The abandoned village «Tovstiy Lys», Chornobyl Exclusion Zone

On Soviet maps it was an ordinary Polissia village with vegetable gardens, a school, and a collective farm. Today all that remains are a handful of cottages beneath trees that have pushed their roots through the floorboards — and a name that sounds like a spell: Tovstyi Lis (“the thick forest”).

The village has quite literally been swallowed by the forest. In nearly forty years without people, pines and birches have crept up to the very windows, and the classrooms of the local school are so overgrown that in summer they’re barely visible from the road. This is one of the most accessible “ghost villages” of the Chornobyl zone — and one of the most hauntingly quiet.

Location Card

What It Is & Why Visit

Everyone knows Pripyat — the big, cinematic atomic city. But scattered through the surrounding forests are dozens of tiny villages that vanished quietly, without cameras or fanfare. Tovstyi Lis is one of them, and that’s precisely why it’s worth the detour: this isn’t disaster “on display” — it’s ordinary life that was cut short in a single spring.

Visitors come for the raw atmosphere of genuine abandonment: leaning fences, cottages with collapsed roofs, school desks buried under layers of leaves. No neon signs, no tourist packaging — just a forest slowly reclaiming everything that was once written into it.

The name turned out to be prophetic. Once “tovstyi” (thick) referred to the dense forest surrounding the settlement. Now that forest is growing inside the cottages themselves.

History: From 1447 to Evacuation

Tovstyi Lis first appears in written sources in 1447 — long before anyone had heard the words “atom” or “reactor.” For centuries it was a typical Polissia backwater: forest, sandy soil, rivers, and a way of life tightly bound to nature. Nearby villages — Zalissia, Kopachi, Korogod — shared the same fate.

It all ended in the spring of 1986. After the explosion at the fourth reactor of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant on 26 April 1986, more than 116,000 people were evacuated from Pripyat, Chornobyl, and surrounding villages. Residents were told it would be a few days. They locked their doors, took their documents and essentials — and never came back.

The village fell within the exclusion zone. Houses were looted, roofs gradually caved in, and the forest did what it does best — grow. Over decades without people, Tovstyi Lis transformed from a settlement into an archaeological cross-section of Soviet Polissia.

What to See

The village school. The undisputed highlight of Tovstyi Lis. Trees have engulfed the building, and inside you can still find desks, remnants of educational posters, and school supplies. It’s the most-photographed spot: Soviet-era classroom meets untamed nature in a single frame — a must-visit for any off the beaten path explorer.

The residential cottages. Wooden Polissia houses with carved window frames, clay stoves, and traces of everyday life. Some still stand; others have become mossy piles of logs.

The forest itself. Here the “backdrop” matters more than the objects. The silence is almost physical — no cars, no people, only birds and wind. The exclusion zone has long become an accidental nature reserve, and wildlife has reclaimed its dominion.

Legends & Local Lore

Every abandoned Polissia village quickly accumulates stories. Tovstyi Lis is no exception.

1. The Self-Settlers Who Returned

After the evacuation, a number of elderly residents illegally returned to the zone — choosing to die on their native soil rather than in a stranger’s apartment. These “samosely” (self-settlers, as they were called in Ukrainian) numbered in the hundreds across the zone. Local guides recount that near Tovstyi Lis, too, old-timers once lived quietly, tending their gardens and fearing neither radiation nor solitude.

2. The Forest That “Breathes”

Urban explorers love to describe strange sounds in such villages: doors creaking without wind, footsteps in the attic, whispers in empty classrooms. The rational explanation is simple — old timber “talks” as temperatures shift, and animals roam the abandoned buildings. But in the silence of the zone, the imagination outperforms any horror film.

Status After 2022

In the spring of 2022, the Chornobyl zone was occupied by Russian forces advancing from Belarus. After de-occupation, the territory required clearance for mines and unexploded ordnance. As a result, routes and access to specific locations within the zone may change.

Before travelling, always confirm the current status with a licensed tour operator: whether the zone is open to visitors, which sites are permitted, and whether Tovstyi Lis is included in the itinerary at the time of your trip.

Getting There

Independent access to Tovstyi Lis is not possible. The entire Chornobyl zone is a restricted area with checkpoints. Entry is available only via a licensed tour with an official permit arranged in advance.

• Departure point: organised tours depart primarily from Kyiv.
• Documents: passport required for the permit; zone conduct rules must be followed.
• On the road: the village lies deep inside the zone and is typically combined with other locations in a full-day excursion.

Visitor Tips

• Closed clothing and sturdy footwear. Tall weeds, branches, and rusty metal make covering your arms and legs essential.
• Do not enter derelict buildings. Roofs and floors can collapse without warning.
• Take nothing with you. Objects from the zone may be contaminated — and removing them is prohibited.
• Stay with the group and guide. It’s easy to get lost in the forest, and landmarks are scarce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to visit Tovstyi Lis?

When following the rules and travelling with a legitimate tour, a short visit to the zone is considered relatively safe in terms of radiation exposure. The main risks here are not radioactivity but derelict structures and (post-2022) potential unexploded ordnance on uncleared sections. This is why organised access only remains the rule.

Can I go independently?

No. The exclusion zone is a restricted area. An official permit and a licensed guide are required.

Why is the village called Tovstyi Lis?

“Tovstyi Lis” is an old Polissia name meaning “thick forest,” referring to the dense woodland surrounding the settlement. Today the name sounds almost symbolic: the forest has taken this land back for good.

How much time should I allow?

Tovstyi Lis itself takes about 30–60 minutes. It is typically visited as part of a broader zone itinerary that fills an entire day.