Chernobyl

This page is about the city of Chernobyl Ukraine. For information on the 1986 nuclear plant disaster, see Chernobyl disaster

Chernobyl or Chornobyl (Ukrainian: Чорнобиль) is a city in northern Ukraine, near the border with Belarus.

Chernobyl Чорнобиль  (Ukrainian) Chornobyl
City of district significance
Chornobyl's Old City Hall building
Coat of arms
Coordinates: 51°16′20″N 30°13′27″E
Country	Ukraine
Oblast	Kyiv Oblast
Raion	Chernobyl Raion (1923–1988) Ivankiv Raion (1988–2020) Vyshhorod Raion (2020–present) Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (de facto) (1986–present)
Founded	1193
City status	1941
Government
• Administration	State Agency of Ukraine on the Exclusion Zone Management
Area
• Total	25 km2 (10 sq mi)
Population  (2019)
• Total	1,054 inhabitants
Postal code	07270
Area code	+380 4493

Chornobyl area. Taken from the Russian Mir spacecraft in 1997

It was an important center of trade and commerce, especially in the 19th century. The city is 14.5 kilometers (9 miles) south of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, which became known for the Chornobyl disaster. The plant exploded on 26 April 1986. Clouds of dangerous radioactive particles were released. The power plant started leaking dangerous radioactive matter. More than 100,000 people were evacuated from the city and other affected areas.

Despite the fact that radiation is still being emitted from the nuclear disaster site, the 800-year-old city of Chornobyl survives. As of 2004, government workers still police the zone. They try to clean up radioactive material. Hundreds of people — mostly the elderly — have decided to live with the dangers and have returned to their homes in the zone's towns and villages. Their population was highest in 1987, when there were more than 1200 people. In 2003, there were about 300. There are currently 704 people living in Chornobyl, the houses that have people inside have a sign on the outside saying, Owner of this house lives here.

In 2022, as part of Russia's invasion into Ukraine, Chernobyl has since been under Russian military control.