How Many Ukrainians Does It Take to Change a Lightbulb?

In 1986, as many of you remember, reactor number four at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, raining large amounts of radioactive material over portions of the Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus (who got the worst of it) and to a lesser extent across the globe. It is considered to be the worst nuclear disaster in history, with the radioactive material released equaling 400 times that of Hiroshima and an estimated 10,000 times that of TMI. Chernobyl is not far from Kiev, so you can visit the site itself as well as a museum in Kiev. Despite my willingness to take risks with things like camels, I am not so keen on dangers I can't see. And touring a nuclear fallout zone 22 years after the incident, when I understand the term "half life", doesn't strike me as a good idea. So, I just stuck with the museum.

Here is an aerial image of the reactor after the incident.

The museum was laid out very creatively, with a focus on the impact to the people.

One part that I thought was really powerful was this collection of street signs when you exit. For those not familiar with the designation, the red line through a city name is used to indicate you are leaving the city.

Unfortunately, while I liked the presentation, I found the museum light on the hard information I was seeking. I left with more questions than when I entered. What caused the disaster? What happens when a reactor explodes? What does the "hot rain" look like? How many people died? I didn't know much of this information because, while I remember it happening, I was only 11 at the time. I wish I had known more before I entered so I would get more out of the exhibits.

My friends, Helen and Jeroen, did the tour of the reactor site and nearby town. I guess eating river fish and mushrooms wasn't risky enough for them, but they did come away with more information. One piece of information that I found astounding was the process for containment. They had no contingency plan for this sort of thing, so men dressed in radiation suits were sent in two minute increments to build a wall over the exposed portions of the reactor. All of them died soon after from exposure. My friends were told that cracks are now beginning to show in this same wall that still covers the reactor.

After the museum, I walked through the city along the river and saw some great statues.

And some cool buildings. Many fellow travelers told me that Kiev is such an ugly, grey city, but this is not the case. It has wide boulevards, beautiful old buildings...

... and modern homes. Granted it is not ALL like that, but it is actually quite a pretty city.

And probably the most interesting of the buildings is called the Chimera Building due to the menagerie of animals along its roofline.

More fun with Cyrillic. This says Coffee House.