Chernobyl control room, now open to visitors

The Ukrainian government had finally given the "go signal" that allows tourists to enter the infamous Reactor 4's control room at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

The goal of this bold move is to "give this territory a new life." To support it, the Ukrainian President Volydymyr Zelensky signed a July decree which officially converts Chernobyl into a tourist attraction. 

"Until now, Chernobyl was a negative part of Ukraine's brand. It's time to change it," President Zelensky said.

Before the official declaration, tourism is not authorized, and previous visitors were only able to enter by bribing security officials.

Following the world's worst nuclear accident in 1986, authorities had closed off the most contaminated areas around the power plant. The area is known as the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, where it is illegal to live there and is off-limits to visitors under age 18. 

Reactor 4, where the explosion occurred, was most especially restricted, with only scientists, clean-up workers, and journalists were allowed to enter—until now.

Visitors are required to wear a hazmat suit, helmet, mask, and industrial boots for protection to ensure their safety. They are not allowed to exceed five minutes inside to limit exposure. According to Berlin-based news agency Ruptly, the room's radiation is about 40,000 times higher than normal—so strict compliance is highly advised.

Aside from wearing safety gears, there were a few changes that have been done in the area to make it safer. Plans include developing new tourist routes, and building new checkpoints and repairing pre-existing ones. Authorities are planning 21 tourist routes to cater to the increasing curiosity of the visitors.

A new metal dome weighing in at 36,000 tonnes and measuring 108-m was also built to encase the destroyed reactors to prevent radioactive material from leaking out. The structure is strong enough to withstand a tornado and can last a century. AFP reported that it is worth 1.5 billion euro (US$1.7 billion) and was funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and sponsored by 45 countries.

The Chernobyl mishap happened on April 25, 1986, during routine maintenance at Reactor 4. The plan was to test whether the reactor could still be cooled if the plant lost power. The test had gone wrong, due to workers violating safety protocols, resulting in a power surge. A chain reaction had happened until the nuclear core finally exploded.

Multiple attempts were made to squelch the fire at the plant, including helicopters dumping sands. Despite that, due to political risk, no mass evacuation on the surrounding areas was conducted until after 36 hours since the explosion happened. No public announcement, too, for the same reason, until the effect has reached as far as Sweden, where other officials at a nuclear power plant began questioning the Soviet. 

At least 28 people died initially, with a hundred more injured and thousands more were exposed to radiation.

The disaster was dramatized by HBO in a mini-series called "Chernobyl." According to local tour operators, the drama prompted a surge in visitors. This year, about 85,000 visitors had availed the $100-worth day tour.