Pictures of the Year International

pages 24-25 In the industrialisation race, the balance was upset and punishment followed,’ said Yuriy Tatarchuck, manager of the Chernobyl Information Centre. ‘Before the 1986 accident, people in Chernobyl talked about space exploration and the triumph of communism in the world, Pripyat was the city of dreams: today it is a desolate urban landscape, covered with moss and fungus, where the inhabitants burn wood for heat. But I still think it’s a damned fascinating place, which can be an inspiration for all of us.’ The Chernobyl alienation zone today remains a monument to human folly and a memory that should be preserved as a warning for future generations.