Jimu news reporter Liu Qin
Recently, a group of Chernobyl tourism punch card photos shared by a blogger on social platforms triggered controversy among netizens.
The blogger said he accompanied a local Ukrainian tour group to "one of the most dangerous travel destinations in the world", hiking through the small town of Pripyat for three days and two nights, during which "the alarm of the Geiger detector sounded one after another". In the photo, she is dressed in civilian clothes and poses in front of several ruins. In the early morning of October 26, the blogger responded to the Jimu news reporter that netizens had misunderstood her, and after taking into account, she made a clarification and explanation.
In this regard, experts engaged in global environmental protection work told Jimu News that Chernobyl has mature commercial tourism. Therefore, he believes that there should not be too much social criticism of the blogger's behavior, but more that everyone should remain vigilant about the long-term harm caused by the nuclear leak and maintain empathy for the residents whose lives have been permanently changed.
Bloggers taking photos in Chernobyl caused controversy
Recently, a blogger posted on the social platform that she accompanied the tour group to Chernobyl in northern Ukraine, hiked for three days and two nights, through the small town of Pripyat, walked through the uninhabited playground, hospital, school, shopping mall, prison, mobile phone signal from time to time, the alarm sound of the Geiger detector in her hand rose and fell, several places with a radiation volume of up to 30 + μSv, the once bustling city is now covered with grass and trees.
Chernobylne (this is a picture posted by the controversial blogger on social platforms)
What caused controversy among netizens was the photo sent by the blogger when he accompanied the article. Photos show the broadcaster wearing civilian clothes posing in front of several ruins. Some netizens questioned this move, believing that it should wear protective clothing, and some netizens commented that such a place should not be publicized, which may cause misunderstanding to others, thus attracting more people to go without protection. The blogger replied that most of the time he wears protective clothing, will look for places with low radiation values to wear civilian clothes to take pictures, before going in, there is an agreement to tell how to dress, what to bring.
Jimu News reporter found that the blogger's account on the above social platform showed that it could not be viewed because of the complaint of violating relevant regulations. However, jimu news reporters found the blogger's detailed description of the matter on another social platform, saying that there are many local tours to Chernobyl, and visitors who enter need to register and must follow the group to enter. She said that the currently open Chernobyl tourist route is tested to be safe, but the ground and surface of the items in the forbidden area still have high radiation values and cannot be touched by hand.
In the early morning of October 26, the Jimu News reporter contacted the blogger, she said that it was just necessary to clarify the misunderstanding of netizens, and then released a short article again, which mentioned that Chernobyl and Pripyat have been allowed to enter as scenic spots, and the local official clothing requirements are recommended that tourists wear long sleeves, long pants, stockings and sneakers, and protective clothing and shoe covers are optional purchases. As for the safety of tourists in the area, she said that every visitor wears a Geiger detector, and the instrument's alarm means that the level of nuclear radiation is too high to stop. She also mentioned that a small number of local residents have returned to live in the small town of Pripyat, and that there are staff, shuttles, canteens in Chernobyl, and tourists can also eat lunch in the staff canteen.
The area is already open to tourists as a scenic spot
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant was the first nuclear power plant built by the Soviet Union in present-day Ukraine, about 130 kilometers from kiev, the capital of Ukraine, and was once considered the safest and most reliable nuclear power plant in the world. On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant caused the world's worst nuclear accident, the first major accident to be rated as a level vii incident by the International Nuclear Incident Classification Scale, and the city of Pripyat was abandoned. Unit 4 of the power station where the explosion occurred was completely destroyed and later sealed with cement, known as the "sarcophagus". After the explosion, more than 8 tons of strong radioactive material leaked and dust drifted with the wind, contaminating many parts of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine with radiation. The Soviet government at the time, centered on Reactor No. 4, designated most of the area within a 30-kilometer radius as a restricted area, evacuated the residents, and surrounded it with barbed wire.
Zhang Rui (pseudonym), a Chinese who visited Chernobyl in August this year, told Jimu News that there are indeed many local tours to the area. Ten years ago, the Ukrainian government decided to open the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident area to ordinary tourists, who need to buy a ticket to enter, and each person, together with the fare, tour guide fee and ticket fee, total about 1,000 yuan.
"Access to Chernobyl must be led by a guide, and you cannot go there on your own to buy tickets." Zhang Rui said that tourists also need to show their passports and sign a safety statement before entering, promising to wear long clothes and trousers, not to touch any items in the quarantine area, and not to have any contact with the ground, grass and trees, and buildings.
"Regarding the danger zone, which the locals call the zone, its outside is no different from ordinary places except for relatively desolate. Even inside the zone there are a lot of workers, including workers and convenience store cashiers, etc., and there are many dogs, as long as they don't touch solids, especially metals, which are safe. Zhang Rui further explained that not all areas are open to tourists, such as the newly built sarcophagus and the unfinished Reactor No. 5, which she learned from local tour guides mainly for information leakage prevention rather than safety considerations.
Zhang Rui also said that when leaving Chernobyl, you must go through two test doors to ensure that you do not carry nuclear radiation, if the test is not qualified, it is usually because the sole has sludge, and it is no problem after removal or cleaning.
Experts advise visitors to wear gloves after getting off the bus
On the 26th, the Jimu News reporter contacted Lei Yuting, research director of the East Asia branch of Greenpeace, who according to the photo analysis shared by the above bloggers, said that the location of the blogger is the exclusion zone (forbidden area) in the Chernobyl area, which has mature commercial tourism in the area, open to tourists, in addition to the scope of nuclear power plants and dangerous buildings, theoretically open.
Lei Yuting also said that tourists must participate in Chernobyl tours and get permission to enter in advance. The tour guide is usually a local radiation specialist who is responsible for the itinerary and recommendations of the entire group, and usually one group will stay near the nuclear power plant for several hours. "Radiation experts will instruct tourists on the spot which places to go and which places to avoid, usually these groups do not need special personal protection, the passenger route is basically not too high radiation, my impression is about 1microsievert/hr level, there are also hot spots will be up and down to 30microsievert/hr." Lei Yuting said.
Photo of respondent Zhang Ruifa on social platforms
In addition, Lei Yuting suggested from the perspective of Greenpeace that tourists wear gloves after getting off the bus, wear another mask before entering some heritage rooms, and tourists should stop when the instrument sounds the alarm. "Personally, I don't think there should be too much social criticism of this blogger's behavior, but I hope that everyone should remain vigilant about the long-term harm caused by the nuclear leak and maintain empathy for the residents whose lives have been permanently changed." Lei Yuting said.
Viktar Fenchuk, head of the Belarusian Wilderness Conservation Program, once said in an interview with the media that people have not yet fully understood the full situation around Chernobyl, an area that may be an ecological "trap" and that animals have health problems after entering. But so far, the effects of radiation have not been felt.
Denis Vishnevsky, head of the Chernobyl Radiation and Ecosphere Reserve, said: "I have never seen two wolves or a five-legged rodent. In most cases, he said, radiation only reduces the viability of living organisms, but no abnormal morphological changes have been found.
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