Sergey
Sergey is a worker at MAZ - Minsk Automobile Plant. We found him whiling away the time until the beginning of his shift, listening to music on his iPhone. We were struck by his tough-guy looks, so we invited him to shoot with us. It soon became evident that Sergey was a book that couldn’t be judged by its cover: he was a bit embarrassed and couldn't wipe that gentle smile off his face. With a little prodding from the Nastyas to “just relax, already!”, he got into character.
The Magnetic Appeal of a Hero of Labor
A wall of images of a factory’s exemplary empoyees is a common feature in Belarus and Ukraine, carried over from Soviet times. The portrait of this exemplary laborer made an impression on the Nastyas. He reminded me of the Bill Lumbergh character from "Office Space."
Playground
A typical playground at a Soviet-era apartment block. This boy was in his own world, actively ignoring a couple of girls nearby. We didn't even have to ask him to ignore us – one could have thought that being in a photo shoot was part of his daily routine.
Cow Herd
High Drama in a Bucolic Village
This lady was working in her yard when she caught our attention. She was excited to be photographed and regaled us with stories about her job as a shopkeeper. The session came to an abrupt end when her husband emerged from the house – drunk out of his mind and aggressive to boot. Aside from cursing us in all kinds of crude ways, he expressed his conviction that we were aiming to blackmail him. His wife didn't dare say a word. We made a quick exit.
Basketball Court
Named after a nearby river, Pripyat was founded on 4 February 1970. It was officially proclaimed a city in 1979, and had grown to a population of almost 50,000. With an average age of 26, it was one of the youngest cities in the Soviet Union.
Cash Register
… and Gas Masks at Middle School Nr 3
Gas Mask
… In Middle School Nr. 3
Poster of the 27th Congress of the CPSU
The 27th Congress of the CPSU was the first presided over by Mikhail Gorbachev, and the second-to-last in the history of the Soviet Union. It took place from February 25 to March 6, 1986 - a month and a half before the disaster.
Ferris Wheel
The amusement park was to be opened on May 1, 1986 - less than a week before the disaster. The Ferris wheel has become the unofficial symbol of the Zone of Alienation.