Chernobyl (2015–2016): New Collection Release

I’m thrilled to finally share my Chernobyl collection, photographed in 2015 but only just released online. You’re among the first to see it! Prints – framed and unframed are now available in my shop, with worldwide shipping.

This series captures the haunting beauty and stillness of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. What you see here is just a portion of the images – I’ll be adding more over time, so keep an eye on the collection as it evolves.

Behind the Lens: The Chernobyl Series

In 2015, I travelled to the Exclusion Zone to create one of my most significant bodies of work. Access was highly restricted, and conditions intense. While Reactor 4 – the site of the 1986 disaster – remained too radioactive, I photographed inside Reactor 3, which shares the same layout and features, including the infamous AZ-5 shutdown button.

I also explored Pripyat’s Palace of Culture, capturing a vivid Soviet mural clinging to the wall above the main staircase – a burst of colour and ideology in a building long surrendered to decay. Other sites, like the Duga Command Centre, reflected Cold War tension: rusting chairs, faded military slogans, and a looming hammer and sickle.

Every image tells a story, capturing places that may be inaccessible for decades due to ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Life Inside the Zone

  • Control Room: We accessed an exact replica of the original control room in a different reactor. Standing at the heart of the facility, dressed in official uniforms, the weight of history was palpable.

  • Commuting & Accommodation: We stayed in Slavutych, a city built for evacuated workers, and commuted daily by Soviet-era train. Seats were reserved using sweets, coins, or keys – a quirky tradition frozen in time.

  • Canteen Lunches: We ate with plant workers, passing through radiation scanners before entering. Food was simple and hearty, with sweet birch sap as a classic drink.

  • Exploring Pripyat: Walkie talkies and meeting points guided our solo explorations. Streets were silent, occasionally broken by radio static – or my accidental broadcasts on an emergency workers’ channel.

  • Stray Dogs: Dogs roamed freely, descendants of pets left behind. One even remembered me when I returned a year later!

The Trip in Summary

📷 Three trips, thousands of photos. From dodgy bus rides and rooftop views to Geiger counter beeps and broken wrists, each journey was unforgettable. And yes – many men named Sergei; we nicknamed them Young Sergei, Gold Tooth Sergei, and OG Sergei.

🍲 Canteen adventures & human connections. We explored Pripyat streets, drank birch sap, tried bacon porridge (really!), and made friends – human and canine alike.

📸 Seasonal & technical variety. Each visit offered new light, weather, and perspective. One trip used a medium format camera for a more deliberate, focused approach.

🎉 Ukrainian celebrations. The final trip ended with a traditional party: vodka, formal toasts to men, women, and children, and one accidental – but effective – chunk of animal fat to line the stomach for vodka.

✈️ A decade in the making. I kept this work private for nearly ten years. It feels strange to feel nostalgia for a place shaped by tragedy, yet I cherish both its beauty and spirit. I hope to return someday, though realistically, it may not be possible for years.

This collection freezes moments in time, documenting history, humanity, and the quiet resilience of a place shaped by disaster.

Explore the Chernobyl Collection