Chernobyl, the HBO mini series, garnered a lot of attention recently for becoming the highest rated TV show on IMDB. Not just that, it earned rave reviews for the depiction of one of the world’s worst man-made catastrophes due to an explosion in a nuclear plant. But now, it is in news for yet another reason and this time, a saddening one.
The nuclear wasteland has become a tourist spot now with people clicking selfies and posing in front of the ruins. Some tour companies have reported a forty percent rise in the number of bookings, since the series premiered in May. The behavior of tourists and Instagram influencers at the spot, however, has been met with harsh criticism for not respecting the tragedy that took place there.
A tweet brought all this to attention, as it read, “Meanwhile in Chernobyl: Instagram influencers flocking to the site of the disaster,” alongside a number of screenshots of Instagram images.
The tweet went viral almost immediately and also brought a response from the creator of the series, Craig Mazin.
“It’s wonderful that #ChernobylHBO has inspired a wave of tourism to the Zone of Exclusion. But yes, I’ve seen the photos going around. If you visit, please remember that a terrible tragedy occurred there. Comport yourselves with respect for all who suffered and sacrificed.”Craig Mazin on people posing in front of the ruins
The American screenwriter has urged tourists to act respectfully while at the site, which was the place where 4,000 people died due to radiation exposure. One of the images which brought attention to this is of an Instagram user who is pictured provocatively in an unzipped hazmat suit in front of a building in Pripyat, where the 1986 tragedy occurred.
Take a look at the pictures posted by tourists at the spot.
There is still a certain area which remains sealed off as the explosion’s effects are still a concern. Visitors to the zone do not need to wear hazmat suits but are warned not to touch anything.
The miniseries oscillates between 1986 and 1987 through five episodes, mapping the timeline of the disaster and its grim consequences in the Soviet Union.
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