In 1986 Kamov test pilot N. A. Mel'nik performed a unique operation in the Ka-27 (the Ka-32's predecessor) which involved lowering a sensor pack from an altitude of 250m into the ventilation shaft of the devastated Unit 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power station to measure radiation levels. For the uninitiated, such an intricate operation can be compared to threading a needle while holding it at arm's length. The success of this operation was ensured by the unique capabilities of the co-axial helicopter and its external load stabilization system, and, not least, by the pilot's skill. [aviastar.org]

The Ukrainian National Chornobyl Museum is a history museum in Kiev, Ukraine, dedicated to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and its consequences. It houses an extensive collection of visual media, artifacts, scale models and other representational items designed to educate the public about many aspects of the disaster. Several exhibits depict the technical progression of the accident, and there are also many areas dedicated to the loss of life and cultural ramifications of the disaster.

Due to the nature of the subject material, the museum provides a very visually engaging experience. Symbolic display of "road signs" for the villages abandoned as a result of the disaster. To stress the tragedy of devastation, the signs are colored in black (instead of standard blue/white) and slashed with pink stripe (which designates "end of the settlement" on the actual signs). Above the signs is an authentic Khorugv from the abandoned village church.