Chernobyl & Prypiat

[Arkadiusz]

Hi!
I have just returned from Chernobyl and Prypiat, Ukraine, and here is B&W report for you....

http://www.podniesinski.pl/czarnobyl/prypec2a.jpg
http://www.podniesinski.pl/galeria/albums/userpics/10001/20%7E0.jpg
http://www.podniesinski.pl/galeria/albums/userpics/10001/33.jpg
http://www.podniesinski.pl/galeria/albums/userpics/10001/kolo1.jpg



If you want to read my reportages, see more photos or watch video go here:
1st expedition http://www.podniesinski.pl/portal/?cat=53

2nd expedition and videos http://www.podniesinski.pl/portal/?cat=54


Arek

[Mark Woods]

Wow. I hope you're not glowing. Great work. Very evocative.

[Shen45]

Stunning. I'm amazed you got permission to do what you did. The modern appearance of the city was quite striking. Quite contrary to the propaganda that was feed to us at the time. I found the walk through you did with the "head cam" most illuminating.I wanted to move back from the screen each time the radiation levels rose.

[dellos]

Great photos, we want more and more, great gallery on Your's website :)

[IanMazursky]

Really amazing work. Its very moving and scary subject but it has to be told.
How a few big and small mistakes add up to massive death and then compounding it with a coverup.

Ive always been very interested in the abandoned buildings, railroads and hospitals around westchester.
But this is a whole different thing. It sort of makes me want to go at some point radiation or not.
Persuading someone to go with me is a whole nother issue.

[welly]

I've seen a few photos in the past from people who have visited Chernobyl. It looks fascinating. Love your photos, Arek. Fantastic work!

Google should do a Chernobyl street view.

[Vlad Soare]

Amazing work.
I've always found ghost towns fascinating, and Prypiat even more so. I'd love to go there sometime (though I probably never will, unfortunately :().
Thanks for sharing this.

[GPS]

Hi!
I have just returned from Chernobyl and Prypiat, Ukraine, and here is B&W report for you....


Arek

Is it LF photography?

[dellos]

I think it's 35mm or small frame Digital. On some photos, there were I think author wyth the 35mm in his hand.

[Arkadiusz]

Is it LF photography?

yes, some of them.

[bobwysiwyg]

Very interesting, thanks for posting the shots. This reminds me of a History Channel series, "Life After People" in which Chernobyl was center stage. It was interesting how, as you noted, nature was reclaiming much of the surrounding area, however the infrastructure was continually deteriorating without man to maintain it.

[Sean Galbraith]

Which shots are large format?

[mortensen]

AWESOME, that you got the opportunity to visit - that place i high ranking among my favorite destinations, photowise. Was the idea inspired by Polidori's work in the area? (haven't got the book myself yet - soon to be changed.)

One thing that I couldn't find in your (otherwise informative and interesting) text was how you obtained the necessary permits. Could you tell us a little bit?

And another thing. Do you know of any english/german resource of eastern european industrial complexes? I live in Denmark and both Poland, the old DDR and the Baltic countries are within reasonable distance for me. I have this (unconfirmed) notion, that the old east block is packed with industrial gems. If you have any tips on where I can find good information... please let me know.

thanks in advance!
lars

[Arkadiusz]

Which shots are large format?
In my album http://www.podniesinski.pl/galeria/thumbnails.php?album=76
If my memory serves me right - 3/28, 6/28, 7/28,8/28, 10/28, 26/28, 27/28, 28/28

Was the idea inspired by Polidori's work in the area? (haven't got the book myself yet - soon to be changed.)
I’ve never heard about Polidori. So I checked. Do you think that I should sell my photos? :)

One thing that I couldn't find in your (otherwise informative and interesting) text was how you obtained the necessary permits. Could you tell us a little bit?
Nowadays it is not so hard to go to Chernobyl with one of many tourist agencies from Ukraine. The problem is when you want to stay longer than 1 day, be there without a group of 40 fans of Call of Duty :) or see unusual or military places. It is why I organize everything directly in a government agency in Ukraine. If you want to go there send me PM.

And another thing. Do you know of any english/german resource of eastern european industrial complexes? I live in Denmark and both Poland, the old DDR and the Baltic countries are within reasonable distance for me. I have this (unconfirmed) notion, that the old east block is packed with industrial gems. If you have any tips on where I can find good information... please let me know.
True, but the problem is that the most interesting sources are provided in local languages (Polish, Czech and Russian)

[mortensen]

Thanks for the fast reply! Regarding Polidori, I guess what you found was this...
http://www.steidlville.com/books/89-Zones-of-Exclusion-Pripyat-and-Chernobyl.html

quite a few overlapping locations!

Thanks for the optional help with permits. I probably won't be able to go this year (although the thing about the reactor surely nags), but when you least expect it, I'll be yelling for assistance :) appreciate it, really.

... and regarding the languages... that was what I thought, unfortunately.

[Richard M. Coda]

I saw that "Life After People" program, too. Made me want to get on the first plane to Russia... my wife quickly put the kabosh on that.

It reminded me of going through Ellis Island in 1984 with the NPS for a documentation project, but we only had to wear hardhats, no gas masks or Geiger counters.

[Per Madsen]

And another thing. Do you know of any english/german resource of eastern european industrial complexes? I live in Denmark and both Poland, the old DDR and the Baltic countries are within reasonable distance for me. I have this (unconfirmed) notion, that the old east block is packed with industrial gems. If you have any tips on where I can find good information... please let me know.

thanks in advance!
lars


Try looking for Bitterfeld and Leuna Werke in the former DDR.

[Steven Tribe]

Chernobyl is no real threat to the visitor. A collegue of mine spent months there in the 90's with a long term evaluation project during the period when the EU poured money into technical development in the former East European States and CIS. Everything is in the ground/water and has been there for a long time with little ambient radiation. Don't roll around in the dirt/mud or pluck apples and you should be OK.

[PenGun]

Wonderful. I've been playing Stalker Call of Prypiat over that terrain for weeks now. Prypiat is pretty well exactly modeled over quite a bit of the town, The Jupiter factory complex is pretty well exact too. Built by Ukrainians the game is amazing.

Good photography and evocative framing. I wish you luck on the next expedition and look forward to the pictures.

[Brian_A]

I agree with Steve. After being to Nagasaki's ground zero, they said that grass wouldn't grow there until the late 2000's and it's one of the most beautiful parks I've ever been to. While I'm sure I wouldn't go and try and inhabit the place, I'm sure visiting it for short terms wouldn't be horrible. Neat photos, thanks for sharing. That's, for some reason, one place I'd love to visit.

[Andrew O'Neill]

For the supposed LF images, which format did you use?

[Arkadiusz]

For the supposed LF images, which format did you use?

4x5

and thank you for your kind words! I’ve received many questions regarding my photos and trips to Chernobyl. I'm sorry to say that I can’t send or publish higher resolution photos since I sold copyrights to most of my stuff to fine art gallery. But if somebody wants to take your own photos you can join to one of my future photo expeditions to Chernobyl! :)

[Kirk Gittings]

I'm sorry to say that I can’t send or publish higher resolution photos since I sold copyrights to most of my stuff to fine art gallery.

That's a rather odd thing to do.