Pripyat Trip

Its a while since I've written on this blog - work has been busy with a number of really interesting jobs for our clients, but also ones which are demanding of time, squeezing out time for other things such as blogging. I've now got some time off and figured where better place to head to for a relaxing break than the nuclear hot spot that is the abandoned area of land surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The land around the town of pripyat is otherwise known as the alienation zone.

As far as urban exploration is concerned, this is a fascinating location to visit. Were not talking about an abandoned house, street or village, but instead an abandoned city that was once home to 48,000 people.

Whilst I'm not adverse to 'going it alone ' when it comes to urbex, the research we've done into visiting Pripyat has thrown up a number of reasons to take an officially sanctioned tour and so that is what Zak and I are doing this time. More specifically, whilst the radiation levels around Chernobyl are now considered safe, there are still hotspots, and these are something the guides with their Geiger counters  are hopefully aware of. Other reasons include wild bears, bandits, and the dim view that officials apparently take of unofficial foreign visitors to the zone.

So this is how I find myself sitting on a Ukrainian airways flight into Kiev. Its the first flight I've ever been on not to have air vents above the seats, which was something I missed whilst waiting for our delayed aircraft to get airbourne. The aircraft is a Boeing 737. I'm somewhat sad that its not a Tupolev. The Russians have a long history of impressive air and space craft design. I suppose it maybe wiser to experience a Tupolev through a lens these days, rather than by flying in it, but its sad that that should be the case.

As well as visiting the alienation zone, I have a contact in Kiev who were hoping to meet up with and who has said they'll show us around some unofficial urbex locations. Were here for four days so we have a good opportunity to visit a number of locations. The last time I was in an ex-soviet state - Latvia - the place was littered with strange and abandoned Russian military vehicles and devices and hopefully well see some of that, although the Latvia trip was 15 years ago.

As well as visiting some amazing places, this is also an opportunity to experiment with the Canon 7D which is what ill be shooting with. I've been keen to start working with a camera that will shoot video as well as stills and so the move from a 40D to 7D allows this - expect to see video as well as stills come out of our trip.

The only other thing I need to do whilst I'm away is try a Chicken Kiev. George asked me if I though chicken kievs came from Kiev, I said I don't know. Today, Zak has assured me that they do. Quite why I find this fact pleasing and mildly amusing, I don't know.