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Chornobyl Through the Lens: Gerd Ludwig on 40 Years of Aftermath
In 1993, photographer Gerd Ludwig became one of the first international still photographers to be granted deep access to the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.
What he discovered — and kept returning to for more than 30 years in his “Long Shadow of Chornobyl” project — was a landscape profoundly shaped by a catastrophe that no single nation could contain.
In our new video Gerd shares insights from his decades-long work capturing the aftermath of the Chornobyl disaster. “My photographs are a warning to human hubris, a warning that not everything that is technologically possible is also wise.”
On 26 April 2026, marking the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, UNDP honours the liquidators, scientists, communities, and global partners who stood with Ukraine in the aftermath of Chornobyl, and reaffirms its commitment to stand with Ukraine today.