.5m (300ft) high designed to fit snugly over the old sarcophagus with two cranes under its roof to be used for dismantling the crumbling old structure. A clever air circulation system will prevent it from corroding for the next 100 years.
The radiation level measured on the reactor site is slightly higher than normal but no different from found on a typical flight cruising altitude.
The famous golden corridor leading to the control room:
Did I mention NOT MESSING with the GODDAMN BUTTONS?!
Well, I warned you, now the angry man knows who’s the troublemaker…
M.R.P.A.T. aka Manual Reactor Power Adjustment Tool
The turbine hall:
The statue of Prometheus – Greek titan who stole fire from gods on Mount Olympus and gave it to mankind. Thanks, Prometheus, you screwed up this place for good.
The Buttons Thing Cracked Me Up..