35 years after the most terrible nuclear accident in human history, the Ukrainian government is trying to make the ‘dead land’ Chernobyl a world heritage site to attract tourists.
Ruins of a former children’s play area in Chernobyl. A dust-covered nuclear power plant, nestled among rubble piles and abandoned buildings is not a reminder of UNESCO’s world cultural heritage. But the Ukrainian government has ambitions to win this title for the Chernobyl plant. If successful, Chernobyl will join the ranks of the most iconic monuments to human culture and civilization, such as the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, the great pillars of Stonehenge, the Forbidden City of Beijing and the high-rise Easter Island in Rapa Nui. According to the UNESCO website, in order to be considered for inclusion on the World Heritage List, a site “must have outstanding universal value” and ensures at least one quality that matches the agency’s selection criteria. this. Some of the locations on the list represent spectacular and unique examples of natural grandeur, such as Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks in the United States; Halong Bay of Vietnam; Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Pristine Białowieża Forest between Russia and Belarus. Other locations, China’s Great Wall, Mexico’s Chichén Itzá ruins and the city of Venice, Italy, have earned a spot on the list for their importance in human history as well as its rare beauty. them. The sites on the list have certain legal protection and may receive financial support from the World Heritage Fund to help conserve it, according to UNESCO. In order for a site to be eligible for UNESCO listing, it must first be added to the list of historical and cultural heritage in its country of origin. According to the Ukrainian Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko: “We believe that the inclusion of Chernobyl on the UNESCO heritage list is the first and important step towards making this wonderful place a featured tourist destination for all mankind. care. The importance of the Chernobyl region goes far beyond Ukraine’s borders. It is not only about memories, but also about history and human rights ”. In fact, the tourism industry has been booming in the forbidden zone. One of the cities in the region – Pripyat, home to about 49,000 people in 1986 – is today an apocalyptic ghost town; The homes, schools and hospitals are uninhabited and are home to plants and wildlife. The forbidden zone was first opened to visitors in 2010, and Pripyat’s bizarre, overgrown buildings quickly became a popular destination for photographers and travel enthusiasts. disaster site. But the Chernobyl tourism industry really took off after the success of the 2019 thriller series on HBO, “Chernobyl”. Guides in Ukraine reported tour bookings in 2019 were up 30% from the previous year. About 124,000 tourists visited Chernobyl last year and about 100,000 of them came from outside Ukraine. Scientists are also monitoring Chernobyl to track how wildlife in the forbidden area adapts to levels of radiation exposure making the area unsafe for humans – and some findings They are surprisingly positive. For example, recent surveys show that gray wolves (Canis lupus) are thriving near Chernobyl, partly because they have many prey and many territories that have not yet been affected by humans. And a rare Asian wild horse known as the Przewalski (Equus ferus przewalskii) is also thriving in the restricted area.
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