This time, I returned to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in February. Not accidentally. Snow, frost, hoarfrost and white trees – I wanted to return to the most popular places and photograph them in a winter aura. The places covered with a thick layer of white, powdery snow seem more beautiful in winter. You cannot see the destroyed streets, garbage and the general greyness that we get accustomed to in autumn.
I returned also because I simply missed the zone. This time, however, there will be no stories. Just photos. Here is THE ZONE – the Winter Edition.
A forest road near Chernobyl
One of the abandoned huts in Chernobyl
A sign for Pripyat hidden at the northern entrance to the town
Morning view from a high-rise roof in the city centre – the Ferris wheel, hotel and nuclear power plant
Trolley with medicines in the hospital in Pripyat
Maternity ward
Children’s isolation ward
Ampoules and medicines
Cabinet with medicines
Multipurpose recreation room in the hospital
The partially collapsed School No. 1 in Pripyat
The exposed floors of School No. 1
Winter sunset in the centre of Pripyat
The city’s central square at sunset
View of the city centre from the Polesie Hotel
View from one of the rooms on the top floor of the Polesie Hotel
Pripyat café at night
On a high-rise roof during a full moon. In the distance is the nuclear power plant
Boxes containing unused children’s masks and filters
Sunrise in Pripyat
Sunrise over Reactor 4
The road to the children’s holiday camp
Fairy-tale cabins in the Emerald children’s holiday camp
The cooling towers
The unfinished Building 5 at the nuclear power plant
Road to the Chernobyl river port
The icebound river port
Zone residents ice fishing. In the background are the wrecks of abandoned barges.
The remains of a barge
WANT TO FIND OUT MORE?
If you would like to see unpublished photos or keep track of preparations for subsequent trips to Africa, Chernobyl and Japan, go to my profile on Facebook and add me as a friend or choose the option FOLLOW.
DO YOU WANT TO JOIN?
If you’re a photographer or filmmaker (over 25 years of age) and you want to join one of the coming trips to the zone, send a few words about yourself to arek (at) podniesinski (dot) pl.
PREVIOUS PHOTOREPORTAGE FROM THE ZONE:
2014 – THE ZONE IN 4K
2014 – OFF THE BEATEN TRACK 2
2013 – OFF THE BEATEN TRACK 1
2013 – ALONE IN THE ZONE 2 – BEHIND THE SCENES
2013 – ALONE IN THE ZONE 2 – PREMIERE
2013 – LONG WEEKEND IN THE ZONE
2012 – HEROES OF A NON-EXISTANT COUNTRY
2011 – REACTOR 4
2011 – LITTLE REACTORS
2011 – ALONE IN THE ZONE 1 BEHIND THE SCENES
2011 – ALONE IN THE ZONE 1 – FILM
2010 – ALONE IN THE ZONE 1
2010 – VICTORY DAY
2010 – CHERNOBYL 3RD EXPEDITION
2009 – CHERNOBYL 2ND EXPEDITION
2008 – CHERNOBYL 1ST EXPEDITION
it all shows that the earth doesn’t need humans on it. Humans are destroyers. It would have been better had we not existed at all.