On April 26, 1986, Pripyat, a city built to serve the nearby Chernobyl nuclear plant, fell victim to the worst nuclear disaster in history. Jimmy Ryan fell in love with the ghost town in 2011 and runs in-depth tours. On the 30th anniversary of the meltdown, he describes his experiences.
Having visited Chernobyl dozens of times, Jimmy befriended many of the guards and military personnel who, over time, granted him free rein to travel throughout the area. His visits became so frequent, he began giving tours and taking friends along for the ride. Being the primary tour guide who was always driving the vehicle entering the gates of Pripyat, the Ukrainian guards began calling him The Chernobyl Driver.
However, unless there's clear indication, as with a swimming pool, Jimmy says it is often hard to tell what things are or what rooms used to be due to severe deterioration and damage over the years.
The 150-metre-tall radio towers are all listed on official maps as being a children's resort, and Jimmy says the journey to get there is littered with cartoons and kids' attractions.
Jimmy said his outlook on the radiation changed when he once took a Geiger counter on a flight from the UK to Cuba and discovered the total radiation received on the flight was worse than spending four careful days in Chernobyl.
