With one last day to spend in Kiev, I went after a few more sights that I had not found on the previous days. The friendship arch was an interesting find. It was built in 1982 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the USSR and the 1500th anniversary of the city. It is 50 meters in diameter and made of titanium. Next, I went looking for some sort of market for some...
Today is the big day! I am heading for The Zone. The Ukrainian government has permitted entry into the surrounding areas of Chernobyl, but with strict conditions. To enter the 30km exclusion zone, you need a day pass to enter- which can be obtained from several tour operators that have been established. I applied for my permit months in advance. I found the...
I continued my walkabout (love making that AUS reference) past St. Andrews church down the Andriivs’kiy descent, a winding street full of interesting shops and cafes. My next stop was the Square of Contracts (Kontraktova ploshcha). I was on my way to the Chernobyl Museum. My goal was to learn as much as I could before my tour the next day. Honestly, my...
Still fresh with some jet lag, I was determined to go exploring. With the help of the hotel front desk, I had a map and a few Ukrainian phrases at my disposal. Today’s goal is to get to Olympic rail station and visit a few landmarks. My first stop was a nearby cathedral. I love this kind of architecture. Next, I continued on until I found the underground...
It has been a bucket-list item of mine for about 10 years to pay a visit to Chernobyl. Furthermore, I wanted to visit the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster. Honestly, I had felt both excited to finally get the opportunity to visit and nervous because I had never traveled past the western side of Europe. I was a child of the 80s and 90s so I got to see the effects of...