Polidori Zones of Exclusion Pripyat Chernobyl 2003 Signed

📸 Zones of Exclusion: Pripyat and Chernobyl by Robert Polidori (2003, Steidl) — 190 large-format color photographs documenting the abandoned cities of Pripyat and Chernobyl fifteen years after the 1986 nuclear disaster. First edition, signed by the photographer.

QUICK FACTS

• Author: Robert Polidori (b. 1951, Montreal)
• Publisher: Steidl, Göttingen, Germany (co-published with Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York)
• Year: 2003 (first edition, second edition published 2006)
• Format: Hardcover, cloth bound with dustjacket
• Pages: 224 | ISBN: 9783882439212
• Condition: Near fine — appears unread
  

On April 26, 1986, Reactor No. 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded, releasing 400 times the radiation of the Hiroshima bomb. Within eleven days, more than 116,000 people were permanently evacuated from the surrounding area. The cities of Pripyat — a planned community of 49,000 built for plant workers — and Chernobyl were declared unfit for human habitation and sealed behind exclusion zone fences. In May 2001, Robert Polidori gained access to photograph what remained. The resulting 190 images form one of the most comprehensive visual records of the disaster’s aftermath.

THIS EDITION

Published by Steidl, the celebrated Göttingen-based printer Gerhard Steidl’s house, this is the first edition (2003). Steidl is widely regarded as the premier publisher of photography books worldwide, known for exceptional color reproduction and print quality. This copy is signed by Polidori in black ink on the title page, dated 2005 — two years after publication, suggesting it was signed at a gallery event or book signing. The copy remains in its original publisher’s shrink wrap, appearing unread.

THE PHOTOGRAPHS

Polidori’s large-format camera captures Pripyat’s abandoned interiors with forensic clarity. The cover image shows a derelict classroom: peeling green walls, overturned desks, and a red blackboard bearing the chalk message “Возврата нет” (“No return”) and “Прощай” (“Goodbye”). Interior plates document the Chernobyl reactor sarcophagus with its iconic red-and-white smokestack, the plant’s still-operational control rooms where personnel in white lab coats work beside dated CRT monitors, Soviet apartment blocks being reclaimed by trees and grass, children’s dormitories with rows of metal cots and scattered Lenin portraits, and the vast abandoned command center with its curved walls of dead consoles. Each image is printed full-bleed on heavy matte stock, emphasizing the scale and desolation of the spaces.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Polidori (b. 1951, Montreal) is among the most celebrated architectural photographers working today, with work in major museum collections worldwide and a Guggenheim Fellowship (2020). His archives are held at the Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin
• The Chernobyl exclusion zone remains one of the most significant sites of industrial disaster in human history — Polidori’s 2001 visit documented the zone fifteen years post-evacuation, creating a time capsule of Soviet-era life frozen in decay
• This is the first of several Polidori collaborations with Steidl; subsequent titles include Havana (2001), Metropolis (2008), and Chronophagia (2012), establishing Polidori as one of Steidl’s most important photographic artists
• The book’s first-edition status, Steidl imprint, and Polidori’s signature make this a significant collector’s item in both photography and disaster-documentary publishing

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? First edition, published 2003 by Steidl/Göttingen. A second edition followed in 2006. This copy is signed and dated 2005.

What condition is it in? Near fine, appearing unread with no signs of shelf wear or handling damage.

Is this a limited edition? No — this is the standard first edition trade printing, not a numbered limited edition. However, signed copies are uncommon and command a premium.

FOR COLLECTORS

A Steidl first edition with Polidori’s signature, still sealed in publisher’s shrink wrap. Polidori’s Chernobyl work is among his most recognized and is held in major photographic collections. The combination of Steidl production quality, first-edition status, and the photographer’s signature makes this copy particularly desirable for collectors of documentary photography and disaster-related publishing.

Will ship promptly upon receipt of payment, carefully packaged in a box, fully insured, signature required.

HFB-SEO-v1: 2026-07-04

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