Poliske


Poliske or Polesskoye is an abandoned settlement and former urban-type settlement in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, part of Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. It is located on the Uzh River and was an administrative center of Poliske Raion. However, later the town was taken out of a registry as it was completely depopulated being located in the Zone of alienation. Currently around 20 people live there, so called samosely.

History

Overview

Originally called Khabnoye or Khabne, it was renamed Kaganovichi Pervye or Kahanovychi Pershi in 1934, and Poliske in 1957.
Founded in the 15th century, it was the home of the Polish family Horwatt from 1850 to 1918. In the 19th century, this small city was known for its weavers and its textile industry. In 1890, 80% of the population was Jewish. In the later half of the 19th century, and in the beginning of the 20th century, there was known a klezmer band of the Makonowiecki family. Khabne lost all its major architecture during the Soviet Union – the castle of Radziwiłł, Orthodox churches, and the Catholic Church. In 1938, Khabne received official city status. After the Chernobyl disaster, Khabne's population started to fall off. In 1999, the remaining population was evacuated. In 2005, there were about 1,000 people still living there, mostly senior citizens.
From February to April 2022, Poliske was occupied by Russia as a result of the 2022 [Russian invasion of Ukraine|2022 invasion].

Abandonment

Following the Chernobyl [Nuclear Power Plant] accident, a Zone of Alienation, also known as the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the 30 Kilometre Zone, or simply The Zone was designated by the USSR military after the 1986 disaster.
Initially, 30 km radius area was evacuated and placed under military control, however, over time the borders of the Zone of Alienation have increased to cover a larger area of contamination. The zone is now approximately 2,600 km2, where radioactive fallout contamination is highest. Public access and inhabitation is restricted due to radiological hazards and allow for ecological monitoring by environmental scientists.

Geography

Located in the north-western corner of Kyiv Oblast, at the borders with Zhytomyr Oblast, Poliske is part of the natural region of Polesia, and is 27 km from the Belarusian border. Crossed by the regional highway P02 Ovruch-Kyiv, the town lies between Vilcha, [Kyiv Oblast|Vilcha] and Krasiatychi. It is 41 km far from Narodychi, 53 from Ovruch and Ivankiv, 58 from Pripyat and 65 from Chernobyl.

Notable people