Red Forest
| Red Forest Ukrainian: Рудий ліс Russian: Рыжий лес | |
|---|---|
The Red Forest during the winter | |
| Map | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine |
| Coordinates | 51°22′48″N 30°02′57″E / 51.38011°N 30.04908°E |
| Administration | |
| Status | State controlled, restricted access |
| Visitation | With permission only |
| Governing body | State Agency of Ukraine on the Exclusion Zone Management |
| Ecology | |
| Disturbance | Large amounts of radioactive contamination |
The Red Forest (Ukrainian: Рудий ліс, romanized: Rudyi Lis, Russian: Рыжий лес, romanized: Ryzhiy Les, lit. 'ginger-colour forest') is the ten-square-kilometre (4 sq mi) area surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant within the Exclusion Zone, located in Polesia. The name "Red Forest" comes from the ginger-brown colour of the pine trees after they died following the absorption of high levels of ionizing radiation as a consequence of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster on 26 April 1986. The site remains one of the most contaminated areas in the world today.