Editing Chernobyl (section)

{{Short description|Partially abandoned city in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine}}
{{About|the city in Ukraine|the 1986 nuclear accident|Chernobyl disaster|the facility at which it occurred|Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant|other uses|Chernobyl (disambiguation)}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = 
| native_name_lang   = uk
| native_name        = {{lang|uk|Чорнобиль}}&nbsp;([[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]])
| settlement_type    = [[List of cities in Ukraine|City]]
| image_skyline      = Administrative center, Radiation Control (11383715816).jpg
| imagesize          = 250
| image_caption      = Administrative Centre, Radiation Control (2013)
| image_shield       = Herb Chornobyl.gif
| image_map          = 
| map_caption1       = 
| pushpin_map        = Ukraine Kyiv Oblast#Ukraine#Europe
| pushpin_label      = 
| pushpin_relief     = y
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ukraine's Kyiv Oblast##Location within Ukraine##Location within Europe
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Ukraine}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[Oblasts of Ukraine|Oblast]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Kyiv Oblast]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Raions of Ukraine|Raion]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Vyshhorod Raion]]
| named_for          = ''[[Artemisia vulgaris]]''
| parts_type         = Control
| parts_style        = para
| p1                 = 
| governing_body     = [[Chernobyl Exclusion Zone#Administration|State Agency of Ukraine on the Exclusion Zone Management]]
| established_title  = First mentioned
| established_date   = 1193
| established_title1 = City status
| established_date1  = 1941
| established_title2 = Abandoned
| established_date2  = 1986
| timezone1          = [[Eastern European Time|EET]]
| utc_offset         = +2
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]
| utc_offset_DST     = +3
| postal_code_type   = Postal code
| postal_code        = 07270
| area_total_km2     = 25
| area_code          = +380-4593
| iso_code           = UA
| coordinates        = {{coord|51|16|20|N|30|13|27|E|region:UA|display=it}}
| elevation_m        = 
| website            = 
| footnotes          = 
| official_name      = Chornobyl
| population_as_of   = 2020
| population_total   = ~150 (est.)
| module             = {{Infobox mapframe |wikidata=yes |zoom=10 |height=250 |stroke-width=2 | {{WikidataCoord|display=i}}}}
}}

'''Chernobyl''',{{efn|{{IPAc-en|tʃ|ɜːr|ˈ|n|oʊ|b|əl}} {{respell|chur|NOH|bəl}}, {{IPAc-en|UKalso|tʃ|ɜːr|ˈ|n|ɒ|b|əl}} {{respell|chur|NOB|əl}}; {{langx|ru|Чернобыль}}, {{IPA|ru|tɕɪrˈnobɨlʲ|IPA}}}} officially called '''Chornobyl''',{{efn|{{langx|uk|Чорнобиль}}, {{IPA|uk|tʃorˈnɔbɪlʲ|IPA|uk-чорнобиль.ogg}}}} is a [[Ghost town|partially abandoned city]] in [[Vyshhorod Raion]], [[Kyiv Oblast]], [[Ukraine]]. It is located within the [[Chernobyl exclusion zone|Chernobyl Exclusion Zone]], {{convert|90|km|mi|sigfig=1}} to the north of [[Kyiv]] and {{convert|160|km|mi|sigfig=1}} to the southwest of [[Gomel]] in neighbouring [[Belarus]]. Prior to being evacuated in the aftermath of the [[Chernobyl disaster]] in 1986, it was home to approximately 14,000 residents—considerably less than adjacent [[Pripyat]], which was completely abandoned following the incident.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mould|first=Richard|title=Chernobyl Record|publisher=[[Institute of Physics]]|location=Bristol, England|page=105|chapter=Evacuation zones and populations|isbn=0-7503-0670-X|date=2000}}</ref> Since then, although living anywhere within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is technically illegal, Ukrainian authorities have tolerated those who have taken up living in some of the city's less irradiated areas; Chernobyl's 2020 population estimate was 150 people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The people who moved to Chernobyl |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/moving_to_Chernobyl |access-date=2024-07-12 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref>

First mentioned as a ducal hunting lodge in [[Kievan Rus']] in 1193, the city has changed hands multiple times over the course of its history. In the 16th century, [[History of the Jews in Eastern Europe|Jews]] began moving into Chernobyl, and at the end of the 18th century, it had become a major centre of [[Hasidic Judaism]] under the [[Twersky dynasty]]. During the early 20th century, [[Pogroms in Ukraine#Early 20th century|pogroms]] and associated emigration caused the local Jewish community to dwindle significantly. By [[Eastern Front (World War II)|World War II]], all remaining Jews in the city were murdered by [[Nazi Germany]] as part of [[The Holocaust in Ukraine|the Holocaust]]. 

In 1972, Chernobyl rose to prominence in the [[Soviet Union]] when it was selected as the site of the [[Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant]]; Pripyat was constructed nearby to house the facility's workers. Located {{convert|15|km|mi|sigfig=1}} to the north of Chernobyl proper, it opened in 1977. On 5 May 1986, nine days after Reactor No. 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded, the Soviet government began evacuating the residents of both Chernobyl and Pripyat in preparation for the [[Chernobyl disaster management|liquidators' management of the disaster]]. Following their subsequent settlement in the newly purpose-built city of [[Slavutych]], most of the evacuees never returned. From 1923 onwards, Chernobyl had been the administrative centre of [[Chernobyl Raion]], which was dissolved and merged with [[Ivankiv Raion]] in 1988, owing to widespread radioactive contamination in the region. Ivankiv Raion, in turn, was dissolved and merged with Vyshhorod Raion during [[Development of the administrative divisions of Ukraine#Administrative reform of 2020|Ukraine's 2020 administrative reform]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 July 2020 |title=Про утворення та ліквідацію районів. Постанова Верховної Ради України № 807-ІХ. |url=http://www.golos.com.ua/article/333466 |access-date=3 October 2020 |website=Голос України |language=uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Нові райони: карти + склад |url=https://www.minregion.gov.ua/press/news/novi-rajony-karty-sklad/ |publisher=Міністерство розвитку громад та територій України |language=Ukrainian}}</ref>
[[File:ChernobylMIR.jpg|thumb|Photo of the town and Chernobyl Power plant from [[Mir|Mir station]], 1997]]

Workers on watch and administrative personnel of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone are stationed in the city, which has two general stores and a hotel.<ref>{{cite book |last=Withington |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tE4tAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT328 |title=Disaster!: A History of Earthquakes, Floods, Plagues, and Other Catastrophes |date=2013 |publisher=Skyhorse Publishing Company, Inc. |isbn=978-1-62636-708-1 |page=328}}</ref> Though the city's atmosphere remained calm after the disaster was contained, the beginning of the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] in February 2022 sparked international concern about the [[Impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on nuclear power plants|stability of Ukrainian nuclear facilities]], especially pursuant to reports that [[Capture of Chernobyl|Russia's occupation of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone]] until April 2022 had caused a spike in radiation levels.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kilner |first=James |date=2022-04-01 |title=Russian soldier dies from radiation poisoning in Chernobyl |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/04/01/russian-soldier-dies-radiation-poisoning-chernobyl/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401181752/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/04/01/russian-soldier-dies-radiation-poisoning-chernobyl/ |archive-date=2022-04-01 |access-date=2025-05-12 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>