Why it is worth visiting the Polesie radiation reserve

35 years after the Chernobyl accident, tourists can visit the resettlement zone. We will explain why you should sign up for an excursion to the Polesie Radiation Reserve.

The Polessky radiation-ecological reserve was organized on the territory of the Bragin, Narovlya and Khoiniki districts of the Gomel region, the most polluted in Belarus after the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. For a long time, the resettlement zone was closed, only a few employees of the reserve had access to it.

Nature had time to take back its possessions. Trees and shrubs have grown on fertile pastures, playgrounds, settlement streets, and rooftops. Animals that do not know a person no longer run in fear at the sight of tourists — they allow you to observe themselves, take pictures and even come closer to get to know each other.

It is here that the largest populations of black storks and marsh turtles included in the Red Book of Belarus have settled. The disappearing horses of Przewalski came from the Ukrainian side. Populations of bison, wolves and deer have increased. They are not uncommon on the territory of the reserve. The rarest plants and mushrooms in Belarus have also found their home here. With your own eyes you can see nature in almost its original form.

Apocalyptic pictures of the Soviet past

But it's not only nature that catches on. А guide will lead you to the settlements, where you can see how the life of a Soviet person was organized: a school, a collective farm, a dormitory, an office, albeit in a ruined state, can still tell a lot. People left in a hurry, leaving the things they once needed and loved. On a desk in an abandoned school lies a pen left 35 years ago, and a piece of chalk is still here, next to the blackboard. In a dilapidated Khrushchev flat, there is still a kettle on a moss-covered stove, and in the closet there is a dress of a Soviet fashionista, once bought for a lot of money. The baby doll Vanyusha is still waiting for the owner on the road ... The Chernobyl tragedy instantly changed the fate of hundreds of thousands of Soviet citizens.

In the Polesie Radiation Reserve, you can look at the post-apocalypse world on a smaller scale. Having visited the resettlement zone, you understand how fragile the world is and that a human is not the crown of the evolution of nature.

As a reminder, in 2021, only 3 excursions to the Polesie Radiation Reserve are organized: June 26, July 24, August 21. You will need to register before the tour. This must be done before June 15, July 13 and August 10, respectively. You can find out more about the excursion and sign up for it by following the link.

Do not miss your chance!



Why it is worth visiting the Polesie radiation reserve