Stalker's trolleybus MTB-82, MTS Kopachi

In the middle of a field four kilometres from the exploded reactor, a trolleybus stands. No wires, no road, no city around it — just a rusting Soviet trolleybus in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, as if someone left it here half a century ago and forgot to come back.

For S.T.A.L.K.E.R. players this is almost a shrine; for urban explorers it is a must-visit waypoint; and for transport historians it is a rare surviving specimen of a vehicle long since scrapped in every living city. Meet the MTB-82 — the «cross-eyed Emka» of Kopachi village.

Location Card

In this article

1. What it is and why people come
2. History: the trolleybus, the MTS depot, and the buried village
3. Legends and mystique
4. What to see nearby
5. How to get there and access
6. Visitor checklist
7. Frequently asked questions

What it is and why people come

The MTB-82 in Kopachi is an abandoned trolleybus sitting near the former machine-and-tractor station (MTS) on the outskirts of one of the most unusual villages in the Exclusion Zone. By itself it is an ordinary Soviet machine from the 1950s. What is extraordinary is where and how it ended up here.

This trolleybus never carried passengers in Kopachi. Its body was brought to the Zone after the disaster and repurposed as a changing room and rest shelter for road workers. Technically, it was never «transport» here — just a decommissioned shell on wheels turned into a hut.

It is precisely the absurdity of the image — a city trolleybus in the middle of a radioactive field — that made it famous. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game fans recognise it instantly; it has been photographed thousands of times in the Zone and has long been one of the unofficial symbols of «stalker» Chornobyl.

History: the trolleybus, the MTS depot, and the buried village

What is the MTB-82?

The MTB-82 was a Soviet high-floor medium-capacity trolleybus produced in series from 1946 to 1961. More than five thousand were built. Its characteristic «squinting» front end, styled after the GAZ-M20 Pobeda saloon car, earned it the nickname «cross-eyed Emka» (Emka being a colloquial shortening of the model designation M).

In living cities these trolleybuses disappeared long ago — retired as early as the 1960s–70s. That makes the surviving shell in Kopachi doubly interesting: a rare tangible remnant of an entire era of urban transport.

Kopachi: the village that was buried

Kopachi lies just four kilometres from the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. After the explosion of 26 April 1986, the village suffered such severe radioactive contamination that decontamination was impossible. An unprecedented decision was made: the village was literally buried.

Houses were demolished and buried in the ground along with their yards. Today, where streets once stood, there are flat overgrown mounds with concrete radiation-warning markers. Of the entire village, only a handful of structures survived: the kindergarten and the former school building.

In the abandoned Kopachi kindergarten, toys still lie where they were left — and a Geiger counter reads over 500 µR/h, dozens of times above normal.

How the trolleybus ended up among the buried village

The machine-and-tractor station near Kopachi was a base for equipment servicing the Zone. Road workers needed a shelter, and someone had the idea of fitting out a retired trolleybus body for the purpose. That is how the MTB-82 «parked» here permanently. In 2020, during the large-scale wildfires that swept through the Zone, the fire reached it — and the interior burned out completely.

Legends and mystique

The Exclusion Zone is Ukraine’s undisputed champion in legends per square kilometre. The trolleybus in Kopachi has collected its own share.

1. The ghost trolleybus

Urban explorers say that in fog, the silhouette of the MTB-82 in the field looks like a vehicle about to set off — though it has nowhere to go and no route to follow. Hence the nickname «trolleybus to nowhere»: route No. 0, terminus — the Zone.

2. The in-game anomaly that «came true»

Thanks to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, the field with the trolleybus has acquired a layer of gamer mythology about anomalies and artefacts. Many visitors come specifically to «compare» reality with the game — and most admit that the atmosphere of silence and abandonment is even more intense in real life than on screen.

3. The village that gets even with those who dig

The very name «Kopachi» (related to the Ukrainian word for «diggers») combined with the story of the buried village inspired a dark local joke: don’t go digging here — the earth has already hidden everything once and won’t want to share a second time.

What to see nearby

The trolleybus itself. The must-have shot. Do not walk up and climb inside — the structure is fire-damaged and unstable, and the local radiation level is elevated.

The Kopachi kindergarten. A few hundred metres away — one of the Zone’s most famous «frozen» buildings: rusty little beds, abandoned toys, silence. One of the most haunting images in all of Chornobyl.

The buried mounds of the village. Flat, overgrown hillocks with triangular radiation markers — these are the former streets of Kopachi. A sight that takes a moment to fully absorb.

The ChNPP itself. Just a few kilometres away — Kopachi is almost always part of a larger Zone itinerary. For full context, see our overview of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.

How to get there and access

The most important thing about access. Kopachi is inside the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. Independent entry is not possible — this is a controlled area. Until 2022 the location could only be visited on official organised tours with permits.

Current status. Due to the full-scale war, the temporary occupation of the Zone in early 2022, and the mining of parts of the territory, tourist access to the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone is currently closed. If you are planning a future trip, always check the latest official decisions and updates from licensed operators.

Orientation. Kopachi village is to the right of the road from the Leliv checkpoint to the ChNPP, approximately 4 km from the plant. The trolleybus stands in the field near the former MTS depot.

Visitor checklist

For whenever you go (once the Zone reopens for tours):

• Official tour and permit: no entering the Zone without them — this is not a «free-range» destination.
• Dosimeter: Kopachi has radiation hotspots, especially near the kindergarten.
• Closed clothing and footwear: long sleeves, trousers, nothing placed on the ground.
• Water and snacks: there are no shops in the Zone.
• Respect the rules: take nothing out, do not touch «hot» objects, do not climb into the burned-out trolleybus.

What NOT to do: enter independently by bypassing checkpoints, «collect souvenirs,» or climb into damaged structures. It is both illegal and dangerous.

Frequently asked questions

Why is there a trolleybus in the Zone when Kopachi had no trolleybus line?

Because it was never local transport. The retired MTB-82 body was brought to the Zone after the disaster and used as a changing room and rest shelter for road workers at the MTS depot.

Can I visit now?

Not yet. Tourist access to the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone is closed due to the war and the mining of parts of the territory. Check official decisions before making any plans.

Is it safe to stand near the trolleybus?

The trolleybus itself is not the main source of elevated radiation, but Kopachi has radioactive hotspots, especially near the kindergarten. Always go with a tour, carry a dosimeter, and follow the rules.

Is this the same location as in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game?

The trolleybus and Kopachi became widely recognisable largely thanks to the game and to explorers’ photographs. The real place inspired many of the images in the «game» version of Chornobyl.

What happened to the trolleybus in 2020?

During the large-scale wildfires that swept through the Zone, the fire reached the trolleybus and burned out its interior.

The trolleybus in Kopachi is a story about absurdity that becomes a symbol. A vehicle meant to carry people through a city was turned into a hut, and around it an entire village was buried in the earth. And so it stands in the middle of a field — no road, no purpose — like the final stop of an entire era.

Route No. 0, direction: silence. No ticket required — and, truth be told, not many people are in a rush to board.