Pripyat: The ghost town
I am from South America and I was always interested in USSR's history - the vast and distant country that brought so much controversy over so many things.
I studied Chernobyl nuclear tragedy that occurred in 1986 and its tragic consequences on the population in general, but even more on that small town of the families that worked at the nuclear plant. Called "ghost town" over time - Pripyat's inhabitants had to leave everything behind to survive.
In 2019, I organised my trip to Ukraine and visited the Chernobyl nuclear plant and the abandoned town of Pripyat. Everything is as they left in those days.
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You can feel not only the radiation but also the desolation, sadness, and horror of those people who were exposed to radioactive contamination for two whole days, before leaving their homes forever. Schools, hospitals, and entire buildings are at the mercy of time. Children's toys, books, and radioactive tools on the floor, abandoned, forgotten.
Impressed by what I saw, I tried to capture it through the lens of my camera, and thus, be able to express that environment, and remember its people, inhabitants, their stories and lives.
I always end up thinking how dangerous man is, trying to tame nature, believing himself to be superior, while being able to do so much wrong.
Gaston Fournier is an Argentinian travel photographer and psychologist. More of his works can be seen here: www.gastonfournier.com
