In April 1986, reactor four in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded, causing a nuclear fallout 400 times larger than the Hiroshima bomb. Around 335,000 people were evacuated – 115,000 from the surrounding area in 1986 and 220,000 people from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine after 1986. A 30km exclusion zone was set up, leaving several ‘ghost towns’ including the nearby town of Pripyat.
The worst of the radiation is now contained within a huge protective dome that has been placed over the exploded reactor.
In the absence of humans, vegetation and wildlife have reclaimed the towns, giving them a spooky, overgrown atmosphere.
Pripyat was recently deemed safe to visit for short periods and has now become one of Ukraine’s most talked about attractions.
The new HBO historical drama ‘Chernobyl’ has sparked a renewed interest in the place and the catastrophe that occurred there.
READ MORE: Chernobyl: The heartbreaking story of unborn babies harmed by nuclear disaster
However, even before the programme –which is the best rated show of all time on IMDB – aired, tourism was increasing.
In 2013, 8,000 tourists visited the Chernobyl exclusion zone but this rose to 65,000 by 2018, according to Gamma Travel tour guide Alexandra Chalenko.
She told the Independent that she expects the figure to rise to 100,000 this year.
Ms Chalenko said: “We are joking amongst each other that we don’t want a second HBO season.”
Like any dark tourism site, some locals have reservations about opening it up for outsiders to gawk at.
A number of social media influencers have come under fire for taking insensitive photographs at the site and not giving enough respect for those affected by the disaster.
The creator of HBO’s ‘Chernobyl’ Craig Mazin tweeted: “It’s wonderful that Chernobyl has inspired a wave of tourism to the Zone of Exclusion.
“But yes, I’ve seen the photos going around. If you visit, please remember that a terrible tragedy occurred there.
“Comport yourselves with respect for all who suffered and sacrificed.”
Some people also have concerns about companies making money out of the misery of others – but Ms Chalenko has a different opinion.
She said: “Some have a problem with these trips, they see it as money-making.
“But this is a unique place. It is not a graveyard, or some creepy place – it is a place where nature has won.”