IAmA 28-year old photographer, who at the age of 1 lived and was evacuated from the now-ghost-town of Pripyat after Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. I returned back in 2011-2012 to complete a very subjective photographic project about my ho...

I find it fascinating that your photo on your home page is almost the same as the photo taken by Will Lew minus the lady, the images are taken almost from the same angle, same location, but there is an apparent time difference, yours is taken later then Will Lew's based on the growth of the two trees.

well, that place is quite popular with phootgraphers. The lady is actually me, it is a self-portrait. I wanted a strong metaphor, to round up my project, and I found it in a form of that tree.

Because you have personal experience dealing with it, what is your take on Nuclear Power?

Also: Love the picture of you and your dad...eery and beautiful

Actually, I am not against NP. If used smart, it is the cheapest and cleanest energy source...

Note: Use http://www.alinarudya.com to access the site, not https :) Going to visit it now

thanks, I fixed the link!

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not only to that. He dedicated his whole life as a scientist to work in Chernobyl..

Have you suffered from any illnesses related to the radiation, given the very young age at which you were exposed?

Me not, but my dad died from the ilness related to the radiation. nevertheless, I dont know how did it influence me on a longer run...

What is the government's plan for the Chernobyl area? Keep it as a wildlife preserve?

well, they have to preserve it just because it is polluted for another thousands of years... so it is not for the sake of the wildlife, but for the sake of the living people

Was your fathers cancer somehow related to Chernobyl?

I wouldnt speculate on that. he was a scientist and worked in Chernobyl all his life, going inside the sarcophagus and exposing himself to radiation. So it might not only be 1986 but the rest of his life too

Do you have any superpowers?

X-ray vision=)

I'm glad I visited this sub today. I normally don't but I'm glad I got to see this. The pictures are beautiful by the way. How does it feel to know that you lived through the largest nuclear disaster in recorded history?

I never thought of it until recently... I grew up with it and never thought it was something special...

I've been looking around on a map. Is this the correct building?

Do you think you could draw a rough map of the floor you lived on? I've been trying to find interior layouts for a recreation of Pripyat in minecraft

yes, this is my house. I wouldn't be able to recreate the floor, since i didn't go to other flats... What is that with guys and Minecraft? I don't dig that game=)))

will pripyat ever be inhabitable in our lifetime? would you move back to rebuild the community?

Pripyat will never be inhibited. For most, the territory is polluted for another thousands of years and buildings are already in a very bad state

The evacuation was done in a hurry and many personal belongings were left behind. Did you have time on your return visit to collect any possessions. I suppose your old clothes don't fit now, but maybe some books or family photos, heirlooms, etc?

actually, people were able to collect some of their belongings afterwards. I have all the films from my Prypyat apartment, as well as books. inside of the houses was pretty safe

Would you recommend anyone interested in Pripyat to visit as tourist? Any tips/suggestions on visiting Pripyat?

well, the whole Prypyat is interesting. now they actually prohibit to enter the buildings, but I guess people's private apartments is actually the most interesting part

did you enter the city/area alone, is that even (legally) possible? or as part of a tourist group?

if you dont already know this site, its pretty damn good:

http://www.kiddofspeed.com/chernobyl-revisited/

I went to Pripyat as a journalist with my own car, but was assigned a guide. Usually journalists can go for free, tourists have to pay and people, who were evacuated can go on certain days (like anniversary)

I'm actually visiting Pripyat this Saturday. You mentioned earlier that the apartments are off limits. Is there a particular part of the accessible areas that you found to be most interesting or that spoke to you the most that I should check out?

Pripyat is quite small. I think the guide will show you all the important places. I found villages around more interesting...

where are the pictures....

check out the Project section by the link, the project is called Prypyat mon Amour

How realistic is the Pripyat mission in Modern Warfare? That ferris wheel is burned into the minds of millions...

the Ferris wheel is there. It never operated, cuz they were going to open it on the 1st of May...

If Wikipedia is right, it actually did operate, for a few hours on the 27 of April so that they could turn some of the attention away from the explosion.

not that i know of. According to mom mom, noone knew what happened, telephones were not working etc. People were not in panic or anything... And the info about the wheel working is only on the English version of wiki, the Russian and Ukrainian one mention, that it never operated, so did the guides tell me

Thank you for this, I am completely fascinated by Pripyat and the surrounding areas.

there are surrounding villages where tourists never go. Those villages are much further than Pripyat and also more contaminated. but there is one with a 18 century church in it and some with old people living there still...

Does there remain a significant amount of radiation in Pripyat? Were you given information about Chernobyl/Pripyat in your upbringing? If so what were you told and did you believe this information to be accurate for what had happened? Was your father called in to aid with repair, for lack of a better work, the catastrophe?

My dad worked at another bloc of the reactor the night of the accident. he was an engineer and later on he found a Chernobyl Center for radioecology and environment protection, which did research in Chernobyl. They also worked with a lot of scientists from Japan, now after Fukushima we know why... there are some really radioactive spots in chernobyl area, while other are relatively not dangerous. basically, if you want to get a significat dose of radiation, which will somehow influence your health, you have to stand in a single spot without moving for like 2 weeks....

After the accident did you suffer any type of radiation poisoning?

I didn't. But many friends of my father, who worked that night did.. they also died

I hope you answer the questions posted. Do you go with a concept in mind and then try to take a photo with concept you thought or is it find a location or thing, then add in a concept?

I had a concept in mind, but I had to adjust, since there was not so much time and there were always people around, who tried to control my every movement. Nevertheless, I had some time on my own in my apartment

How much exposure did you receive?

I wouldln't know, as we were not measured.

That's really cool man, I'm happy you weren't there for the catastrophe. Do you think there are people still living there? With this, do you believe some are mutated to some degree?

Mutation was very rare. Many people's health was influenced, but noone can say for sure for what extent.

Has there been evidence of mutation?

if you go to the Chernobyl museum in Kiev, they have couple of example of mutant animals there...

I was there for the catastrophe, my whole family was. My dad was even working on the plant on the night of the accident. We were evacuated the next day after. There are some people who returned, they are all now over 70 and pretty much okay. Noone mutated, def not to the horror movie degree, this would be just scientific bullshit

Life was obviously changed drastically for you and your family:

1) Have you been encouraged to regularly seek out medical observation?

2) Are you compensated by any governmental body in order to receive this observation/treatment no matter where you relocate in the world?

3) Seeing as you were a baby when the catastrophe occurred, how would you describe your connection(s) to Pripyat, returning after so many years?

1) I was encourage to do the observations, yes. I do those know once in a year in Germany too, but just for myself 2)I am compensated, but it is really nothing. I receive approx. 25$ a month. my mom though get's a discount on her apartment bills back in Ukraine 3) I didnt think about my connection to Pripyat for a long time. I didnt think it was something special, because I grew up with it and it was just a part of my history. But after my father died and after I moved abroad, I actually realize that my life changed drastically and everything I do know is a result of what happened back then. You can read this article I wrote 2 years ago, where I dexcribe my feelings . http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/prypyat-memories-102707.html

Id love to read it.. except i have to apparently pay for it... no thanks..

really? it was free before... Here is the uneditet text from my computer On April 27th, 1986 I, aged 1 year and 3 months, was evacuated together with my mother from the town of Prypyat, USSR, population 49,400, average age of the inhabitants – 26 years old. Now, 25 years later and being 26 years old myself, I revisited the town of my early childhood. I would lie if I say that being a baby at the time of the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident, I remember anything of Prypyat. I don’t remember anything, but coming back after all those years to a place, which literally changed my life was not easy. I came back not for the pictures of broken dolls or abandoned schools. I didn’t take photos of Soviet relics, which are so popular with amateur photographers and tourists from all over the world. Nevertheless, when we drove into the jungle, which once was the main street – named after Lenin of course, I was hit by a way of nostalgia – nostalgia for the things, which never happened to me here. Lenin street 17, apartment 24 – number 24 would chase me throughout life. All apartments in Prypyat was burglarised and it is hard to imagine life in these empty walls. Not only valuables, but also waterpipes, powersockets and floorcloth were stolen by crooks, who would then sell radioactive goods on fleamarkets to people, who wouldnt even know what are they buying. My flat was not an exception – only peaces of broken furniture, old wallpaper (horrible flower design, by the way), 2 kopiykas (which my father left for me to pick up one day) and an old picture on the floor. The photo is of me and my mom in this very room 25 years ago. It was a favourite of my father, who was an amateur photographer – he even mentioned it on a roll of the negative, which I found afterwards in Kiev. This was a reason for him to leave it 10 years ago, hanging on the wall of what was once our living room– as a memory of happy times, which these abandoned walls once saw. It might sound cheesy, but for me, this symbolic gesture is very meaningful, since my father, Constantin Rudya, died 5 years ago. He dedicated his life to Chernobyl, working as a scientific director at an International Chernobyl Center. He spent a lot of time in Chernobyl, collaborating with scientists from Germany, France, USA and Japan. He was exposed to the radiation frequently, revisiting the sarcophagus of the 4th block on a regular basis. He died of cancer in Fabruary 2006 at the age of 47 and before that I never thought about Chernobyl as the most influential thing, which happened to my family. I don’t want to say that my life after his death was full of grief and sorrow – on the contrary, loosing him pushed me to do things, which I would never be brave enough to do if he stayed alive. Studying abroad, becoming a photographer, taking any chance to travel – all of that I did with one thought – would he be proud of me and did I do enough to become as great as he was? Sometimes I even regret of not being talented in physics, since I could never follow his steps. My father had a lot of Japanese friends, and I can only imagine, how supportive he would be of them due to the current events in Fukushima. In 1986 he was barely 28 and worked as an operator on the 2d block of the Chernobyl power Plant. He worked there also on the night of the accident and 1,5 years after the catastrophe. I found old films from Prypyat dated 1983-1986 in my fathers archive – he and his co-workers and friends – playing tennis, having fun on the beach of the Prypyat river, celebrating someone’s birthday in the dormitory. Some of these people, including my dad, are no more alive and all is left of them are memories and these old photographs. We also visited Chornobyl once together – my father was consulting the National Geographic channel team from London while they were filming one of the programs on the Chornobyl catastrophe. We visited our flat that time too – when we were leaving, he left a fresh newspaper in the mailbox of the apartment number 24, our apartment. He said, that once we would come here together with my mom. But we never did. I still hope that once my mother will come here with me though. If she does come, she will find an old photograph of me and her, 2 kopecks and a photo of my dad, smiling, pinned to the wall. I left is there as a memory. Exclusion zone is revisited by many tourists and journalists every year. It became a place of attraction, some kind of extreme adventure. I try to imagine how it would be if the accident never happened (even though, according to the construction imperfection of the station itself, the accident was destined to happen sooner or later. This is why many stations of a similar design were stopped for awhile to remove the problem before it caused more trouble, all over the Soviet Union at that times, according to Alexey Breus, who was an operator on the 4th block of the plant and my fathers good friend). So I try to visualize supermarkets and casinos on the streets of Prypyat. Light banners and nightclubs. Agitation posters of political candidates. The city existed no more than 16 years before the accident (it was built specifically for the workers of what supposed to be the biggest Nuclear Power Plant in Europe). Now, being stuck in the 1980s it remains its Soviet self, trapped in the nature, which, unlike people, was not afraid of radiation. We are used to see pictures of Chernobyl and Prypyat, which recall some sort of a horror dream, with the post-apocalyptic hollows of the broken windows and frightening remains of the human presence in a form of left toys, old books and broken beds. But it is not the impression of the exclusion zone, which I have got. Silent and mysterious beauty of the surrounding landscape is overwhelming. Wild forest, full of animals, beautiful sky and a calm river, which flows silently through the territory, which wont change much in the next hundreds of years. And it is not the broken windows and abandoned buildings, which scared me, but the feeling of a great change, which happened in the lives of so many people. At least 49 400 Prypyat inhabitants I am aware of. My life is no soap opera and everything, which happened to me in the past, might not be as spectacular and heartbreaking as a Hollywood film production scenario. It is also hard to speculate about things, which happened in the past and which I can no more influence. But coming to Prypyat after all these years made me review my life again and analyze things from a different perspective. I lived in Kiev since I was 2, went to Germany for the first time at the age of 9 with the Kids of Chornobyl exchange programme and learned the language probably because of that. I graduated from two universities and finally ended up back in Germany, this time following my dream. I wonder what would happen if in 1986 nothing had gone wrong? Would I have gone to a kindergarten and then local school? Would I have kayaked with my dad on the river Uzh and Prypyat? Would I have my graduation ball in the Energetic restaurant and meet the dawn with a view of the Chornobyl Nuclear power plant? Would I have grown up a small town girl, met my first love here, got married and had 2 kids by the age of 26 with their grandfather still alive? I guess, I would never know.

Dedicated to the memory of my father and best friend, Constantine Rudya (25.03.1958-08.02.2006)

Do you have any memories of the event itself? What was it like?

I was only 1, so I dont remember anything, just the stories from my parents and the after-experience at school and my dad's death

Were you granted special permission to go into only your apartment?

If anyone else comes as a tourist, they can only walk around outside and look in the windows?

well, some touristic guides allows people to walk around as they wish, but it is considered dangerous and prohibited. In 2011 I didnt have a problem entering any buildings, but in 2012 they were rather strict. Also, I went as a journalist, so not with a group

Did your parents give you most of the detail? What did they tell you?

well, my dad worked there afterwards as well, so I knew pretty much everything. You can watch this movie by National Geographic ( Seconds from Disaster), which my father was a consultant to. I was there while they were filming too

What are the direct consequences of the disasters.

the direct? Polluted areas in Ukraine and Belarus, abandoned territories, people getting cancer...

For you.

well, My health was not influenced noticeable. I have an enlarged thyroid gland and recently someone asked me if I can have kids... well, maybe there is smth in the future to worry about, but I hope not

Guys, thank you for all the questions. I hope I managed to answer most of them.

How close is STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl?

the creators of the game did a pretty close depiction of real Pripyat

I don't know why, but I find pictures of Pripyat fascinating. It's unfortunate there are not more of them on your website.

I didnt put all the pictures on the website, I have to do it

Can it really be considered your home town if you moved away at age 1?

It can be, since it formed who I am and where I am right now. Without what happened to us back then, I wont be the person I am now.

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Unfortunately nothing, I was 1

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Yes, I saw those graffitis, I think it is a brilliant idea! some modernity in the ghost town stuck in the 80s

I have a few questions about traveling in the area: - are the guides trustworthy? - is it moderately safe? - would it be safe for an American?

The guides are assigned to you by the authorities. All toures are well-orginized and as far as I know, it is safe to go there and there is no difference whether you are American or else=)

If there are guides assigned to you, how did you manage to pull off a nude self-portrait?

I was in my apartment and I asked for 10 minutes to be alone...

Considering how many people go there, it seems relatively safe... As far as nuclear disaster sites go.

Going there for a day is safe. A day in Prypyat equals a London-New York flight in term of radiation exposure...

What was different then public perspective about Chernobyl?

there are no monsters on the street and it is by far not as dangerous as people think

I don't have anything to ask, but I just wanted to say thanks. Chernobyl fascinates me, and I appreciate the opportunity to see it in a new light.

thank you!

How did you get in to photography? Is it your soul means of income?

My father was an amateur photographer and I've decided to study it after I was not satisfied with my diplomas in Political Science and Journalism. Right now I work as a freelance photographer, had my solo exhibition and work as a graphic design intern... So not a rich famous artist yet=)

Thanks, I only ask because I've just started studying photography as well. What skills/software did you find most useful in your internship? Love you work btw

I mostly work in photoshop and indesign, sometimes Illustrator. As for photography, I prefer not to photoshop my pictures, sometimes a bit of photoshop for color balance and sharpness, but nothing drastic.

Do you consider Prypyat to be your home? What's it like seeing the place you came from as a ghost town? What sort of emotions were going through your mind as you walked around? (Sorry, basically a variation of the same question).

read my older article about my feelings, if yo are interested http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/prypyat-memories-102707.html

Wish I could read it without paying 9 bucks. :(

However i'm more sad that your bandwidth has been exceeded. hopefully I won't screw up and close it accidentally and will be able to wait a day until I can reload it and look at your pics.

oh, I wasnt expecting reddit people to break my website=) Never had so much traffic before=)

is it true there are wolves running wild through there?

I havent seen any, but it is true that flora and fauna is very vivid. There are wolves and bears and wild bores...

Whats it like visiting Prypyat?

I mean is it sad, do you feel nostalgia?

yes, it was nostalgic. I tried to imagine how would it be now to live there..

I was always fascinated by the Chernobyl incident, then I visited an area in the south of Belarus and saw the effect it has had on the country, and most notably the children, and now it just makes me sad. What emotions do you feel going back to Pripyat these days?

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/prypyat-memories-102707.html

I described my emotions in this article

Did you go fishing while in the evacuation zone, and if so did you eat the fish?

I saw the River Monsters episode last night where Jeremy Wade gets to fish in the Evacuation Zone. He had to get several levels of clearance in order to fish at all and then whatever he caught had to be handed over to be studied. It's otherwise illegal to fish there. Also they said the fish he caught was half the size it should have been for it's age and quite radioactive.

there are people still living in the zone and they grow crops, as for fishing Im not sure, but the same water goes down to Kiev where people fish and it is probably the same fish as in the zone...

Maybe it's just illegal for people from outside to come in and fish? The host of the show was fishing right next to the reactor so he could catch a catfish that lives on the bottom of the cooling pond for scientists to study since a lot of the radioactive particles get washed down in the bottom of the pond and settle. It was a fascinating show to watch. Your photographs are amazing and haunting at the same time by the way! :D Will you be able to go back and do more?

I went there 3 times. As for people coming in and fishing illegaly - it is really hard to get inside the zone. There are check points and you need a special permission to get in. maybe someone gets in through the woods, but if they get caught, they have to pay a fine

Do you know Wladimir Kaminer? If so, what do you think of him and his Russendisko?

haha, I just watched the movie yesterday=) I read the book and i liked it. The movie is ok too

Is it anything like the movie????

I havent seen the movie, but as far as I saw the trailer, they make it look like the real town. no monsters though

No mutant fish??

I've noticed none running around=)

Hi Alina, I was there last week so my thoughts go out to you

thank you!

How long were you in the evacuation zone? If you were there overnight does anything glow in the dark?

I've been there 3 times for 6-8 hours=) nothing glows

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Chernobyl is usually a day trip, you need 3 hours to get there from kiev and usually you need to leave the Zone by 17.00 it will be cheaper that way too, since sleepover in chernobyl is quite expensive

Your photography is gorgeous.

I am happy you manage to see the pictures...It looks like I had a traffic overload on my website

Do you know Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello?

as far as I know, he lives in New York=) I've never been there

We killed your website. :-(

how and why?

I hope Im not too late but, have you ever played STALKER: Call of Pripyat?

I hope to visit Chernobyl one day. I would love to see it.

I didnt play it, but I liked the graphycs. It is very close to real Prypyat

What is your superpower?

funny that so many people ask me that=) I wish I could teleport though

I don't know if this guy understands what an AMA is, considering he hasn't answered a single question.

Sorry, guys. I posted when I was at work and then I didnt know if it first has to be approved or smth...

What you are doing is cool, but dangerous. You should not be in the woods, and certainly not nude indoors. Did the guides not tell you this?

Actually, inside of the houses is pretty safe. They even want to demolish all the buildings to use the building materials for further use.

Does having 3 eyes give you an advantage compared to other photographers?

no, but it gives an advantage compared to dumb commentators=)

PLEASE ANSWER THINGS. THANK YOU. we'd like to know

I'm sorry, I wasn't near internet=)

Another story that is far more interesting than it's accompanying poor photographic edit of badly split-toned digital images and unnecessary nude self-portraits.

Everyone has a right for an opinion.

by he way, where did you see a split-toned digital image?

Not really your hometown if you left when you were 1, can't remember being there and didn't grow up there.

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/prypyat-memories-102707.html

It formed my current self, so I consider it my hometown to some extent