Chernobyl tourism before war: Lonely Planet's 'creepiest day trip'
Forty years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster on April 26, 1986, the exclusion zone became a tourist destination before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Lonely Planet promoted it as the 'creepiest day trip in the world'. The article contrasts pre-war tourism seeking thrills with the current wartime longing for normalcy. It notes that Ukraine now measures time in 'before the war' and 'since then'.
Key facts
- Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 26, 1986
- Reactor 4 exploded at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
- Radiation was too high for human life for decades
- Tourists later visited the exclusion zone
- Russian tanks entered the area during the war
- Lonely Planet called it the 'creepiest day trip in the world'
- Ukraine now has two timeframes: pre-war and post-war
- Pre-war tourism involved thrill-seeking; now people seek normalcy
Entities
Institutions
- Lonely Planet
Locations
- Chernobyl
- Ukraine