Coordinates: 51°16′N, 30°13′E Chernobyl reactor number four after the disaster, showing the extensive damage to the main reactor hall (image center) and turbine building (image lower left) The Chernobyl disaster, reactor accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, or simply Chernobyl, was the worst nuclear power plant accident in history and the only... Chernobyl may refer to: Chornobyl or Chernobyl, city in Ukraine Chernobyl nuclear accident on 26 April 1986 Chernobyl computer virus, released in 1998 Chernobyl Hasidic dynasty This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Chernobyl area as seen from the Russian space station Mir in 1997 (Chernobyl Satellite Map).

Chernobyl (as transliterated from the Russian: Чернобыль, Russian pronunciation: [tɕɪˈrnobɨlʲ]) or Chornobyl (transliterated from local official language Ukrainian: Чорнобиль, IPA: [tʃɔrˈnɔbɪlʲ]), is a city in northern Ukraine, in the Kiev Oblast (province) near the border with Belarus. Subject: Chernobyl region, taken from Mir space station, April 1997. ... Subject: Chernobyl region, taken from Mir space station, April 1997. ... For other uses, see Mir (disambiguation). ... Transliteration is the practice of transcribing a word or text written in one writing system into another writing system. ... Kiev Oblast (also Kyiv Oblast, Ukrainian: ) is an oblast (province) in central Ukraine. ... Oblast (Czech: oblast, Slovak: oblasÅ¥, Russian and Ukrainian: , Belarusian: , Bulgarian: о́бласт) refers to a subnational entity in some countries. ...

The city was evacuated in 1986 due to the Chernobyl disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which is located 14.5 kilometers (9 miles) north-northwest. The power plant was named after the city, and located within Chernobyl Raion (district), but the city was not the residence of the power plant workers. Together with the power plant construction, Prypiat, a city, which was larger and closer to the power plant, was built to be home for the power plant workers. Chernobyl reactor number four after the disaster, showing the extensive damage to the main reactor hall (image center) and turbine building (image lower left) The Chernobyl disaster, reactor accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, or simply Chernobyl, was the worst nuclear power plant accident in history and the only... Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station, viewed from the roof of a building in Pripyat, Ukraine. ... A raion (or rayon) (Russian and Ukrainian: ; Belarusian раён; Azeri: rayon, Latvian: rajons, Georgian: , raioni) is one of two kinds of administrative subdivisions in languages of some post-Soviet states: a subnational entity and a subdivision of a city. ... Prypiat c. ...

Though the city is today mostly uninhabited, a small number of inhabitants reside in houses marked with signs stating that the "Owner of this house lives here". Workers on watch and administrative personnel of the Zone of Alienation are stationed in the city on a long term basis. Prior to its evacuation, the city was inhabited by about 14,000 residents. Entrance to the Zone of Alienation Abandoned living blocks in the Zone The Zone of Alienation, which is variously referred to as The Chernobyl Zone, The 30 Kilometer Zone, The Zone of Exclusion, The Fourth Zone, or just The Zone (Ukrainian official designation: Зона відчуження Чорнобильської АЕС, zona vidchuzhennya Chornobylskoyi AES, colloquially...

Name origin

The city name comes from a combination of chornyi (чорний, black) and byllia (билля, grass blades or stalks); hence it literally means black grass or black stalks. It may be named after the Ukrainian word for the plant mugwort.^[1] The reason for this name is not known. Different explanations have appeared after the 1986 nuclear incident. In particular, there were attempts to link the accident to prophecies in the Book of Revelation in the Christian New Testament. For these, see Chernobyl in the popular consciousness. Binomial name Artemisia vulgaris L. Mugwort or Common Wormwood (Artemisia vulgaris) is a species from the daisy family Asteraceae. ... Visions of John of Patmos, as depicted in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. ... This article is about the Christian scriptures. ... The Chernobyl disaster has received worldwide media attention. ...

History

Chernobyl first appeared in a charter of 1193 described as a hunting-lodge of knyaz Rostislavich. It was a crown village of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 13th century. The village was granted as a fiefdom to Filon Kmita, a captain of the royal cavalry, in 1566. The province containing Chernobyl was transferred to the Kingdom of Poland in 1569, and then annexed by the Russian Empire in 1793.^[2] Prior to the 20th century Chernobyl was inhabited by Ukrainian and Polish peasants, and a large Jewish community. Kniaz’ or knyaz is a word found in some Slavic languages, denoting a nobility rank. ... Knyaz Rostislavich (Ростиславич) or Knyaz Rostislavovich (Ростиславович) (literally: son of Rostislav) may refer to one of the followng persons. ... The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lithuanian: , Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje, Ruskaje, Å»amojckaje, Belarusian: , Ukrainian: , Polish: , Latin: ) was an Eastern and Central European state of the 12th[1] /13th century until the 18th century. ... Fief depiction in a book of hours Under the system of feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud, feoff, or fee, often consisted of inheritable lands or revenue-producing property granted by a liege lord, generally to a vassal, in return for a form of allegiance, originally to give him the means... Filon Kmita (1530 - 1587) was a noble in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. ... The state formed by Boleslaus I of Poland in 1025 during his coronation. ... The subject of this article was previously also known as Russia. ... For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ...

Chernobyl had a rich religious history. The Jewish, who were brought by Filon Kmita during the Polish campaign of colonization, included Hasidim as well as other Orthodox Jews. The traditionally Christian Eastern Orthodox Ukrainian peasantry of the district was largely forced by Poland to convert to the Greek Catholic region after 1596, and returned to Russian Orthodoxy only after Ukraine's unification with Russia. Filon Kmita (1530 - 1587) was a noble in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. ... This article is about the Hasidic movement originating in Poland and Russia. ... Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonised in the Talmudic texts (Oral Torah) and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim. ... ... The term Eastern Rites may refer to the liturgical rites used by many ancient Christian Churches of Eastern Europe and the Middle East that, while being part of the Roman Catholic Church, are distinct from the Latin Rite or Western Church. ... ...

The Dominican church and monastery were founded in 1626 by Lukasz Sapieha, at the height of the Counter-reformation. There was a group of Old Catholics, which opposed the decrees of the Council of Trent. The Dominican monastery was sequestrated in 1832, and the church of the Old Catholics was disbanded in 1852.^[1] “Dominicans” redirects here. ... The Counter-Reformation or the Catholic Reformation was a strong reaffirmation of the doctrine and structure of the Catholic Church, climaxing at the Council of Trent, partly in reaction to the growth of Protestantism. ... The Old Catholic Church is not so much a religious denomination, as a community, part of whose member churches split from the Roman Catholic church in 1870. ... The Council of Trent is the Nineteenth Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

In the second half of 18th century, Chernobyl became one of the major centers of Hasidic Judaism. The Chernobyl Hasidic dynasty had been founded by rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky. The Jewish population suffered greatly from pogroms in October 1905 and in March–April 1919, when many Jews were killed and others were robbed. In 1920, the Twersky dynasty left Chernobyl, and it ceased to exist as a Hasidic center. This article is about the Hasidic movement originating in Poland and Russia. ... Chernobyl is a Chassidic dynasty that was founded by the Rebbe Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl. ... Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twerski of Chernobyl, was the founder of the Chernobyl Hasidic dynasty. ... Pogrom (from Russian: ; from громить IPA: - to wreak havoc, to demolish violently) is a form of riot directed against a particular group, whether ethnic, religious or other, and characterized by destruction of their homes, businesses and religious centres. ...

Since 1880s, Chernobyl has seen many changes of fortune. In 1898 Chernobyl had a population of 10,800, including 7,200 Jews. In World War I the village was occupied and in the ensuing Civil War was fought over by Bolsheviks and Ukrainians. In the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-20, it was taken first by the Polish Army and then by cavalry of the Red Army. From 1921, it was incorporated into the Ukrainian SSR.^[2] Languages Historical Jewish languages Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, others Liturgical languages: Hebrew and Aramaic Predominant spoken languages: The vernacular language of the home nation in the Diaspora, significantly including English, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Russian Religions Judaism Related ethnic groups Arabs and other Semitic groups For the Jewish religion, see Judaism. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Ukrainian territory was fought over by various factions after the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the First World War, which added the collapse of Austria-Hungary to that of the Imperial Russia. ... This article is about the Bolshevik faction in the RSDLP 1903-1912. ... Combatants Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic Republic of Poland Ukrainian Peoples Republic Commanders Mikhail Tukhachevsky Semyon Budyonny Józef PiÅ‚sudski Edward Rydz-ÅšmigÅ‚y Strength 950,000 combatants 5,000,000 reserves 360,000 combatants 738,000 reserves Casualties Dead estimated at 100,000... For other organizations known as the Red Army, see Red Army (disambiguation). ... State motto: Ukrainian: Пролетарі всіх країн, єднайтеся! Translation: Workers of the world, unite! Capital Kiev Official language Ukrainian and Russian Established In the USSR:  - Since  - Until December 25, 1917 December 30, 1922 August 24, 1991 Area  - Total  - Water (%) Ranked 3rd in the USSR 603,700 km² negligible Population  - Total   - Density Ranked 2nd in the...

During the period 1929–33 Chernobyl suffered greatly from mass killings during Stalin's collectivization campaign, and in the Holodomor (famine) that followed. The Polish community of Chernobyl was deported to Kazakhstan in 1936 during the Frontier Clearances. The Jewish community was killed during the German occupation of 1941–44.^[2] Twenty years later, the area was chosen as the site of the first nuclear power station on Ukrainian soil. Josef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (Georgian: , Ioseb Besarionis Dze Jughashvili; Russian: , Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili) (December 18 [O.S. December 6] 1878[1] – March 5, 1953), better known by his adopted name, Joseph Stalin (alternatively transliterated Josef Stalin), was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Unions Central Committee from... Collective farming is an organizational unit in agriculture in which peasants are not paid wages, but rather receive a share of the farms net output. ... Child victim of the Holodomor Map of Ukrainian SRR in 1932-1933 (7 Oblast`s (Regions) + Moldavian ASSR) administrative borders given in light grey The Ukrainian famine (1932-1933), or Holodomor (Ukrainian: Голодомор), was one of the largest national catastrophes of the Ukrainian nation in modern history with direct loss of... The Polish minority in the Soviet Union refers to former Polish citizens or Polish-speaking people who resided in the Soviet Union. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Chernobyl became part of Ukraine, an independent nation. The rise of Gorbachev Although reform stalled between 1964–1982, the generational shift gave new momentum for reform. ...

Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster

Main article: Chernobyl disaster

On April 26, 1986, the fourth reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded at 01:23 AM local time. All permanent residents of Chernobyl and the Zone of alienation were evacuated due to unsafe radioactive levels. Chernobyl reactor number four after the disaster, showing the extensive damage to the main reactor hall (image center) and turbine building (image lower left) The Chernobyl disaster, reactor accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, or simply Chernobyl, was the worst nuclear power plant accident in history and the only... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station, viewed from the roof of a building in Pripyat, Ukraine. ... Entrance to the Zone of Alienation Abandoned living blocks in the Zone The Zone of Alienation, which is variously referred to as The Chernobyl Zone, The 30 Kilometer Zone, The Zone of Exclusion, The Fourth Zone, or just The Zone (Ukrainian official designation: Зона відчуження Чорнобильської АЕС, zona vidchuzhennya Chornobylskoyi AES, colloquially... The radiation warning symbol (trefoil). ...

Although neighbouring Pripyat remains unmaintained, Chernobyl has been renovated and is now home to more than 500 residents. Those include nuclear scientists, maintenance officials for the Chernobyl power plant, liquidation officials, doctors, physicists, and most of all, radiation physicists. Visitors to the Zone of Alienation can stay at a local lodge in the Chernobyl suburbs. Pripyat Abandoned village near Pripyat View of Chernobyl from Pripyat The Ukrainian city of Prypyat (При́пять) (in Russian, Pripyat (При́пять), located (51°22′60″ N 30°6′0″ E) in the north of Ukraine near the Belarus border, is an abandoned city. ... Entrance to the Zone of Alienation Abandoned living blocks in the Zone The Zone of Alienation, which is variously referred to as The Chernobyl Zone, The 30 Kilometer Zone, The Zone of Exclusion, The Fourth Zone, or just The Zone (Ukrainian official designation: Зона відчуження Чорнобильської АЕС, zona vidchuzhennya Chornobylskoyi AES, colloquially...

Appearances in popular culture

• Chernobyl is the backdrop in the 2008 play "My Chernobyl", written by Arron Bushkowsk, and directed by Britt Small.
• Chernobyl is featured in the video games S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare with Pripyat also featuring.
• In the book Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Checkmate, Sam Fisher goes to Pripyat and Chernobyl to investigate radioactive materials that were stolen and used against an American Town Slipstone.
• Chernobyl is mentioned in the Kraftwerk song Radioactivity not from the album of the same name, but the later album The Mix, in which the song was redone.

Computer and video games redirects here. ... S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is an unreleased FPS computer game. ... The name Pripyat, also spelled Prypyat, Prypyat, Prypyat, Prypiat, Pripiat, Prypyat, Prypyat, Prypyat, Pripet, etc. ... Kraftwerk (pronounced , German for power station) is a Grammy award nominated, electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. ... Radioactivity is a song written by Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider and Emil Schult, and recorded by electronic band Kraftwerk as the title track of their 1975 album Radio-Activity. ... The Mix is a 1991 music album by Kraftwerk. ...

See also

• List of Chernobyl-related articles

This is a list of Chernobyl-related articles: Bellesrad Chernobyl Chernobyl2020 Chernobyl compared to other radioactivity releases Chernobyl disaster Chernobyl disaster effects Chernobyl Heart Chernobyl in the popular consciousness Chernobyl nuclear power plant Chernobyl Shelter Fund Commission de recherche et dinformation indépendantes sur la radioactivité Liquidator (Chernobyl) List...

References

Norman Davies, Warsaw (Poland), October 7, 2004 Norman Davies (born June 8, 1939 in Bolton, Lancashire) is an English historian of Welsh descent, noted for his publications on the history of Poland, Europe and the British Isles. ...

External links

• Lost City of Chernobyl Photoblog of the abandoned city
• Chernobyl: the unreadable sign Twenty years after Chernobyl, Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich talks to Sonja Zekri about the new face of evil and the lessons to be learned from the reactor catastrophe.
• Hell on Earth The Guardian, April 26, 2006
• The Eternal Winter New Statesman Special Report by Andrey Kurkov
• Slide show of a visit to Prypiat and Chernobyl in April 2006 by a German TV team joint by Reserch Center Juelich
• Short film showing Chernobyl & Pripyat, August 2007 Youtube.com