Set near the border of Latvia and Belarus, the Ignalina twin-reactor plant had big ambitions which would have secured a lucrative future for the people of Visaginas. However, the idea of an ex-Soviet nuclear power plant in the heart of Europe that shared the same RBMK reactor technology as the ill-fated Chernobyl, proved unpalatable for Brussels, and its decommissioning became a central condition of Lithuania’s acceptance into the European Union.
The impact on the town of Visaginas, became the subject of a joint project with friend and fellow photographer Jonty Tacon. As we immersed ourselves into the once closed community of largely Russian nationals that still live in the town and gained unprecedented access to the deeply-guarded inner sanctum of the power station itself, a picture of pride, survival, community and a fractured identity emerged.
Visit the dedicated project site:
www.babochka.co.uk
