If you ever dreamed of visiting Chernobyl, now you can do this straight from your home – by going on a virtual tour using the Chernobyl App
Chernobyl is one of the worst human-made disasters that happened in the former Soviet Union and affected the whole world with radiation pollution that will remain with us for tens of thousands of years.
Today the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is an important historical monument that preserved many Cold War artifacts, became an open-air science laboratory, an area of inspiration for artists worldwide, and a place where nature is called to cover human error and silently keep these lessons for generations to come.
Chernobyl is one of the most exciting cities globally, attracting more than 100 thousand tourists a year. If you ever dreamed of visiting it, now you can do this straight from your home – by going on a virtual tour using the Chernobyl App, not worrying about the difficulties in travel connected to the COVID-19 pandemic nor the radiation levels within the Exclusion Zone.
Unfortunately, Chernobyl, as we know it, is gradually disappearing from the map either because of natural destruction or forest fires rampaging the territory due to climate change. Just this spring, 5% of Chernobyl sights have been lost to the fire irreversibly. The Chernobyl app is trying to preserve the Chernobyl heritage by digitizing the territory and artifacts found within the Exclusion Zone.
Open a virtual portal to a selected point on the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone map with a full description of the location, archive and 360 photos, 3D content in AR, and an audio guide. For example, you could place the famous Ferris Wheel of Pripyat right in front of you using Augmented Reality.
Valery Korshunov, the author of the idea of Chernobyl App and ARTEFACT project:
“Since Soviet times, there have always been a lot of fakes and manipulations around Chernobyl. The mission of this application is to overcome the information catastrophe around Chernobyl by gathering all the true information on the history of the tragedy, the current state of the exclusion zone, and expose the most common fakes around the topic in one place. Show Chernobyl as it is now through virtual tours and 360 portals, and provide the necessary official information on how to get ready for the travel to anyone who dares to visit Chernobyl for real”.
Chernobyl App contains a lot of modern and historical information: recently declassified KGB documents that shed light on the real background of the tragedy, pollution maps, museum exhibits, but most importantly – unique media content that allows you to explore Chernobyl virtually from anywhere in the world. The application will answer the three main questions anyone curious about Chernobyl may ask:
- Where can I find full and verified information about the 1986 tragedy, its history, and its cultural impact?
- Is there a way to explore the Exclusion Zone in a virtual format?
- How do I prepare for a trip to Chernobyl?
Chernobyl App is free to download and is available in English and Ukrainian languages on the App Store and Play Market.
“The Chernobyl App has gathered a whole cluster of knowledge about one of the most tragic events in our history. We hope the Chernobyl App to become the virtual guide in the Exclusion Zone, accompanying you both remotely – with the help of digitized materials from the Zone, especially those that are forbidden to visit due to high radiation levels or threat of destruction; and during the trip itself – expanding the experience with unique content, even offline” said Mariia Tintul, project coordinator.
Chernobyl App is also a reliable guide for travelers. It features necessary information about the visit conditions and even helps make an Exclusion Zone access application for a trip.
The application was developed by INGO “European Institute of Chernobyl” with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation as a central information hub for Chernobyl, which, in collaboration with international organizations, scientists, artists, and volunteers, collects the complete information about Chernobyl and broadcasts it openly to an international audience. Currently, the application cooperates with the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management, the Center for Organizational, Technical and Information Support of the Exclusion Zone Management, the National Museum “Chernobyl”, IOO “Center PRYPYAT.com”, the Center for Liberation Movement Studies.
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