The yellow Ferris wheel rising over weeds and birch saplings has become the single most photographed object in the Exclusion Zone. The park sits in the centre of Pripyat, between the Palace of Culture and the river. It was nearly finished when the reactor went up — bumper cars are still in place, swings hang on rusted chains, and the wheel itself has not turned in any official sense.
Radiation readings here vary wildly within metres. The bumper-car floor in particular is a famous hot spot, where fuel particles were tracked in on boots and tyres in the days after the accident. Guides will point a dosimeter at the moss between the paving stones to make the point. Walk on hard ground and keep your hands out of the dust.