The black gold of Chernobyl by Guillaume Herbaut
49 result(s)
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51
Untitle
April 2001 : Burial ground of Razokha, inside the closed zone of Chernobyl. Even if metal trafficking has existed since Ukrainian independence in 1991, it has increased in the last few years. Since 2003, the access to burial grounds of military equipments is forbidden to foreign visitors. Authorities are claiming that the radioactivity rate is too high while they actually try to hide the pillaged lands.
© Guillaume Herbaut
51
Untitle
April 2001 : Burial ground of Razokha, inside the closed zone of Chernobyl. Even if metal trafficking has existed since Ukrainian independence in 1991, it has increased in the last few years. Since 2003, the access to burial grounds of military equipments is forbidden to foreign visitors. Authorities are claiming that the radioactivity rate is too high while they actually try to hide the pillaged lands.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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52
Untitle
Inside a flat in Pripyat, the city where the plant workers used to live, evacuated the day just after the explosion. It is now a ghost town, often looted. The scrap metal merchants are taking the electric wires, the radiators and they will soon take the window-glasses.
© Guillaume Herbaut
52
Untitle
Inside a flat in Pripyat, the city where the plant workers used to live, evacuated the day just after the explosion. It is now a ghost town, often looted. The scrap metal merchants are taking the electric wires, the radiators and they will soon take the window-glasses.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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53
Untitle
On the last floor of a Pripyat building. Here, in 24 years, vegetation has taken over the place.
© Guillaume Herbaut
53
Untitle
On the last floor of a Pripyat building. Here, in 24 years, vegetation has taken over the place.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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54
Untitle
Inside the Swimming pool of Pripyat, the city where the plant workers used to live, evacuated the day just after the explosion of the Chernobyl power plant in 1986. It is now a ghost town, daily looted. The scrap metal merchants are taking the electric wires, the radiators and they will soon take the window-glasses.
© Guillaume Herbaut
54
Untitle
Inside the Swimming pool of Pripyat, the city where the plant workers used to live, evacuated the day just after the explosion of the Chernobyl power plant in 1986. It is now a ghost town, daily looted. The scrap metal merchants are taking the electric wires, the radiators and they will soon take the window-glasses.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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55
Untitle
Inside the school of Pripyat, the city where the plant workers used to live, evacuated the day just after the explosion of the Chernobyl power plant in 1986. It is now a ghost town, daily looted. The scrap metal merchants are taking the electric wires, the radiators and they will soon take the window-glasses.
© Guillaume Herbaut
55
Untitle
Inside the school of Pripyat, the city where the plant workers used to live, evacuated the day just after the explosion of the Chernobyl power plant in 1986. It is now a ghost town, daily looted. The scrap metal merchants are taking the electric wires, the radiators and they will soon take the window-glasses.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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56
Untitle
Inside the school of Pripyat, the city where the plant workers used to live, evacuated the day just after the explosion of the Chernobyl power plant in 1986. It is now a ghost town, daily looted. The scrap metal merchants are taking the electric wires, the radiators and they will soon take the window-glasses.
© Guillaume Herbaut
56
Untitle
Inside the school of Pripyat, the city where the plant workers used to live, evacuated the day just after the explosion of the Chernobyl power plant in 1986. It is now a ghost town, daily looted. The scrap metal merchants are taking the electric wires, the radiators and they will soon take the window-glasses.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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57
Untitle
In Palieska, one of the many ghost towns in the forbidden zone of Chernobyl. Everything there has been cut into pieces by the scrap metal merchants. On the floor of this school in ruins, the loots have taken every gram of aluminium and copper.
© Guillaume Herbaut
57
Untitle
In Palieska, one of the many ghost towns in the forbidden zone of Chernobyl. Everything there has been cut into pieces by the scrap metal merchants. On the floor of this school in ruins, the loots have taken every gram of aluminium and copper.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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58
Untitle
Burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, inside the forbidden zone. Here, a few weeks after the explosion of the power plant on April 26th 1986, were stored in a hurry a few thousands of highly radioactive vehicles. theses burial grounds have been the targets of scrap metal merchants and most have been looted. The contamined metal has been sold to metal factories.
© Guillaume Herbaut
58
Untitle
Burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, inside the forbidden zone. Here, a few weeks after the explosion of the power plant on April 26th 1986, were stored in a hurry a few thousands of highly radioactive vehicles. theses burial grounds have been the targets of scrap metal merchants and most have been looted. The contamined metal has been sold to metal factories.
© Guillaume Herbaut
-
59
Untitle
Burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, inside the forbidden zone. Here, a few weeks after the explosion of the power plant on April 26th 1986, were stored in a hurry a few thousands of highly radioactive vehicles. theses burial grounds have been the targets of scrap metal merchants and most have been looted. The contamined metal has been sold to metal factories.
© Guillaume Herbaut
59
Untitle
Burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, inside the forbidden zone. Here, a few weeks after the explosion of the power plant on April 26th 1986, were stored in a hurry a few thousands of highly radioactive vehicles. theses burial grounds have been the targets of scrap metal merchants and most have been looted. The contamined metal has been sold to metal factories.
© Guillaume Herbaut
-
60
Untitle
Burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, inside the forbidden zone. Here, a few weeks after the explosion of the power plant on April 26th 1986, were stored in a hurry a few thousands of highly radioactive vehicles. theses burial grounds have been the targets of scrap metal merchants and most have been looted. The contamined metal has been sold to metal factories.
© Guillaume Herbaut
60
Untitle
Burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, inside the forbidden zone. Here, a few weeks after the explosion of the power plant on April 26th 1986, were stored in a hurry a few thousands of highly radioactive vehicles. theses burial grounds have been the targets of scrap metal merchants and most have been looted. The contamined metal has been sold to metal factories.
© Guillaume Herbaut
-
61
Untitle
Inside the exclusion zone of Chernobyl, on one of the radioactive waste-recycling bases of the DSP Komplex company. It is closed to visitors and everyday metal comes here from the burial grounds of military equipments and from ghost villages. While most of the merchandise should be decontaminated, more than a hundred tons of radioactive metal go out of the zone illegally every week. In the background, this helicopter has recently been intercepted by police officers. Loaded in a semi-trailer and highly radioactive, it was supposed to be shipped to Kiev where it would have been dismembered.
© Guillaume Herbaut
61
Untitle
Inside the exclusion zone of Chernobyl, on one of the radioactive waste-recycling bases of the DSP Komplex company. It is closed to visitors and everyday metal comes here from the burial grounds of military equipments and from ghost villages. While most of the merchandise should be decontaminated, more than a hundred tons of radioactive metal go out of the zone illegally every week. In the background, this helicopter has recently been intercepted by police officers. Loaded in a semi-trailer and highly radioactive, it was supposed to be shipped to Kiev where it would have been dismembered.
© Guillaume Herbaut
-
62
Untitle
Inside the exclusion zone of Chernobyl, on one of the radioactive waste-recycling bases of the DSP Komplex company. It is closed to visitors and everyday metal comes here from the burial grounds of military equipments and from ghost villages. While most of the merchandise should be decontaminated, more than a hundred tons of radioactive metal go out of the zone illegally every week. In the background, this helicopter has recently been intercepted by police officers. Loaded in a semi-trailer and highly radioactive, it was supposed to be shipped to Kiev where it would have been dismembered.
© Guillaume Herbaut
62
Untitle
Inside the exclusion zone of Chernobyl, on one of the radioactive waste-recycling bases of the DSP Komplex company. It is closed to visitors and everyday metal comes here from the burial grounds of military equipments and from ghost villages. While most of the merchandise should be decontaminated, more than a hundred tons of radioactive metal go out of the zone illegally every week. In the background, this helicopter has recently been intercepted by police officers. Loaded in a semi-trailer and highly radioactive, it was supposed to be shipped to Kiev where it would have been dismembered.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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63
Untitle
Around the blocks 5 and 6 of the Chernobyl Power Plant. The parts of metal have been cut and they will be sent outside the zone. Then, they will be sold to metal factories in Eastern Ukraine.
© Guillaume Herbaut
63
Untitle
Around the blocks 5 and 6 of the Chernobyl Power Plant. The parts of metal have been cut and they will be sent outside the zone. Then, they will be sold to metal factories in Eastern Ukraine.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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64
Untitle
Inside the turbine of reactors 5 and 6 in the Chernobyl Power Plant. Men employed by sub-contractors are superficially, and without any control, cutting and cleaning metal coming from the plant with sand and compressed air. The radioactivity rate is very high (20 times the legal level) and the radioactive dust is flying away from the broken windows. This place is kept apart from journalists and officials. However, the power plant cafetaria is just 200 meters away.
© Guillaume Herbaut
64
Untitle
Inside the turbine of reactors 5 and 6 in the Chernobyl Power Plant. Men employed by sub-contractors are superficially, and without any control, cutting and cleaning metal coming from the plant with sand and compressed air. The radioactivity rate is very high (20 times the legal level) and the radioactive dust is flying away from the broken windows. This place is kept apart from journalists and officials. However, the power plant cafetaria is just 200 meters away.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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65
Untitle
Inside the turbine of reactors 5 and 6 in the Chernobyl Power Plant. Men employed by sub-contractors are superficially, and without any control, cutting and cleaning metal coming from the plant with sand and compressed air. The radioactivity rate is very high (20 times the legal level) and the radioactive dust is flying away from the broken windows. This place is kept apart from journalists and officials. However, the power plant cafetaria is just 200 meters away.
© Guillaume Herbaut
65
Untitle
Inside the turbine of reactors 5 and 6 in the Chernobyl Power Plant. Men employed by sub-contractors are superficially, and without any control, cutting and cleaning metal coming from the plant with sand and compressed air. The radioactivity rate is very high (20 times the legal level) and the radioactive dust is flying away from the broken windows. This place is kept apart from journalists and officials. However, the power plant cafetaria is just 200 meters away.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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66
Untitle
Inside the turbine of reactors 5 and 6 in the Chernobyl Power Plant. Men employed by sub-contractors are superficially, and without any control, cutting and cleaning metal coming from the plant with sand and compressed air. The radioactivity rate is very high (20 times the legal level) and the radioactive dust is flying away from the broken windows. This place is kept apart from journalists and officials. However, the power plant cafetaria is just 200 meters away.
© Guillaume Herbaut
66
Untitle
Inside the turbine of reactors 5 and 6 in the Chernobyl Power Plant. Men employed by sub-contractors are superficially, and without any control, cutting and cleaning metal coming from the plant with sand and compressed air. The radioactivity rate is very high (20 times the legal level) and the radioactive dust is flying away from the broken windows. This place is kept apart from journalists and officials. However, the power plant cafetaria is just 200 meters away.
© Guillaume Herbaut
-
67
Untitle
Inside the turbine of reactors 5 and 6 in the Chernobyl Power Plant. Men employed by sub-contractors are superficially and without any control cutting and cleaning metal coming from the plant with sand and compressed air. The radioactivity rate is very high (20 times the legal level) and the radioactive dust is flying away from the broken windows. This place is kep apart from journalists and officials. However, the power plant cafetaria is just 200 meters away.
© Guillaume Herbaut
67
Untitle
Inside the turbine of reactors 5 and 6 in the Chernobyl Power Plant. Men employed by sub-contractors are superficially and without any control cutting and cleaning metal coming from the plant with sand and compressed air. The radioactivity rate is very high (20 times the legal level) and the radioactive dust is flying away from the broken windows. This place is kep apart from journalists and officials. However, the power plant cafetaria is just 200 meters away.
© Guillaume Herbaut
-
68
Untitle
Around the blocks 5 and 6 of the Chernobyl Power Plant. The parts of metal have been cut and they will be sent outside the zone. Then, they will be sold to metal factories in Eastern Ukraine.
© Guillaume Herbaut
68
Untitle
Around the blocks 5 and 6 of the Chernobyl Power Plant. The parts of metal have been cut and they will be sent outside the zone. Then, they will be sold to metal factories in Eastern Ukraine.
© Guillaume Herbaut
-
69
Untitle
Inside the turbine of reactors 5 and 6 in the Chernobyl Power Plant. Men employed by sub-contractors are superficially and without any control cutting and cleaning metal coming from the plant with sand and compressed air. The radioactivity rate is very high (20 times the legal level) and the radioactive dust is flying away from the broken windows. This place is kep apart from journalists and officials. However, the power plant cafetaria is just 200 meters away.
© Guillaume Herbaut
69
Untitle
Inside the turbine of reactors 5 and 6 in the Chernobyl Power Plant. Men employed by sub-contractors are superficially and without any control cutting and cleaning metal coming from the plant with sand and compressed air. The radioactivity rate is very high (20 times the legal level) and the radioactive dust is flying away from the broken windows. This place is kep apart from journalists and officials. However, the power plant cafetaria is just 200 meters away.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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70
Untitle
The cooling center of the Chernobyl power plant, near the blocks 5 and 6. For a long tiime, contaminated metals were stored and cut in this place. It is now abandoned. The radioactivity rate here is ten times higher than the legal level.
© Guillaume Herbaut
70
Untitle
The cooling center of the Chernobyl power plant, near the blocks 5 and 6. For a long tiime, contaminated metals were stored and cut in this place. It is now abandoned. The radioactivity rate here is ten times higher than the legal level.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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71
Untitle
Burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, november 2009. Among the thirty helicopter stored there the day after the explosion of the power plant in 1986, only three remains, mainly dismembered.
© Guillaume Herbaut
71
Untitle
Burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, november 2009. Among the thirty helicopter stored there the day after the explosion of the power plant in 1986, only three remains, mainly dismembered.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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72
Untitle
Burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, november 2009. Among the thirty helicopter stored there the day after the explosion of the power plant in 1986, only three remains, mainly dismembered.
© Guillaume Herbaut
72
Untitle
Burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, november 2009. Among the thirty helicopter stored there the day after the explosion of the power plant in 1986, only three remains, mainly dismembered.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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73
Untitle
Enter of the burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, november 2009. Among the thirty helicopter stored there the day after the explosion of the power plant in 1986, only three remains, mainly dismembered.
© Guillaume Herbaut
73
Untitle
Enter of the burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, november 2009. Among the thirty helicopter stored there the day after the explosion of the power plant in 1986, only three remains, mainly dismembered.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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74
Untitle
Igor and his wife, Ludmilla, in their house of Ivankov, a city of 20 000 inhabitants located 20 kilometers away from the closed zone. Igor was hired by a sub-contracting company from the closed zone to cut metal in the contaminated villages and in the burial grounds of military equipments. In September 2009, he was arrested while he was shipping 37 tons of radioactive metal nearby the fourth block of the Chernobyl power plant. He’s anxiously waiting for the trial, where he has to testify.
© Guillaume Herbaut
74
Untitle
Igor and his wife, Ludmilla, in their house of Ivankov, a city of 20 000 inhabitants located 20 kilometers away from the closed zone. Igor was hired by a sub-contracting company from the closed zone to cut metal in the contaminated villages and in the burial grounds of military equipments. In September 2009, he was arrested while he was shipping 37 tons of radioactive metal nearby the fourth block of the Chernobyl power plant. He’s anxiously waiting for the trial, where he has to testify.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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75
Untitle
Igor, 40, an illegal Moldavian immigrant, in front of the street where he lives, in the suburb of Ivankov. When he arrived in Ukraine, 15 years ago, he was hired by a sub-contracting company from the closed zone to cut metal in the contaminated villages and in the burial grounds of military equipments. In September 2009, he was arrested while he was shipping 37 tons of radioactive metal nearby the fourth block of the Chernobyl power plant. He’s anxiously waiting for the trial, where he has to testify.
© Guillaume Herbaut
75
Untitle
Igor, 40, an illegal Moldavian immigrant, in front of the street where he lives, in the suburb of Ivankov. When he arrived in Ukraine, 15 years ago, he was hired by a sub-contracting company from the closed zone to cut metal in the contaminated villages and in the burial grounds of military equipments. In September 2009, he was arrested while he was shipping 37 tons of radioactive metal nearby the fourth block of the Chernobyl power plant. He’s anxiously waiting for the trial, where he has to testify.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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76
Untitle
Piotr, at his place, in the village of Potoky after a day spent in the closed zone of Chernobyl collecting bits of scrap metal in the burial ground of military equipments in Razokha. He will sell them later to the local collecting point.
© Guillaume Herbaut
76
Untitle
Piotr, at his place, in the village of Potoky after a day spent in the closed zone of Chernobyl collecting bits of scrap metal in the burial ground of military equipments in Razokha. He will sell them later to the local collecting point.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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77
Untitle
Piotr in the burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, inside the closed zone of Chernobyl. A few weeks after the explosion of the power plant on April 26th 1986, here were stored in a hurry a few thousands of highly radioactive vehicles. Two or three times a week, Piotr goes illegaly inside the zone to find metal that he will then sell to the local collecting point. The rates are 90 kopeks for one kilo of « black » metal and 30 to 50 hryvnias for one kilo of non-ferrous metal (aluminium, copper and brass). (10 hryvnias = 1 euro)
© Guillaume Herbaut
77
Untitle
Piotr in the burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, inside the closed zone of Chernobyl. A few weeks after the explosion of the power plant on April 26th 1986, here were stored in a hurry a few thousands of highly radioactive vehicles. Two or three times a week, Piotr goes illegaly inside the zone to find metal that he will then sell to the local collecting point. The rates are 90 kopeks for one kilo of « black » metal and 30 to 50 hryvnias for one kilo of non-ferrous metal (aluminium, copper and brass). (10 hryvnias = 1 euro)
© Guillaume Herbaut
-
78
Untitle
Piotr in the burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, inside the closed zone of Chernobyl. A few weeks after the explosion of the power plant on April 26th 1986, here were stored in a hurry a few thousands of highly radioactive vehicles. Two or three times a week, Piotr goes illegaly inside the zone to find metal that he will then sell to the local collecting point. The rates are 90 kopeks for one kilo of « black » metal and 30 to 50 hryvnias for one kilo of non-ferrous metal (aluminium, copper and brass). (10 hryvnias = 1 euro)
© Guillaume Herbaut
78
Untitle
Piotr in the burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, inside the closed zone of Chernobyl. A few weeks after the explosion of the power plant on April 26th 1986, here were stored in a hurry a few thousands of highly radioactive vehicles. Two or three times a week, Piotr goes illegaly inside the zone to find metal that he will then sell to the local collecting point. The rates are 90 kopeks for one kilo of « black » metal and 30 to 50 hryvnias for one kilo of non-ferrous metal (aluminium, copper and brass). (10 hryvnias = 1 euro)
© Guillaume Herbaut
-
79
Untitle
Burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, november 2009. Among the thirty helicopter stored there the day after the explosion of the power plant in 1986, only three remains, mainly dismembered.
© Guillaume Herbaut
79
Untitle
Burial ground of military equipments in Razokha, november 2009. Among the thirty helicopter stored there the day after the explosion of the power plant in 1986, only three remains, mainly dismembered.
© Guillaume Herbaut
-
80
Untitle
Piotr crosses through a hole in the fence demarcating the Exclusion Zone fo to go in the burial ground of military equipments in Razokha. A few weeks after the explosion of the power plant on April 26th 1986, here were stored in a hurry a few thousands of highly radioactive vehicles. Two or three times a week, Piotr goes illegaly inside the zone to find metal that he will then sell to the local collecting point. The rates are 90 kopeks for one kilo of « black » metal and 30 to 50 hryvnias for one kilo of non-ferrous metal (aluminium, copper and brass). (10 hryvnias = 1 euro)
© Guillaume Herbaut
80
Untitle
Piotr crosses through a hole in the fence demarcating the Exclusion Zone fo to go in the burial ground of military equipments in Razokha. A few weeks after the explosion of the power plant on April 26th 1986, here were stored in a hurry a few thousands of highly radioactive vehicles. Two or three times a week, Piotr goes illegaly inside the zone to find metal that he will then sell to the local collecting point. The rates are 90 kopeks for one kilo of « black » metal and 30 to 50 hryvnias for one kilo of non-ferrous metal (aluminium, copper and brass). (10 hryvnias = 1 euro)
© Guillaume Herbaut
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81
Untitle
After three hours walk in the snow, Piotr brings back the daily loot : some bits of metal. He will sell them 90 copecks for one kilo at the local Collecting point.
© Guillaume Herbaut
81
Untitle
After three hours walk in the snow, Piotr brings back the daily loot : some bits of metal. He will sell them 90 copecks for one kilo at the local Collecting point.
© Guillaume Herbaut
-
82
Untitle
The decontamination center of the DSP Komplex company, 300 meters away from the fourth reactor of the Chernoby power plant. The highly radioactive metal coming from the zone is sunk for a few hours in acid baths. The process is supposed to decontaminate the metal, on-surface but not deeply. In this hangar, the radioactivity rate is thirty times higher than the legal level. Also, both baths and the acid vapors become radioactive waste when there is a contact with contaminated metal. There is no treatment at all. Here, the work conditions are appalling. There is no real protection, only paper masks which don’t protect the workers from the radiations and the acid vapors. The employees work for two weeks and then, they leave for the two following weeks. Because of the low incomes, most of them make money by illegally bringing out loadings of contaminated metal.
© Guillaume Herbaut
82
Untitle
The decontamination center of the DSP Komplex company, 300 meters away from the fourth reactor of the Chernoby power plant. The highly radioactive metal coming from the zone is sunk for a few hours in acid baths. The process is supposed to decontaminate the metal, on-surface but not deeply. In this hangar, the radioactivity rate is thirty times higher than the legal level. Also, both baths and the acid vapors become radioactive waste when there is a contact with contaminated metal. There is no treatment at all. Here, the work conditions are appalling. There is no real protection, only paper masks which don’t protect the workers from the radiations and the acid vapors. The employees work for two weeks and then, they leave for the two following weeks. Because of the low incomes, most of them make money by illegally bringing out loadings of contaminated metal.
© Guillaume Herbaut
-
83
Untitle
The decontamination center of the DSP Komplex company, 300 meters away from the the fourth reactor of the Chernobyl Power Plant. Tubes waiting to be decontaminated.
© Guillaume Herbaut
83
Untitle
The decontamination center of the DSP Komplex company, 300 meters away from the the fourth reactor of the Chernobyl Power Plant. Tubes waiting to be decontaminated.
© Guillaume Herbaut
-
84
Untitle
The decontamination center of the DSP Komplex company, 300 meters away from the fourth reactor of the Chernoby power plant. The highly radioactive metal coming from the zone is sunk for a few hours in acid baths. The process is supposed to decontaminate the metal, on-surface but not deeply. In this hangar, the radioactivity rate is thirty times higher than the legal level. Also, both baths and the acid vapors become radioactive waste when there is a contact with contaminated metal. There is no treatment at all. Here, the work conditions are appalling. There is no real protection, only paper masks which don’t protect the workers from the radiations and the acid vapors. The employees work for two weeks and then, they leave for the two following weeks. Because of the low incomes, most of them make money by illegally bringing out loadings of contaminated metal.
© Guillaume Herbaut
84
Untitle
The decontamination center of the DSP Komplex company, 300 meters away from the fourth reactor of the Chernoby power plant. The highly radioactive metal coming from the zone is sunk for a few hours in acid baths. The process is supposed to decontaminate the metal, on-surface but not deeply. In this hangar, the radioactivity rate is thirty times higher than the legal level. Also, both baths and the acid vapors become radioactive waste when there is a contact with contaminated metal. There is no treatment at all. Here, the work conditions are appalling. There is no real protection, only paper masks which don’t protect the workers from the radiations and the acid vapors. The employees work for two weeks and then, they leave for the two following weeks. Because of the low incomes, most of them make money by illegally bringing out loadings of contaminated metal.
© Guillaume Herbaut
-
85
Untitle
The decontamination center of the DSP Komplex company, 300 meters away from the fourth reactor of the Chernoby power plant. The highly radioactive metal coming from the zone is sunk for a few hours in acid baths. The process is supposed to decontaminate the metal, on-surface but not deeply. In this hangar, the radioactivity rate is thirty times higher than the legal level. Also, both baths and the acid vapors become radioactive waste when there is a contact with contaminated metal. There is no treatment at all. Here, the work conditions are appalling. There is no real protection, only paper masks which don’t protect the workers from the radiations and the acid vapors. The employees work for two weeks and then, they leave for the two following weeks. Because of the low incomes, most of them make money by illegally bringing out loadings of contaminated metal.
© Guillaume Herbaut
85
Untitle
The decontamination center of the DSP Komplex company, 300 meters away from the fourth reactor of the Chernoby power plant. The highly radioactive metal coming from the zone is sunk for a few hours in acid baths. The process is supposed to decontaminate the metal, on-surface but not deeply. In this hangar, the radioactivity rate is thirty times higher than the legal level. Also, both baths and the acid vapors become radioactive waste when there is a contact with contaminated metal. There is no treatment at all. Here, the work conditions are appalling. There is no real protection, only paper masks which don’t protect the workers from the radiations and the acid vapors. The employees work for two weeks and then, they leave for the two following weeks. Because of the low incomes, most of them make money by illegally bringing out loadings of contaminated metal.
© Guillaume Herbaut
-
86
Untitle
Decontamination center, located 300 meters away from the fourth reactor of the Chernobyl Power Plant. In front of the journalists, the workers of the DSP Komplex company are rigorously calculating the radioactivity rate of metals that have been dripping for three hours in acid baths. Here, the radioactivity, which is over 400 microRems, is mixing with the vapors of chemicals.
© Guillaume Herbaut
86
Untitle
Decontamination center, located 300 meters away from the fourth reactor of the Chernobyl Power Plant. In front of the journalists, the workers of the DSP Komplex company are rigorously calculating the radioactivity rate of metals that have been dripping for three hours in acid baths. Here, the radioactivity, which is over 400 microRems, is mixing with the vapors of chemicals.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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87
Untitle
Checkpoint at Detiatki, the main entrance of the zone. The guards are accomplices of the metal traffickers. They earn 100 dollars each to let go a truck containing 10 tons of radioactive metal.
© Guillaume Herbaut
87
Untitle
Checkpoint at Detiatki, the main entrance of the zone. The guards are accomplices of the metal traffickers. They earn 100 dollars each to let go a truck containing 10 tons of radioactive metal.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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88
Untitle
Serguei Lapkin (36) and his wife Alina Boudzynska (32) live in the village of Prybirsk, 30 kilometers away from the power plant. He’s been working for 15 years for DSP Komplex, a company which recycles and sells the radioactive waste : « Here, in the zone, eveyrone trafficks metal. But you need to recognize the ones who do that to improve their harsh daily life and the ones in Kiev who make huge profits. »
© Guillaume Herbaut
88
Untitle
Serguei Lapkin (36) and his wife Alina Boudzynska (32) live in the village of Prybirsk, 30 kilometers away from the power plant. He’s been working for 15 years for DSP Komplex, a company which recycles and sells the radioactive waste : « Here, in the zone, eveyrone trafficks metal. But you need to recognize the ones who do that to improve their harsh daily life and the ones in Kiev who make huge profits. »
© Guillaume Herbaut
-
89
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Serguei Lapkin (36) and his wife Alina Boudzynska (32) live in the village of Prybirsk, 30 kilometers away from the power plant. He’s been working for 15 years for DSP Komplex, a company which recycles and sells the radioactive waste : « Here, in the zone, eveyrone trafficks metal. But you need to recognize the ones who do that to improve their harsh daily life and the ones in Kiev who make huge profits. »
© Guillaume Herbaut
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Serguei Lapkin (36) and his wife Alina Boudzynska (32) live in the village of Prybirsk, 30 kilometers away from the power plant. He’s been working for 15 years for DSP Komplex, a company which recycles and sells the radioactive waste : « Here, in the zone, eveyrone trafficks metal. But you need to recognize the ones who do that to improve their harsh daily life and the ones in Kiev who make huge profits. »
© Guillaume Herbaut
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Igor, 45, in Chkneva, a partly abandoned village inside the closed zone of Chernobyl. After spending 17 years in jail for barbaric acts and murder, he’s come back to live in the village where he grew up. His only activity is finding metal and bricks and selling them to local companies for a few hryvnias a week. « In summer, when the vegetation has taken over the place, we set the houses on fire so that the metal appears. »
© Guillaume Herbaut
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Igor, 45, in Chkneva, a partly abandoned village inside the closed zone of Chernobyl. After spending 17 years in jail for barbaric acts and murder, he’s come back to live in the village where he grew up. His only activity is finding metal and bricks and selling them to local companies for a few hryvnias a week. « In summer, when the vegetation has taken over the place, we set the houses on fire so that the metal appears. »
© Guillaume Herbaut
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Checkpoint in Detiatki, the main entrance of the zone. Thanks to a radiometer, an guard is controlling the radioactivity of the vehicles coming out of the secured zone.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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Checkpoint in Detiatki, the main entrance of the zone. Thanks to a radiometer, an guard is controlling the radioactivity of the vehicles coming out of the secured zone.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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Checkpoint at Detiatki, the main entrance of the zone. The guards are accomplices of the metal traffickers. They earn 100 dollars each to let go a truck containing 10 tons of radioactive metal.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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Checkpoint at Detiatki, the main entrance of the zone. The guards are accomplices of the metal traffickers. They earn 100 dollars each to let go a truck containing 10 tons of radioactive metal.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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Screenshot of a video filmed in 2006 by the militants of the website Pripyat.com. Trucks illicitly shipping radiators coming from appartments in the city of Pripyat.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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Screenshot of a video filmed in 2006 by the militants of the website Pripyat.com. Trucks illicitly shipping radiators coming from appartments in the city of Pripyat.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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Two militia men in their guarding room, at the security checkpoint of Staryesokoly, located at the entrance of the closed zone of Chernobyl. Around there, the militiamen play a major role in the metal traffic. They earn 100 dollars each to let go a truck containing 10 tons of radioactive metal.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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Two militia men in their guarding room, at the security checkpoint of Staryesokoly, located at the entrance of the closed zone of Chernobyl. Around there, the militiamen play a major role in the metal traffic. They earn 100 dollars each to let go a truck containing 10 tons of radioactive metal.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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At the Ministry of Emergency situations, in Kiev. Vladimir Khaliocha, chief administrator of the Exclusion zone of Chernobyl, denies any involvement in the metal traffic even if a large number of voices are raising to accuse a organized system, reaching to the very high level of the state.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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At the Ministry of Emergency situations, in Kiev. Vladimir Khaliocha, chief administrator of the Exclusion zone of Chernobyl, denies any involvement in the metal traffic even if a large number of voices are raising to accuse a organized system, reaching to the very high level of the state.
© Guillaume Herbaut
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© Guillaume Herbaut
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© Guillaume Herbaut
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© Guillaume Herbaut
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© Guillaume Herbaut