Chernobyl Cooling Pond and the Accident of 1986
Huge reservoir, which used to be the biggest artificial one in Ukraine, was built to cool down the water for four reactors of Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Chernobyl cooling pond’s construction was pretty simple. The water was pumped in from the river Prypiat. Apart from its direct purpose, it was used for fishing farm and a lot of animals, in particular birds, found their home there.
After the explosion, the smallest particles were dispersed to lake’s surface. Water which firefighters poured on the ruins of the fourth unit gathered in suppression pool under the reactor.
There was a danger: melted fuel could crack cement floor and make its way to the pool. If it had happen, another explosion would have been set in motion. There was a task to empty the suppression pool.
Divers were draining water into Chernobyl cooling pond. So, 5,000 m³ of water from the pool carried radioactive particles into the reservoir. In addition, after cleaning its banks, contaminated soil was placed in the reservoir as well.
In order to decontaminate it, the bottom had to be cleaned; however, no such work was done. Liquidators built additional dams to prevent contaminated water entering Prypiat River; so that the spreading of radioactive particles could be slowed down.
The reservoir continued being in active use for 14 years after the accident. In December 2000, third unit of the power plant was shut down and there was no more need to maintain such a big lake.
Chernobyl Cooling Pond and Nuclear Power Plant Today
When the workers stopped pumping water from the river in, the lake started draining.
Before the accident, depth of Chernobyl cooling pond went up to 20 meters, but now it is impossible to find such a deep spot there.
The highest points of the bottom dried up and became covered with greenery, including trees and bushes. Some parts are still with water, but the reservoir resembles a couple of puddles rather than a lake. On the other hand, it became perfect place for birds’ nesting.
Until 2008, scientific laboratory had its base there to study the fish and the effect of radiation on it. In 2014, another project aimed to clean up the surface of the lake from the most radioactive materials was created.
The visitors are able to see the remains of the reservoir when driving along Chernobyl power plant. Broader view is available in multiple day tours.
You can see Chernobyl Cooling Pond with your own eyes with our exclusive Chernobyl tours.
Chernobyl nuclear power plant tours have become a popular tourist destination due to the apocalyptic looks of the area and the atmosphere of silence.
- - Abandoned Zalissya village
- - Huge secret radar “Duga-1” and the Chernobyl–2 town
- - Almost fully buried under the ground village Kopachi and the still standing kindergarten
- - Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant covered by the new safe confinement – the Arch
- - The NPP cooling pond with giant catfish
- - The Red Forest
- - The fire station
- - The town of Pripyat
Pripyat has become extremely popular tourist destination, and many choose to book tours to Pripyat to see the town with their own eyes.
- - Abandoned Zalissya village
- - Huge secret radar “Duga-1” and the Chernobyl–2 town
- - Almost fully buried under the ground village Kopachi and the still standing kindergarten
- - Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant covered by the new safe confinement – the Arch
- - The NPP cooling pond with giant catfish
- - The Red Forest
- - The fire station
- - The town of Pripyat
We have created a special tour for visitors called “HBO Chernobyl” with the locations from the movie.
- - The fire station (the place from where the first firemen went to liquidate the fire)
- - The legendary Bridge of Death
- - The city of Pripyat, where almost all the places from the movie can be visited
- - Nuclear Power Plant
- - Listen to the true stories about the explosion
- - Visit left homes
- - Walk through the town and feel the atmosphere of Chernobyl itself
The one-day trip gives you the opportunity to immerse into the exact same area where the most dreadful disaster took place. The radiation background is still excessively high in some places, but we offer you a safe route through this dire Zone, together with necessary protection equipment.
- - Abandoned Zalissya village
- - Huge secret radar “Duga-1” and the Chernobyl–2 town
- - Almost fully buried under the ground village Kopachi and the still standing kindergarten
- - Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant covered by the new safe confinement – the Arch
- - The NPP cooling pond with giant catfish
- - The Red Forest
- - The fire station
- - The town of Pripyat
The two-day trip to the Chernobyl Zone opens for you the door to this unique place. In this short time, you will get not only the tour around Chernobyl nuclear power plant and Pripyat town, but also the exclusive experience to spend the night in an empty town. This is definitely the deepest dive into the history of the drastic disaster.
- - Abandoned Zalissya village
- - Huge secret radar “Duga-1” and the Chernobyl–2 town
- - Almost fully buried under the ground village Kopachi and the still standing kindergarten
- - Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant covered by the new safe confinement – the Arch
- - The NPP cooling pond with giant catfish
- - The Red Forest
- - The fire station
- - The town of Pripyat (exploring for 2 days)
- - The unfinished NPP
- - Graveyard of the vehicles and Yanov train station
- - Accommodation in a hotel in the town of Chernobyl
The three-day program includes a huge amount of sites to visit. Professional guides will explain the reasons and chronology of events that were happening during the most dreadful nuclear disaster in the world’s history. The real-based stories told by the guide will give you the shivers, so tragic they are. You will relieve the events of that dreadful night of explosion together with the ex-residents of Pripyat town.
- - River port in Chernobyl town with sunken boats
- - An abandoned Synagogue
- - The command centre of Duga-1
- - The fire station, school and cinema in Chernobyl-2
- - “Bridge of Death”
- - Pripyat river port and riverside café
- - Pripyat hospital 126
- - The list of locations for this tour also includes the places from tours with less days
This four-day trip makes it easier for you to get permission to enter the Extinction Zone, because we take care of official confirmations. Besides, we provide you will all the necessary protection. It is vital while traveling these, since the complete decay of the last radioactive element in the contaminated areas (plutonium-239) to the state of natural material will occur in 26486, or 24,500 years after the explosion.
- - Exploring Chernobyl town
- - Remote villages of 30km zone
- - Unfinished unit 5 (from the distance)
- - Tractor farm of Kopachi village
- - “White house” in Pripyat
- - Pripyat nursery
- - Pripyat sport complex
- - The list of locations for this tour also includes the places from tours with less days
Nothing is better than planning a five-day trip to the Chernobyl Zone! We offer you the opportunity to learn the most important facts about the night of the tragedy, alongside fascinating myths and legends about the place. Following the stories of your guides, you will have the chance to wander around the ghost towns of Chernobyl and Pripyat. Don’t miss out on the occasion to hang around the streets and locations from the world-renowned series!
- - Krasne village with wooden church built in 1800
- - Leliv village
- - Cooling pond of the power plant
- - Mosaics along the main avenue in Pripyat
- - Pripyat school
- - Pripyat piano shop
- - Kids` hospital in Pripyat
- - The list of locations for this tour also includes the places from tours with less days
This six-day trip to the Chernobyl Zone will open the Zone to you with top-secret information from our guides. During these six days, you will get the opportunity to explore the ghost towns of Pripyat and Chernobyl by yourself and it is not a secret that the Exclusion Zone has a lot of fascinating places.
- - Church in Chernobyl (the only active one in the zone)
- - Cooling towers for 3rd generation of reactors
- - Vehicles graveyard in Pripyat
- - Pripyat morgue
- - The claw
- - “Jupiter” factory
- - Pripyat police station
- - The list of locations for this tour also includes the places from tours with less days
Total comments: 0