While the Chernobyl disaster took place multiple decades ago it still remains a fascinating part of European history, including any footage we can get of the doomed reactor.
On April 26, 1986, the No. 4 reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded in Ukraine and sparked international concern as lethal amounts of radiation was released into the atmosphere.
Shockingly enough, this radiation was picked up hundreds of miles away from the explosion. But only a few hours later, it was picked up in different countries, ultimately spreading across the globe.
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Around 30 people died from the immediate blast trauma of the reactor explosion and, while United Nations estimates that only 50 deaths can be directly attributed to the disaster, thousands of people went on to die from radiation exposure in the years that followed.
The fact that much of the surrounding area has been so irradiated it is both illegal and ill-advised to visit, however, that has only added to the fascination around it.
A video on Reddit has recently reinvigorated that fascination, while also instilling fear after seeing the simple horror displayed.
Alexander Kupny worked as a health physics technician at Reactor No. 3 in 1989 and is one of the few people who can say he has gotten unbelievably close to reactor No. 4 and lived.
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From 2007 to 2009, unauthorized trips to Chernobyl sarcophagus, the vast concrete tomb built around the smoldering reactor in the months following the accident, became more frequent.
And eventually, accompanied by his friend Sergei Koshelev, Kupny took a trip to the depths of reactor 4 and recorded what he saw.
Amazingly, due to the ridiculously high levels of radiation still being given off in the reactor, the static seen in the video, is actually radiation.
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On the Reddit thread, many social media users remarked their fear and surprise at the footage.
One user commented: “Everytime the camera goes over something dark, the invisible death becomes visible with all the little speckles showing on the camera. That is the radiation Interacting with the sensor.”
Another simply added: “Crazy how it affects the camera sensor.”
And a third added: “Awesome video, you basically just see some dirty factory basement, until you realize your looking at one of the most hazardous places on earth and its invisible death.”
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Thankfully, Kupny and Koshelev wore all the protective equipment available to them to reduce their radiation exposure when they shot the video.
UNILAD has contacted Kupny for comment.
Gerrard Kaonga