How to install Pripyat maps for iPhone

I get around quite a bit with my photography and urban exploration, the last few years i’ve visited the abandoned city of Pripyat in northern Ukraine where in 1986 the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded.

My first 2 trips to the zone where fantastic, but i only had paper maps, so for my 3rd trip i decided to make some digital maps which could be viewed on my iPhone, with the help of Galileo offline maps which is an excellent program for the job and doesn’t need a data connection!

Quite a lot of people are visiting the zone these days so i decided to put together this little guide so you can also have these excellent maps on your phone so your visit doesn’t turn into a snippet from Chernobyl Diaries.

First of all please make sure your device has GPS! (some of the first iPad models did not) Note. you can still use this app without GPS but obviously you will need to know where you are first!

You will need to get the app called Galileo offline maps from the app store which you can find here.

Purchase the Offline Maps Import function

The app is free, but you will need to purchase the in-app purchase in order to use this offline map (It’s cheaper to buy all features). (£2.49)

You can find this in the Settings > Paid Features menu.

Importing an Offline Map with iTunes

Once you have downloaded the Pripyat offline map’s, you should upload both maps on your device. Connect your device to your computer, launch the iTunes application and perform these steps:

1. Open the iTunes application and select your device
2. Go to the Apps tab and scroll down
3. Select Galileo in the Apps list
4. Add the file with the offline map which you downloaded earlier into the Galileo Offline Maps shared folder
5. Synchronize your device by clicking the Sync or Apply button

Once you have uploaded the maps file to your device open Galileo offline maps and select the map via Settings > Map Source > Pripyat or Pripyat Satellite

The pre-saved map will now be availible on your phone, you can browse around this and zoom in and out (if the map does not display, search for Pripyat in the search bar.

As long as you installed both Map files on your device you will now have the choice of selecting the Satellite imagery map or the normal street map, the choice is up-to you!

Adding the points of interest file

In order to import the KML points of interest file which you downloaded earlier you will need to email the file to your iPhone.

Once you have received the attachment on your phone simply tap and hold until the save menu appears and select “Open in Galileo” as shown here.

Once this has completed you should have all the POI’s on your device and scattered around the map.

You can search all the Points of interest with the search bar.

Make sure the app is offline!

As some of you might be painfully aware data roaming while abroad can be very costly, so i designed this map with this in mind.

Please make sure the app is OFFLINE when you are using this in the zone, it is designed to be totally data free so you will not incur and roaming charges (your phone does not need to be in airplane mode) the app will act as if it’s offine.

Finding your location

The Galileo offline maps app can also plot your position on the Pripyat map which means you will be easily able to find your position in the city and navigate to other sights you may want to see.

Simply select the cross-hair icon at the bottom left of the screen, once you have a GPS lock you will show a Red position icon as seen here: