“Sometimes the work of a photographer becomes the very definition of a place or subject. Gerd Ludwig has become inseparable from Chernobyl. Mention it and Ludwig’s photographs come to mind. Workers wearing respirators and plastic suits, abandoned classrooms of Pripyat, surreal arrangements of children’s toys, sick children and Reactor 4’s radioactive ruins.”

—Peter Dench, photographer, writer, curator, presenter

“This book tells the story of a place where the past stubbornly refuses to recede into history, where a clock has stopped forever, yet radiation will persist for centuries. It tells of engineers keeping watch over shattered technology they cannot repair, and of soldiers seeking moments of desperately needed rest in one of the most radioactive places on the continent.”

—Vincent Jolly, senior correspondent on the International Desk of Le Figaro and Le Figaro Magazine

“For more than three decades, Gerd Ludwig has returned to Chernobyl in pursuit of the enduring truth. His work has become an essential part of the world’s collective memory of the greatest nuclear disaster in history. Gerd’s powerful photographs humanize history, lift the veil of our forgetfulness, and call us to remember what is at stake—our humanity, our civilization. Earth is a beautiful grain of life in the depths of the universe that has become so fragile in the hands of man.”

—Adi Roche, founder and volunteer CEO of Chernobyl Children International

Book Highlights

• Hardcover: 220 pages

• Book Dimensions: 13.5 x 18.5 cm (5.3 x 7.3 in)

• Language: English

• Foreword by Adi Roche

• Introduction by Vincent Jolly

• Designed by David Griffin

• Produced by Françoise Kirkland

• Published by Collection des Photographes

• ISBN: 978-2-35130-232-3

Print Highlights

Unframed archival pigment print on Epson Legacy Platine acid-free fine art paper (314 gsm)

• Paper Size: 27.94 x 21.59 cm (11 x 8.5 in)

• Image Size: 22.86 x 15.24 cm (9 x 6 in)

• Each image is available in a limited, numbered edition of 100

• Signed by Gerd Ludwig

Available Prints

• Silent Nursery, 2005: On the day of the disaster, children oblivious to the nuclear accident played in this kindergarten of the reactor’s company town. The following day they were evacuated and had to leave everything behind—even their treasured dolls and toys. Prypiat, 2005

• Home Sweet Home, 2005: Like many elderly returnees, they live largely on produce and livestock raised on contaminated soil, including these homegrown tomatoes washed in their kitchen sink for dinner. Illintsi, 2005

• Candlelight Vigil, 2005: Each year at midnight on April 26, shift workers gather in Chornobyl to honor those killed by the disaster. Two plant workers died in the blast, and 28 workers and firefighters soon succumbed to radiation poisoning. Thousands more are expected to die from cancer and other long-term effects. Chornobyl, 2005

• May Day Interrupted, 2005: On April 26, 1986, only hours before the nuclear accident that contaminated thousands of square miles and forced Prypiat’s inhabitants to hastily abandon their city, this amusement park was being readied for the annual May Day celebrations. Scooters and rides have sat dormant and rotting ever since. Prypiat, 2005

Prints are intended for personal use and private display only. Reproduction, publication, or other commercial use is not permitted without prior written authorization.

Shipping Info

Purchases shipped in the US will be shipped from Los Angeles. For standard orders, please allow 7 days for handling and shipping. You will be taken to PayPal’s secure website to complete the transaction. All major credit cards are accepted by PayPal.

Books will be personally signed by Gerd Ludwig. Please contact the studio (studio@gerdludwig.com) in case you want a personalized dedication. This may delay shipping depending on Gerd Ludwig’s availability in the US. Please expect an email with shipping confirmation emailed from the studio.