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ISSN 2617-2909 (print) ISSN 2617-2119 (online)
Journ.Geol.Geograph.
Geology, 29(4), 701-709. doi: 10.15421/112063
V. F. Kaluha, S. I. Uliganets, O. Y.Dmytrak, L. V.Melnyk, T. G. Kupach Journ. Geol. Geograph. Geoecology, 29 (4),701-709.
Chornobyl Phenomenon: Catastrophe, Experimental Area vs Curiousity Object
Volodymyr F. Kaluha1, Serhii I. Uliganets2, Olexander Y. Dmytruk2, Liudmyla V. Melnyk2, Tetiana G. Kupach2
'National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine
2Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv Ukraine, uliganez@ukr.net
Received: 08.09.2020 Abstract. The article is devoted to a qualitative thematic study of the Chernobyl phenomenon
Received inrevisedform: 22.09.2020 as a holistic phenomenon that combines a number of manifestations: from objects of direct Accepted: 16.10.2020 visual perception to legends and myths about events, processes and Chernobyl in general.
The integrity of the image of the Chornobyl zone makes the Exclusion Zone an attractive tourist destination, especially for those who is interested in gaining such experience. At the same time, using the method of thematic research and based on statistics, the Chernobyl phenomenon is considered in its real context and as a kind of indirect means to determine the level of interest of citizens of different countries in Ukraine (as a carrier of unique culture, history and world events ). The results of the article are a contextual analysis of the phenomenon of Chernobyl as a tourist destination. Resource opportunities of nuclear tourism in the Chornobyl zone are analyzed. Methodological qualitative case study of the Chernobyl phenomenon includes accounting and description of tourist resources of Nature and resources of cultural identity of the cities of Pripyat, Chernobyl (with adjoining territories), which are cultural artifacts and are elements of the nuclear heritage of Ukraine, and can be included and presented in tourist routes. The contextual analysis of this study concerned the consideration and processing of data on the Chornobyl zone as a holistic phenomenon, from cartographic, textual documents, comparative analysis data of visitor loyalty, partial mathematical and statistical analysis of tourist attendance data. This case study is an approach to a comprehensive study of the phenomenon in the context of its actual existence using a variety of data sources. It is this comprehensiveness in the study of the phenomenon that ensures that the object is viewed from different angles, which allows you to reveal and understand all aspects of the phenomenon. The article reveals the main components of the Chernobyl phenomenon, mentions key tourist attractions that have their own history and shrouded in prophecies, legends and myths, as well as analyzes the tourist attendance of this destination by different categories of tourists, indicating significant interest in this territory.
Keywords: Chornobyl phenomenon, tourist attraction, destination, Chornobyl "image ", exclusion zone
Чорнобильський феномен: катастрофа, зона експерименту vs об'ект шдвищеноУ щкавост для допитливих
Калуга В.Ф. 1, Ул1ганець С.1. 2, Дмитрук О.Ю. 2, Мельник Л.В. 2, Купач Т.Г. 2
'Нацюнальний унгверситет бюресурав i природокористування Украши, м. Кшв, Украта
2Кшвський нацюнальний утверситет iMeHi Тараса Шевченка, м. Кшв, Украта, uliganez@ukr.net
Анотащя. Стаття присвячена дослвдженню Чорнобильського феномену як цЫсного явища: ввд об'екту безпосередньо-го сенсорного сприйняття до легенд та мiфiв про поди, процеси та Чорнобиль загалом. ЦЫсшсть образу Чорнобильсько! зони робить територш вiдчуження привабливою туристичною дестинащею, особливо для тих, хто защкавлений у отриманш досввду атомного туризму. Водночас, використовуючи метод тематичного доондження та Грунтуючись на статистищ, явище Чорнобиль розглядаеться в його реальному контекст та як своерiдний зааб для визначення рiвня защкавленосп громадян рiзних кра!н в УкраМ (як ноая ушкально! культури, гстори, свщка свгтових подш). Результата статп - це контекстний анатз феномену Чорнобиля як туристичного напрямку. Проаналiзовано ресурснi можливостi ядерного туризму в Чорнобильськш зонi. Методолопчно контекстуальне вивчення явища Чорнобиля включае облiк та опис туристичних природних ресурсiв та ресурсiв iсторико-культурноi спадщини мiст Прип'ять, Чорнобиль (з прилеглими територiями), якi е iсторико-культурними артефактами та елементами ядерно! спадщини Украши i можуть бути включенi та представлен в туристичних маршрутах. Це тематичне дослiдження е пiдходом до всебiчного вивчення явища в контекст його фактичного iснування з використанням рiзноманiтних джерел даних. Контекстуальний анатз в дослiдженнi стосувався розгляду та обробки даних про Чорнобильську зону як цЫсне явище з картографiчних, текстових документiв, даних порiвняльного аналiзу лояльностi вiдвiдувачiв, частково-го математичного та статистичного аналiзу даних вiдвiдуваностi туристiв. Саме ця всебiчнiсть у доандженш явища забезпечуе
Journal of Geology Geography And Geoecology
Journal home page: geology-dnu-dp.ua
розгляд об'екта з рiзних сторш, що дозволяе розкрити та зрозумгш Bei аспекти явища. У статл розкриваються 0CH0BHi складов1 явища Чорнобиля, згадуються ключовi туристичнi визначнi пам'ятки, якi мають власну iсторiю та оповит пророцтвами, ле -гендами та мiфами, а також анатзуеться вiдвiдуванiсть цього мюця рiзними категорiями туристiв, що свiдчить про значний iнтерес до ще1 територп.
Krnonoei слова: Чорнобильський феномен, туристична nprna6nueicmb, дестинащя, «образ» Чорнобиля, зона вiдчуження
Introduction. Life experience shows that something big is noticed from a distance. The Chernobyl phenomenon, which was manifested by a striking and actually well-known Chernobyl disaster in April 1986, is a landmark event of the late 20th century on a global scale. At the same time, the scale of the catastrophe received quite a good losses estimation within the first few years after the disaster happened.
But the Chornobyl phenomenon remains currently little studied and, moreover, judged by its influence on the mankind existence, including the noosphere, and the global ecosystem as a whole. Obviously, the scale of the phenomenon mentioned is so large that it can only be more or less properly grasped the decades later. In addition to the catastrophe itself, accompanied by the pure statistics only, the Chornobyl phenomenon combines the information content filled with various myths, legends, testimonies and considerations; system of established and at the same time little -researched causes of the catastrophe; a system of consequences that make themselves known over time. Therefore, it is the Chornobyl phenomenon, rather than the catastrophe itself, that is of much greater interest for not only the narrow-specialized professionals and civil servants). The tourists, at least the vast majority of them, are more likely attracted to the "Chomobyl image" formed on the basis of the above-mentioned components of the Chornobyl phenomenon than the catastrophe itself. One can only discover that the decorative image of Chernobyl, widespread in Ukraine and even in the world, is at least clearly simplified, and most likely sufficiently distorted. As a result, a number of grounds are being formed to distort the general idea of the Chornobyl phenomenon and thus the Chornobyl disaster and its actual, rather contradictory consequences. In the context of this article that may cause the local and foreign tourists' disappointment, generated by "the expected" and "the experienced" mismatch after visiting the Chernobyl zone. Therefore, in order to prevent the undesirable effects generated by distortions of the Chornobyl phenomenon, there is a need to comprehend the mentioned phenomenon systematically relying on the analysis of various statistics, available information base, etc.
Nuclear artefacts around the world are becoming increasingly popular tourist attractions. Tourists make new sense of recreation traveling to such
places. Such journeys are an immersion in existing realities through a review of a period of world history that has fundamentally changed the world. Such vacations are one way of understanding the history of the nuclear era. Visiting nuclear weapons test sites, holding innovative nuclear energy research, exhibitions in museums focused on the history of nuclear development and demonstrating the arms race legacy and the Cold War, nuclear accident sites are the interests of a particular nuclear tourism. Nuclear tourism has been separated from dark tourism due to the conceptual approach to the motives of visiting such places (Ropeik, 2012; Gauldie, 2019; Lennon, Foley, 2000; Brand, Platter, 2011). The dark tourism culture, above all, shows such destinations as nuclear wastelands as a demonstration of the atomic bombs mighty power. In the practice of dark tourism, the destructive force of the nuclear explosion is called the Eiffel Tower of the dark tourism. For example, in Japan, this tendency is of concern. Since for the most part tourists visiting the damaged artefacts of Nagasaki and Hiroshima are not looking for a humanitarian sense in the impact of nuclear weapons or energy at all, and are only looking for bright selfies in the ruins of the former cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Italie, 2011; Schäfer, 2016; Gauldie, 2019). However, there is still an urgent need to shift the accents to the space of humanizing phenomena with a tragic atomic history. In accordance with the humanistic approaches used by atomic tourism, the attractions of nuclear travel are demonstrated with some enlightenment to the public about not only the positive impact of nuclear energy. But also highlights the negative effects of using nuclear energy (Lennon, Foley, 2000; Brand, Platter, 2011; Gerster, 2013; Stone, Hartmann, Seaton, Sharpley, White, 2017). Many sites of atomic tragedies are confronted with ethical issues of combining compassionate understanding with the destructive history of atom.
However, visiting of nuclear power plants have the potential to improve people's energy literacy, improve understanding of how we consume energy, raise awareness of nuclear waste storage, or the potential impact of nuclear activity on the local economy. With regard to nuclear power plants, a certain content of knowledge and experience may be exposed here: history and construction of power plants; principles and technologies for the production of nuclear energy
and related issues such as nuclear safety and security; topics related to the disposal of radioactive waste; environmental and landscape impacts (Goatcher and Brunsden, 2011; Pasqualetti, 2012; Yankovska Ta Hannam, 2014; Stone, Hartmann, Seaton, Sharpley, White, 2017; Beer, Rybar, Kalavsky, 2017; Frantal, Urbankova, 2017, Boyle, 2017).
Recently, quite a number of researchers are addressing the issues of nuclear tourism in the world. However, not only tourism scientists or naturalists, but also journalists and bloggers, should be mentioned among interested researchers. Independent journalist investigations and research of the problematic ethic issues of visiting sites with nuclear history are quite interesting experimental data. In a number of studies, considerable attention is given to the role of artefacts of military nuclear tourism in the public awareness of important historical events and periods, and at the same time, nuclear discourse has an important influence on the formation of national identity. An example of the coverage of events in the history of interstate relations and the formation of humanistic consciousness in nuclear policy are the work of authors who analyse the role of the Manhattan Project and see it as an American nation-building project that began after World War II, lasted during the Cold War and was developed in the aftermath of the Cold War (Berger, 2006; Coolidge, Simons; Rugoff, 2006; Gerster, 2013; Gauldie, 2019; Osofsky LuLing, MacFarlane, 2019).
The Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for preserving the historical heritage of nuclear artefacts and, in particular, the Manhattan Project and promoting nuclear tourism in the United States. DOE support the Nuclear Age monuments and the popularisation of nuclear tourism, the activities of the Atomic Heritage Foundation (AHF). The activities of AHF and DOE in the US emphasize the relationship between the popularisation of nuclear power, the benefits of nuclear energy and the complexity and controversy of the atomic power studies legacy in America (websites: Atomic Heritage Foundation and US Department of Energy). However, nowadays, discussions are balanced between assessing the constructive power of nuclear energy and recognizing its destructive past and potential.
There are a lot of publications dedicated to the question development of the educational impact of nuclear tourism as part of environmental science and STEM-education, the creation of such forms of tourism that would combine environmental education, the presentation of new technologies and interactive research experiments and various outdoor activities focused on families or thrill seekers, for instance,
works of Gerster, 2013; Frantal and Urbankova, 2017; Beer, Rybar, and Kalavsky, 2017; Mazeikiene and Gerulaitiene, 2018. For instance, publications on the websites of AHF, DOE and UNESCO, etc.
The questions are not of the ethics of nuclear tourism only, but also the topics of developing opportunities for territorial communities based on the maintenance of museums of nuclear artefacts, tourist atomic attractions and the support of educational routes were raised and revealed in the works of Frantal and Urbankova, 2017; Beer, Rybar, and Kalavsky, 2017; Mazeikiene and Gerulaitiene, 2018. Thus, the highlighted work on the EDUATOM project by the authors, Mazeikiene and Gerulaitiene, 2018, is a scientifically grounded educational route for nuclear tourism near the Ignalina NPP area. The publication shows the parameters and elements of the atomic heritage of the territory, which act as cultural artefacts and may be included and presented in tourist routes as an extension of the economic opportunities of the local community.
The ethics of organizing nuclear tours and visiting nuclear sites, museum expositions about nuclear tragedies, exploring individual destinations and attractions of nuclear tourism are discussed not only by scientists: notably by Coolidge, Simons, and Rugoff, 2006; Osofsky and MacFarlane, 2019; Yankovska and Hannam, 2014; Goatcher and Brunsden, 2011; Beer, Rybar, and Kalavsky, 2017; Schäfer, 2016, etc. But also by independent journalists such as: Morris, 2014; Gauldie, 2014; Ropeik, 2012; Bliss, 2014, Boyle, 2017; Italie, 2018, etc.
From the point of view of the study of tourist behaviour and the formation of established images of nuclear accident sites, the works of Morris, 2014; Gauldie 2014; Bliss, 2014; Boyle, 2017; Italie, 2018 are very interesting. For example, Morris H. (2014) presents the results of studying of systematic teenager's expeditions to the Chornobyl zone to obtain purely extreme sensations, and this is, in fact, a deep anthropological study of the behaviour of extremal tourists and, in general, the attitude of a certain part of the population to Nuclear Age artefacts. The research of the heritage of nuclear tours that took place in the 1950s in the United States (New Mexico, Las Vegas) and the so-called "atomic boom" caused by atomic weapons tests also allow us to understand and classify the motives behind tourists and average citizen recreation or entertainment shows presented by Bliss, 2014; Boyle, 2017. Experience of visiting nuclear sites in Japan, including not only Hiroshima and Nagasaki but also Fukushima. Description of Japan's experience in overcoming a humanitarian crisis from a power plant
bombing and environmental disaster described by Frantal and Urbankova, 2017; Schäfer, 2016; Gauldie, 2014; Italie, 2018; Beer, Rybar and Kalavsky, 2017. Also presented at the websites of organizations: such as UNESCO, the US Atomic Heritage Foundation, and the US Department of Energy.
Meanwhile, everything related to the Chernobyl disaster has certainly been investigated in detail in several tangential planes. Firstly, it is about national security. Every powerful country, which has at least nuclear power, has, through the forces of the respective institutions and institutions, conducted systematic research on a range of issues related to the protection of their societies, both from similar disasters and from the probable identified and acceptable consequences of such disasters. As for the probable causes of the Chernobyl accident, as well as the actions and orders of the state bodies related to the accident liquidation and its consequences, it is worth mentioning the most recent edition in the world. This is the edition "KGB Chornobyl file. Public sentiment. Chernobyl in the post-catastrophe period". It was worked out by a large group of experts to make available the large part of the documents and testimonies contents of 1986-1991 to the public. The documents reveal the features of post-Chernobyl life. Among other things, the book also reflects the world community representatives' reaction to the Chornobyl tragedy.
Secondly, it is about public opinion. The civil society of the least developed states, first and foremost by the forces of the so-called fourth power (that is the mass media) has explored the impact of the catastrophe and its consequences on the very public opinion and the informational and emotional atmosphere in the society. Undoubtedly, the classical science has been involved in the study of the objective factors related to the catastrophe. The results of the Chernobyl disaster comprehensive studies have been delivered in numerous scientific articles and monographs. At the same time, as the academician mentioned in his report, "In recent years, the scientific support for works in the Exclusion Zone has been carried out mainly by employees of the institutions subordinated to the Exclusion Zone Management State Agency of Ukraine (EZSA) and organizations involved in the administration of the Chornobyl NPP. As for the academic institutions, only the Institute of Nuclear Power Plant Safety Problems of NAS of Ukraine constantly worked in the area" (Lisichenko, 2016: 8). As for the tourist attractiveness of the Chernobyl zone and everything related to it, scientific and scientific-journalistic investigations are also represented quite widely by both local and foreign
researchers. Among the journalists conducting systematic investigations of the Chornobyl phenomenon from the tourist attractiveness point of view, Oles Dashchynsky, Sergey Mirny, Yevhen Solonin, Stanislav Yurchenko have a prominent place in particular. The systematic tourist routes reviews, the advantages of various sites of tourist interest in the territory of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone have been reflected in their numerous publications. In turn, the scientific analysis of the Chernobyl tourist destination features is reflected in the articles of a number of experts in the field of geography and tourism, i.e. Pestushka V. Yu., Chubuka Yu. P., Solonina E.A., Yurchenko S.I. and others. As for the foreign scientists, Beresford N.A., Scott E.M., Copplestone D. have devoted considerable attention to the research of the Chernobyl problem. They focused the attention on the analysis of the radiation effects on the plant and animal world in the exclusion zone. ShkarubaA., Skryhan N. consider the state policy of Belarus against the Chornobyl zone, including its tourist attraction. Materials and methods of research. Meanwhile, having a considerable amount of information about Chornobyl in the context of a wide range of problems, the Chornobyl phenomenon remains poorly understood at the moment. At least, the integrated vision of Chornobyl as sources of the complex knowledge acquired through experience is almost not formed. The Chernobyl accident and everything related to it, staying at the Chernobyl zone, the feedback, the impressions and the reflections on Chornobyl of those who have visited or otherwise explored the Chornobyl phenomenon are not taken into account properly. Therefore, there is a need for further investigation of the Chornobyl phenomenon as a unique phenomenon in the life of modern mankind, as an example of probable directions of further evolution in the context of the total technologization of the human existence.
The results of the article are a contextual analysis of the phenomenon of Chernobyl as a tourist destination. Resource opportunities of nuclear tourism in the Chornobyl zone are analyzed.
Contextual analysis is an important research approach to qualitative case study methodology to finding out the uniqueness of the Chornobyl phenomenon as a tourist destination (Baxter, Jack, 2008). Methodological qualitative case study of the Chernobyl phenomenon includes accounting and description of tourist resources of Nature and resources of cultural identity of the cities of Pripyat, Chernobyl (with adjoining territories), which are cultural artifacts and are elements of the nuclear heritage of Ukraine, and can be included and presented in tourist routes.
The contextual analysis of this study concerned the consideration and processing of data on the Chornobyl zone as a holistic phenomenon, from cartographic, textual documents, comparative analysis data of visitor loyalty, partial mathematical and statistical analysis of tourist attendance data. This case study is an approach to a comprehensive study of the phenomenon in the context of its actual existence using a variety of data sources. It is this comprehensiveness in the study of the phenomenon that ensures that the object is viewed from different angles, which allows you to reveal and understand all aspects of the phenomenon.
Results and analysis. Prior to the events of April 1986, Chernobyl, as a place of the NPP location, was no different in any of the sections of human activity, including tourist destination. After the catastrophe, which has led to numerous uncovered and unidentified consequences, at least so far, Chornobyl takes rather different image both in the minds of individuals and at the level of public opinion. It is becoming a subject of scrutiny, as well as a kind of business card of Ukraine in the world community. Since the catastrophe, the Chornobyl phenomenon appears in the life of mankind - a unique phenomenon, which, by the way, is rich in mythology, prehistory, unfolding events and a spectrum of accompanying and explanatory information. Thus, among other things, Chernobyl acquires first in potency and then in reality, the status of a unique tourist destination. At least, the image of Chernobyl is clearly identified by anyone interested in catastrophes, their consequences or anything related. At the same time, the Chornobyl phenomenon proves to be a unique, moreover, if not the only one source of specific experiences generated by a combination of heard, seen, perceived and understood.
So, if we approach the Chornobyl phenomenon structurally, mainly as a tourist destination, its components include:
- 30 km exclusion zone with some exceptions;
- summarizing all kinds of official and/ or background information about the territory, settlements, Chernobyl and other objects, environment, flora and fauna and, accordingly, their initial (before the accident) and current status;
- the results of scientific research on the effects of radioactive radiation on flora and fauna representatives, as well as on humans;
- declassified materials, in particular those that recently came to light in the Chernobyl disaster collection "KGB Chornobyl File. Public sentiment. Chernobyl in the post-catastrophe period";
- a set of alternative information in the form of
retellings, legends, including prophecies, including those related to the Apocalypse of John, myths, private considerations and assumptions about facts and events, one way or another related to the Chornobyl phenomenon;
- statistics in terms of attendance of the Chernobyl tourist destination.
- Obviously, the objects of high interest among tourists, which are in the 30 km zone and have their own history, including myths and legends that give the object a peculiar halo of secrecy, should include:
- deactivated- the so-called Red Forest - a former pine forest, which was exposed to the most powerful radioactive exposure due to the explosion at the 4th unit;
- Chernobyl NPP, including sarcophagus -protective shelter over 4 power units, model room in the APC-1 of the ChNPP, block reactor control panel (BSU), "Golden Corridor", machine room (turbine), reactor shop, room with DHW (main circulation pumps) ), ChNPP cooler pond, unfinished ChNPP third stage cooling tower; the construction site of the new confinement "Ark", which is the next step in the international SIP project implementation aimed at transforming the object "Shelter" into an environmentally sound system, a memorial near the administrative building;
- abandoned experimental animal radiobiology base;
- the city of Pripyat, including the kindergarten, the school, the city executive committee (where the first headquarters of the accident consequences elimination was organized), the Polissya Hotel (on the basis of which the observation point for helicopter operations over the ruin of the 4th reactor was organized), the hospital (where the first victims of the accident and its elimination were taken into), the police reference point and the detention center, as well as the city pool of the Pripyat River with the marina and the flooded pier, the attraction "Ferris Wheel";
- the city of Chornobyl, including the city's interior, an exhibition of robots and equipment involved in the Chernobyl disaster elimination, as well as the Chornobyl castle of the 17th - 18th centuries, the ancient cemetery, a Dominican monastery of the 17th century and the archaeological excavations;
- other settlements in the 30 km exclusion zone, including the villages of Zamoshnya and Bychki, on the territory of which there are remains of Old Believers churches and cemeteries; Rudnya-Veresnya - the place of ancient production of iron from marsh ore; Paryshiv, where self-settlers live -people who have returned illegally in the 30 km zone
for further permanent residence, and others. Often the well-preserved comfortable buildings of the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries add further interest to the villages;
- Yaniv Station, a park of abandoned trains and locomotives, a ritual cross-figure at a crossroads, a historic pine tree in the form of a trident, transferred from the so-called Red Forest;
- the functioning Chornoby St. Nicholas Convent;
- "Chomobyl 2" military object is an arc radar station "Doug 3" (index: 5H32). Built and launched in 1976, a Soviet radar station for the early detection of launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles. It was named "Woodpecker "for its specific sound effect. In NATO reporting documents it was referred to under the name "Still Yard;
- natural landscapes, including the location of the confluence of the Braginka River in Pripyat; the former ferry crossing the Pripyat River, the Dnieper River and historic Chernobyl views its with traditional buildings and houses, the Paryshivska and Yanivsky bridges;
- Chornobyl Radiation-Ecological Biosphere Reserve. "According to the scientists, there may be more than 400 species of animals, birds and fishes, including those ones in the Red Books. So far, 300 species have already been identified, 19 of which are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. Also, 1,228 species of higher plants have been identified, 61 species of which are rare and are subject to conservation" (Official Site of the Reserve).
At the same time, there are a number of one-and two-day motor transport or walking tours. More recently, air (helicopter) and water (motor boat) tours are being offered. Leisure activities in the exclusion zone are organized by licensed tour operators, including "The Chornobyl Tour" (Official website of «The Chornobyl Tour»). Information support is available in several languages, depending on the wishes of tourists.
Accordingly, those interested in travelling to the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone can choose a variety
of routes and find the information about them on the official website State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management (Official website of State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management) exclusion as that is attached below.
Therefore, the Chornobyl Zone is interesting not only for the Ukrainian citizens, but also for the tourists from other countries. In addition, it should be noted that on 01.01.2019, the citizens from 119 countries (out of 195 world states) have visited the Chernobyl zone within the last 9 years. That has been proved by a number of statistics. In particular, referring to the data in Table 1, it can be noticed that during these years there was a constant increase in both the number of tourists and the geography of visitors.
Naturally, the largest group of tourists in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone are Ukrainians. In particular, 21,949 citizens of Ukraine showed an interest in direct acquaintance with the tourist destination mentioned above, which is 0.49 * 10-3% as a percentage of the total population in 2018. Among
other things, the latter may indicate the relatively low cognitive, and even more obviously, recreational appeal of the exclusion zone to the local population. Accordingly, there is a need to study the level and quality of the Ukrainian population awareness about the Chernobyl destination along with the motivational sphere of those who have expressed a desire to visit Chernobyl.
Last year, the largest number of the foreign tourists'flows to the Chernobyl zone were the British
- 6164 and the Poles - 5314 people respectively. However, considering the number of tourists to the population of the country, Lithuanians - 433 x 10-6%, Czechs - 289,7 x 10-6% and Finns - 232 x 10-6% respectively showed the most interest in Chernobyl. While the lowest interest among the countries where the tourism industry is relatively well developed showed the Chinese - 0.45 x 10-6% and the Russians
- 0.66 x 10-6%. The corresponding results are shown in Table 2.
Table 1. The number of visitors to the Exclusion Zone from 2011 to 2018
Year Number of Delegations Number of Visitors Countries
Total Foreigners
2011 740 9127 6423 76
2012 1467 14132 10115 88
2013 1516 17757 13740 76
2014 1063 8404 5055 69
2015 1642 16386 10485 84
2016 2857 36781 24492 93
2017 3520 49758 34838 114
2018 71862 49811 119
Referring to the indicators in Table 2, and bearing in mind that the Chornobyl phenomenon is actually both a world unique phenomenon and a unique tourist destination, it is possible to draw some conclusions about the level of Ukraine position in the world, i.e. the loyalty or curiosity of citizens of foreign countries to Ukraine. In particular, Lithuanians, Czechs and Poles show the greatest loyalty to Ukrainians in the
mentioned context, which, by the way, more or less corresponds to the results of direct measurements of the political liking of both the population and the political leaders of the countries mentioned above. At the same time, both the Chinese citizens and the political leaders are the least interested in Chernobyl and indirectly in Ukraine. Naturally, a noticeable distance compared to, for example, the Lithuanians, Poles or Czechs, who are actually our neighbors, could justify the Chinese indifference to Ukraine. But comparing to interest of the Ecuadorian and the Japanese who have more or less the same the Fukushima phenomenon at hand, the inertia of the Chinese towards Ukraine becomes evident.
On the other hand, despite the high involvement of the Russians in the socio-political life of Ukraine which is purposefully stimulated by the central authorities through various instruments including the media, the Russians shows a very low interest in the real sources of information about Ukraine and to the Chornobyl tourist destination. The latter allows to make a number of conclusions. In particular, in a period of the information war, tourism is a very effective
means of counteracting the results of the war, since it allows "the victims" of information battles to open their eyes to the true state of affairs in many ways. So, we can make a rather pretentious assumption based on this conclusion: the more a person is inclined to make meaningful journeys aimed not only at rest, but at the outlook extension the less he is subjected to manipulative influences on his outlook and his
attitude to certain problems and issues. Therefore, every totalitarian system naturally must gravitate towards total control of the tourist sphere and the tourist demands of its citizens. A striking example is the former Soviet Union, a modern North Korea, as well as the many countries of Africa and Asia where citizens are under the strong control of a state and/or tradition, such as Islamic ones. Conversely, countries that are actively developing a democratic system and atmosphere of social comfort for their citizens are characterized by high levels of tourist demand of, so to say, a developing nature.
Conclusions. Each country has its own so-called business cards. It happened that Ukraine is known in the world not least due to the Chernobyl tragedy. Therefore, among other things, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone has become a tourist destination, and on the other hand, the image of Ukraine contains the Chornobyl phenomenon. This is, in fact, a unique phenomenon on a global scale which clearly demonstrates an alternative variant of existence being exposed to radiation due to an accident at an atomic object. In addition, the Chornobyl phenomenon is
Table 2. A sample of countries represented by a significant number of citizens who visited Chornobyl in 2018 according to the number of tourists to the population of the country ratio
Countries Number of Tourists: Number of Number of tourists to number of
people population: mln. people. population ratio
Australia 1194 24,6 48,5 x 10-6 %
Great Britain 6164 66,04 90 x 10-6 %
Ecuador 124 16,62 7,5 x 10-6 %
Canada 1057 37,06 28 x 10-6 %
China 641 1386 0,45 x 10-6 %
Lithuania 1233 2,848 433 x 10-6 %
Netherlands 2413 17,08 141 x10-6 %
Germany 4558 82,79 55 x 10-6 %
Poland 5314 38,43 138 x 10-6 %
Russia 96 144,5 0,66 x 10-6 %
Slovakia 1429 5,435 26,3 x 10-6 %
USA 3804 327,2 11,6 x 10-6 %
Finland 1277 5,503 232 x 10-6 %
France 1504 66,99 22,6 x 10-6 %
Czech Republik 3065 10,58 289,7 x 10-6 %
Sweden 1913 9,995 191,4 x 10-6 %
Japan 555 126,8 4,4 x 10-6 %
Ukraine 21949 44,83 489.6 x 10-6 %
the source of the full range of information from the visual to the audio and the experiences generated by the symbiosis of what has been seen, heard, and made sense. Thus, with a wise approach of state institutions and people responsible for the Chernobyl phenomenon, the latter can be used to increase the level of Ukraine recognition and its tourist attractiveness in the world. At the same time, in case of the state and business circles efficient interaction, the Chornobyl phenomenon can also become one of the most interesting objects in the context of event tourism, since on the one hand it has all the necessary resources and on the other «... in the world there is a certain process of refocusing the overwhelming majority of wealthy countries' citizens from business-related values to the values associated with pleasure from various educational and moderately extreme entertainments. Thus, event tourism and entertainments, special events respectively gain tangible importance and significance on the one hand as a desirable and as an integral element of the life of a civilized world secured representative. On the other hand, it is a business activity" (Kaluha, 2018: 89).
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