Artist's Vision of Chernobyl: 'Rooted' Photo Exhibit Opens at Kyiv's Golden Gate Metro

Photo Exhibition 'Rooted' Opens at Golden Gate Metro Station

According to Главком: A photo exhibition titled 'Rooted' has opened at Kyiv's Golden Gate metro station, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. The display is part of artist Zinaida Kubar's decade-long artistic research project, 'Life After Life,' which involved extensive study of the Chernobyl Polissia region. Visitors can view the exhibition until May 3rd, inclusive.

Exhibition's Purpose and Significance

The centerpiece of the exhibition is the 'Rooted' series, featuring portraits of self-settlers-residents who returned to the exclusion zone-overlaid with the artist's original ornamental designs and quotes from her personal conversations with them. This display aims to draw attention to the consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe, which began at 01:23 on April 26, 1986, with an explosion at the power plant's fourth reactor. The blast released radioactive materials that spread over Ukraine, Belarus, and parts of Europe.

It is also crucial to note that in 2022, on the first day of the full-scale invasion, Russian forces occupied the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant for five weeks. According to Ukraine's State Agency on Exclusion Zone Management, the damage from the occupiers' actions exceeded 100 million euros. In February 2025, a Russian drone attack on the facility partially compromised the full hermetic seal of the New Safe Confinement structure due to hostile shelling. These events underscore the ongoing relevance of remembering Chernobyl and its lasting human impact. The disaster remains a poignant symbol of technological failure and human resilience.

The 'Rooted' photo exhibition serves as a vital cultural event, reminding society of the Chernobyl tragedy's enduring consequences. It highlights the importance of preserving memory of events that shape a nation's historical consciousness. Amidst new regional security challenges, such initiatives gain further urgency, as they help safeguard the lessons of the past for future generations.