Incredible infrared photos lay bare radiation-ravaged Chernobyl wasteland 31 years after nuclear explosion scattered toxic particles across Europe
The abandoned vehicles and buildings in destroyed Chernobyl look even more striking against the snowy background
THESE imaginative photos show the bleak desolation of Chernobyl as never before – through an infrared lens.
The technique allowed photographer Vladimir Migutin to amplify the finer details of abandoned buses, radar systems and homes.
In his photos, these decaying objects look all the more striking against the icy backdrop.
Vladimir, 32, recently released the series to the public, having visited the site in July last year.
It was a spontaneous trip, the photographer said, with the sole intention being to tell a different story behind the site of the 1986 nuclear catastrophe .
He said: “We always hear praises of the might of Mother Nature, how it renders useless men creations, and bearing life above the ruins.
“Well, it’s something that is always felt, but never in such a huge scale, and this place is the place for these contrasts.
“Thirty years after the fallout, while men are still away, the forests, the animals, the plants, it felts like everything is thriving, revived by Mother Nature.
“It sounds a bit with pathos, but it’s really how it feels.”
Having been born in Belarus in 1986, the year of the disaster, Vladimir left the Soviet Union age 5, along with his family.
The photographer, who now lives in Israel, said he has fond memories of his childhood in Eastern Europe, and so decided last summer to explore how certain Soviet Union countries have altered ever since.
Shooting Chernobyl in infrared also provided a great thrill, Vladimir said, as using such a technique means that you never know how an image will turn out until you observe the final version.
He was helped by equipment provided by Kolari Vision, a company that specialises in infrared image conversions.
He added: “It’s a very important site for the world, and also a big lesson for humanity.
“The purpose of this album was to show Chernobyl in different colours and mood, as I felt while being there, and to tell a bit different story: despite what happened there 30 years ago, much has changed since, and if someone is considering a one or two day trip to this unique place, they should know that it totally worth it.
“From the artistic perspective, it turned out to be a stalker-like album.”