Ukraine seeks World Heritage status for abandoned Chernobyl nuclear plant
Area should be preserved as ‘unique destination of interest for the whole of mankind’, minister says

Ukraine wants to apply to have the Chernobyl nuclear plant and its surrounding areas listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site alongside some of the world’s most culturally significant places.
In an announcement timed to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the disaster today, Ukraine hopes that the assignment will “draw funding and more tourists” to the “mothballed nuclear power station surrounded by wasteland, rubble and abandoned buildings”, The Guardian reports.
“We believe that putting Chernobyl on the UNESCO heritage list is a first and important step towards having this great place as a unique destination of interest for the whole of mankind,” said Oleksandr Tkachenko, the Ukrainian culture minister.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“The importance of the Chernobyl zone lays far beyond Ukraine’s borders… It is not only about commemoration, but also history and people’s rights,” he said.
Thirty-one plant workers and firemen died in the immediate aftermath of the 1986 disaster, mostly from acute radiation sickness. The explosion of the fourth reactor also spread contaminated material across much of western Europe, with thousands more dying of radiation-related illnesses such as cancer in the following years.
“All of the buildings in Pripyat, a ghost town that was once home to 50,000 people mostly working at the plant, are in need of repair,” The Guardian says, with Tkachenko saying that the popularity of the HBO show Chernobyl may prompt an increase in the number of tourists wanting to visit the site.
“Vegetation and decay has taken over much of the surrounding area,” Sky News reports. The plant is now “out of service and all four of its reactors are due to be dismantled by 2064”.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Bohdan Borukhovskyi, Ukraine’s deputy environment minister, told the broadcaster: “This is a place of tragedy and memory, but it is also a place where you can see how a person can overcome the consequences of a global catastrophe.
“This is an area of meditation and reflection, an area where you can see the impact of human error, but you can also see the human heroism that corrects it.”
Other UNESCO World Heritage sites include the Taj Mahal, Stonehenge, Machu Picchu, the Great Barrier Reef and the Acropolis in Athens.
-
Tips for seizing control of your digital well-being
The Week Recommends A handy mix of technology and self-motivation
-
Thieves nab French crown jewels from Louvre
Speed Read A gang of thieves stole 19th century royal jewels from the Paris museum’s Galerie d’Apollon
-
Bolivia elects centrist over far-right presidential rival
Speed Read Relative political unknown Rodrigo Paz, a centrist senator, was elected president
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime minister
In the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Can Gaza momentum help end the war in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles hints at ‘warming relations’ between Ukraine and US
-
Remaking the military: Pete Hegseth’s war on diversity and ‘fat generals’
Talking Point The US Secretary of War addressed military members on ‘warrior ethos’
-
US tipped to help Kyiv strike Russian energy sites
Speed Read Trump has approved providing Ukraine with intelligence for missile strikes on Russian energy infrastructure
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
Russian strike on Kyiv kills 23, hits EU offices
Speed Read The strike was the second-largest since Russia invaded in 2022
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted