THROUGHOUT EUROPE. 60,000 SQUARE MILES.
60,000 SQUARE MILES. IT’S BEEN CALLED ONE OF THE
IT’S BEEN CALLED ONE OF THE FINEST TV DRAMAS EVER MADE
FINEST TV DRAMAS EVER MADE DEPICTING ONE OF THE WORST
DEPICTING ONE OF THE WORST NUCLEAR DISASTERS.
NUCLEAR DISASTERS. CHERNOBYL PORTRAYS THE 1986
CHERNOBYL PORTRAYS THE 1986 ACCIDENT AT A NUCLEAR POWER
ACCIDENT AT A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT AND A TERRIBLE COST FOR
PLANT AND A TERRIBLE COST FOR WORKERS WHO BATTLED TO LIMIT THE
WORKERS WHO BATTLED TO LIMIT THE RADIATION.
RADIATION. THOUSANDS WERE EVACUATED.
THOUSANDS WERE EVACUATED. THE AREA ABANDONED.
THE AREA ABANDONED. BUT TOURISTS KACAN COME HERE AND
BUT TOURISTS KACAN COME HERE AND SEE WHERE IT HAPPENED.
SEE WHERE IT HAPPENED. LOCALS SAY SINCE THE MINISERIES
LOCALS SAY SINCE THE MINISERIES STARTED AIRING TOURISM IS UP
STARTED AIRING TOURISM IS UP 40%.
40%. >> SUCH A SOBERING THING.
>> SUCH A SOBERING THING. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
IT’S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE. >> IT’S VERY ISSURREAL BEING HER
>> IT’S VERY ISSURREAL BEING HER >> THE RADIATION IS ALWAYS IN
>> THE RADIATION IS ALWAYS IN THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD, BUT I
THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD, BUT I WANTED TO SEE THIS SO BADLY THAT
WANTED TO SEE THIS SO BADLY THAT IT WAS A RISK I WAS WILLING TO
IT WAS A RISK I WAS WILLING TO TAKE.
TAKE. >> Reporter: IN FACT, THE
>> Reporter: IN FACT, THE RADIATION IS LOW ENOUGH THAT
RADIATION IS LOW ENOUGH THAT WHILE LIVING HERE HAS BEEN OFF
WHILE LIVING HERE HAS BEEN OFF LIMITS FOR DECADES, VISITING IS
LIMITS FOR DECADES, VISITING IS SAFE.
SAFE. WHEN WE CAME TO CHERNOBYL WE
WHEN WE CAME TO CHERNOBYL WE FOUND A GHOST OUNCETOWN.
FOUND A GHOST OUNCETOWN. >> IT’S LIKE THE CLOCKS JUST
>> IT’S LIKE THE CLOCKS JUST STOPPED.
STOPPED. >> Reporter: THIS WAS THE LOCAL
>> Reporter: THIS WAS THE LOCAL DOCTOR’S OFFICE.
DOCTOR’S OFFICE. THESE ARE PEOPLE’S MEDICAL
THESE ARE PEOPLE’S MEDICAL RECORDS LEFT ON THE FLOOR.
RECORDS LEFT ON THE FLOOR. WE CARRIED A GEIGER COUNTER.
WE CARRIED A GEIGER COUNTER. IT STARTED MAKING A NOISE.
IT STARTED MAKING A NOISE. >> IT’S HIGHER HAN THE
>> IT’S HIGHER HAN THE BACKGROUND.
BACKGROUND. >> Reporter: IT’STHIS KINDERGART
>> Reporter: IT’STHIS KINDERGART EVACUATED IN A HURRY.
EVACUATED IN A HURRY. CHILDREN’S COAT HANGARS, SHOES,
CHILDREN’S COAT HANGARS, SHOES, A CHILD’S BIKE, NOW IT’S EERILY
A CHILD’S BIKE, NOW IT’S EERILY QUIET.
QUIET. OR IT WAS UNTIL "CHERNOBYL"
OR IT WAS UNTIL "CHERNOBYL" AIRED.
AIRED. IT’S BEEN CRITICIZED BY SOME IN
IT’S BEEN CRITICIZED BY SOME IN RUSSIA BECAUSE OF FACTUAL
RUSSIA BECAUSE OF FACTUAL ERRORS, AND EVEN CALLED
ERRORS, AND EVEN CALLED PROPAGANDA BECAUSE IT HIGHLIGHTS
PROPAGANDA BECAUSE IT HIGHLIGHTS MISTAKES MADE BY THE SOVIETS.
MISTAKES MADE BY THE SOVIETS. AND INEVITABLY THE TOURISTS
AND INEVITABLY THE TOURISTS VISITING HERE HAVE BEGUN TO
VISITING HERE HAVE BEGUN TO COMPLAIN ABOUT TOO MUCH TOURISM.
COMPLAIN ABOUT TOO MUCH TOURISM. >> THERE ARE A LOT OF TOURISTS
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF TOURISTS ALREADY HERE, AND IT DOES KIND
ALREADY HERE, AND IT DOES KIND OF TAKE AWAY THE EXPERIENCE OF
OF TAKE AWAY THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN A COMPLETELY ABANDONED
BEING IN A COMPLETELY ABANDONED TOWN.
TOWN. SO I THINK IF MORE AND MORE
SO I THINK IF MORE AND MORE TOURISTS COME HERE, THAT WILL
TOURISTS COME HERE, THAT WILL RUIN THE EXPERIENCE.
RUIN THE EXPERIENCE. >> Reporter: YOU PAY UNDER $100
>> Reporter: YOU PAY UNDER $100 TO VISIT CHERNOBYL.
TO VISIT CHERNOBYL. MAKING IT SAFE HAS COST THE
MAKING IT SAFE HAS COST THE WORLD MILLIONS.
WORLD MILLIONS. THE PLACE NOW A MONUMENT TO
THE PLACE NOW A MONUMENT TO HUMAN FRAILTY AND A DECADES OLD
