# Crimea Nuclear Power Plant - 90% complete



## UrbanX (Jun 1, 2012)

[ame]http://youtu.be/l2FBsp2egzY[/ame]

So, literally days before I went to Chernobyl this year I was getting phone calls / texts/ emails from my government agent saying all kinds of mixed up messages: “The zone is closed” “No visitors” “I will find somewhere else for you to explore” We were all panicked. We all wanted to visit the zone so much, but the figures were more than double what we paid for last year for 16 people to do 16 day trips! 

Not knowing what would happen next, we spent what time we could in the next 24 hours googling alternatives. 

I found an unfinished Nuclear reactor in the south of Crimea; it looked epic. 







To cut a short story long, we went to Chernobyl and had the time of our lives (see previous 13 reports). 

That night, sat on the floor on some rough carpet in the workers accommodation in Chernobyl, I was thinking about Reactor 4, only a few miles away, just silently sat there. All of a sudden I remembered this other plant. It clouded my thoughts and, even while I was engaged in conversation I couldn’t help my thoughts wandering to this unfinished power plant. _“I wonder if it‘s still there?”_ I thought as I nodded and smiled at the person I was talking to. _“I wonder if it has security? Or a fence?“_ 

The problem was, it is was *1,955Km* from this tiny room where we were all sat, slap bang in the centre of Chernobyl. 

To put things into perspective: Edinburgh to Barcelona is only *1,634Km* by road. 






But I think we can make it. I interrupt the current conversation, and suggest that the next day we all start making the 1,955Km journey across the Ukraine terrain, towards this one site,. Which may or may not still be there. Despite my rudeness, they agree. I Google the train times: 






N.B 609 Rubles = £12.68. 
The next day, we spend a full day exploring Pripyat (turns out that was the last full day the buildings were open.) I passed all my radiation scans at the 30Km Checkpoint around 15:45, and we headed to Kiev, getting some snacks and wine along the way. 

*20:00:* We arrive at Kiev Tran station and board a train, which is due to take us as close to the reactor as the train route will allow. The train journey is scheduled to take 14Hrs 21 Mins, to cover the next 1,014Km.






_“I stretched out across the seats. Knackered from a day exploring Pripyat. I looped my camera bag through one of my arms for security, knowing I was likely to fall asleep at any minute. But the anxiety of suggesting this (minimum 3 day) detour to my fellow travellers, with no guaranteed explore at the end, kept me from dozing off. As I watched the sun set over the passing tower blocks of suburban Kiev I turned to my wine. “Bollocks! I’ve not got an opener” I hissed. I made some hand gesture, and soon a spoon was helpfully handed to me from along the carriage. I managed to jam the cork into the bottle, and pour myself a glass. The babushka below me tapped a little sign on the cabin wall showing a silhouette of a wine glass, with a red strike through. I peeled off the shabby sign and stuck it to my wine bottle. In the Ukraine that is all you need to repeal a law. I drank the bottle of wine quickly, whilst making small talk, mainly through hand gestures, then fell asleep to the rhythmic pulse of the track.”_

I wake up around 6am, with no hangover. We’re running late, and we arrive in Simferopol around noon, still 180km away from our target. 





We quickly find a taxi rank, and with a Google map print out I start trying to explain to the driver why I’ve drawn a radiation symbol on the edge of a lake 180km away. We agree a price which roughly translates as:
£68 to drive us there
£4 an hour to wait outside while we explore. 
£34 to drive us back. 






Bargain. We set off into the countryside not knowing what will happen. Three hours of driving pass, the landscape changes. Eventually I see a silhouette looming on the horizon. It matches up with my aerial view. 










Map Drawn after trip.
Green = Buildings explored
Orange = Buildings demolished
Red = Buildings occupied

We initially believe that we’re the only ones for miles around. 
There isn’t even a fence.

We head towards the main reactor building, only to be met by a huge, deep barking noise. I can only imagine a dog at least the size of a bear in there. 






We dart into a side building I have named as “Plant” on the layout. 










We stick our heads out and go back towards the main reactor building. Loud barking again. 





We skirt around the side to what I have called “Admin” The storey heights, and full height openings for fenestration would suggest that purpose. 





We climb the unfinished stairs to the highest point. The view is spectacular. 





I wanted to go to the edge, but it was just balancing there! 





You can see this bare bit of structure on the aerial view. It would dwarf the Brandenberg Gate. Here it is from the Admin building: 





And from the ground: 










At the base were water inlet tubes, and they were _huge!_





We couldn’t progress any further west as people were dismantling the plant. Illegitimate or legitimate I’ll never know. We were extremely conscious of them as we made our way towards the reactor building: the main reason we’re here. 

Looking up at the Southern façade: 





On the video you hear the loud barking once again, followed by Simon saying _“I’m going to have something big and heavy in my hand if I’m going near him”_ And with that he picked up a lump of concrete in his left hand, camera in the right hand and we anxiously followed him in. 

We keep away from the barking as best we could, and made our way silently through the darkness towards the reactor. By the time we’re half way up I sense daylight, and turn a corner to investigate. I am met by the breathtaking majesty of an actual nuclear reactor core: 




















For an idea of scale, these holes are in the Southern façade in 5 pics up.





Hearing the clunking of the people removing metal near by, as well as barking, we knew our time here could come to an end at any moment, so we decided to head straight for the roof. 

Reactor core at roof level: 





The view East. The occupied workshops on the right, reservoirs to the left. 





The view South: 
That massive structure earlier that dwarfed the Brandenburg Gate…that’s the thing on the right: 





The view West. The people were working directly below me! 





The view North: You can see where one building has been completely demolished, and the one at the back is lived in. You can just make out the pig pen / man chopping wood! 





Makeshift grappling hook: 





Shielded chamber 





After seeing all the roof had to offer we start to make our way down, stopping of course for some self portraits along the way. 











Exploring each level systematically, we eventually find the control centre deep in the building. There is no light at all. 















I check the time and realise we’ve been in here for 5 hours. We go back to our taxi driver who has been waiting patiently. Our bill comes to around £128 (1,525 UAH) But we give him 2,000 UAH (£160) which works out to £20 per person; absolute bargain for the distance / explore.


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## skeleton key (Jun 1, 2012)

Thats quality indeed 


I felt like id made the splore with you


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## urbanisle (Jun 1, 2012)

Great stuff ;-)


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## SeffyboyUK (Jun 1, 2012)

Absolutely quality report mate, really enjoyed the read. Thank you for sharing!


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## UEP-Wales (Jun 1, 2012)

EPIC!

I have been waiting for weeks for this one to come out and it's fantastic dude! As SK says, the way you have done the report and the vid makes it feel like we were there!

My heart is going 100MPH just looking at the height of some of the pics


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## UrbanX (Jun 1, 2012)

Urbex-SW said:


> EPIC!
> 
> I have been waiting for weeks for this one to come out and it's fantastic dude! As SK says, the way you have done the report and the vid makes it feel like we were there!
> 
> My heart is going 100MPH just looking at the height of some of the pics



Cheers dude, been waiting to lose my job so I had the time to do it! lol! Today it got done. It took longer to edit the music! 

One more epic one from the Ukraine to come... I budgeted 3 days for this because of the train. But then I realised if I flew back to Kiev I'd save 20 hours. 

20 Hours to go nito the mountains to find the mafia tunnels. I found a fresh corpse there a couple of years ago, so was reluctant to go back. But I faced my fear. didn't find any corpses, but did run into some people...


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## UEP-Wales (Jun 1, 2012)

UrbanX said:


> Cheers dude, been waiting to lose my job so I had the time to do it! lol! Today it got done. It took longer to edit the music!
> 
> One more epic one from the Ukraine to come... I budgeted 3 days for this because of the train. But then I realised if I flew back to Kiev I'd save 20 hours.
> 
> 20 Hours to go nito the mountains to find the mafia tunnels. I found a fresh corpse there a couple of years ago, so was reluctant to go back. But I faced my fear. didn't find any corpses, but did run into some people...



Now that's the way to look at it! More time for Urbex related work now! 

Ah I know the one! I was reading the report from 2010 on your website and loved it, although bad news for the tourist left behind 

Well done for going back and I look forward to seeing the report here! 

_[kicks my backside for not getting out there yet!]_


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## rectory-rat (Jun 1, 2012)

Love it, love it, love it   That's awesome dude, thanks for sharing. 

And the music on the vid is so cool - would you mind letting me know what it is? 

-RR


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## UrbanX (Jun 2, 2012)

rectory-rat said:


> Love it, love it, love it   That's awesome dude, thanks for sharing.
> 
> And the music on the vid is so cool - would you mind letting me know what it is?
> 
> -RR




Cheers dude! 

It's just called 'Tetris' and is by "Doctor P". Never heard of it, and I'm not into dubstep / Electronica. Bu - I had a good ol root around iTunes to try and freshen up my vids (mainly Linkin Park / Papa Roach music). I spent ages splicing the music together, it's not seemless, I'm no DJ. Because most of the song is the really heavy electronic sound, and I wanted the lighter bits! It just had the right 'soviet' feel to it!


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## jongriff (Jun 2, 2012)

Love this & all the chernobyl reports.

If you ever need an income to support urbex work, sell that music as a ringtone; I'd buy it


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## UEP-Wales (Jun 2, 2012)

jongriff said:


> Love this & all the chernobyl reports.
> 
> If you ever need an income to support urbex work, sell that music as a ringtone; I'd buy it



Can't sell music that you don't have the permission and licences for... bloody hell, I have a little over 150,000 tracks, I would be minted! (I am actually a DJ lol)


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## UrbanX (Jun 2, 2012)

Urbex-SW said:


> Can't sell music that you don't have the permission and licences for... bloody hell, I have a little over 150,000 tracks, I would be minted! (I am actually a DJ lol)



And I'm a musician! And I'm poor! 
Not my music at all, but just seemed to fit with the 'splore.


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## John_D (Jun 2, 2012)

Bloody brilliant! :wcool:


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## King Al (Jun 2, 2012)

Amazing! Fantastic as always UX


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## nelly (Jun 2, 2012)

Top stuff as always fella, and the film was great


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## flyboys90 (Jun 2, 2012)

Another classic thanks for sharing.


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## chizyramone (Jun 2, 2012)

Hell yeah, another epic report there my boy.

Thanks for sharing X. Question is, after this whatever next...........


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## Mars Lander (Jun 2, 2012)

cracking report was hooked all the way thru and superb imagery


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## Derelict-UK (Jun 2, 2012)

I can't believe how cheap that train ticket was!! I have just had to fork out £50 for a return ticket from Birmingham to London and that doesn't come with a bed!!

Great effort and a winning report!

Was it not finished because of the Chernobyl disaster?


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## UrbanX (Jun 2, 2012)

Derelict-UK said:


> I can't believe how cheap that train ticket was!! I have just had to fork out £50 for a return ticket from Birmingham to London and that doesn't come with a bed!!
> 
> Great effort and a winning report!
> 
> Was it not finished because of the Chernobyl disaster?



Spot on dude. They started buding this in 1976, so was 10 years into construction when Chernobyl happened. 

They decided to do a survey of all the plants under construction. Only to find this was directly on a fault line! Oops! So they just walked away. It's currently under demolition.


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## neoncity (Jun 3, 2012)

Brilliant report! Really enjoyed watching the vid and looking at your photos


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## NitroNinja (Jun 10, 2012)

would love to come splorin with you that report is mint!!


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## UrbanX (Jun 10, 2012)

Aww cheers dude! Been out a couple if times with your mam, and am not a million miles away, so would be a pleasure sir! 
It doesn't matter if it's 3,000 miles away, or 3,000 yards away, it's always great to have a real adventure!


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## christinematt (Jun 10, 2012)

This is amazing! Put a lot of explaining into it!


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## kevsy21 (Jun 11, 2012)

Brilliant report and pics as always,Your adventures over there are top notch.


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## sYnc_below (Jun 19, 2012)

This one is excellent....really loved this place


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