These infrared images of Chernobyl are as stunning as they are haunting

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986 claimed 30 lives and injured 134 other people.

The incident took place at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Planet in Pripyat, Ukraine.

It occurred due to a fault in the reactor and the fallout led to it becoming one of the most devastating nuclear-related events in history.

The area is now so contaminated with radiation that it is uninhabitable with access to certain locations strictly forbidden.

What is left is a haunting but often stunning portrait of the dangers of nuclear energy.

For years photographers have been capturing images of Chernobyl and these pictures taken by Belarusian photographer Vladimir Migutin are truly awe-inspiring.

Picture: Vladimir Migutin

Picture: Vladimir Migutin

Armed with a full spectrum camera and a 590nm infrared filter, Vladimir and group of others embarked on a two-day excursion to Chernobyl.

In an interview with Bored Panda, Vladimir said:

It was a spontaneous decision.

I was born in Belarus in 1986 (the same year that the Chernobyl catastrophe occurred), at the age of 5 my family left the Soviet Union.

I have bright memories of my early childhood, and I wanted to visit some places in Minsk, to see how it changed since, and meet few friends that live there.

Then the idea to visit Chernobyl came to my mind.

Picture: Vladimir Migutin

Picture: Vladimir Migutin

You could be forgiven for thinking the Chernobyl would have an eerie feeling to it now, but Vladimir says that the overwhelming sense of nature gave off a different vibe.

He adds:

We always hear praises of the might of mother nature, how it renders useless men creations and bearing life above the ruins.

Well, it's something that is always felt, but never on such a huge scale, and this place IS the place for these contrasts.

30 years after the fallout, while men are still away, the forests, the animals, the plants, it felt like everything is thriving, revived by mother nature.

A bit pathos, but I really felt this way.

Picture: Vladimir Migutin

Picture: Vladimir Migutin

Vladimir uploaded his amazing photos to Facebook in November 2017 in an album called "Chernobyl - A stalkers' paradise.'

As mentioned, he captured the images using an infrared filter via a "Full-Spectrum" camera. He explained to Bored Panda how he did this.

For the Infrared and UV photography, I’ve opened my camera and removed the hot-mirror filter (the one which blocks the IR and UV wavelengths), thus turning it to a “Full-Spectrum” camera.

Then I’ve ordered IR-Pass and UV-Pass filters to set in front of the lens.

Picture: Vladimir Migutin

Picture: Vladimir Migutin

If you would like to see more of Vladimir's work please follow him on Instagram and Facebook.

HT Bored Panda

More: A photographer went to Chernobyl and started turning lights on. The results are haunting