The heart of the most contaminated place in the world is suspended in an endless silence, where the total absence of humanity allows visitors to perceive sounds that are inaudible elsewhere on the planet. We are in Chernobyl, 200 km north of Kiev, infamous for the explosion of its nuclear power plant reactor on April 26, 1986.
Forty years later, while the 2,600 km² surrounding the infrastructure remains off-limits, nature is slowly reclaiming its territory, despite radiation levels that can be up to 3,700 times higher than normal in some areas. We were able to access it.
In April 2026, a flock of cranes flies across the sparkling sky, while bees weave between the oaks and lindens. Ducks leisurely stroll on either side of a dirt path. Here and there, dogs bask in the sun on the warm asphalt. In this serene setting, the ground suddenly shakes as horses of imposing stature pass by. These wild horses, recognizable by their small size, sturdy build, and pale yellow coat, are known to be untamed.
Nature has taken back control.
“This is the Przewalski’s horse, the last species of wild horses in the world, which had completely disappeared from its natural habitat in Asia in the mid-20th century. There are approximately 140 of them in the entire exclusion zone.”
