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One more option not only to reduce expenditure for the maintenance of the Chernobyl zone, but also to bring it, for a start, to self-sufficiency level - tourism.
Excursions in an exclusion zone are officially resolved by the Ukrainian authorities since 2010. However, in 2011 a certain scandal over this subject ran high between the State Office of Public Prosecutor and the Ministry of emergency situations of that time. The security agency was categorically against tourist trips on the "dirty" territory, but the Ministry of Emergency Situations won fight. Since then the army of persons interested to visit the Chernobyl zone constantly grows. At first they were 2-3 thousand a year, and last year, according to the head of the State agency on management of an exclusion zone Vitaly Petruk, more than 15 thousand so-called visitors visited here - the term "tourist" cannot be used concerning the territory with radiation pollution.

All excursions are approved with the State Security Service of Ukraine, police, in each of groups there is a conductor controlling ex*****on of all rules of conduct in a zone. The local government has more problems with "stalkers" who try to get on this territory illegally.

All means from such "tourism", according to Petruk, are received not by agency, but the state enterprise "TcOTIS" (The center of organizational, technical and information support). "Money is spent according to the current legislation through tender and other procedures. Means go, including, for improvement of tourist infrastructure, - Petruk explained. - In case of the further growth of interest, we will offer private business that it improved these things and developed because the state on it has no means. But, of course, on condition of a safety observance of the terms".

Apparently, tourism in a zone of the CNPP - rather profitable case. For its expansion it was necessary only to deliver toilets, to cut off along roads trees - their branches scratch buses, to clean garbage and to organize a normal power supply. "the Chernobyl tourists" write everything about these shortcomings at different forums practically. But they write a thicket about indelible impressions and about desire to visit an exclusion zone once again:

"Arrived from Great Britain specially to visit Chernobyl and Pripyat. These places store in themselves a set of emotions - a grief, pleasure, having visited here, it is possible to understand everything, to endure the incident again. We were convinced how history and destiny of the whole city, the people, can depend on one moment … Tu the atmosphere which is present here not to express in words, stories and photos, it is worth visiting there".

Similar expressions in chats - weight. And it means that the Chernobyl zone is interesting, and it needs to be used.

Chernobyl tourism
The first tourists have appeared in the Chernobyl zone after marauders in the mid-nineties when radiation level has seriously fallen and all valuable things were taken out and sold. In 1995 the Agency of information, the international cooperation and development "Chernobyl interinform" — the state enterprise of the Ministry of Ukraine concerning emergency situations and concerning protection of the population against consequences of the Chernobyl accident was created. The organization of trips to the Chernobyl zone was one of the purposes of the agency also.

The department of international relations and development was engaged in it. Later a number of companies have appeared. They organized excursions to the Chernobyl zone in cooperation with "Chernobyl interinform". In 2002 there was a report of the UN according to which it was possible to be in the majority of places of Pripyat and Chernobyl zone without special harm for an organism. Since then the number of tourists who visit Pripyat and want to have a trip to Chernobyl has grown up 1-1,5 thousand people. In 2007 there was a computer game "S.T.A.L.K.E.R.", which also promoted an increase in number of tourists coming to the Chernobyl zone. In 2009 Forbes said that the Chernobyl NPP was the most "exotic" place for tourism on Earth.

In 2010 the decision to open the Chernobyl zone for all comers was made (before this time a visit to the zone was limited). By the order of the Minister of Emergency Situations of Ukraine Victor Baloha radiological researches have been conducted, cartograms of radiation levels on the basis of which zone routes for visitors have been created. Results of researches have shown that in the territory of these routes it is possible to be in a 30-kilometer zone till 4-5 days without any harm for health, and without any harm for health it is possible to be1 day in a 10-kilometer zone. In December, 2010 there was an order of the Ministry of Emergency Situations which approved new rules of visit of the Chernobyl zone for citizens ofUkraine, foreign delegations and certain foreigners and also rules of radiation safety which should have been observed at visit of the Chernobyl zone. On February 2011 rules were registered by Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and in March began to work. According to the new program visit Pripyat and a trip to Chernobyl became possible.

But in June, 2011 the access for tourists to the Chernobyl zone was closed again. Since June 23 trips to the Chernobyl zone through tour operators have been temporarily stopped by order of the Ukrainian authorities. The Ministry of Emergency Situations has commented on the fact that the State Office of Public Prosecutor has given a protest on the order of the Ministry of Emergency Situations which has approved an order of visit Pripyat and a trip to Chernobyl. The Ministry of Emergency Situations thought this order was lawful. The court had to pass the decision on this dispute. In September, 2011 the Chernobyl zone was finally closed for tourism. As one of the reasons of closing of excursions officials called that the money gained from tourists wasn't spent for assistance to the affected area.

According to the decision of District administrative court of Kiev, the order of the Ministry of Emergency Situations has been recognized as illegal. The Minister of Emergency Situations has refused to have legal proceedings with prosecutor's office and has issued the new order taking into account her wishes. In November V. Baloha has declared that after registration of the new order the zone has to be opened for tourism again. OnDecember 2, 2011 the Chernobyl zone became available to visit in the fact-finding purposes again. Under the new order, rules of visit have been back toughened and access to the Chernobyl zone is limited: "For scientists, experts, journalists, the international control and monitoring will remain further available. Just the regulations of visits became more exacting" explained V. Baloha.

In 2013 a process of liquidation of Chernobyl interinform agency was begun. In the middle of 2013 the agency wasn't engaged in registration of access to the Chernobyl zone but only owned a Chernobyl hotel. In autumn the Chernobyl interinform agency was finally liquidated. At present obligations of agency are carried out by CSC (Chernobyl Special Combine).

In 2014 there were film series "Chernobyl: An exclusion zone" that has once again promoted promoting of tourism in Chernobyl zone.

http://chernobyl-city.com/news/company/chernobyl-tourism.html

Chernobyl tourism The organization of trips to the Chernobyl zone was one of the purposes of the agency also. Visit pripyat, trip to chernobyl with chernobyl-city.com.. News

The station came on-line in 1977, two years before this photo, and contained four reactors, each capable of producing 1,000 megawatts of electrical power.