Chernobyl looking to develop tourism post-war

[NNadir]

I'm sure this article might inspire some commentary.

Chernobyl looking to develop tourism post-war

Subtitle:

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the Slavutych City authorities have signed a memorandum of cooperation with the goal of developing local tourism as part of the post-war revival of the region.

Excerpts from the full article:

According to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) state enterprise, "this will contribute to the development of the tourist attractiveness of the Slavutych community and the region as a whole, the preservation of historical memory, and the formation of a positive image both at the national and international levels".

Slavutych was the city built 45 kilometres east of Chernobyl to house its workers evacuated from Pripyat which was three kilometres from the plant, after the 1986 accident.

The framework of the memorandum includes support for the city museum of Slavutych, the tourist information centre and expanding exhibitions related to the history of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and "the construction of the cities of Pripyat and Slavutych, as well as the elimination of the consequences of the accident, which will contribute to a deeper understanding of the events of 1986".

There are also proposals for "thematic excursions" and "joint tourist, cultural, educational and educational events - conferences, festivals, excursions, study tours for students, thematic events dedicated to the topics of Chernobyl, ecology and sustainable development with the involvement of specialists of the ChNPP State Enterprise and institutions and organisations of the city, scientists and tourists"...

... In 2019 a decree by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky titled "On the development of areas affected by radioactive contamination due to the Chernobyl disaster" aimed to begin turning the exclusion zone into one of the growth points of the new Ukraine.

It aimed to remove a ban on filming in the area and to "popularise" tourism in Chernobyl at international events. "We must give this territory of Ukraine a new lease of life. Until now, Chernobyl has been a negative component of the Ukrainian brand. It's time to change that. We must showcase this place to the world: to scientists, ecologists, historians, tourists," he said at the time.

As well as the historical and educational potential of the area, the exclusion zone has become what the United Nations' environment programme describes as "a haven for wildlife, with lynx, bison, deer and other animals roaming through thick forests" in "the third-largest nature reserve in mainland Europe and an iconic – if accidental – experiment in rewilding"...

If I had the time or money, and if it was safe from Russian fossil fuel based weapons of mass destruction, I would absolutely love to go.

Chernobyl changed my life inasmuch as the event, as tragic as it was, caused me to begin to investigate nuclear power outside of popular media descriptions by going into the primary scientific literature to understand it. I have spent almost 40 years in the effort, investing a huge amount of time and even some money, and I have a feeling it affected my family in a good way, in particular with respect to my youngest son, well on his way to becoming a nuclear professional.