Tag: Kyiv

Tourist in Pripyat – Visiting the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (Part 2)

You have to see it to believe it – Almost falling backwards in an attempt to get a good photo, my jaw dropped as the guide explained that for a while, conspiracy theorists thought that these Duga radar devices were used by the USSR as a means of weather and mind control.

This tour was organized by one of several companies who make trips to Chernobyl and Pripyat. Most of the them include a documentary on the bus on the way, entrance to the Exclusion Zone, and various stops at points of interest. You can also order lunch of a few bucks extra. Oh, and if you’re not Ukrainian, expect to pay nearly double the admission price – there’s a big discount for Ukrainian citizens.

The little souvenir shack right before the entrance to the Exclusion Zone was a little weird. It boasted T-Shirts declaring “I ❤ Chernobyl” with a biohazard symbol instead of the heart, and postcards proudly proclaiming “I survived Chernobyl. They had everything you would expect from a Disnyeland gift shop, from Chernobyl pens to coffee mugs. I found it a bit in poor taste, but hey, whatever pays the bills.

The idea of visiting Chernobyl can be a bit scary at first. Half the population of the world or more is old enough to remember the disaster. My mother-in-law, who joined us on this journey, remembers being mocked in school as the “Radioactive girl” who lived in Kiev during the accident. It’s easy to think that it would be dangerous to visit the area.

In truth though, it’s perfectly safe. We were told that a routine X-ray exposes you to ten times more radiation than a visit to Chernobyl, and as long as you don’t take a piece of a building and literally eat it, you’re going to be fine. To be safe, the workers in the area work in short-term shifts of only a few months per year. There are apparently still residents who refused to leave the Exclusion Zone, and according to our guides hundreds of people still live in little villages throughout the 1,000 square mile zone. Since radioactivity really is an “invisible enemy,” it’s hard for many to believe that they are at risk.

The road towards Pripyat was a but monotonous – Just forest on either side. Finally, we mae a turn and headed towards the Duga Radar system – a monolith steel structure stretching 150 meters in the air and 500 meters from one side to the other. Nicknamed “The Russian Woodpecker,” this radar system was used to intercept shortwave radio signals. The nickname came from the annoying sound that it made when it disrupted signals from nearby aviation and radio broadcasting companies.

You have to see it to believe it – Almost falling backwards in an attempt to get a good photo, my jaw dropped as the guide explained that for a while, conspiracy theorists thought that these Duga radar devices were used by the USSR as a means of weather and mind control. In the shadow of this colossal testament to its time, I found myself entertaining such a notion myself…

The next stop was at the border of the city of Pripyat, where everyone got their selfie on in front of the welcome sign. After this, the blue dot on my Google Maps inched every closer to the center of the city. We were now only a few kilometers from the Block 4 Reactor, still humming with deadly radiation under its steel sarcophagus…

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Tourist in Pripyat – Visiting the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (Part 1)

I anxiously kept my eyes glued to Google Maps. What would it be like? What would the city be like, once a bustling Soviet metropolis of 50,000 people, now a wasteland – abandoned in a moment during the disaster in 1986?

Hopping on a bus in Kiev, Ukraine at 7 AM, I could hardly believe where we were headed. Would the bus have a bright, blaring marquee declaring “Chernobyl” on it? We really didn’t know what to expect.

After some trial and error, we finally located the little van that would take my wife, her mother, a dozen other tourists and me north about 100 km to the abandoned town of Pripyat. It was the heart of winter and the temperature wouldn’t get much above freezing that whole day.

Along the way, we were handed out little devices that would measure the radiation in the air around us. These were basically just a novelty to let us know that we were safe, and were a bit of fun when we saw the numbers start to rise. The levels never got high enough to do any harm, and in fact we were told the snow was an additional insulator against any radioactive particles.

Along the way, as the 2006 documentary “The Battle of Chernobyl” played on a small screen, I started googling statistics. Apparently, we were among 60,000 people to visit Chernobyl that year. I knew it was safe and that, of course, they wouldn’t let people come if it wasn’t, but I couldn’t help searching things like “Effects of visiting Chernobyl” and “Signs of radiation poisoning.”

Google Maps told me that we were getting close, and sure enough the van stopped and we entered what’s known as the “Exclusion Zone” or “Alienation Zone.” This is an area of 30km in radius from the reactor itself, and is to this day uninhabited, except for some stubborn villagers who refused to leave. We hopped off the bus, had our passports and special passes checked, and got back on.

The drive inside was fairly uneventful, mostly through forests that have had the chance to thrive in the absence of human intervention. I anxiously kept my eyes glued to Google Maps as the little blue dot got closer and closer to the town of Pripyat, and the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant just a few kilometers away. What would it be like? Would we need special suits to get close to the reactor? What would the city be like, once a bustling Soviet metropolis of 50,000 people, now a wasteland – abandoned in a moment during the disaster in 1986?

What’s it like to live in Ukraine?

Two expats talk about what it’s like to live in Ukraine and what they do or don’t like!

Although I spent most of my life in the Czech Republic, I am originally from Ukraine. I got to visit during Christmas 2018 and I like to visit every year or every other year. I only ‘lived’ in Ukraine until I was three and a half, so it didn’t really count. When I visit, I love being there and I wonder what life would be like there.

I also follow Quora. Out of all the newsletters I subscribe to, it’s the only one I actually open and read regularly. Based on the questions that you click and the interests that you select when you sign up, it’ll learn exactly what you like. Today, I saw a question about Ukraine and I couldn’t help clicking. Here it is: https://www.quora.com/What-do-you-like-and-dislike-about-living-in-Ukraine

What do you like and dislike about living in Ukraine?

Thank you Alain Belanger for this answer:

I’ll answer this as an expat living in Kyiv for the past 18 months. It’s an outsider/foreigner’s perspective and it’s also the perspective of someone who has a job that provides an income that most Ukrainians could only dream about. With those caveats, here are my thoughts. Let’s start with the likes:

  • It’s inexpensive. Food, rent, utilities, transportation, restaurants, etc, it’s all cheaper than in my home country of Canada, cheaper than in the “West” in general.
  • The people are fairly friendly and welcoming, despite my poor Ukrainian and Russian language skills, I’ve still had mostly positive experiences. It’s also pretty safe as long as you’re reasonably street wise and exercise a normal amount of caution.
  • A lot of tourist gems that are usually little known in the West. Many interesting and historically rich towns and cities and beautiful landscapes.
  • It’s close to the EU, as well as Russia, Turkey, large parts of the Middle East, etc. Reasonably cheap flights aren’t that difficult to find.

Now for the dislikes:

  • Poor infrastructure. Roads, rail, ports, airports, parks, etc can be in very bad shape.
  • Pervasive corruption. It’s behind the scenes and doesn’t emerge much in day to day life in an obvious way. I’ve never been shaken down for a bribe, but it’s a serious problem nonetheless that is holding the country back and those in power aren’t doing enough to combat it.
  • The huge inequality and poverty. Labor just isn’t valued much and salaries are pitiable. In my work place my Ukrainian coworkers are paid a very small fraction of what I’m being paid, for essentially doing the same work. The unfairness of it jumps out at me, but the fact is that teachers are severely underpaid and undervalued in Ukraine, but native-speaker foreigners can command high wages.

Here’s another answer by Oluwaseun Oloruntegbe:

What I like about living in Ukraine

  1. It is relatively peaceful and safe. Regardless of the recent crisis in the East and Crimea, it still feels safe to live here.
  2. Cheap and quality internet access – both WLAN and 3G/4G. Internet access does not get any cheaper than it is in Ukraine.
  3. The food – I love the variety. I love that fruits are available and affordable in summer.
  4. The people – I love the sensible ones, I don’t care much for the stupid ones.
  5. Winter – it’s beautiful and white until it becomes unbearable (for a short while)
  6. Springs – helps me appreciate the beauty of life after a cold and colorless winter
  7. Autumn – I love the yellow leaves – makes me appreciate the beauty of life
  8. Transportation – getting from A to B in Ukraine is as easy and affordable as it gets. You don’t have a car, not a big deal. Just take the metro, mashrutka, train, taxi, uber, tramvai, trolleybus etc. as everyone else. Even car owners park at the metro station and take the metro. I know I do (only I park at home).
  9. Family – I love that many Ukrainians still value family values
  10. Family – My family is here and I love waking up to their beautiful faces everyday.
  11. Affordable living – for a beautiful and capital city like Kyiv, it is fairly affordable as are other cities in Ukraine.

What I don’t like about living in Ukraine

  1. Winter – it’s wet, cold, slippery, and mostly unnecessary
  2. People – I don’t care for people who have made alcohol and cigarettes the center of their lives. I despise those who abuse others (including children and women) under the influence of alcohol
  3. Low salary – I think I do well for myself but I hate seeing people, who work hard for so little, suffer
  4. The politics – it’s weird and confusing. I think Ukrainians can do better than the people they (or are forced to) elect to represent them
  5. Labor migration – I hate seeing the best people (character, intelligence, and entrepreneurship wise) migrate to the United States or the European Union. Ukraine needs its best people to grow at a faster rate

Is Kyiv, Ukraine Safe to Visit?

Kyiv is also not the only safe place to visit in Ukraine. There are dozens of safe and exciting places to see. The only reason I spend most of my trips to Ukraine exclusively in Kyiv is because that’s where my parent’s live.

Although the media has a short attention span and has long forgotten about the ongoing war in Ukraine, tourists have not. Nor reporting on the situation has led to some people worrying even more than they would if they were up to date on the situation.

What is going on in Ukraine right now?

People are still dying as they fight for the country every day. Crimea is impossible run by Russians and two eastern territories are now “independent” and the Ukrainians there are struggling to regain the territory. Pro-Ukrianian locals are often persecuted and we hear crazy stories about teenagers getting killed by other teenagers for wearing a Ukrainian flag on their backpack.

These terrible stories are terrifying and I understand why they would deter tourist from traveling to Ukraine. However, there are perfectly safe areas that you can visit without having to worry. For example, Kyiv.

I’ve visited Kyiv, or as some spell it, Kiev, six times since Euromaidan in November 2014. Each time I stayed in Kiev, during the beginning I even went to the protests. All evidence of the barricades and destruction of the revolution are long gone – replaced with memorials for those who died, etc. It’s been completely safe to visit for years.

Kyiv is also not the only safe place to visit in Ukraine. There are dozens of safe and exciting places to see. The only reason I spend most of my trips to Ukraine exclusively in Kyiv is because that’s where my parent’s live. This past trip, my mom, my husband and I took a very exciting day trip to Chernobyl! Now that comes with a very different kind of safety questions.

But I’ll be writing about that next time!

Discovering Kyiv, Ukriane feat. Music by The Vinogrooves

Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine and it’s a great place to go on holiday if you wish to relax, have an adventure or learn some exciting history.

Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine and it’s a great place to go on holiday if you wish to relax, have an adventure or learn some exciting history. While Kiev is the better known spelling of the city, Kyiv is considered more Ukrainian because it is pronounced with an “i” in Ukrainian as opposed to with an “e” in Russian. Filmed with my GoPro Hero+!

I do not own any rights to the music but I have permission to use Kento’s Revenge by the Vinogrooves:

The Vinogrooves are a Prague-based multinational rock/ blues/ soul project. They play regularly around the Czech Republic, and recently finished a successful UK tour. They write all their own material, and take influence from artists ranging from Led Zeppelin and Queen, to Amy Winehouse and Stevie Wonder. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to speed with their latest shows and projects.

https://www.facebook.com/thevinogrooves

48 Hours in Kiev, Ukraine – GoWonder City Guide

Kiev is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe and happens to be the 8th most populated city in Europe. Like many formerly communist countries, Ukraine has undergone extreme economic and social changes. Today, Kiev is a bustling cosmopolitan city combining historic architecture, modern cafes and a vibrant nightlife. In other words, it’s the perfect tourist destination!

The following city guide can give you the perfect itinerary for 48 hours in Kiev, Ukraine, one of Europe’s prime travel destinations – okay, I might be biased, but go along with me on this one…

Kiev is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe and happens to be the 8th most populated city in Europe. Although Kiev is the better-known spelling of Ukraine’s capital city – patriotic locals prefer “Kyiv” because it reflects the Ukrainian pronunciation. It is also important to know that the countries name is just “Ukraine”. Before it gained sovereignty in 1991 it was called “the Ukraine” as a territory within the USSR.

Like many formerly communist countries, Ukraine has undergone extreme economic and social changes. Today, Kiev is a bustling cosmopolitan city combining historic architecture, modern cafes and a vibrant nightlife. In other words, it’s the perfect tourist destination!

Of course, it can be hard to get an authentic feel of a place in just a day or two. But if you take advantage of the extensive public transportation system you can cover a lot of ground in just 48 hours. Just don’t attempt to visit all the cool museums or you’ll never leave!

Read the full itinerary at http://letsgowonder.com/48-hours-kiev-ukraine-gowonder-city-guide/

That includes detailed info about:

  1. Kiev-Pechersk Lavra – The monastery that’s basically a candle-lit maze of cave tunnels!
  2. Motherland Monument and War Museum – Discover the view from Ukraine’s Statue of Liberty!
  3. Cheap and Relaxing Boat Cruise – Kick back and enjoy Kiev’s panorama!
  4. Bar Banka – Eat and drink out of jars on the best night of your life!
  5. Landscape Alley Park – Walk a mile in Alice in Wonderland’s feet!
  6. Independence Square – Celebrate Ukraine’s freedom and spirit of revolution
  7. Zip-Line to the Beach – Fly like the wind – over the city
  8. A Church with a View – See the sunset reflected in dozens of golden domes

 

 

 

Abandoned Factory Used as Azov Base May Fall Into the Wrong Hands

The short drive from the armed checkpoint to the assigned parking area reveals large abandoned buildings and sidewalks overgrown with grass. Several cars are parked in the area overlooking a training course, a fenced off area and large building with no windows. Another guarded checkpoint offers access to the living area.

Soldiers, trainees and volunteers work digging holes, cooking meals and reconstructing a building. Rubble mixed with glass and wires fill the three-story building where men work to improve their living conditions. A little boy wearing a red helmet helps his father by moving discarded stones into a pile. Right now the group of 50 live in tiny temporary housing with 8 men per room, sleeping in bunk beds and one shared bathroom with limited water.

The new kitchen is almost complete and the temporary kitchen is outdoors and happy to accept food donations. Mechanic volunteers are also welcome to help reconstruct vehicles damaged in the war zone. One section of the old factory is designated for vehicle repair while others act as training rooms for combat, strategic operations and gun handling. Civilians and even other battalions are also welcome to come and participate in training.

Former metalworking factory ATEK has played a significant role since the beginning of the conflict on November 21st 2013. It housed weapons and titushki at the beginning of 2014 before it was leased to the Azov Battalion in December 2014.

The infantry military unit consists of volunteers with right-wing ideals. They belong under the branch of the National Guard of Ukraine and have around 1,000 men. They participate in ATO operations and have participated in many battles in Eastern Ukraine.

Since December 2014 Azov members have worked to transform the abandoned factory into a base where they could live, train and help the Ukrainian military. They also agreed to pay off Atek’s debt in exchange for use of the space. But since July 2015 the state-own Fiscal Service of Ukraine has been trying to quietly hand the factory over to a Russian company KVV. KVV have been affiliated with separatists of the self-proclaimed Donbass People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic.

AZOV has staged protests to keep the lease. They do not want the space that they been working hard to renovate to fall into the wrong hands. Especially when the new potential owners could use the space to create military equipment that could then be used against the Ukraine military.

This is especially crucial right now because Atek is the birth place of what is being referred to as the most advanced tank in the world. It is being built by Nikolay Stepanov, a well known chief Engineer and former Head designer for the Malyshev Tank Factory, and his son. If mass-produced, it could play an important part in the war in Eastern Ukraine.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/olena-kagui/abandoned-factory-used-as_b_8129054.html