The Zone was established soon after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, in order to evacuate the local population and to prevent people from entering the heavily contaminated territory. The area adjoining the site of the disaster was divided into 4 concentric zones, amongst them the fourth (actually the nearest, within a radius of 30 km/19 mi) being the most dangerous.
It should be noted that the territory of the zone is polluted unevenly. Spots of hyperintensive pollution were created not only by wind-spreading of radioactive dust at the time of the accident, but also by numerous burial grounds for various material and equipment. Zone authorities pay much attention to protecting such spots from tourists, scrap hunters and wildfires, but admit that some dangerous burial sites remain unmapped and known only by recollections of the liquidators.
Any residential, civil or business activities in the zone are legally prohibited and punishable. The only officially recognized exception is the functioning of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and scientific installations related to the studies of nuclear safety.
The zone is partly excluded from the regular civil rule. It is controlled by the Administration of the Alienation Zone within Ukraine’s Ministry of Emergencies and Affairs of Population Protection from Consequences of Chernobyl Catastrophe. The territory of the zone is policed by special units of the MVS and (along the border line) the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
Everyone employed within the zone is allowed there for certain shifts (ranging from a day to one month). The duration of shifts is strictly counted regarding the person’s pension and healthcare issues. The personnel of the above-mentioned nuclear installations constantly reside in Slavutych (a specially-built remote city in Chernihivs’ka oblast’), others in different cities and towns of Ukraine.
Access to the zone for brief visits is, however, possible; day-tours are available to the public from Kiev.
In 2007, Ukrainian government adopted more severe criminal and administrative penalties for illegal activities in the alienation zone, as well as reinforced respective units assigned to these tasks.