Very recently, Ukraine revealed to the world the new protective tomb, whose construction has recently come to completion and is now in position over reactor 4 at the crippled Chernobyl nuclear plant. The original sarcophagus having worn away, the new confinement chamber is the result of the efforts and skills of no less than 10,000 people, and took almost a decade to complete.

The protective shield not only locks away the remains of the wrecked nuclear plant – the effects of its destruction still a reality thirty years later – but modern technology such as remote controlled tools that reside within the structure, will essentially breakdown and dismantle the ruined building.

Although the new structure is a wonder of modern engineering, technology and workmanship, it is also a grim reminder of the far reaching and deadly aftermath of such a volatile power as nuclear.

The video below is a mini-documentary on the new protective structure over Chernobyl.

The Making Of A Ghost Town, And Strange Events In Pripyat’s Skies

Shortly after midnight of 26th April 1986, a deadly and ferocious explosion ripped apart the night sky over the former Soviet Union (now modern day Ukraine), as reactor 4 exploded during a routine safety test.

Rescue teams immediately went into the site, both in an attempt to tackle the blaze and bring out any survivors. In the days that followed, forty-seven of those first responders were dead from lethal doses of radiation.

The residents of the small town of Pripyat – mainly families of workers at the plant – were ordered to pack “enough belongings for two or three days” and then were shipped out of the area. Little did they know at the time, they would never return.

The two short videos below are very much worth watching at this point. The first contains the original radio broadcast that went out to the residents of Pripyat. It is a rather haunting few minutes of footage. The second is footage taken just three months after the disaster and shows how desolate the town had become.

Both in the days immediately before and after the disaster, several reports of strange activity in the skies over the town came to light.

Many residents of Pripyat claim that a “cigar-shaped” object glowed brightly, directly over reactor 4 for several hours following the initial explosion. Others claimed to have seen a similar object in the skies near the plant in the days leading up to the meltdown.

Even stranger were sightings of the winged creature, known as the “Birdman of Pripyat” – seen by various people in the days leading up to the disaster. Perhaps even stranger, is that those who saw this strange figure – said by some to be an omen or even a bringer of doom – experienced intense nightmares in the days that followed, with some even reporting that they received chilling, threatening phone calls from an unknown caller.

Although they don’t show anything strange, the short video compilation shows some great examples of “Then-and-Now” pictures of Pripyat and the area around Chernobyl.

Wildlife Response Is Intriguing

When scientists have studied the wildlife in the restricted zones of Chernobyl, the results have been surprising, both in good ways and bad.

Przewalski’s horses, for example, were successfully introduced to the area, at least initially. Sometimes referred to as “cave painting horses” due to their appearance (they are an ancient breed of horse that cavemen would have seen regularly) they are now a protected species. The absence of people in the restricted zones allowed them to start to flourish. However, more recently their numbers have begun to drop, with initial tests seeming to suggest that long term exposure to radiation is indeed beginning to have an effect on them, despite the overall levels dropping.

Wolves native to the area also appear to have become extremely aggressive, something that is extremely rare. They hardly ever attack people, but there have been several reported attacks of military personnel working in the area. Limited studies of their behaviour in this region, do indeed seem to suggest that their aggressiveness is very much part of their (now) normal behaviour. Would human beings react in a similar way to the wolves of Chernobyl if they too were exposed to the same levels of radiation?

Even consequences of the tiny bugs and living organisms – essentially eradicated in the Red Forest that runs through the restricted area – came under the spotlight. Because of their absence, decomposition of the dead leaves and trees uprooted in the initial blast, does not take place. Underfoot there is a carpet of three decades worth of dead leaves and forest.

In short, the study of the restricted zone has enabled scientists to better understand what the response of both wildlife, and the environment in general, would be under the conditions of such a huge nuclear explosion should it happen again.

The documentary below, “Life After Chernobyl” looks at this in a little more detail.

Strange Stories Of “Digital” Ghosts And Shadow People

The 2009 film “The Chernobyl Diaries” tells the story of four twenty-somethings touring Europe, who decide to take a tour of Pripyat. Of course the movie is a complete work of fiction – and a decent film at that – but a lot of the themes and backdrops are very accurate. You can see a trailer to the movie below.

Radiation levels have lifted enough to allow for very short “stays” in the restricted zone, and makeshift “tours” operate in the area (although under strict scrutiny of the authorities). Many people though, simply sneak past the military guards and roam around Pripyat to their heart’s content, looking for adventure, or perhaps proof of the many tales of strange sightings of figures and apparitions.

Although no known reports of zombies roaming around Pripyat are on record, there have been plenty of paranormal sightings. The SyFy TV show, “Destination Truth” ventured into the zone to investigate such sightings. One witness, claimed to have seen people that she once knew who had died in the disaster. If that wasn’t spine-chilling enough, she went on to state that their faces appeared “shaky and distorted” as if they were “digital!” Others told of having the feeling that they were “being watched” by something or someone strange.

When the crew ventured inside some of the ruins, they picked up numerous heat sources appearing to outline that of a person – even though all of their crew were accounted for. One of the investigators claimed to have felt “a hand” tug on her clothing. Another piece of footage they shot caught what appeared to be a shadow figure standing in a doorway.

“Screams For Help” Coming From Reactor 4….Eleven Years Later

Perhaps one of the most chilling accounts is that of nuclear physicist, Andrei Kharsukhov, who visited the site with his team in 1997, over a decade after the explosion. He claimed to have been taking radiation readings directly outside of reactor 4. Out of nowhere, and from inside the sealed off reactor, came the sound of screaming for help, and claims there was a fire inside the reactor!

He informed his team of this, concerned that someone may have gotten past him and trapped themselves inside, but their reply that the only way in was through the door he himself had entered through – a door that he was the first person to even open in years, only made the experience even more chilling. An alarm also sat on the reactor door – set to sound as soon as the door opened – no such alarm went off.

Later that same evening, as he and his team were eating dinner outside of the main building, one of the huge floodlights turned on inside the main room. Just as one of his team got up to investigate, the light suddenly turned off again.

Is it really possible that the levels of radiation and raw energy make the “energy” of a ghost manifestation stronger?

While there is still much research and investigation – both conventional and paranormal – that has to continue in the remains of Pripyat and the surrounding areas, it isn’t the first time that paranormal investigators and researchers have theorised that manifestations are the result of some kind of energy release or fusion.

The Scole Experiments

In November 1993, in the small village of Scole, England, a small team of paranormal investigators began The Scole Experiments, in an effort to prove that understanding energy was the key to proving and learning about life after death. Led by respected paranormal researcher, Robin Foy, all steps were taken to ensure that the experiment was not open to tampering or “manufacturing” desired results. The sessions would be held in a cellar that had no access points other than the main door – which would be locked from the outside.

Each person sitting in on the séance was to wear illuminous arm bands that would clearly glow in the dark – again in an effort to prove that there was no manipulating any activity they might witness. Perhaps the strangest part of the experiment was that Foy had placed a sealed camera film in a box that was to be locked, and placed in the middle of the table the group would sit around. Using their theory that the afterlife used energy to manifest itself, they hoped to capture images of their guests on the film.

Needless to say, strange activity did occur throughout the experiment sessions. People clearly heard voices calling names out loud, while some participants stated they could feel themselves being poked by unseen fingers, or even shoved in the back. Perhaps more importantly, given the group’s energy theory, orbs of light were also observed at various times during the séance.

Perhaps the strangest part of all however, was the camera film from the box on the middle of the table. When the film was opened and developed, there was a strange collection of colours and random patterns on some of the frames. One in particular however, clearly showed what appeared to be a woman’s face looking back at them.

Check out the documentary below that looks at “The Scole Experiments” in a lot more detail. It also shows you the strange photographs, so you can judge for yourself how real they may or may not be, and indeed whether the energy that is undoubtedly present in the decaying ruins of Pripyat, may give life to the many ghosts that surely roam its grounds.