As a first step, the government is moving to have the site – and a neighboring Soviet era radar – declared a national monument. “The importance of the Chernobyl zone lays far beyond Ukraine’s borders,” Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko told Reuters. “It is not only about commemoration, but also history and people’s rights.” Boosted by the HBO Chernobyl series, tourism doubled in 2019, to 120,000 visitors to the site.