FAQ

(Frequently Asked Questions)

Did you ever see that woman, Elena, that rides around the zone on her motorcycle? Her website www.kiddofspeed.com was a big thing a few years ago.

It was also one of the internet's biggest hoaxes. "Elena", whose real name is Lena Filatova, never rode a motocycle in the zone. She took a day trip in a car with her husband and carried a motorcycle helmet while he snapped pictures of her. Her website is full of misleading "facts" and bad science. But it brought the subject of Chernobyl to a huge, international audience. And I commend Lena for using her notoriety to bring attention to other aspects of Ukraine's history in updated versions of her website.

What kind of protective gear did you wear?
What does flying have to do with radiation?
Is that dangerous?
What was your total radiation dose?
How much time have you spent in the zone?
Why not? Since the Bomb first dropped, sundry mutants have starred in nearly every sci-fi movie about radiation.
With such high radiation in some places, the zone must be crawling with mutants, no?
Isn’t that confusing?
Why do Americans use different radiation units than the rest of the world?
What are normal background radiation levels?