The Sarcophagus and the City: Reflections on Chernobyl and the Dystopian Imagination
“Chernobyl” has become synonymous with the deathly dangers of radiation, a word evoking fear and horror that continues to color the meaning of the ruined remains at the center of the exploded reactor n° 4 in the so-called “Zone of Exclusion.” At the same time, over the past dozen years—until the w...
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| Pubblicato in: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/interfaces, |
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| Autore principale: | |
| Natura: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Lingua: | Anglais |
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Interfaces
2023
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| Accesso online: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:interfaces_6605 |
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openedition |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:interfaces_6605 https://doi.org/10.4000/interfaces.6605 urn:doi:10.4000/interfaces.6605 en https://journals.openedition.org/interfaces/6605 2023-07-20T02:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/h4j2 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ The Sarcophagus and the City: Reflections on Chernobyl and the Dystopian Imagination Interfaces Université Bourgogne Europe info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2647-6754 info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/1164-6225 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/interfaces Orvell, Miles photographie utopie Tchernobyl dystopie spectacle de ruines architecture opaque épistémologie authoritaire catastrophe nucléaire photography utopia Chernobyl dystopia spectacle of ruins opaque architecture authoritarian epistemology nuclear disaster “Chernobyl” has become synonymous with the deathly dangers of radiation, a word evoking fear and horror that continues to color the meaning of the ruined remains at the center of the exploded reactor n° 4 in the so-called “Zone of Exclusion.” At the same time, over the past dozen years—until the war in Ukraine in 2022—the site has been a magnet attracting a steady stream of “dark tourism” and “stalkers” who want to get as close as possible to what they imagine Chernobyl represents. Using photographic representation and other visual media, along with historical sources, this article explores Chernobyl (the old Sarcophagus, the New Arch, and the ruins of Pripyat) as a composite cultural symbol embodying the contradictions of utopia and dystopia and as a monument to the failures of authoritarian epistemology. Le nom de "Tchernobyl" est devenu synonyme du danger mortel des radiations et évoque la peur et l'horreur que représentent les vestiges laissés par l’explosion au centre du réacteur n° 4, au sein de ce que l’on appelle la "zone d'exclusion". Parallèlement, au cours des douze dernières années, - jusqu'à la guerre en Ukraine en 2022 - le site a attiré un flux constant de "thanatouristes" et d’individus animés par une fascination morbide pour ce qu’ils imaginent de la catastrophe de Tchernobyl. Sur la base de représentations photographiques et d'autres médias visuels, ainsi que de sources historiques, cet article explore le site de Tchernobyl (l'ancien sarcophage, la nouvelle arche et les ruines de Pripyat) comme un symbole culturel composite incarnant les contradictions de l'utopie et de la dystopie et comme un monument aux échecs de l'épistémologie autoritaire. |
| collection |
OpenEdition Journal |
| language |
Anglais |
| format |
Article ou chapitre numérique |
| building |
0/Bibliothèque numérique/ 1/Bibliothèque numérique/OpenEdition Journals/ |
| topic |
photographie utopie Tchernobyl dystopie spectacle de ruines architecture opaque épistémologie authoritaire catastrophe nucléaire photography utopia Chernobyl dystopia spectacle of ruins opaque architecture authoritarian epistemology nuclear disaster |
| spellingShingle |
photographie utopie Tchernobyl dystopie spectacle de ruines architecture opaque épistémologie authoritaire catastrophe nucléaire photography utopia Chernobyl dystopia spectacle of ruins opaque architecture authoritarian epistemology nuclear disaster Orvell, Miles The Sarcophagus and the City: Reflections on Chernobyl and the Dystopian Imagination |
| description |
“Chernobyl” has become synonymous with the deathly dangers of radiation, a word evoking fear and horror that continues to color the meaning of the ruined remains at the center of the exploded reactor n° 4 in the so-called “Zone of Exclusion.” At the same time, over the past dozen years—until the war in Ukraine in 2022—the site has been a magnet attracting a steady stream of “dark tourism” and “stalkers” who want to get as close as possible to what they imagine Chernobyl represents. Using photographic representation and other visual media, along with historical sources, this article explores Chernobyl (the old Sarcophagus, the New Arch, and the ruins of Pripyat) as a composite cultural symbol embodying the contradictions of utopia and dystopia and as a monument to the failures of authoritarian epistemology. |
| author |
Orvell, Miles |
| author_facet |
Orvell, Miles |
| author_sort |
Orvell, Miles |
| title |
The Sarcophagus and the City: Reflections on Chernobyl and the Dystopian Imagination |
| title_short |
The Sarcophagus and the City: Reflections on Chernobyl and the Dystopian Imagination |
| title_full |
The Sarcophagus and the City: Reflections on Chernobyl and the Dystopian Imagination |
| title_fullStr |
The Sarcophagus and the City: Reflections on Chernobyl and the Dystopian Imagination |
| title_full_unstemmed |
The Sarcophagus and the City: Reflections on Chernobyl and the Dystopian Imagination |
| title_sort |
sarcophagus and the city: reflections on chernobyl and the dystopian imagination |
| publisher |
Interfaces |
| publishDate |
2023 |
| container_title |
URI:https://journals.openedition.org/interfaces |
| url |
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/interfaces.6605 https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/interfaces/6605 |
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1877292719690219520 |