CHERNOBYL - AFTERMATH OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST NUCLEAR DISASTER

Michael Haritan, a Pittsburgh based commercial photographer visited Chernobyl to document the site of what has been described as the worst nuclear disaster the world has ever seen (April 26, 1986). Since then, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of citizens and adversely affected the health of millions more. As one of the last professional photographers to photograph the disaster site and reactor before its protective encapsulation, Haritan realized that his photo-documentation of the permanent abandonment of the area due to nuclear contamination tells only part of the story selectively revealed by Soviet and Russian government officials, business and industrial interests – even to this day. He recognized that the censored and forgotten stories of deaths and agonizing illnesses to rescue and medical workers, cleanup crews, and children currently born with birth defects, mental disorders, degenerative and chronic illnesses, and their continual and heart-breaking abandonment and placement in orphanages and psychiatric institutions had to be told.
The Chernobyl Documentary is a timeline presentation of the catastrophe from its origins in the plant’s primitive design, careless management and safety protocols, to the economic and political crisis the accident precipitated. Haritan’s personal photographs and video gives a haunting documentation of the nuclear reactor disaster site, the abandoned city of Pripyat, a psychiatric institution and orphanage, and the last remaining inhabitants – enlightening audiences with a rare view of not just a calamitous event, but a place and a people who once worked, resided, and died leaving behind a post-apocalyptic setting some 32 years after the disaster.
Haritan is excited to announce the recent publication of his book Chernobyl: Aftermath of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster, featuring over 400 color photographs and making him an Amazon Best Selling Author. His book will be available for sale after the presentation.
Presenter: Michael Haritan is a Peters Township resident, and contributes photography to the Peters Twp. Fire Department, the PA Urban Search and Rescue Strike Team 1, and Counterterrorism Task Force – Region 13. He was a preeminent photography contributor to “Pittsburgh: Fulfilling its Destiny” the 1987 book showcasing the beauty, character, cultural, and industrial heritage of Pittsburgh and its people. Since 2017, Haritan has given over forty presentations across the country to high school and college students, church and community groups, public libraries, emergency service organizations, and at the Chautauqua Institution in New York.