We cordially invite you to the Finissage of the exhibition "Traces of an Apocalypse" on 29. May at 7 pm at the nEUROPA1 gallery

Reading: "Chernobyl: Sketches from the Scene of Events" by Oleg Veklenko (2017)

In 2017, Oleg Veklenko's book "Chernobyl: Sketches from the Scene of Events" (in Ukrainian) was published, in which the author tells his life story. The book is available in Russian, English and German translation.

Oleg Veklenko, liquidator of the aftermath of the Chornobyl disaster, artist, professor at the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Art, recalls his own feelings during the Chornobyl operation in May/June 1986. The naked truth of difficult everyday life is presented in vivid language, complemented by drawings and photographs by the author.

For more than three decades, he has dedicated his artistic and educational work to the topics of the environment, ecological responsibility and the consequences of technological disasters. He is co-founder and president of the International Eco-Poster and Graphics Triennial "The 4th Block" in Kharkiv, which is an important forum for ecological graphics and visual communication.

Veklenko has taken part in numerous national and international exhibitions, including in Russia, Poland, Finland, Slovakia, Canada, Great Britain, Denmark and the USA. His work has been honoured with numerous prizes and awards.

Traces of an apocalypse

A visual report from the first zone. Exhibition on the 40th anniversary of Chornobyl

Stillness, past, danger. 40 years ago, the Chornobyl disaster changed the world. Today, the site is once again under threat: not just from radiation, but from war. This exhibition shows photographic memories and the voices of ghosts from a place that once lived, fell silent and is now being shaken again. But behind the ruins and the silence are also the faces of the people who entered the zone back in 1986. Their work, their courage and their presence are part of the history that must not be forgotten.

Participating photographers and artists

Oleg Kutskiy (Odesa)
Photo series "Ghosts of Chornobyl"

Oleg Veklenko (Kharkiv)
Photographs and excerpts from the memoir "Chornobyl: Sketches from the Scene of the Event"

International Kharkiv Triennial "The 4th Block" / Competition 2026 "Chornobyl 40"
Posters by Dmytro Miroshnichenko, Maria Sayenko, Milana Kochnova, Nadia Kiiko, Nataliia Kryvobok, Serafima Kabanets, Sergij Ianko, Sofia Katrich, Valeria Nikiforova

Curation

Elena Pagel and Iryna Guziy

The project is funded by the State Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Cohesion. This measure is co-financed with tax funds on the basis of the budget adopted by the Saxon state parliament as part of the funding programme "Wir für Sachsen".