On April 26, 1986, the biggest nuclear accident in human history occurred at Reactor Block 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The disaster took place during an experiment intended to test a possible cooling method in an emergency situation. After enormous efforts to decontaminate and repair the plant, Blocks 1, 2, and 3 resumed operations until 2000, when the last block was decommissioned. More than 30,000 people were evacuated within 36 hours of the disaster from what is known as the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. This zone covers a territory of 2,600 kmĀ² (on the Ukrainian side), where 96 evacuated villages, towns, and cities are located.
In terms of radiation safety, the zone is divided into three areas: the 30 km buffer zone, the more polluted 10 km area, and a livable area where Chernobyl personnel stay in weekly shifts. There are also the 'Samosely' (self-settlers), who live permanently in the zone. The 'Samosely' are residents of the 30 km zone who are allowed to stay, as long as they were living there before the accident in 1986. Less than 200 are still alive, and most are elderly women, well over 75 years old. As the zone is large, they mostly live isolated from one another. Many remain in the zone during the winter months, while their children and grandchildren live outside the zone, in nearby cities or Kyiv. The 'Samosely' share a common desire to remain on their ancestral lands despite all the odds and challenges.
Shuttle train between Slavutych and Chernobyl passing through the exclusion zone in Belarus. Every day thousands of habitants of Slavutych take the train to go working at the Chernobyl NPP and other locations within the exclusion zone. Belarus, August 2021
Shuttle train between Slavutych and Chernobyl passing through the exclusion zone in Belarus. Every day thousands of habitants of Slavutych take the train to go working at the Chernobyl NPP and other locations within the exclusion zone. Belarus, August 2021
Chernobyl town, exclusion zone, Ukraine, June 2021
Chernobyl town, exclusion zone, Ukraine, June 2021
Gania (Hanna) is 88 years old and has always lived in Kupovate village except for 18 months when she was evacuated after the nuclear reactor explosion in 1986. She worked in a local kolhoz (a collective farm during Soviet time) as a cow milker and other farm works. She lived with her sister, who passed away 6 months ago and her husband who died 10 years ago. All a buried here and she has no intention to move out of the exclusion zone and live with her daughter in the city. Kupovate, Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine, June 2021
Gania (Hanna) is 88 years old and has always lived in Kupovate village except for 18 months when she was evacuated after the nuclear reactor explosion in 1986. She worked in a local kolhoz (a collective farm during Soviet time) as a cow milker and other farm works. She lived with her sister, who passed away 6 months ago and her husband who died 10 years ago. All a buried here and she has no intention to move out of the exclusion zone and live with her daughter in the city. Kupovate, Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine, June 2021
Reactor number 4 protected by a new dome finished in 2016, thirty years after the nuclear catastrophe of April 1986. The new dome protects the original concrete shelter that was build in the aftermath of the catastrophe despite high radiation levels. The original shelter was completed by 30 November 1986 at an extreme high human cost. Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Reactor number 4 protected by a new dome finished in 2016, thirty years after the nuclear catastrophe of April 1986. The new dome protects the original concrete shelter that was build in the aftermath of the catastrophe despite high radiation levels. The original shelter was completed by 30 November 1986 at an extreme high human cost. Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
A self-settler or 'samoseli' who as an original habitant of villages in the exclusion zone is allowed to live in certain areas of the exclusion zone where the radiation levels are low and safe. Chernobyl town, Ukraine, September 2021
A self-settler or 'samoseli' who as an original habitant of villages in the exclusion zone is allowed to live in certain areas of the exclusion zone where the radiation levels are low and safe. Chernobyl town, Ukraine, September 2021
Pripyat town was developed alongside the nuclear power plant to house staff and their families. Before the disaster it consisted of 5 districts, each of them with well-developed infrastructure. There were 5 schools, 14 kindergartens, a cinema, swimming pools, theatre, shopping centres and residential buildings for 30,000 people with extensions planned of at least one more district near the port area. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Pripyat town was developed alongside the nuclear power plant to house staff and their families. Before the disaster it consisted of 5 districts, each of them with well-developed infrastructure. There were 5 schools, 14 kindergartens, a cinema, swimming pools, theatre, shopping centres and residential buildings for 30,000 people with extensions planned of at least one more district near the port area. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Anatoly, 57 years, worked at the Chernobyl water supply company and is now retired. Lives as a 'samoseli' (self settler) in Chernobyl in his house alone and is struggling with an alcohol addiction. Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine, June 2021
Anatoly, 57 years, worked at the Chernobyl water supply company and is now retired. Lives as a 'samoseli' (self settler) in Chernobyl in his house alone and is struggling with an alcohol addiction. Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine, June 2021
Unfinished nuclear reactor number 5 was supposed to be put in function in October 1986. After the explosion of reactor 4, all expansion works were stopped indefinitely. Plans existed to expand the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) to ten reactors by the year 2000 which would have made it the largest in the world. The accident of 26 April 1986 and later the collapse of the Soviet Union put a definite halt to it. Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, September 2021
Unfinished nuclear reactor number 5 was supposed to be put in function in October 1986. After the explosion of reactor 4, all expansion works were stopped indefinitely. Plans existed to expand the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) to ten reactors by the year 2000 which would have made it the largest in the world. The accident of 26 April 1986 and later the collapse of the Soviet Union put a definite halt to it. Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, September 2021
Cooling tower of nuclear power plant 5 which was nearly finished and supposed to be put in function in October 1986. After the explosion of reactor 4, all expansion works were stopped indefinitely. Plans existed to expand the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) to ten reactors by the year 2000 which would have made it the largest in the world. The accident of 26 April 1986 and later the collapse of the Soviet Union put a definite halt to it. Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Cooling tower of nuclear power plant 5 which was nearly finished and supposed to be put in function in October 1986. After the explosion of reactor 4, all expansion works were stopped indefinitely. Plans existed to expand the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) to ten reactors by the year 2000 which would have made it the largest in the world. The accident of 26 April 1986 and later the collapse of the Soviet Union put a definite halt to it. Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Pripyat residential buildings with reactor number 4 and its protection dome in the background. Pripyat was build as a satelite town only 6 km from the NPP. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Pripyat residential buildings with reactor number 4 and its protection dome in the background. Pripyat was build as a satelite town only 6 km from the NPP. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Dunja (Darija), 76 years old, lives alone and takes care of a large vegetable garden. Has problems with her legs and has difficulties to walk. Nearby firefghters help her out when possible.She has no phone in case of emergency because as she says: "I have nobody to call anyway". Dunja is one of the few hundreds of self-settlers that stayed living in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Paryshiv village, Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine, June 2021
Dunja (Darija), 76 years old, lives alone and takes care of a large vegetable garden. Has problems with her legs and has difficulties to walk. Nearby firefghters help her out when possible.She has no phone in case of emergency because as she says: "I have nobody to call anyway". Dunja is one of the few hundreds of self-settlers that stayed living in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Paryshiv village, Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine, June 2021
Pripyat amusement park, Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine, June 2021
Pripyat amusement park, Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine, June 2021
On April 26, 1986, the biggest nuclear accident in mankind's history has happened at Reactor block 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It happened during an experiment, which was intended to test a possible cooling method in an emergency situation. After enormous efforts in decontaminating and repairs, block 1, 2 and 3 resumed its operation until 2000 when the last block was decommissioned. More than 30,000 people were evacuated within 36 hours after the disaster from what is known as the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The zone covers a territory of 2,600 km2 (the Ukranian side), where 96 evacuated villages, towns and cities are located. In terms of radiation safety, there are 3 areas within the zone: the buffer 30 Km area, the internal more polluted 10 Km area and a livable area, where the Chernobyl personnel lives and stays in weekly shifts and the 'Samosely' or self settlers that live there permanently. 'Samosely' are residents of the 30 Km area where there present is tolerated insofar they were living there before the accident in 1986. Less than 200 are still alive and are mainly well over 75 years and women. As the zone is large they live mostly isolated one of the other. Most remain in the zone even during the winter months, their children and grand children live outside the zone in nearby cities or Kyiv. Samosely have all in comon that they wish to remain on their ancestral lands despite all odds and challenges.       A photograph of the exploded reactor number 4 dated shortly after the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on 26 April 1986. Chernobyl Museum, Slavutych, Ukraine, August 2021
On April 26, 1986, the biggest nuclear accident in mankind's history has happened at Reactor block 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It happened during an experiment, which was intended to test a possible cooling method in an emergency situation. After enormous efforts in decontaminating and repairs, block 1, 2 and 3 resumed its operation until 2000 when the last block was decommissioned. More than 30,000 people were evacuated within 36 hours after the disaster from what is known as the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The zone covers a territory of 2,600 km2 (the Ukranian side), where 96 evacuated villages, towns and cities are located. In terms of radiation safety, there are 3 areas within the zone: the buffer 30 Km area, the internal more polluted 10 Km area and a livable area, where the Chernobyl personnel lives and stays in weekly shifts and the 'Samosely' or self settlers that live there permanently. 'Samosely' are residents of the 30 Km area where there present is tolerated insofar they were living there before the accident in 1986. Less than 200 are still alive and are mainly well over 75 years and women. As the zone is large they live mostly isolated one of the other. Most remain in the zone even during the winter months, their children and grand children live outside the zone in nearby cities or Kyiv. Samosely have all in comon that they wish to remain on their ancestral lands despite all odds and challenges. A photograph of the exploded reactor number 4 dated shortly after the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on 26 April 1986. Chernobyl Museum, Slavutych, Ukraine, August 2021
Main square of Slavutych, a town of 20,000 people that was build between 1987 and 1990 to accomodate people evacuated from Pripyat and the Chernobyl exclusion zone. It was buid with large green spaces and micro district contributed and constructed by other Soviet Repubilcs (Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Georgia,Russia, Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaidjan) As of 1989 the further extension of the town stopped as funds were re-directed towards Armenia following the 1988 earthquake and eventually stopped completely with the collapse of the USSR. Since 2000 and the closure of the last working nuclear reactor of the Chernobyl NPP, the number of habitants has constantly decreased from about 30,000 in the nineties to 20,000 now. The majority of working age residents work in the Chernobyl exclusion zone and the nuclear power plant. Slavutych, Ukraine, August 2021
Main square of Slavutych, a town of 20,000 people that was build between 1987 and 1990 to accomodate people evacuated from Pripyat and the Chernobyl exclusion zone. It was buid with large green spaces and micro district contributed and constructed by other Soviet Repubilcs (Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Georgia,Russia, Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaidjan) As of 1989 the further extension of the town stopped as funds were re-directed towards Armenia following the 1988 earthquake and eventually stopped completely with the collapse of the USSR. Since 2000 and the closure of the last working nuclear reactor of the Chernobyl NPP, the number of habitants has constantly decreased from about 30,000 in the nineties to 20,000 now. The majority of working age residents work in the Chernobyl exclusion zone and the nuclear power plant. Slavutych, Ukraine, August 2021
Shuttle train in Slavutych train station with people going daily to work at the nuclear power plant of Chernobyl and surrounding exclusion zone. The trip takes 45 minutes and passes through a part of the exclusion zone of Belarus before re-entering in Ukraine proper and arrive at the Chernobyl NPP station. Slavutych, Ukraine, August 2021
Shuttle train in Slavutych train station with people going daily to work at the nuclear power plant of Chernobyl and surrounding exclusion zone. The trip takes 45 minutes and passes through a part of the exclusion zone of Belarus before re-entering in Ukraine proper and arrive at the Chernobyl NPP station. Slavutych, Ukraine, August 2021
Workers arriving at the Chernobyl NPP railway station. Daily trains bring workers to the nuclear power plant from Slavutych, 45 minutes away out of the exclusion zone. Chernobyl NPP railway station, Ukraine, August 2021
Workers arriving at the Chernobyl NPP railway station. Daily trains bring workers to the nuclear power plant from Slavutych, 45 minutes away out of the exclusion zone. Chernobyl NPP railway station, Ukraine, August 2021
Pripyat residential buildings with reactor number 4 and its protection dome in the background. Pripyat was build as a satelite town only 6 km from the NPP. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Pripyat residential buildings with reactor number 4 and its protection dome in the background. Pripyat was build as a satelite town only 6 km from the NPP. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Gania (Hanna), 88 years old, going to her vegetable garden. She has always lived in Kupovate village except for 18 months when she was evacuated after the nuclear reactor explosion in 1986. Kupovate, Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine, June 2021
Gania (Hanna), 88 years old, going to her vegetable garden. She has always lived in Kupovate village except for 18 months when she was evacuated after the nuclear reactor explosion in 1986. Kupovate, Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine, June 2021
Shopping centre in Pripyat town. The town was developed alongside the nuclear power plant to house staff and their families. Before the disaster it consisted of 5 districts, each of them with well-developed infrastructure. There were 5 schools, 14 kindergartens, a cinema, swimming pools, theatre, shopping centres and residential buildings for 30,000 people with extensions planned of at least one more district near the port area. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Shopping centre in Pripyat town. The town was developed alongside the nuclear power plant to house staff and their families. Before the disaster it consisted of 5 districts, each of them with well-developed infrastructure. There were 5 schools, 14 kindergartens, a cinema, swimming pools, theatre, shopping centres and residential buildings for 30,000 people with extensions planned of at least one more district near the port area. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Pripyat town was developed alongside the nuclear power plant to house staff and their families. Before the disaster it consisted of 5 districts, each of them with well-developed infrastructure. There were 5 schools, 14 kindergartens, a cinema, swimming pools, theatre, shopping centres and residential buildings for 30,000 people with extensions planned of at least one more district near the port area. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Pripyat town was developed alongside the nuclear power plant to house staff and their families. Before the disaster it consisted of 5 districts, each of them with well-developed infrastructure. There were 5 schools, 14 kindergartens, a cinema, swimming pools, theatre, shopping centres and residential buildings for 30,000 people with extensions planned of at least one more district near the port area. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Maternity ward of the Pripyat hospital. The town was developed alongside the nuclear power plant to house staff and their families. Before the disaster it consisted of 5 districts, each of them with well-developed infrastructure. There were 5 schools, 14 kindergartens, a cinema, swimming pools, theatre, shopping centres, a large hospital and residential buildings for 30,000 people with extensions planned of at least one more district near the port area. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Maternity ward of the Pripyat hospital. The town was developed alongside the nuclear power plant to house staff and their families. Before the disaster it consisted of 5 districts, each of them with well-developed infrastructure. There were 5 schools, 14 kindergartens, a cinema, swimming pools, theatre, shopping centres, a large hospital and residential buildings for 30,000 people with extensions planned of at least one more district near the port area. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Unfinished cooling tower, from the inside, of nuclear power plant 5 and supposed to be put in function in October 1986. After the explosion of reactor 4, all expansion works were stopped indefinitely. Plans existed to expand the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) to ten reactors by the year 2000 which would have made it the largest in the world. The accident of 26 April 1986 and later the collapse of the Soviet Union put a definite halt to it. Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, September 2021
Unfinished cooling tower, from the inside, of nuclear power plant 5 and supposed to be put in function in October 1986. After the explosion of reactor 4, all expansion works were stopped indefinitely. Plans existed to expand the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) to ten reactors by the year 2000 which would have made it the largest in the world. The accident of 26 April 1986 and later the collapse of the Soviet Union put a definite halt to it. Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, September 2021
School sporthall in Pripyat town. The town was developed alongside the nuclear power plant to house staff and their families. Before the disaster it consisted of 5 districts, each of them with well-developed infrastructure. There were 5 schools, 14 kindergartens, a cinema, swimming pools, theatre, shopping centres and residential buildings for 30,000 people with extensions planned of at least one more district near the port area. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
School sporthall in Pripyat town. The town was developed alongside the nuclear power plant to house staff and their families. Before the disaster it consisted of 5 districts, each of them with well-developed infrastructure. There were 5 schools, 14 kindergartens, a cinema, swimming pools, theatre, shopping centres and residential buildings for 30,000 people with extensions planned of at least one more district near the port area. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
School sporthall in Pripyat town. The town was developed alongside the nuclear power plant to house staff and their families. Before the disaster it consisted of 5 districts, each of them with well-developed infrastructure. There were 5 schools, 14 kindergartens, a cinema, swimming pools, theatre, shopping centres and residential buildings for 30,000 people with extensions planned of at least one more district near the port area. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
School sporthall in Pripyat town. The town was developed alongside the nuclear power plant to house staff and their families. Before the disaster it consisted of 5 districts, each of them with well-developed infrastructure. There were 5 schools, 14 kindergartens, a cinema, swimming pools, theatre, shopping centres and residential buildings for 30,000 people with extensions planned of at least one more district near the port area. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Michaily playing and signing a song he composed as an ode to the liquidators and firefighters who gave their life to stop the radiation from reactor number 4 in 1986. Michaily Pavlovich is 84 years old, was an elementary school teacher. Worked in the late sixties and seventies several rural schools in the Chernobyl area. After the disaster in 1986 he teached in a school 200 km from Chernobyl until his retirement in 2000. He returned to his original house near Chernobyl but in order to be allowed back he had to have an occupation, so he dedicated his time as a musician and singer for the church in Chernobyl. To this date he writes songs and continues to entertain people. Self settler, Chernobyl, Ukraine, September 2021
Michaily playing and signing a song he composed as an ode to the liquidators and firefighters who gave their life to stop the radiation from reactor number 4 in 1986. Michaily Pavlovich is 84 years old, was an elementary school teacher. Worked in the late sixties and seventies several rural schools in the Chernobyl area. After the disaster in 1986 he teached in a school 200 km from Chernobyl until his retirement in 2000. He returned to his original house near Chernobyl but in order to be allowed back he had to have an occupation, so he dedicated his time as a musician and singer for the church in Chernobyl. To this date he writes songs and continues to entertain people. Self settler, Chernobyl, Ukraine, September 2021
Orthodox wooden church in the abandonned village of Krasno near the border with Belarus. The church is being cleaned regularly. Krasno village in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine, September 2021
Orthodox wooden church in the abandonned village of Krasno near the border with Belarus. The church is being cleaned regularly. Krasno village in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine, September 2021
One of the overgrown main streets in Pripyat town. The town was developed alongside the nuclear power plant to house staff and their families. Before the disaster it consisted of 5 districts, each of them with well-developed infrastructure. There were 5 schools, 14 kindergartens, a cinema, swimming pools, theatre, shopping centres and residential buildings for 30,000 people with extensions planned of at least one more district near the port area. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
One of the overgrown main streets in Pripyat town. The town was developed alongside the nuclear power plant to house staff and their families. Before the disaster it consisted of 5 districts, each of them with well-developed infrastructure. There were 5 schools, 14 kindergartens, a cinema, swimming pools, theatre, shopping centres and residential buildings for 30,000 people with extensions planned of at least one more district near the port area. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Maria, 84 years old, was a cleaner in schools before the accident and in a garage just after. Stayed away from the exclusion zone after being evacuated for only 1 month and came back in June 1986. Has lived for the past 65 years here where she now continues to take care of the house and garden. She lives alone and stays all year in Chernobyl and doesnt want to move from there. Her son and grandchildren live near Kyiv and come to visit once in a while but not as often as she would like. Chernobyl town, Ukraine, June 2021
Maria, 84 years old, was a cleaner in schools before the accident and in a garage just after. Stayed away from the exclusion zone after being evacuated for only 1 month and came back in June 1986. Has lived for the past 65 years here where she now continues to take care of the house and garden. She lives alone and stays all year in Chernobyl and doesnt want to move from there. Her son and grandchildren live near Kyiv and come to visit once in a while but not as often as she would like. Chernobyl town, Ukraine, June 2021
Bank counter in an evacuated and abandonned village of the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The village is in a highly contaminated area where no people are allowed to live, not even self settlers originally from the village. Krasno, Ukraine, September 2021
Bank counter in an evacuated and abandonned village of the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The village is in a highly contaminated area where no people are allowed to live, not even self settlers originally from the village. Krasno, Ukraine, September 2021
Bank in an evacuated and abandonned village of the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The village is in a highly contaminated area where no people are allowed to live, not even self settlers originally from the village. Krasno, Ukraine, September 2021
Bank in an evacuated and abandonned village of the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The village is in a highly contaminated area where no people are allowed to live, not even self settlers originally from the village. Krasno, Ukraine, September 2021
Kuzmich, 87 years, from Teremtsi village in the exclusion zone, is a survivor of World War II when as a 7 years old boy the village was burned by the Nazi. Has always lived in Teremtsi, even after the nuclear accident he came back immediately after the evacuation by boat. He lives alone, stays there all year. Only 10 people live in the village and the closest town with basic medical facilities is one hour driving away. Teremtsi, Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine, August 2021
Kuzmich, 87 years, from Teremtsi village in the exclusion zone, is a survivor of World War II when as a 7 years old boy the village was burned by the Nazi. Has always lived in Teremtsi, even after the nuclear accident he came back immediately after the evacuation by boat. He lives alone, stays there all year. Only 10 people live in the village and the closest town with basic medical facilities is one hour driving away. Teremtsi, Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine, August 2021
Unfinished cooling tower, from the inside, of nuclear power plant 5 and supposed to be put in function in October 1986. After the explosion of reactor 4, all expansion works were stopped indefinitely. Plans existed to expand the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) to ten reactors by the year 2000 which would have made it the largest in the world. The accident of 26 April 1986 and later the collapse of the Soviet Union put a definite halt to it. Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, September 2021
Unfinished cooling tower, from the inside, of nuclear power plant 5 and supposed to be put in function in October 1986. After the explosion of reactor 4, all expansion works were stopped indefinitely. Plans existed to expand the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) to ten reactors by the year 2000 which would have made it the largest in the world. The accident of 26 April 1986 and later the collapse of the Soviet Union put a definite halt to it. Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, September 2021
Abandonned administrative building in the evacuated village of Zymovysche. The village is in a highly contaminated area where no people are allowed to live, not even self settlers originally from the village. Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine, September 2021
Abandonned administrative building in the evacuated village of Zymovysche. The village is in a highly contaminated area where no people are allowed to live, not even self settlers originally from the village. Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine, September 2021
Swimming pool at a school in Pripyat town. The town was developed alongside the nuclear power plant to house staff and their families. Before the disaster it consisted of 5 districts, each of them with well-developed infrastructure. There were 5 schools, 14 kindergartens, a cinema, swimming pools, theatre, shopping centres and residential buildings for 30,000 people with extensions planned of at least one more district near the port area. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Swimming pool at a school in Pripyat town. The town was developed alongside the nuclear power plant to house staff and their families. Before the disaster it consisted of 5 districts, each of them with well-developed infrastructure. There were 5 schools, 14 kindergartens, a cinema, swimming pools, theatre, shopping centres and residential buildings for 30,000 people with extensions planned of at least one more district near the port area. The complete population of Pipyat was evacuated 36 hours after the disaster to never return again. Pripyat is now an overgrown ghost town where time stood still on 27 April 1986. Pripyat, Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, June 2021
Reactor number 4 protected by a new dome finished in 2016, thirty years after the nuclear catastrophe of April 1986. The new dome protects the original concrete shelter that was build in the aftermath of the catastrophe despite high radiation levels. The original shelter was completed by 30 November 1986 at an extreme high human cost. Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, September 2021
Reactor number 4 protected by a new dome finished in 2016, thirty years after the nuclear catastrophe of April 1986. The new dome protects the original concrete shelter that was build in the aftermath of the catastrophe despite high radiation levels. The original shelter was completed by 30 November 1986 at an extreme high human cost. Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine, September 2021
Emergency exhaust pipes for the evacuation of excess pressure building up in the reactors. Chernobyl Nuclear power plant number 3 and 4, Ukraine, September 2021
Emergency exhaust pipes for the evacuation of excess pressure building up in the reactors. Chernobyl Nuclear power plant number 3 and 4, Ukraine, September 2021

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