[leonidasrup]

Chernobyl exclusion zone is not same as it was 40 years ago. For example in 2019 research was done on growing crop in the exclusion zone. You could even buy Atomik vodka, made with grain and water from the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49251471

In 2022 the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) in cooperation with State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management has published the initial results of the radiological remapping of the exclusion zone. The data can be used to assess which areas of the exclusion zone could be reopened for use. The start of Russian invasion halted all this activities and research.

https://www.bfs.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/BfS/EN/2022...

[egorfine]

Actually some lands were returned back to commercial usage. The land is extremely beautiful and rich. They have even created new resorts on the former land of the Exclusion Zone. [1]

I have been a part of the working group researching possible commercial usage of contaminated land, which should not be returned into agriculture or cannot be made livable BUT is perfectly suitable for things like prison, recycling plant or launch pad for space.

[1] https://maps.app.goo.gl/JU3HHsz1hHyGak9U6

[lukan]

"cannot be made livable BUT is perfectly suitable for things like prison"

That sounds a bit dark.

[egorfine]

My dream project for the Chernobyl Zone was a Norwegian style prison combined with college and completely and totally isolated from legacy soviet penitentiary system.

So that we can take younger first offenders and rehabilitate them and give them purpose in life.

Unfortunately, no one in the government we did discuss that gave any shit about the future of younger generation of Ukrainians.

[lukan]

Well, that sounds a bit nicer.

(I assume what makes it acceptable for a prison, but not "livable" is that prison inmates do not roam around, but are enclosed in a artificial compound?)

And for whether government is interested, I suppose also depends on how much more expensive it would have been?

[egorfine]

> what makes it acceptable for a prison, but not "livable" is that

Much simpler. The main concerns are digging (radioactive fallout is about 30cm deep into the ground at this point) and unmapped hot spots. Basically, there could be a patch of the land with radioactivity high enough that it has to be either deactivated or tagged out.

> government is interested

One of the cultural gaps between us, russian [1] people and western world is the vast depth is misunderstanding of the function of government. Our governments is only interested in personal enrichment and the well being of people is never a factor. Literally.

[1] as in "slavic people", not "citizens of russian federation".

[leonidasrup]

Origin and history of English word slave

https://www.etymonline.com/word/slave

slave(n.)

c. 1300, sclave, esclave, "person who is the chattel or property of another," from Old French esclave (13c.) and directly from Medieval Latin Sclavus "slave" (source also of Italian schiavo, French esclave, Spanish esclavo), originally "Slav" (see Slav); so used in this secondary sense because of the many Slavs sold into slavery by conquering peoples.