On 26 April 1986, a nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the town of Pripyat, Ukraine, resulted in large amounts of radioactive material being released into the atmosphere. Radioactive particles—the contaminating effects of which can last for years—were carried downwind through much of the western USSR and Europe. Five months after the disaster, a girl named Mariya was born in Kiev, 100 km south of Chernobyl. She grew up suffering from chronic thyroiditis, one of the results of radiation poisoning. These images represent 30 years of her life. 

In April 2015, the photographer’s assistant discovered 20 rolls of unused color film in Pripyat, with a 1992 expiry date. The photographer set about shooting images taken in places which related to the Chernobyl accident: the apartment of somebody displaced by the accident, a hospital treating people with radiation illnesses, an apartment where nuclear workers were living at the time of the accident, a school for children whose parents used to live in the restricted zone around Chernobyl, and current pictures of the plant.

When it came to processing the negatives, the photographer had to improvise and experiment. The chemicals he needed for developing the old Ukrainian color film were no longer available, but he found that using black-and-white chemicals on over-exposed film gave a result that suited his purposes. He wanted to capture the current situation, but also to help people imagine the invisible problems, such as those experienced by Mariya.

Mariya was admitted into an intensive care unit soon after being born. Much of her childhood was spent in different hospitals, without receiving a diagnosis. She feels that so much time lying in hospital without her mother has had a long-term effect on her character.

When Mariya was 19, her symptoms grew more acute. Her heart rate accelerated to 120—130 beats a minute, and she developed a severe tremor, which put an end to her studies to be an architect. She could not understand what was happening, and found the whole experience frightening. She says that it bothered her to be branded as ‘disabled’, that she had the feeling the word would bury her. She also felt in some way guilty for her predicament.

It took Mariya many years to work through these emotions, but she no longer feels guilty, nor does she blame anyone. She needs a lot of medication, but her heart rate is more under control. After re-establishing contact with her estranged parents, she feels like she has been re-living much of what she missed in her childhood. And she has been embarking on new ventures—on travel, and taking up painting. She says she no longer feels overwhelmed by life.

Op 26 april 1986 kwam bij een nucleaire ramp in de Kerncentrale Tsjernobyl, vlak bij de stad Pripjat, Oekraïne, een grote wolk radioactief materiaal in de atmosfeer. Vijf maanden na de kernramp werd het meisje Marija geboren in Kiev, 100 km ten zuiden van Tsjernobyl. Ze groeide op met een chronische schildklierontsteking, een van de gevolgen van stralingsvergiftiging. Het heeft Marija jaren van haar leven gekost om in het reine te komen met de fysieke en emotionele gevolgen van haar aandoening.

Toen de fotograaf in april 2015 foto's maakte op plaatsen die zijn gerelateerd aan de Tsjernobylramp, gebruikte hij oude onbelichte kleurenfilms die zijn assistent in Pripjat had gevonden. Voor het ontwikkelen van de negatieven moest hij improviseren; de chemicaliën die voor de Oekraïense filmrolletjes nodig waren, worden niet meer geleverd. De fotograaf wilde de huidige situatie vastleggen, maar de toeschouwer ook helpen om zich een voorstelling te maken van onzichtbare problemen zoals die van Marija.

Am 26. April 1986 führte ein katastro- phaler Reaktorunfall im Kernkraftwerk Tschernobyl bei Prypjat, Ukraine, zur Freisetzung erheblicher Mengen von radioaktivem Material in die Atmosphäre. Fünf Monate danach wurde in Kiew, 100 km südlich von Tschernobyl, das Mädchen Mariya geboren. Ihre ganze Kindheit litt sie unter chronischer Schilddrüsenent- zündung infolge der Strahlenvergiftung. Mariya brauchte viele Jahre, um ihre Krankheit körperlich und seelisch zu verkraften.

Im April 2015 begann der Fotograf, an Orten zu fotografieren, die etwas mit dem Reaktorunfall zu tun hatten. Dabei benutzte er Farbfilme von vor 1990, die in Prypjat gefunden wurden. Bei der Ent- wicklung des Films musste der Fotograf dann improvisieren und experimentieren, weil es die entsprechenden Chemikalien nicht mehr gab. Er wollte die derzeitige Lage festhalten, aber auch den Betrachtern helfen, sich die unsichtbaren Probleme vorzustellen, wie z.B. was Mariya erlebte.

Le 26 avril 1986, la catastrophe de la centrale nucléaire de Tchernobyl, près de la ville de Pripyat, Ukraine, a libéré de grandes quantités de matières radioactives dans l'atmosphère. Cinq mois après la catastrophe, une fillette appelée Mariya est née à Kiev, à 100 km au sud de Tchernobyl. Atteinte depuis sa naissance de thyroïdite chronique, une des conséquences de l'empoisonnement par radiation, Mariya a mis des années à surmonter l'impact physique et émotionnel de sa maladie.

En avril 2015, le photographe s'est mis à faire des clichés des lieux liés à l'accident de Tchernobyl en utilisant une pellicule couleur d'avant 1990 trouvée par son assistant à Pripyat. Pour développer les négatifs, le photographe a dû improviser et expérimenter, car les produits chimiques appropriés n'étaient plus en vente. Il voulait rendre compte de la situation actuelle, mais aussi aider les gens à s'imaginer les problèmes invisibles, comme ceux de Mariya.

El 26 de abril de 1986, el desastre nuclear en la planta de Chernóbil, cerca de la localidad de Pripyat, en Ucrania, dio lugar a la emisión de una gran cantidad de material radiactivo a la atmósfera. Cinco meses después del desastre nacía Mariya, en Kiev, 100 kilómetros al sur de Chernóbil. Creció con tiroiditis crónica, una de las consecuencias de la intoxica- ción por emisiones radiactivas. A Mariya le llevó muchos años procesar el impacto físico y emocional de su enfermedad.

En abril de 2015, el fotógrafo empezó a tomar fotografías en lugares relacionados con el accidente de Chernóbil usando carretes de película en color de antes de 1990 que su ayudante había encontrado en Pripyat. Al revelar los negativos, el fotógrafo se vio obligado a improvisar y experimentar, pues los productos químicos requeridos ya no estaban disponibles. Quería captar la situación actual, pero al mismo tiempo ayudar a las personas a imaginar los problemas invisibles, tales como el que sufría Mariya.

A 26 de abril de 1986, um acidente na Central Nuclear de Chernobyl, junto à cidade de Pripyat, causou a entrada na atmosfera de grandes quantidades de material radioativo. Cinco meses após o desastre, Mariya nasceu em Kiev, 100 km a sul de Chernobyl. Desde pequena, sofre de tiroidite crónica, uma das consequências do envenenamento por radiação. Mariya levou anos a aprender como lidar com o impacto físico e emocional da sua doença.

Em abril de 2015, o autor começou a tirar fotografias em locais associados ao acidente de Chernobyl, usando película a cores anterior à década de 1990 que o seu assistente tinha encontrado em Pripyat. Para revelar os negativos, o fotógrafo teve de improvisar e experimentar, pois os químicos necessários já não se encontravam disponíveis. O seu objetivo era não só captar a situação presente, mas também ajudar a imaginar os problemas invisíveis, como os de Mariya.

Il 26 aprile 1986 un disastroso incidente nella centrale nucleare di Chernobyl, vicino alla città di Pripyat, in Ucraina, provocò il rilascio nell’atmosfera di grandi quantità di materiale radioattivo. Cinque mesi dopo il disastro, nasce a Kiev, 100 km a sud di Chernobyl, una bambina di nome Mariya, cresciuta con tiroidite cronica, una delle conseguenze dell’avvelenamento da radiazioni. Ci sono voluti molti anni perché Mariya elaborasse l’impatto fisico ed emotivo della sua malattia.

Ad aprile 2015 il fotografo ha iniziato a scattare immagini in diversi luoghi collegati all’incidente di Chernobyl, utilizzando dei rullini a colori risalenti a prima degli anni ’90, che il suo assistente aveva trovato a Pripyat. Quando si è trattato di elaborare i negativi, il fotografo ha dovuto improvvisare e sperimentare, perché i reagenti chimici previsti originariamente per la stampa non erano più disponibili. Voleva catturare sulla pellicola la situazione attuale, ma anche aiutare le persone a immaginare i problemi invisibili, come quelli sperimentati da Mariya.