After many visits to the plant, I was finally even allowed to enter the
damaged Reactor 4 and see the notorious control room. It was here that
the failed experiment resulting in the reactor exploding and the
uncontrolled emission into the atmosphere of terabecquerels of
radioactive isotopes was conducted. A decade ago, obtaining the
necessary permits to see the epicenter of the events of April 1986 was
extremely arduous and complicated. Today, this place is a must-see on
most tourist excursions.
Today I return once again to the plant.
Post-apocalyptic, abandoned Chernobyl could become a World Heritage site: To be considered for the World Heritage List, a site "must be of outstanding universal value," and should display at least one quality that matches the agency's selection criteria, according to the UNESCO website. Some locations on the list represent breathtaking and unique examples of grandeur in the natural world, such as Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks in the United States; Vietnam's Hạ Long Bay; Australia's Great Barrier Reef; and the primeval Białowieża Forest straddling Russia and Belarus.
