Kamaryn & Slavutych Border Crossing

The Chornobyl Commuter Crossing

Important Note for Travelers: Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the volatile political situation with Belarus, this border crossing is closed and the entire region is a high-risk security zone. It is not operational. This guide is provided for historical and informational purposes only.

The border crossing between Kamaryn in Belarus and Slavutych in Ukraine was arguably one of the most unique and unusual international checkpoints in the world. It was not a crossing for the general public or for international trade. Its sole, specific purpose was to serve the workers of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The Ukrainian city of Slavutych was built after the 1986 disaster to house the evacuated plant workers and their families, but it is located on the opposite side of the Dnieper River from the plant. The most direct route for the daily commuter train from the city to the plant required it to pass through a section of Belarusian territory. This crossing was the point where that special train crossed the border, a daily journey through a foreign country to get to work.

Operational Details

This checkpoint connected the Gomel Region of Belarus with the Kyiv Oblast of Ukraine. It was an exclusively railway crossing, and its operation was tied directly to the shift schedule of the Chornobyl plant. The crossing was used by a dedicated passenger train that transported thousands of Ukrainian workers each day from their homes in Slavutych to the Semikhody station at the Chornobyl site. The train was for authorized personnel only and was not open to the public. The journey involved a short transit through Belarus, a unique geopolitical anomaly necessitated by the geography of the region.

A History Born from Disaster

The history of this crossing is a direct consequence of the Chornobyl disaster. After the accident, the nearby city of Pripyat was abandoned. The Soviet government built the new city of Slavutych from scratch, a model late-Soviet city designed to be a comfortable home for the plant’s personnel. However, it was built on the eastern bank of the Dnieper, while the plant is on the western bank. The existing railway line that connected the two sides ran through the Gomel Region of the Belarusian SSR. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, this internal administrative line became an international border. A special agreement was maintained between Belarus and Ukraine to allow the Chornobyl commuter train to continue its daily run, a pragmatic solution to a unique logistical problem.

Former Border Procedure

The border crossing procedure for the Chornobyl train was a unique, streamlined process. The train would not make a long stop for individual checks. Instead, Belarusian border guards would board the train at a designated point, possibly Kamaryn, and travel with it through the Belarusian section, checking the documents of the Ukrainian workers en route. The train was sealed during its transit through Belarus, and no one was allowed to embark or disembark. A similar procedure would happen in reverse for the return journey. It was a system built on trust and necessity, a “technical transit” that allowed thousands of people to cross an international border twice a day with minimal fuss.

The Surrounding Region

The surrounding area is deeply rural and heavily affected by the Chornobyl disaster. On the Belarusian side, the crossing is within the Polesie State Radioecological Reserve, an area evacuated due to high levels of radiation. It is a land of forests and marshes where nature has been left to its own devices. On the Ukrainian side, Slavutych is a unique city, with its districts designed and built by different Soviet republics, creating a diverse architectural landscape. The city is a vibrant community, but its existence is forever tied to the ongoing work of decommissioning the Chornobyl plant and managing the Exclusion Zone.

Closure Due to War

The unique arrangement for the Chornobyl commuter train came to an abrupt end with the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russian forces, advancing from Belarus, captured the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant on the first day of the war. The railway line was severed, and the border was sealed. The Ukrainian workers at the plant were trapped, forced to work for weeks without relief. The cross-border train service has not resumed, and the workers now face a much longer and more complicated journey to the plant that avoids Belarusian territory.

Final Considerations

The Kamaryn–Slavutych railway crossing was a fascinating example of pragmatic cross-border cooperation, a unique solution to a problem created by nuclear disaster and the fall of an empire. It was a daily commute unlike any other. Its closure is a stark reminder of how the war has shattered not only major international links but also the specific, local arrangements that made life possible in complex border regions. The silent tracks now stand as a testament to a broken agreement and a community’s severed lifeline.