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“The Invisible People of Belarus” – photos of the forgotten victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster

Inside the Institutions for the Chernobyl Victims Forgotten by Society, VICE By Tom Usher, Photos: Jadwiga Bronte January 18, 2016 The Chernobyl disaster took place 30 years ago this April, but its effects are still being felt. The meltdown of the nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine thrust a huge amount of radioactive particles into the Earth’s atmosphere, contaminating much of the surrounding area, with neighboring Belarus taking 70 percent of the fallout.

In her photo series “The Invisible People of Belarus,” photographer Jadwiga Bronteexplored the effects of the Chernobyl disaster on the people of Belarus, specifically those living in governmental institutions called “internats.” These institutions are part asylum, part orphanage, and part hospice, where thousands of Belarusians spend their lives, hidden from public view, often “handed over” to the government by relatives soon after birth.

I spoke to Jadwiga about her project.

VICE: What drew you to the story of the internats?
Jadwiga Bronte: This topic has always been very personal to me. I was born in neighboring Poland, a satellite state of the USSR at the time of the Chernobyl disaster. After learning more about the aftermath of this disaster from an amazing photo essay—“Chernobyl Legacy,” by Paul Fusco—I felt like it was my duty to go to Belarus and work on this subject……..https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/15662659a8d2ba4c?compose=1566729b3d2417d4

August 8, 2016 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Resources -audiovicual