Chernobyl — The Next Chapter
Today marks the launch of a new Kickstarter campaign to assist Gerd Ludwig in returning to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
After embarking on numerous arduous journeys into the Exclusion Zone and sharing his photographic endeavors through the photo book “The Long Shadow of Chernobyl,” Ludwig believed his work there was complete. However, the brutal Russian attack on Ukraine not only drew attention to Chernobyl for all the wrong reasons but also stirred up dormant radioactive materials, reinforcing the apprehensions that nuclear disasters like Chernobyl have no end (Adi Roche, CCI).
Ludwig now plans on taking his cameras back to the highly contaminated areas in and around the Chernobyl Reactor to document this next chapter of the world’s worst nuclear disaster to date. He will report on the damage caused by the brief Russian invasion and provide updated coverage on the cleanup efforts inside the New Safe Confinement, the highly contaminated areas below it, and the ghost town of Prypiat.
Additionally, he intends to meet with the last living liquidators who risked their lives assisting in the cleanup of the disaster, and spend time again with children cared for by organizations like Chernobyl Children International as well as elderly returnees who, undeterred by radiation, chose to spend their remaining days on their native soil.
Join this important journey by supporting the project on Kickstarter.
Your contributions will play a crucial role in preserving the intricate narrative of Chernobyl. They will help finance the necessary travel, equipment, and logistics for this important endeavor, raise awareness about the ongoing risks posed by the careless handling of nuclear power and give voice to those who continue to bear the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster.
