Chernobyl nuclear power plant contamination zone map. Maps of radionuclide contamination in Russia: Bryansk, Tula, Oryol and Kaluga regions

Knowledge is power. Places you shouldn't live near. And ideally, don’t even appear nearby. :)

Nuclear power plants.

Balakovskaya (Balakovo, Saratov region).
Beloyarskaya (Beloyarsk, Yekaterinburg region).
Bilibino ATPP (Bilibino, Magadan region).
Kalininskaya (Udomlya, Tver region).
Kola (Polyarnye Zori, Murmansk region).
Leningradskaya (Sosnovy Bor, St. Petersburg region).
Smolenskaya (Desnogorsk, Smolensk region).
Kursk (Kurchatov, Kursk region).
Novovoronezhskaya (Novovoronezhsk, Voronezh region).

Sources:
http://ru.wikipedia.org
Unknown source

Specially protected cities of the nuclear weapons complex.

Arzamas-16 (now the Kremlin, Nizhny Novgorod region). All-Russia Research Institute of Experimental Physics. Development and construction of nuclear charges. Experimental plant "Communist". Electromechanical plant "Avangard" (serial production).
Zlatoust-36 (Chelyabinsk region). Serial production of nuclear warheads (?) and ballistic missiles for submarines (SLBMs).
Krasnoyarsk-26 (now Zheleznogorsk). Underground mining and chemical plant. Reprocessing of irradiated fuel from nuclear power plants, production of weapons-grade plutonium. Three nuclear reactors.
Krasnoyarsk-45. Electromechanical plant. Uranium enrichment (?). Serial production of ballistic missiles for submarines (SLBMs). Creation of spacecraft, mainly satellites for military and reconnaissance purposes.
Sverdlovsk-44. Serial assembly of nuclear weapons.
Sverdlovsk-45. Serial assembly of nuclear weapons.
Tomsk-7 (now Seversk). Siberian Chemical Plant. Uranium enrichment, production of weapons-grade plutonium.
Chelyabinsk-65 (now Ozersk). PA "Mayak". Reprocessing of irradiated fuel from nuclear power plants and shipboard nuclear power plants, production of weapons-grade plutonium.
Chelyabinsk-70 (now Snezhinsk). All-Russian Research Institute of Technical Physics. Development and construction of nuclear charges.

Nuclear weapons testing site.

Northern (1954-1992). Since 02/27/1992 - Central training ground of the Russian Federation.

Research and training nuclear centers and institutions with research nuclear reactors.

Sosnovy Bor (St. Petersburg region). Naval Training Center.
Dubna (Moscow region). Joint Institute for Nuclear Research.
Obninsk (Kaluga region). NPO "Typhoon". Physics and Energy Institute (PEI). Installations "Topaz-1", "Topaz-2". Naval Training Center.
Moscow. Institute of Atomic Energy named after. I. V. Kurchatova (thermonuclear complex ANGARA-5). Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (MEPhI). Scientific Research Production Association "Aileron". Scientific-research-production association "Energy". Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT). Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics.
Protvino (Moscow region). Institute of High Energy Physics. Particle accelerator.
Sverdlovsk branch of the Research and Design Institute of Experimental Technologies. (40 km from Yekaterinburg).
Novosibirsk. Academic town of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Troitsk (Moscow region). Institute for Thermonuclear Research (Tokomak installations).
Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk region). Research Institute of Nuclear Reactors named after. V.I.Lenin.
Nizhny Novgorod. Nuclear Reactor Design Bureau.
Saint Petersburg. Scientific research and production association "Electrophysics". Radium Institute named after. V.G. Khlopina. Research and design institute of energy technology. Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene of the Russian Ministry of Health.
Norilsk. Experimental nuclear reactor.
Podolsk Scientific research production association "Luch".

Uranium deposits, enterprises for its extraction and primary processing.

Lermontov (Stavropol region). Uranium-molybdenum inclusions of volcanic rocks. "Almaz" software. Ore mining and processing.
Pervomaisky (Chita region). Transbaikal Mining and Processing Plant.
Vikhorevka (Irkutsk region). Mining (?) of uranium and thorium.
Aldan (Yakutia). Mining of uranium, thorium and rare earth elements.
Slyudyanka (Irkutsk region). Deposit of uranium-containing and rare earth elements.
Krasnokamensk (Chita region). Uranium mine.
Borsk (Chita region). A depleted (?) uranium mine is the so-called “gorge of death”, where ore was mined by prisoners of Stalin’s camps.
Lovozero (Murmansk region). Uranium and thorium minerals.
Lake Onega region. Uranium and vanadium minerals.
Vishnegorsk, Novogorny (Central Urals). Uranium mineralization.

Uranium metallurgy.

Elektrostal (Moscow region). PA "Machine-Building Plant".
Novosibirsk. PA "Chemical Concentrates Plant".
Glazov (Udmurtia). PA "Chepetsk Mechanical Plant".

Enterprises for the production of nuclear fuel, highly enriched uranium and weapons-grade plutonium.

Chelyabinsk-65 (Chelyabinsk region). PA "Mayak".
Tomsk-7 (Tomsk region). Siberian chemical plant.
Krasnoyarsk-26 (Krasnoyarsk region). Mining and chemical plant.
Ekaterinburg. Ural Electrochemical Plant.
Kirovo-Chepetsk (Kirov region). Chemical plant named after. B. P. Konstantinova.
Angarsk (Irkutsk region). Chemical electrolysis plant.

Shipbuilding and ship repair plants and nuclear fleet bases.

Saint Petersburg. Leningrad Admiralty Association. PA "Baltic Plant".
Severodvinsk. PA "Sevmashpredpriyatie", PA "Sever".
Nizhny Novgorod. PA "Krasnoe Sormovo"
Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Shipbuilding plant "Leninsky Komsomol".
Bolshoi Kamen (Primorsky Territory). Shipyard "Zvezda".
Murmansk. Technical base of PTO "Atomflot", ship repair yard "Nerpa"

Nuclear submarine bases of the Northern Fleet.

Western Litsa (Nerpichya Bay).
Gadzhievo.
Polar.
Vidyaevo.
Yokanga.
Gremikha.

Nuclear submarine bases of the Pacific Fleet.

Fishing.
Vladivostok (Vladimir Bay and Pavlovsky Bay),
Sovetskaya Gavan.
Nakhodka.
Magadan.
Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky.
Korsakov.

Storage areas for ballistic missiles for submarines.

Revda (Murmansk region).
Henoksa (Arkhangelsk region).

Points for equipping missiles with nuclear warheads and loading them into submarines.

Severodvinsk.
Okolnaya Bay (Kola Bay).

Temporary storage sites for irradiated nuclear fuel and reprocessing facilities
industrial sites of nuclear power plants.

Murmansk. Lighter "Lepse", floating base "Imandra" PTO "Atom-fleet".
Polar. Technical base of the Northern Fleet.
Yokanga. Technical base of the Northern Fleet.
Pavlovsky Bay. Technical base of the Pacific Fleet.
Chelyabinsk-65. PA "Mayak".
Krasnoyarsk-26. Mining and chemical plant.

Industrial storage facilities and regional storage facilities (repositories) for radioactive and nuclear waste.

Nuclear power plant industrial sites.
Krasnoyarsk-26. Mining and chemical plant, RT-2.
Chelyabinsk-65. PA "Mayak".
Tomsk-7. Siberian chemical plant.
Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk region). Industrial site of the Zvezdochka ship repair plant of the Sever Production Association.
Bolshoi Kamen (Primorsky Territory). Industrial site of the Zvezda shipyard.
Western Litsa (Andreeva Bay). Technical base of the Northern Fleet.
Gremikha. Technical base of the Northern Fleet.
Shkotovo-22 (Chazhma Bay). Ship repair and technical base of the Pacific Fleet.
Fishing. Technical base of the Pacific Fleet.

Places for lay-up and disposal of decommissioned naval and civilian ships with nuclear power plants.

Polyarny, Northern Fleet base.
Gremikha, Northern Fleet base.
Yokanga, Northern Fleet base.
Zapadnaya Litsa (Andreeva Bay), base of the Northern Fleet.
Severodvinsk, factory water area of ​​PA "Sever".
Murmansk, Atomflot technical base.
Bolshoy Kamen, water area of ​​the Zvezda shipyard.
Shkotovo-22 (Chazhma Bay), technical base of the Pacific Fleet.
Sovetskaya Gavan, water area of ​​the military-technical base.
Rybachy, Pacific Fleet base.
Vladivostok (Pavlovsky Bay, Vladimir Bay), bases of the Pacific Fleet.

Undeclared areas for the discharge of liquid and flooding of solid radioactive waste.

Discharge sites for liquid radioactive waste in the Barents Sea.
Areas of flooding of solid radioactive waste in shallow bays on the Kara side of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago and in the area of ​​the Novaya Zemlya deep-sea depression.
Point of unauthorized flooding of the Nickel lighter with solid radioactive waste.
Black Bay of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. The mooring area of ​​the experimental vessel "Kit", on which experiments with chemical warfare agents were carried out.

Contaminated areas.

30-kilometer sanitary zone and areas contaminated with radionuclides as a result of the disaster on April 26, 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
The East Ural radioactive trace formed as a result of the explosion on September 29, 1957 of a container with high-level waste at an enterprise in Kyshtym (Chelyabinsk-65).
Radioactive contamination of the Techa-Iset-Tobol-Irtysh-Ob river basin as a result of many years of discharge of radiochemical waste at the nuclear (weapons and energy) complex facilities in Kyshtym and the spread of radioisotopes from open radioactive waste storage facilities due to wind erosion.
Radioactive contamination of the Yenisei and certain areas of the floodplain as a result of the industrial operation of two direct-flow water reactors of a mining and chemical plant and the operation of a radioactive waste storage facility in Krasnoyarsk-26.
Radioactive contamination of the territory in the sanitary protection zone of the Siberian Chemical Plant (Tomsk-7) and beyond.
Officially recognized sanitary zones at the sites of the first nuclear explosions on land, under water and in the atmosphere at nuclear weapons testing sites on Novaya Zemlya.
Totsky district of the Orenburg region. The location of military exercises on the resistance of personnel and military equipment to the damaging factors of a nuclear explosion on September 14, 1954 in the atmosphere.
Radioactive release as a result of the unauthorized launch of a nuclear submarine reactor, accompanied by a fire, at the Zvezdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk region) 02/12/1965.
Radioactive release as a result of an unauthorized launch of a nuclear submarine reactor, accompanied by a fire, at the Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard in Nizhny Novgorod in 1970.
Local radioactive contamination of the water area and surrounding area as a result of an unauthorized launch and thermal explosion of a nuclear submarine reactor during its overload at the Navy ship repair plant in Shkotovo-22 (Chazhma Bay) in 1985.
Pollution of the coastal waters of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago and open areas of the Kara and Barents Seas due to the discharge of liquid and flooding of solid radioactive waste by Navy and Atomflot ships.
Places of underground nuclear explosions in the interests of the national economy, where the release of nuclear reaction products to the surface of the earth is noted or underground migration of radionuclides is possible.
http://www.site/users/lsd_86/post84466272

List of nuclear facilities in Russia. Part 2.

We continue the topic of places from which we should stay away... In addition to the operating nuclear facilities in Russia, we received from the USSR a large number of nuclear explosions carried out for “decent purposes.”

Between 1965 and 1988, 124 peaceful nuclear explosions were carried out in the USSR in the interests of the national economy. Of these, the objects "Kraton-3", "Crystal", "Taiga" and "Globus-1" were recognized as emergency.

Figure 1. Nuclear explosions for seismic sounding of the territory of the USSR.
The names of projects carried out using VNIITF devices are indicated by a rectangle.

Figure 2. Industrial nuclear explosions on the territory of the USSR.
The names of projects carried out using VNIITF nuclear explosive devices are indicated by a rectangle.

List of nuclear explosions by regions of Russia

Arhangelsk region.
"Globus-2". 80 km northeast of Kotlas (160 km northeast of the city of Veliky Ustyug), 2.3 kilotons, October 4, 1971. On September 9, 1988, the Rubin-1 explosion with a yield of 8.5 kilotons was carried out there, the last peaceful nuclear explosion in the USSR.
"Agate". 150 km west of the city of Mezen, July 19, 1985, 8.5 kilotons. Seismic sounding.

Astrakhan region.
15 explosions under the Vega program - the creation of underground tanks for storing gas condensate. The power of the charges is from 3.2 to 13.5 kilotons. 40 km from Astrakhan, 1980-1984.

Bashkiria.
Series "Kama". Two explosions of 10 kilotons each in 1973 and 1974, 22 km west of the city of Sterlitamak. Creation of underground tanks for the disposal of industrial wastewater from the Salavat petrochemical plant and the Sterlitamak soda-cement plant.
In 1980 - five “Butan” explosions with a capacity of 2.3 to 3.2 kilotons 40 km east of the city of Meleuz at the Grachev oil field. Intensification of oil and gas production.

Irkutsk region.
"Meteorite-4". 12 km northeast of the village of Ust-Kut, September 10, 1977, power - 7.6 kilotons. Seismic sounding.
"Rift-3". 160 km north of Irkutsk, July 31, 1982, power - 8.5 kilotons. Seismic sounding.

Kemerovo region.
"Kvarts-4", 50 km southwest of Mariinsk, September 18, 1984, power - 10 kilotons. Seismic sounding.

Murmansk region.
"Dnepr-1". 20-21 km northeast of Kirovsk, September 4, 1972, power - 2.1 kilotons. Crushing of apatite ore. In 1984, a similar explosion “Dnepr-2” was carried out there.

Ivanovo region.
"Globus-1". 40 km northeast of Kineshma, September 19, 1971, power - 2.3 kilotons. Seismic sounding.

Kalmykia.
"Region-4". 80 km northeast of Elista, October 3, 1972, power - 6.6 kilotons. Seismic sounding.

Komi.
"Globus-4". 25 km southwest of Vorkuta, July 2, 1971, power - 2.3 kilotons. Seismic sounding.
"Globus-3". 130 km southwest of the city of Pechora, 20 km east of the Lemew railway station, July 10, 1971, power - 2.3 kilotons. Seismic sounding.
"Quartz-2". 80 km southwest of Pechora, August 11, 1984, power - 8.5 kilotons. Seismic sounding.

Krasnoyarsk region.
"Horizon-3". Lake Lama, Cape Tonky, September 29, 1975, capacity - 7.6 kilotons. Seismic sounding.
"Meteorite-2". Lake Lama, Cape Tonky, July 26, 1977, capacity - 13 kilotons. Seismic sounding.
"Kraton-2". 95 km southwest of the city of Igarka, September 21, 1978, power - 15 kilotons. Seismic sounding.
"Rift-4". 25-30 km southeast of the village of Noginsk, power 8.5 kilotons. Seismic sounding.
"Rift-1". Ust-Yenisei region, 190 km west of Dudinka, October 4, 1982, power - 16 kilotons. Seismic sounding.

Orenburg region.
“Magistral” (another name is “Sovkhoznoye”). 65 km northeast of Orenburg, June 25, 1970, power - 2.3 kilotons. Creation of a cavity in a rock salt massif at the Orenburg gas-oil condensate field.
Two explosions of 15 kilotons “Sapphire” (another name is “Dedurovka”), carried out in 1971 and 1973. Creating a container in an array of rock salt.
“Region-1” and “Region-2”: 70 km southwest of the city of Buzuluk, yield - 2.3 kilotons, November 24, 1972. Seismic sounding.

Perm region.
“Griffin” - in 1969, two explosions of 7.6 kilotons each, 10 km south of the city of Osa, at the Osinsky oil field. Intensification of oil production.
"Taiga". March 23, 1971, three charges of 5 kilotons each in the Cherdynsky district of the Perm region, 100 km north of the city of Krasnovishersk. Excavation, for the construction of the Pechora - Kama canal.
Five explosions with a power of 3.2 kilotons from the Helium series, 20 km southeast of the city of Krasnovishersk, which were carried out in 1981-1987. Intensification of oil and gas production at the Gezha oil field. Intensification of oil and gas production.

Stavropol region.
"Takhta-Kugulta". 90 km north of Stavropol, August 25, 1969, power - 10 kilotons. Intensification of gas production.

Tyumen region.
"Tavda". 70 km northeast of Tyumen, power 0.3 kilotons. Creation of an underground tank.

Yakutia.
"Crystal". 70 km northeast of the village of Aikhal, 2 km from the village of Udachny-2, October 2, 1974, power - 1.7 kilotons. Creation of a dam for the Udachninsky mining and processing plant.
"Horizon-4". 120 km southwest of the city of Tiksi, August 12, 1975, 7.6 kilotons.
From 1976 to 1987 - five explosions with a capacity of 15 kilotons from the Oka, Sheksna, and Neva series of explosions. 120 km southwest of the city of Mirny, at the Srednebotuobinskoye oil field. Intensification of oil production.
"Kraton-4". 90 km northwest of the village of Sangar, August 9, 1978, 22 kilotons, seismic sounding.
"Kraton-3", 50 km east of the village of Aikhal, August 24, 1978, power - 19 kilotons. Seismic sounding.
Seismic sounding. "Vyatka". 120 km southwest of the city of Mirny, October 8, 1978, 15 kilotons. Intensification of oil and gas production.
"Kimberlite-4". 130 km southwest of Verkhnevilyuysk, August 12, 1979, 8.5 kilotons, seismic sounding.

On air Ulyanovsk, Sergey Gogin:

Dimitrovgrad, the second largest city in the Ulyanovsk region, is known for being home to the Scientific Research Institute of Atomic Reactors, or RIAR for short. As follows from an analysis of medical statistics conducted by the municipal Environmental Protection Service, since 1997, the number of endocrine diseases among the city’s population began to increase, and quite sharply. And by 2000, the incidence had almost quadrupled. It was in the summer of 1997 that an increased release of radioactive iodine-131 occurred at RIAR for three weeks. Says the head of the Dimitrovgrad public organization “Center for the Development of Civil Initiatives” Mikhail Piskunov.

Mikhail Piskunov: It was a reactor shutdown on July 25th. It was necessary to remove the fuel element with the broken seal. But due to the fact that the staff made a mistake, both inert gases and iodine were released.

Sergey Gogin: Radioactive iodine is dangerous for the thyroid gland because it actively accumulates in it, causing cancer and other diseases. They were observed in people affected by the Chernobyl accident. Mikhail Piskunov calls the incident at RIAR a mini-Chernobyl.

Mikhail Piskunov: The Middle Volga region is an iodine-deficient region. There is a lack of stable iodine in water and food. In this regard, the thyroid gland actively absorbs radioactive iodine if iodine prophylaxis is not carried out.

Sergei Gogin: In 2003, human rights activist and journalist Piskunov wrote an article in the Dimitrovgrad newspaper Channel 25, where he stated that his organization predicted an increase in thyroid diseases among Dimitrovgrad residents after the incident at RIAR. He referred to statistics from which it followed that in 2000, endocrine disorders in children in Dimitrovgad were five times more common than the Russian average.

Mikhail Piskunov: Radioactive iodine was discovered in cows' milk. Probably, this radioactive substance began to enter the bodies of children. And even more dangerous in this situation are children who are in the womb. Because their thyroid gland is small. The consequences for these children will appear in 10-15 years.

Sergei Gogin: The management of the Research Institute of Nuclear Reactors filed a lawsuit against the newspaper and Mikhail Piskunov for the protection of honor, dignity and business reputation. The process lasted more than three years. The Ulyanovsk Arbitration Court granted the claim twice, and the Federal Court of the Volga District twice overturned this decision. The trial was moved to a neighboring region. The Arbitration Court of the Penza Region partially satisfied the claim, recognizing that Mikhail Piskunov should not have qualified the incident as an accident in his article. But the court confirmed the right of an ecologist to express an opinion on the possible consequences of a radiation incident at RIAR for public health.
The important thing is that Mikhail Piskunov used the court as a tool for obtaining the truth. RIAR had to provide the court with about two dozen documents confirming the fact of the release of radioactive iodine in 1997.

Mikhail Piskunov: The most important thing that we received was two certificates. Set emission limit. And how much was thrown away every day, and sometimes 15-20 times more.

Sergey Gogin: Based on data obtained in court, Piskunov claims: in three weeks, RIAR released 500 Curies of radioactive iodine into the atmosphere, which could have harmed the health of the population of the entire Middle Volga region. I was not able to talk to any of the specialists at the Institute of Atomic Reactors in Dimitrovgrad. They don't comment on anything over the phone. The maximum that was achieved was a short comment from the head of the RIAR press service, Galina Pavlova:

Galina Pavlova: The management of the Institute is satisfied with the decision made by the court.

Sergei Gogin: Nuclear scientists insist: there was no accident in 1997, the radiation did not go beyond the sanitary protection zone. Therefore, there was no need to scare people, just as there was no need for iodine prophylaxis. The latter conclusion, by the way, is refuted by the examination of the Endocrinological Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, carried out at the request of Mikhail Piskunov. Ulyanovsk ecologist Ivan Pogodin believes that what is important is not the conversation about the terms - an accident or not an accident, but the fact of whether there was a release of an active iodine isotope or not.

Ivan Pogodin: The consequences are important. If the excess is proven to be 15-20 times, then I believe that regardless of the statute of limitations, this case cannot be closed. Again, we need to raise medical statistics over the past years. Just after 10 years, usually, if something affects the health of the population, then the dynamics can be traced.

Sergei Gogin: Human rights activist Mikhail Piskunov says that he intends to seek improved organization of iodine prophylaxis for residents of Dimitrovgrad in case of a radioactive release.
http://www.svobodanews.ru/Forum/11994.html
http://www.site/users/igor_korn/post92986428

At first glance, the answer to this question will be as logical as the cocramental “how is a raven like a desk?” But only at first glance. On the second, an associative chain of answers will begin to build, the key words of which will be “accident” and “radioactive.” And those especially knowledgeable will remember RIAR.

The Nuclear Reactor Research Institute is potentially the most dangerous place in Russia, if not all of Eurasia. But, in order.

This enterprise was created in the early 60s to study all possible problems of nuclear energy. They decided to carry out this honorable task in the Ulyanovsk region. The city of Dimitrovgrad is lucky. The nearest cities are Ulyanovsk (100 km) and Samara (250 km).

“...A city in a forest or a forest in a city? - guests who came here for the first time ask themselves, surprised by the enchanting beauty of the city landscape...” is written on the official website of RIAR, describing “a unique experimental base based on seven research reactors (SM, MIR, RBT-6, RBT-10/1, RBT-10 /2, BOR-60, VK-50), which makes it possible to conduct research on current issues in the nuclear energy industry" and all the ecological purity of the surrounding forest-urban landscape: "in the forest, which on warm spring nights freezes from the booming trills of the nightingale" (ibid. ). It’s even surprising that there are some dissatisfied people.

Igor Nikolaevich Kornilov from Ulyanovsk, head of the human rights organization “Legal Foundation”, says:
- RIAR is a very large organization, the main products produced are weapons-grade plutonium for strategic warheads and Californium. Production capacity: 8 nuclear reactors, i.e. Nuclear power plants weren’t even close here...

Eight? And on their website it says 7...
- There are eight of them... All eight are research, two more stands... I believe that they are excluding the reactor for producing weapons-grade plutonium from the list, since applications for it are not accepted (for work), since it is already working at full capacity.. .

And are they really dangerous?
- Several times there were emergency situations with the release of radioactive substances, once Kazan ecologists sounded the alarm when they discovered Strontium (its radioactive isotope) in their water, while Kazan is located 200 kilometers upstream of the Volga. They tried to attract the ecologists who made noise to liability for disclosing a “secret”, then for libel... but the media remained silent that a radioactive element got into the drinking water of several cities.

There was also a story about how the residents of Dimitrovgrad fell into a panic when they saw that the city was urgently removing and transporting snow and topsoil to an unknown direction... The media again remained silent, however, the directors of RIAR were replaced with a new one...

Has the situation changed since the director was replaced?
- With the new one, there was an emission - Yoda -131, the wind rose in the city is such that a colony for minors got into the emission plume, and while the watering machines were working in the city, in clinics endocrinologists fought off patients with an inflamed thyroid gland (theriotoxicosis)... Media and the authorities were silent, since it was necessary to provide the population with expensive medicines to remove Iodine-131 from the body.

What's special about this iodine?
- The main problem is that all isotopes (except Strontium) are short-lived. Iodine-131 disintegrates in about a week... and then, of course, no investigative commission will find traces... you can only detect an outbreak of thyroid diseases... but, as the prosecutor's office claims, this is not a sufficient basis for initiating a criminal case... .

The general situation is this: the Ministry of Emergency Situations told me that they do not have the necessary equipment to monitor the situation at RIAR. The SES stated that they take the RIAR security service “at its word” because it has its own safety laboratory, but the SES is not allowed there... The hydrometeorological center confirmed that the level of ordinary isotopes is within normal limits, but much more artificial ones have appeared, but the maximum permissible concentration ( maximum permissible concentration) - is absent on them and therefore no one knows whether the level of radiation is dangerous or not...

RIAR - commenting on the situation, referred to the Geiger counters installed at the enterprise, and the fact that some of the counters are located in the city in places visible to the population, but to the remark that the installed counters register gamma radiation, and do not register either alpha or beta - radiation... they hung up and interrupted the conversation every time the question was raised about ionizing radiation from emergency emissions...

Indirect confirmation of the dangerous situation was received from the Regional Health Department, which confirmed that in terms of the number of endocrine diseases and oncology, Dimitrovgrad has been successfully leading in recent years, surpassing Ulyanovsk by an order of magnitude in the number of patients...

The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation contains an article on criminal liability for concealing facts that pose a public danger..., but...

But this is a secret enterprise, isn't it?
- The enterprise is secret, but relatively, it is too well known in the world to classify it, however, the protection of the enterprise and its secrets is the FSB department.

Is Dimitrovgrad a big city?
- The population is about 250,000 people, plus a prison, plus three correctional institutions and also colony settlements with them; a number of military units. Yes, this figure is not based on the official size of the city, but on the population size in the 30-kilometer sanitary zone around the reactors, i.e. it includes all nearby settlements, as required by technical supervision.

Then it seems that it is easier for interested parties to control all local media than to spend money on expensive drugs for so many people. Moreover, this is a completely familiar matter for the FSB.

However, it is difficult to hide the obvious. So in 1997 there was a powerful release of iodine-131 that lasted three weeks! In 1998, there was a powerful jump in the incidence of diseases of the endocrine system among residents of Dimitrovgrad, and in 1999 it reached its peak, exceeding the all-Russian figure by almost three times.

Emissions occur from time to time; now the question is about legalizing 30 km. sanitary zone around RIAR, about certainty in the issue of using RIAR as APEC (about the maximum permissible power for an experimental reactor (there are no analogues in the world and probably never will be) operating on plutonium (for processing weapons-grade plutonium from expired arsenals), about the installation of a complete a set of dosimetric means (monitoring water, air and soil, for all types of radiation). Let me explain this point: for example, the Hydrometeorological Center reports daily on the level of radioactive background, but this is a natural background, and why are they silent about the radiation of newly created isotopes of cobalt, strontium, etc.? Why can’t the Ministry of Emergency Situations get permission to install independent monitoring means? Why are medical statistics closed to the public? Why are measurement data from sanitary and epidemiological observation stations classified?
And after all, why are calves born with two heads? And then listen to politicians talk about the poor knowledge of radiation on the population?

What exactly needs and can be done?
- Let me explain my position. The issue of diseases and mutations relates to the protection of the rights of the third generation, i.e. descendants, but their rights should be protected today... Therefore, our task is:
1. move beyond 30 km. zones: orphanages and boarding schools, maternity hospitals, places of detention of convicts (especially children and adolescents, youth);
2. ensure a minimum stay of 30 km. the presence of the reproductive population in the RIAR zone, and timely medical provision of the population with the necessary drugs;
3. timely notification of citizens about emergency situations at RIAR;

Good proposals, but for their implementation it is necessary that concern for the people in our state exceeds concern for maintaining the secrecy of everything and anything that somehow poses a serious threat to society, and therefore public safety. Although this logic of large offices is beyond my understanding.
http://www.site/community/2685736/post92816729

1.

After the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which occurred on April 26, 1986, a 30-kilometer exclusion zone was created around the plant. Although a positive trend is emerging (in 2010, the Narodichsky district of the Zhytomyr region was excluded from the list of closed territories), the consequences of the disaster still affect people’s lives.

THE INVISIBLE FORMID ENEMY

The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which occurred on April 26, 1986, became an unprecedented event in the history of nuclear energy. However, the scale of the disaster was not obvious in the first hours after the incident: there was no data on the release of radiation, and all efforts were devoted to extinguishing the fire.

The decision to build a nuclear power plant four kilometers from the village of Kopachi in the Chernobyl region of the Ukrainian SSR was approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR dated June 29, 1966. The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (originally the Central Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant) was supposed to provide electricity to the entire Central Energy Region, which included 27 regions Ukrainian SSR and Rostov region of the RSFSR.

The choice of location for the construction of the future nuclear power plant was, in particular, due to the fact that the areas receiving electricity had to be located within a radius of 350-450 km from the station. In addition, specialists from the Teploelektroproekt Institute of the USSR Ministry of Energy and the Kyiv Design Bureau Energosetproekt came to the conclusion that the conditions at the selected site made it possible to establish an uninterrupted water supply to the nuclear power plant and build a transport infrastructure. In addition, the lands near the village of Kopachi were recognized as unproductive in terms of economic use, which minimized the economic losses of the region.

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant was built in several stages. Construction of the first stage was completed in 1977, the launch of the first and second power units took place in 1978. The second stage was ready by 1983. Construction of the third stage began in 1981, but was never completed.

After construction work began, on February 4, 1970, the city of Pripyat was founded three kilometers from the nuclear power plant, intended for workers and employees of the future station.

The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which became one of the most severe man-made disasters in human history in terms of its consequences, occurred on April 26, 1986 at 01:23. At this moment, during the test of the eighth turbogenerator, the fourth power unit exploded. Its structure was completely destroyed. As an examination subsequently revealed, the explosion occurred as a result of an uncontrolled increase in reactor power.

Fire crews were the first to arrive at the scene. Having neither information about the destruction nor data on radiation measurements, firefighters began to extinguish the fire at the fourth reactor. After an hour and a half, the first victims began to appear with symptoms of severe radiation exposure.

At first, residents of the surrounding area were not informed about the incident and were not given any recommendations in connection with the possible release of radiation. The first report of the accident appeared in the Soviet media only on April 27, 36 hours after the accident. In a radius of 10 km around the explosion site, a temporary evacuation of residents was announced, this also applied to the city of Pripyat. Later, the evacuation zone was expanded to a 30-kilometer radius. Then the talk was that people would be able to return to their homes in a few days; they were not allowed to take personal belongings with them.

In the first days after the accident, the northern regions of the Kyiv and Zhitomir regions, the Gomel region of Belarus and the Bryansk region suffered the most. Subsequently, the wind carried the radiation cloud to more distant territories, as a result of which polluting elements in the form of gases, aerosols and fuel particles settled in and in other countries.

Work to eliminate the consequences of the accident proceeded at a record pace. By November 1986, a concrete shelter, also called a sarcophagus, was erected over the destroyed fourth power unit.

Despite the severe radiation contamination in the area of ​​the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the first power unit of the station was restarted on October 1, 1986, and the second power unit on November 5 of the same year. On December 4, 1987, the third power unit of the nuclear power plant came into operation. Only on December 15, 2000, the nuclear power plant stopped generating electricity.

Echoes of tragedy

Almost 30 years after the Chernobyl accident, experts still cannot give comprehensive answers to many questions on which the future of nuclear energy and the well-being of humanity depend.

Until now, experts have not come to a common conclusion about what exactly led to the development of the emergency situation at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. According to one version, the station personnel, who were directly involved in testing the eighth turbogenerator and violated the operating regulations, were to blame for the incident. According to another version, the plant employees, by their actions, only aggravated the problem, which was based on the design features of the reactor, which did not comply with nuclear safety rules, and an undeveloped system of supervision over the operation of the nuclear power plant.

To this day, there are inaccurate data on how many people died or were injured as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. This is because the connection between radiation exposure and health problems is not always clear, and the effects of infection can occur over the long term and affect the genetic level.

Three people were killed as a direct result of the explosion of the station's fourth reactor. Approximately 600 nuclear power plant employees and firefighters were exposed to radiation, and 28 people died shortly after the incident due to the development of acute radiation sickness. It is estimated that more than 8 million people were exposed to radiation in the territory of modern Belarus, Russia and Ukraine alone.

Since 1986, a zone of alienated radiation-hazardous territory has been established within a radius of 30 km around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. It is under constant guard by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine; to cross its borders you must obtain a special permit. In addition, visitors must be accompanied by a guide; movement through the contaminated area is possible only along a pre-approved route. The removal of any objects outside the exclusion zone is prohibited by law; upon exiting the protected area, the clothes and personal belongings of visitors are checked using a dosimeter. However, the restrictions do not stop the so-called stalkers - illegal tourists who prefer to explore the exclusion zone on their own.

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant still poses a danger. This is due, among other things, to the beginning of the destruction of the old sarcophagus at the site of the fourth power unit, which can lead to a radiation leak. In February 2013, the collapse of the roof and ceilings of the sarcophagus was recorded. A new protective structure is currently being built over the first sarcophagus. It is planned to be completed in 2015-2016.

The issues of containing the spread of radiation are currently being dealt with by the State Special Enterprise "Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant", which was founded on April 25, 2001. Its main tasks are the disposal of radioactive waste, monitoring the background radiation in the nuclear power plant area and the construction of a new, more reliable sarcophagus over the fourth power unit. The organization is also taking measures to prevent radiation particles from entering water bodies, including the Kiev Reservoir.

There are several nature reserves located in the exclusion zone, among them the Polesie State Radiation-Ecological Reserve, located within the most affected areas of the Gomel region of Belarus. It was created in 1988, primarily to study the impact of radiation contamination on the ecology, as well as on the development of flora and fauna. However, this reserve is valuable not only as a research site: the wildlife world here is practically isolated from the external environment, which gives animals, including rare species, a chance to survive, and biologists a chance to study them in natural conditions.

ATTRACTIONS

Chernobyl:

■ St. Elias Church (first mentioned in the 16th century).

■ Castle from the time of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (mid-15th century)

Pripyat:

■ Main square.

■ Ferris wheel in the city park.

Natural:

■ Polesie State Radiation-Ecological Reserve.

■Pripyatsky National Park.

■ Red forest (near Chernobyl).

■ Tree-cross (Chernobyl).

■ The name of the city Chernobyl comes from Chernobyl - a type of wormwood. In the Revelations of John the Theologian, the last book of the New Testament, which is also called the “Apocalypse,” there are the following lines: “The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a lamp, and fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of this star is “wormwood”; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many of the people died from the waters, because they became bitter” (Rev. 8: 10-11). After the tragedy in Chernobyl, various interpretations of these words about the Second Coming of Christ and the Last Judgment began to spread. But religious scholars clarified: “wormwood” in the Bible means a comet, which in ancient times was considered a harbinger of trouble.

■ Despite the evacuation and the beginning of work to eliminate the consequences of the accident, the Soviet authorities still tried to minimize panic among the population, so they did not cancel the traditional May Day demonstrations. As a result, people who were unaware of the true scale of the disaster received an additional dose of radiation.

■ The first mention of Chernobyl in Russian chronicles dates back to 1193.

■ The so-called Red Forest, located in close proximity to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, received its nickname due to the fact that after the explosion of the fourth power unit it received a huge dose of radiation exposure - about 8,000-10,000 rads. As a result, all the trees died and turned brown. The forest was later destroyed and is now being restored naturally.

■ In 2013, Chernobyl was included in the list of the most polluted cities according to the American non-profit research organization - the Blacksmith Institute.

■ Self-settlers who returned to live permanently in the exclusion zone are mostly elderly people who preferred their own houses to those provided by the state.
Most of them are engaged in household farming and gathering.

■ Currently, the Pripyat River is the main source of radionuclide leakage outside the exclusion zone.

■ Pripyat was the ninth atomic city, as it was customary to call the settlements of power engineers at nuclear power plants in the USSR.

Do you think that a dose of radiation can only be obtained from the 4th power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant? Huge mistake!

There are a huge number of contaminated objects on the territory of the former USSR. Traces of the largest accidents are still active today, 25 years after the fall of the country.

Often we don’t even think that very close by is a huge radioactive burial ground, a nuclear testing zone, or an outcropping of geological rocks with a background level that is thousands of times higher.

Operating radioactive contamination facilities

1. Production Association "Mayak", Ozyorsk, Russia

Coordinates:

Infected areas: Chelyabinsk region

The accident at Mayak in 1957 was the third largest, after Chernobyl and Fukushima. But the enterprise for the production of components and regeneration of nuclear materials still operates to this day.

Lake Karachay nearby is the dirtiest radioactive zone on Earth. The background here is 1000 times higher than Chernobyl.

However, numerous emergency situations infect the atmosphere and soil of the entire Urals. The last major release took place in 2017. The radioactive cloud reached Europe, losing a significant part along the way.

2. Siberian Chemical Plant, Seversk, Russia

Coordinates: 56°21′16″ n. w. 93°38′37″ E. d.

Infected areas:Tomsk region

At this plant for the processing of solid radioactive materials in 1993, radioactive substances were released into the atmosphere, 2 thousand people were injured - the area is still characterized by elevated background levels.

Official sources say that the case in 1993 is the only one. However, according to GreenPeace, small emissions occur regularly.

3. Mining and chemical plant, Zheleznogorsk, Russia

Coordinates: 55°42′44″ n. w. 60°50′53″ E. d.

Infected areas:Krasnoyarsk region

Until 1995, the enterprise produced weapons-grade plutonium necessary for creating nuclear warheads. In subsequent years, the enterprise was retrained for storing nuclear waste.

The dumping of radioactive materials into the Yenisei is a fairly common and undeniable event. Fortunately, the general background downstream does not exceed the permissible limits too much.

However, at the moment the enterprise is a source of infection. All hope is to create a full recycling cycle, in which the waste will become fuel for a new nuclear power plant.

4. Western Mining and Chemical Combine, Mailuu-Suu, Kyrgyzstan

Coordinates: 41°16′00″ n. w. 72°27′00″ E. d.

Infected areas: Jalal-Abad region of Kyrgyzstan; Andijan and Namangand regions of Uzbekistan

Until 1968, uranium was mined here. Over time, the deposits were exhausted, the industry was reoriented to the production of radio tubes, which also lost their value.

Today, near the settlement there is the world's largest radioactive waste storage facility. The general radiation background is such that Mailuu-Suu is one of the 10 most polluted cities in the world.

Scenes of accidents with large-scale radioactive releases

5. Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Pripyat, Ukraine

Coordinates: 51°23′22″ n. w. 30°05′59″ E. d.

Infected areas: Bryansk, Oryol, Tula, Kaluga regions of Russia; Brest, Gomel, Grodno, Minsk, Mogilev regions of the Republic of Belarus

The tragedy at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant led to the largest radioactive contamination of territories in human history. Clouds of active gases passed right through Russia. Eastern Europe also suffered – Romania, the Balkan countries.

And the troubles are not over yet.

Areas contaminated with cesium-137 will continue to poison residents for at least another 30 years. And the radioactive background in many areas and settlements of the Bryansk, Kaluga, Tula and Gomel regions exceeds the permissible level many times over.

6. 569th Coastal Technical Base, Murmansk, Russia

Coordinates: 69°27′ N. w. 32°21′ E. d.

Infected areas: Murmansk region
In 1982, here, on Andreeva Bay, there was a leak of radioactive water. As a result, 700 thousand tons of water flowed into the Barents Sea - more than from Fukushima.

Andreeva Bay is not the only “dirty” place in the Murmansk region. But she is abandoned, unlike the others.

Spent nuclear fuel disposal sites and coastal bases for nuclear service vessels located in the Murmansk region attract researchers from all over the world. The level of radiation is increasing every year.

7. Chazhma Bay, Nakhodka, Russia

Coordinates: 42°54′02″ n. w. 132°21′08″ E. d.

Infected areas: Peter the Great Bay (?), water area of ​​the port of Nakhodka

As a result of the accident on the K-431 nuclear submarine in August 1985, an area of ​​about 100 thousand square meters was contaminated.

Although the background is gradually decreasing, Pavlovsky Bay is still dangerous for visits. In addition, leaks are likely, distributing dangerous isotopes into sea waters.

8. Aikhal village, Russia

Coordinates: 65°56′00″ n. w. 111°29′00″ E. d.

Infected areas: The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

The Kraton-3 project, within the framework of which an underground explosion was carried out near the village of Aikhal on August 24, 1978 to study seismic activity with an accidental release into the environment, making the area 50 km around uninhabitable.

In addition, similar experiments were carried out in Yakutia (but without air contamination) within the framework of the projects “Crystal”, “Horizon-4”, “Kraton-3/4”, “Vyatka”, “Kimberlite” and a whole series of explosions in the city area Peaceful.

Official sources claim that the explosion sites have a standard natural background. Whether this is actually true is unknown.

9. Kama-Pechora Canal, Krasnovishersk, Russia

Coordinates: 61°18’22″N. w. 56°35’54″E. d.
Infected areas: Perm region

A series of surface explosions for the construction of the canal led to the contamination of the nearby Pechora forests back in 1971.

Since then, the area, even the crater itself, has become habitable.

However, the most important property of radioactive contamination is observed here: radiation is still encountered, although official measurements cannot cover the entire territory, the main inspection sites are clean.

10. Udachny Mining and Processing Plant, Udachny, Russia

Coordinates: 66°26′04″ N. w. 112°18′58″ E. d.

Infected areas: Yakutia

A radioactive cloud resulting from an above-ground explosion as part of a project to create a dam for the Udachny mining and processing plant covered neighboring settlements.

Most of the territory today has a natural background, but in some places the so-called “dead forest” remains - areas of dead vegetation without any signs of life.

11. Gas condensate field, Krestishche, Ukraine

Coordinates: 49°33′33″ n. w. 35°28′25″ E. d.

Infected areas: Donetsk region of Ukraine

An attempt to eliminate a gas leak from a gas condensate field using a directed nuclear explosion was unsuccessful. But there was a release of radiation, echoes of which can still be found nearby today.

Both immediately after the experiment and today, there is no official data on the radiation background.

Polygons

12. “Globus-1”, Galkino, Russia

Coordinates: 57°31′00″ n. w. 42°36′43″ E. d.

Infected areas: Ivanovo region

The release from the peaceful underground explosion of the Globus-1 project in 1971 is still causing contamination of the surrounding area today.

According to official data, today the background level is approaching the permissible level (although some of the surrounding areas are still closed).

However, besides this place, there are several old radio burial grounds in the Moscow region, and in the west there is an increased background that appeared as a result of the Chernobyl accident.

If the authorities recognize the infection, benefits will have to be paid and benefits (including free higher education) will have to be provided.

13. Semipalatinsk Test Site, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan

Coordinates.

Although the 2011 earthquake and the Fukushima scare brought the radiation threat back into the public consciousness, many people still don't realize that radioactive contamination is a danger around the world. Radionuclides are among the six most dangerous toxic substances listed in a report that was published in 2010 by the Blacksmith Institute, a non-governmental organization focused on environmental pollution. The location of some of the most radioactive places on the planet may surprise you - as will the many people who live under the threat of the possible effects of radiation on themselves and their children.

Hanford, USA - 10th place

The Hanford complex in Washington state was part of the US project to develop the first atomic bomb, producing plutonium for it and the Fat Man used in Nagasaki. During the Cold War, the complex increased production, providing plutonium for most of America's 60,000 nuclear weapons. Despite its decommissioning, it still contains two-thirds of the country's high-level radioactive waste - about 53 million gallons (200 thousand cubic meters) of liquid, 25 million cubic meters. feet (700 thousand cubic meters) solid and 200 sq. miles (518 sq. km) of groundwater contaminated with radiation, making it the most contaminated area in the United States. The destruction of the natural environment in the area makes you realize that the threat of radiation is not something that will come with a missile attack, but something that can lurk in the very heart of your own country.

Mediterranean Sea - 9th place

For years, it has been said that the Italian mafia syndicate 'Ndrangheta used the sea as a convenient place to dump hazardous waste, including radioactive waste, profiting from the provision of related services. According to the assumptions of the Italian non-governmental organization Legambiente, since 1994, about 40 ships loaded with toxic and radioactive waste have disappeared in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. If true, these claims paint an alarming picture of the Mediterranean basin being contaminated by an unknown amount of nuclear material, the true extent of which will become clear when hundreds of barrels are compromised by normal wear and tear or other processes. The beauty of the Mediterranean may well be hiding an unfolding environmental disaster.

Coast of Somalia - 8th place

Since we are talking about this sinister business, the Italian mafia just mentioned did not limit itself only to its own region. There are also allegations that Somalia's unprotected soils and waters have been used to dump and dump nuclear materials and toxic metals, including 600 barrels of toxic and radioactive waste, as well as medical waste. In fact, the UN Environment Program believes that the rusting drums of waste that washed up on the Somali coast during the 2004 tsunami were dumped into the sea back in the 1990s. The country is already devastated by anarchy, and the impact of waste on its impoverished population may be as devastating (if not worse) than anything they have experienced before.

Mayak, Russia— 7th place

The Mayak industrial complex in northeast Russia has been a nuclear materials production plant for decades, and in 1957 it became the site of one of the worst nuclear incidents in the world. As a result of the explosion, which resulted in the release of up to one hundred tons of radioactive waste, a vast area was contaminated. The fact of the explosion was kept under cover of secrecy until the eighties. Since the 1950s, waste from the plant has been dumped in the surrounding area, as well as into Lake Karachay. This has led to contamination of the water supply that supplies the daily needs of thousands of people. Experts believe Karachay may be the most radioactive place in the world, and more than 400,000 people have been exposed to radiation from the plant as a result of various serious incidents - including fires and deadly dust storms. The natural beauty of Lake Karachay deceptively hides pollutants that create, where they enter the waters of the lake, a level of radiation sufficient for a person to receive a lethal dose of radiation within an hour.

Sellafield, UK— 6th place

Situated on the west coast of England, Sellafield was originally an atomic bomb manufacturing facility before it became a commercial site. Since it began operating, it has suffered hundreds of accidents, and two-thirds of its buildings themselves are now considered radioactive waste. The plant dumps around 8 million liters of radioactive waste into the sea every day, making the Irish Sea the most radioactive sea in the world. England is famous for its green fields and rolling landscapes, yet in the heart of this industrialized country sits a toxic, high-accident facility that spews hazardous substances into the world's oceans.

Siberian Chemical Plant, Russia— 5th place

Mayak is not the only dirty place in Russia; There is a chemical industry facility in Siberia that contains more than forty years of nuclear waste. Liquids are stored in open basins, and poorly maintained reservoirs hold more than 125,000 tons of solids, while underground storage is capable of leaking into groundwater. Winds and rains carried the pollution throughout the surrounding area and its wildlife. And many minor accidents led to the loss of plutonium and the explosive spread of radiation. The snow-covered landscape may look pristine and clean, but the facts make clear the true extent of pollution that can be found here.

Semipalatinsk test site, Kazakhstan— 4th place

Once the site of nuclear weapons testing, the area is now part of modern-day Kazakhstan. The site was allocated for the Soviet atomic bomb project due to its "uninhabitable" nature - despite the fact that 700 thousand people lived in the area. The site was where the USSR detonated its first atomic bomb and holds the record as the site with the highest concentration of nuclear explosions in the world, with 456 tests over 40 years from 1949 to 1989. Although testing at the site—and its effects in terms of radiation exposure—was kept secret by the Soviets until its closure in 1991, the radiation harmed the health of 200,000 people, researchers estimate. The desire to destroy peoples on the other side of the border led to the specter of nuclear contamination, which hung over the heads of those who were once citizens of the USSR.

Mailuu-Suu, Kyrgyzstan— 3rd place

In Mailuu-Suu, which a 2006 Blacksmith Institute report ranked as one of the ten most polluted cities on Earth, the radiation comes not from atomic bombs or power plants, but from the mining of materials needed in related technological processes. In this area, uranium mining and processing facilities were located, which are now abandoned along with 36 uranium waste dumps - more than 1.96 million cubic meters. The region is also characterized by seismic activity, and any disruption of the localization of substances could lead to their contact with the environment or, if released into rivers, contamination of water used by hundreds of thousands of people. These people may never worry about the threat of a nuclear attack, but they still have good reason to live in fear of nuclear fallout whenever the earth shakes.

Chernobyl, Ukraine— 2nd place

The site of one of the worst and most inglorious nuclear accidents, Chernobyl is still heavily contaminated, despite the fact that a small number of people are now allowed into the zone for a limited time. The infamous incident exposed 6 million people to radiation, and estimates of the number of deaths that will eventually occur due to the Chernobyl accident range from 4,000 to 93,000. The radiation emissions were a hundred times greater than those that occurred during the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Belarus absorbed 70 percent of the radiation, and its citizens faced unprecedented levels of cancer. Even today, the word “Chernobyl” conjures up horrific images of human suffering.

Fukushima, Japan— 1st place

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami was a tragedy that destroyed lives and homes, but the biggest long-term threat may be the impact of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl caused fuel meltdowns in three of the six reactors and leaked radiation into the surrounding area and into the sea so much that radioactive material was found up to two hundred miles from the plant. Until the accident and its consequences are fully revealed, the true extent of environmental damage remains unknown. The world may still feel the effects of this disaster for generations to come.

(after the disasters in Chernobyl and Fukushima) an accident in which about 100 tons of radioactive waste were released into the environment. An explosion followed, polluting a vast area.

Since then, many emergency situations involving emissions have occurred at the plant.

Siberian Chemical Plant, Seversk, Russia

Test site, Semipalatinsk (Semey), Kazakhstan

Western Mining and Chemical Combine, Mailuu-Suu city, Kyrgyzstan

Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Pripyat city, Ukraine

Urta-Bulak gas field, Uzbekistan

Aikhal village, Russia

On August 24, 1978, 50 kilometers east of the village of Aikhal, as part of the Kraton-3 project, an underground explosion was carried out to study seismic activity. The power was 19 kilotons. As a result of these actions, a large radioactive release occurred to the surface. So big that the incident was recognized by the government. But there have been a lot of underground nuclear explosions in Yakutia. Elevated background levels are typical for many places even now.

Udachninsky mining and processing plant, Udachny city, Russia

As part of the Crystal project, on October 2, 1974, an above-ground explosion with a capacity of 1.7 kilotons was carried out 2 kilometers from the city of Udachny. The goal was to create a dam for the Udachny mining and processing plant. Unfortunately, there was also a large release.

Pechora - Kama canal, Krasnovishersk city, Russia

On March 23, 1971, the Taiga project was carried out 100 kilometers north of the city of Krasnovishersk in the Cherdynsky district of the Perm region. As part of it, three charges of 5 kilotons each were detonated for the construction of the Pechora-Kama canal. Since the explosion was superficial, a release occurred. A large area was infected, where, however, people live today.

569th Coastal Technical Base, Andreeva Bay, Russia

Test site "Globus-1", Galkino village, Russia

Here, in 1971, another peaceful underground explosion was carried out under the Globus-1 project. Again for the purpose of seismic sounding. Due to poor quality cementing of the wellbore to place the charge, substances were released into the atmosphere and into the Shacha River. This place is the closest officially recognized man-made contamination zone to Moscow.

Mine "Yunkom", Donetsk, Ukraine

Gas condensate field, Krestishche village, Ukraine

Here another unsuccessful experiment was carried out on the use of a nuclear explosion for peaceful purposes. More precisely, to eliminate a gas leak from the field, which could not be stopped for a whole year. The explosion was accompanied by a release, a characteristic mushroom and contamination of nearby areas. There are no official data on background radiation at that time or at the present time.

Totsky training ground, Buzuluk city, Russia

Once upon a time, an experiment called “Snowball” was conducted at this test site - the first test of the influence of the consequences of a nuclear explosion on people. During the exercise, a Tu-4 bomber dropped a nuclear bomb with a yield of 38 kilotons of TNT. Approximately three hours after the explosion, 45 thousand military personnel were sent to the contaminated territory. Only a few of them are alive. It is unknown whether the landfill is currently decontaminated.

A more detailed list of radioactive sites can be found.