Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant

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Chernobyl NPP
Games	S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
Game ID	l12_stancia l12_stancia_2 stancia_2
Neighboring levels	Pripyat Sarcophagus Monolith Control Center Deserted hospital
Factions	Clear Sky Military Monolith
Music
Day (south) Day (north) Night
N/A
Map

The site of the world-famous nuclear power plant. This is the heart of the Zone. If you believe the legends, this is also the site of the Monolith - a mysterious thing capable of granting any wish.
― Encyclopedia

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Chernobyl NPP, or simply CNPP, is a location featured in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky. The location is absent from S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat but is mentioned on several occasions. It is one of the most important locations in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe.

Overview

The Chernobyl NPP is a place of myth and is believed to be the very heart of the Zone. Following the second incident in 2006 and the emergence of the Zone, the power plant became inaccessible. Almost impassable obstacles such as the Brain Scorcher and the Monolith faction, combined with the vivid imaginations of prospecting stalkers, caused wild rumors to begin spreading about what one might find in the Chernobyl NPP. The most well known tale is that of the Wish Granter, a monolithic crystal of unknown origin that makes one's wishes come true, rumoured to be hidden inside the destroyed reactor #4. Other rumors surrounding the NPP involve extra-terrestrials, treasure troves of artifacts, the Oasis, and other folklore.

History

Background

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in real life, after the 1986 disaster.

The V.I. Lenin Nuclear Power Station, as it was known during the Soviet era, consisted of four reactors of type RBMK-1000, each capable of producing 1,000 megawatts (MW) of electric power (3.2 GW of thermal power), and the four together produced about 10% of Ukraine's electricity at the time of the accident.

The Chernobyl station is 18 km (11 mi) northwest of the town of Chernobyl, 16 km (9.9 mi) from the border of Ukraine and Belarus and about 100 km (62 mi) north of Kiev. Construction of the plant and the nearby city of Pripyat, Ukraine to house workers and their families began in 1970, with Reactor No. 1 commissioned in 1977. It was the third nuclear power station in the Soviet Union of the RBMK-type (after Leningrad and Kursk), and the first ever nuclear power plant on Ukrainian soil.

The completion of the first reactor in 1977 was followed by Reactor No. 2 (1978), No. 3 (1981), and No. 4 (1983). Two more reactors, No. 5 and 6, capable of producing 1,000 MW each, were under construction at the time of the accident. Reactor No. 5 was about 70% complete at the time of the accident and was scheduled to start operating in November 7, 1986. However, all work was halted on January 1, 1988, leaving most of the machinery behind. Furthermore, a 6th reactor was planned in a new block of buildings scheduled to be completed in 1994.

The disaster

On April 26, 1986, what is known as the Chernobyl disaster occurred. Due to a series of human errors and deficiencies, a sudden and unexpected power surge occurred in reactor #4, and when an emergency shutdown was attempted, an exponentially larger spike in power output occurred, which led to a reactor vessel rupture and a series of steam explosions. These events exposed the graphite moderator of the reactor to air, causing it to ignite. The resulting fire sent a plume of highly radioactive fallout into the atmosphere and over an extensive geographical area, including Pripyat. The plume drifted over large parts of the western Soviet Union and Europe.

Following the accident, many areas around the plant (including Pripyat and Chernobyl) were evacuated and abandoned, and the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone was created in a 30 kilometer radius around the Chernobyl NPP. The Sarcophagus, a massive steel and concrete structure, was built around the remains of reactor #4 in order to limit further radioactive contamination.

After the disaster

The power plant continued to function for several years after the disaster. The Chernobyl NPP and the surrounding exclusion Zone proved to be an interesting place for Soviet officials, who chose the area to found an extensive network of laboratories in the heart of the Zone, designed to carry out experiments in the framework of USSR secret military programs. The location was ideal, as the Chernobyl NPP could supply energy to the laboratories, and the location was secluded enough to avoid unwanted attention.

The location was eventually chosen for the Common Consciousness experiment, which culminated in what is known as the "Second disaster", occurring in the afternoon of June 10th, 2006. Attempts by the scientists to interfere with the noosphere backfired horribly when the experiment opened a rift in the noosphere, allowing it to directly affect the biosphere, leading to the formation of the Zone. The energy emissions associated with the disaster are so strong that they cause observation satellites in low Earth orbit to spontaneously combust when flying over the plant.

In the wake of the second disaster, the scientists dedicated their research to studying the noosphere and finding a way to close the rift that caused the Zone to emerge in the first place. Fearing that mankind would interfere with their plans, they decided to turn the plant and its surrounding area into a no-go zone, using the Brain Scorcher and the Monolith faction to block passage to the center of the Zone. The legendary Wish Granter was created by the scientists in order to lure prospecting stalkers within range of the Brain Scorcher, allowing the C-Consciousness to control the mind of their victims and manipulate them into becoming their double agents among stalker communities. From this point on, the plant became the subject of numerous myths and legends, the most famous one being the Wish Granter.

It did not take long for expeditions into the center of the Zone to be mounted. One such expedition, led by then Captain Tachenko of the Ukrainian military, quickly fell apart when many of the soldiers perished in anomalies and emissions. Many stalkers also attempted incursions into the center of the Zone, but none returned alive. One exception was Strelok's Group, which made a successful incursion into the power plant some time before 2011, but were forced to retreat when they encountered a code-locked door within the Sarcophagus.

Appearances

Shadow of Chernobyl

Outside of the NPP, near the exit from the Secret Lab

The Chernobyl NPP is among the final levels of Shadow of Chernobyl. It is comprised of two parts.

Front

The front (southern) part of the CNPP is the first part of the level itself. It is accessed from Pripyat after the player manages to reach the other end of the city's sports stadium. At the time the Marked One arrives at the plant, the area is under heavy fire from the State Security Service which attempts a large military operation (codenamed Operation Monolith), aimed at taking control of the area. The player is then confronted by not only the Military (comprised of ground troops, BTR-70s and Mi-24 gunships) but, Monolith experts too.

Shortly after the player enters the area, they are warned that an emission is about to occur. The player is given five minutes to reach the Sarcophagus before it strikes.

The front of the power plant is filled with gravitational anomalies, such as Springboards, Vortexes and Whirligigs, around which artifacts may be found. A large number of soldiers and Monolithians can be seen fighting throughout the level, with BTR-70s and Mi-24s providing support. There are also Monolith and Military snipers perched on various rooftops, providing sniper support with either Gauss guns or SVUmk-2s. Quartet, the commander of the operation, can be found in the southwestern area of the map.

The entrance to the Sarcophagus is located inside the plant, which can be entered from a railroad in the western part of the area. Approaching the entrance will result in a few more Monolith experts appearing. The entrance to the Sarcophagus itself is found at the bottom of a staircase, just inside the entrance to the plant.

Outside

Outside the CNPP.

If the player found the decoder in Pripyat and used it to confront the C-Consciousness - and declined their offer to join them - they will have to fight their way out of the northern part of NPP, with various parts of it connected by Teleport anomalies. This part of the level allows the player to explore the top of the Sarcophagus and various factory buildings around the plant. It's a gauntlet section where Monolith will relentlessly attack the player with snipers, regular soldiers, and exoskeleton-equipped Experts.

The opposition here solely consists of Monolithians, with a handful of snorks. The Monolith deploys a massive number of ground troops supported by marksmen wielding Gauss guns or RPG-7us from elevated positions. Unlike the southern part, there are no anomalies save for the Teleporters here.

Useful loot including an Exoskeleton can be found in this area.

After going through all teleporters, Strelok is teleported in the secret lab with the room containing all six life pods of the Common Consciousness. Using his Akm 74/2U, he proceeds to destroy the pods, destroying the C-Consciousness itself.

Clear Sky

The CNPP (specifically, the northern part from Shadow of Chernobyl) returns in Clear Sky as the final level. It's where Scar and the Clear Sky faction, after fighting their way through Limansk and the Limansk Hospital, reach the center of the Zone to destroy Strelok's psi-protection and prevent him to trespass in the Sarcophagus to prevent further emissions from the C-Consciousness. When the player arrives there, a large gunfight between Clear Sky and Monolith forces is already underway. After a short conversation with Lebedev, the player is given a prototype EM1 Rifle, and tasked with disabling Strelok's psi-protection field. The player must quickly incapacitate Strelok, while moving through different locations via portals from the previous game and fighting through groups of teleporting Monolithians. This must be done quickly, as Strelok will escape into the power plant if too much time is taken. After all is said and done, the C-Consciousness triggers a powerful blowout, destroying the majority of the Clear Sky fighters, recruiting the survivors either as Monolith stalkers or as agents, as well as Strelok.

Unlike Shadow of Chernobyl, exploration of the area is usually limited due to the player having limited time to destroy Strelok's protection. Sometimes, though, a bug can appear which will spawn Strelok on ground level and not running away, giving infinite amount of time to wander around the area. Moreover, there is a possibility that Strelok will be stuck in one of his covers, allowing the player to also explore the area.

Call of Pripyat

Though not seen in-game, it was the target of Operation Fairway. The operation, however, failed when all Stingray helicopters crashed in the outskirts of the plant due to airborne anomalies.

Gallery

Shadow of Chernobyl

Close view of the Sarcophagus

Chernobyl NPP from far

The crashed helicopter.

Outside Chernobyl.

The Generators as seen from the CNPP.

Passage to the Sarcophagus

Clear Sky

Trivia

• In both Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Sky, the CNPP is erroneously located north to Pripyat. In real-life, it's located to the south-east. In Call of Pripyat, this seems to have been corrected, as to the direct north of Pripyat is located the region of Zaton; while the CNPP itself is nowhere to be found on the map, it can be assumed it has been moved to the correct location, given the in-game maps are based on real-life ones.
• The first, front part of the CNPP is the machine hall, which in real life contained the turbines and power generators of units 3 and 4 of the plant.
• While using the teleporters in Shadow of Chernobyl, the player will be briefly teleported into Sidorovich's bunker in the Cordon, much to the latter's surprise, before being teleported back to the plant. In reality, the location is not the actual bunker but a copy of it located underneath the map. In addition, the Sidorovich seen in this sequence is not an actual NPC but an animated prop (similarly to the spectators in the Arena).

See also

• Walkthrough