Travel

I’ve visited Chernobyl twice, with my last visit was August 14, 2021. Here I am at the Chernobyl city sign. Before the evacuation of 1986, the city had around 14,000 residents. Now, only 150 or so people who refused to leave remain. 

Officially, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone comprises several towns, not just Chernobyl, with an area of 2,600 kilometers. Anyone who is not an official government employee at the plant must seek special permission to enter; I visited through a tour group.

Here are a few photos from that day with some commentary.

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Independent journalist, with coverage in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. Focus on the intersection of race and foreign affairs.

Chernobyl’s eerie quiet hits hard, only 150 souls linger where 14,000 once thrived.
The Exclusion Zone’s vast 2,600 km feels like a time capsule.
Tour group access made this haunting August 2021 visit unforgettable.