20 Truly Chilling Pictures of the Aftermath of Chernobyl
As HBO's five-part Chernobyl miniseries depicts, the devastation caused by the 1986 Ukraine Nuclear disaster was wide-ranging and long-lasting. In the aftermath of the incident, Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was left in near-ruins, the population (nearly 50,000 people) of the nearby town of Pripyat evacuated entirely, and kept empty to this day.
Luckily, despite the complete shutdown of both the plant and the neighboring town, many photos exist of the devastation that was left in the footprint of the man-made disaster, both in Ukraine and the surrounding areas.
Below, check out some of the most striking—and chilling—images from the aftermath of the incident.
1986
The effects of the disaster weren't limited to Ukraine—in this photo, produce is checked for radiation in a France market.
1986
People flying in and out of the area were also scanned for radioactivity.
1986
Even in France, radioactivity levels were a threat—checks on passersby and crops were frequent.
1986
Gas masks were necessary just to operate—here, a man gathers a sample to test radioactivity from the Chernobyl site.
1986
One of the Chernobyl engineers undergoes tests in the weeks following the incident.
1986
A soviet man who was present during the explosion at Reactor #4 receives treatment.
1986
The exterior of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant following the explosion of Reactor #4.
1986
A few months later—August 1986—this is what the external of the Plant looked like.
1986
The 'Elephants Foot' of Chernobyl. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, a few minutes near this spot would have killed a person. Now, the radiation has decayed, though it's still very radioactive and dangerous.
1990
Protesters here take the streets of Kiev following the Chernobyl disaster. They were displeased with the Government's handling of the situation. Craig Mazin, the creator of HBO's Chernobyl, and Jared Harris, the star of that same series, both likened the political ignorance of that time to the same thing happening today.
1995
This young Russian girl lost her leg in the aftermath of the incident, due to the radiation.
1995
The same young Russian girl walks around during her prosthetic leg fitting.
1995
The same girl hugs a duck following her leg fitting.
2003
Gas masks seen on the floor of an abandoned school.
2003
This photo, taken in 2003, shows an abandoned bumper cart ride in Pripyat, the town of nearly 50,000 that was evacuated following the Chernobyl incident and never allowed back.
2006
This photo depicts someone who worked in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 2006, as the plant prepared to mark the 20th anniversary of the incident.
2006
A pretty chilling juxtaposition.
2006
With this photo taken in 2006, these Ukranian children were clearly not alive at the time of the incident—but nonetheless have been late victims, due to the fumes and radiation that lasts.
2006
his old man is one of around 330 mostly elderly people (as of 2006) who live illegally in the villages that are settled around the Chernobyl exclusion zone, the most world's most radioactive zone.
2016
This 2016 photo of a Belarus sign at the edge of a forest that warns of radiation contamination, and prohibits the picking of berries and mushrooms, proves that even 30 years later, effects are still felt from the incident.
From:Â Men's Health US
