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Stalking the Atomic City: Life Among the Decadent and the Depraved of Chornobyl
[edit]| Author | Markiyan Kamysh |
|---|---|
| Original title | Оформляндія, або Прогулянка в Зону |
| Translators | Hanna Leliv and Reilly Costigan-Humes |
| Cover artist | Rodrigo Corral Studio (design), Marikyan Kamysh (photography) |
| Language | Ukrainian |
Publication date | 2015 |
| Publication place | Ukraine |
Published in English | April 05, 2022 |
| Pages | 160 |
| ISBN | 978-1-66260-127-9 |
Stalking the Atomic City: Life Among the Decadent and the Depraved of Chornobyl (Ukrainian: Оформляндія, або Прогулянка в Зону, lit. Oformliandiia, or a Stroll in the Zone) is the debut book of Ukrainian author Markiyan Kamysh. It was originally published in Ukrainian in 2015, and the first English translation was published by Astra House in 2022.[1] The book is a non-fiction account of Kamysh's experiences illegally exploring and leading unofficial tours in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, and as such has been compared to a reportage or travelogue.[2]
Synopsis
[edit]Kamysh tells of his experiences as a "stalker" in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone of Ukraine between 2012 and 2014. The majority of the book takes place within "The Zone," including Prypiat (romanized as "Prypyat" by the translators), Chornobyl-2, and the abandoned village of Lubyanka. Kamysh describes his fascination and obsession with The Zone, which began with his father's role as a Chornobyl Liquidator. Kamysh's self-described "fetish" or "addiction" persists in spite of the various dangers that he encounters while stalking: law enforcement, weather, ill-preparedness, dilapidated structures, other stalkers, and radiation.
Kamysh provides a detailed account of what a stalker needs to bring, where to go, how to avoid law enforcement, and overall how to survive. Despite this resemblance to a guide book, Kamysh makes clear that he does not support traditional "tourism." He directly criticizes those who would use something like a guide book, take photos for Instagram, or follow a traditional and official guided tour.
Throughout the book, Kamysh openly discusses his complicated relationship with The Zone. He has sworn off stalking multiple times, attempting to convince himself that it is not with the time and risk to keep returning. These attempts are always unsuccessful, and he always returns to The Zone. As a testament to this, the book concludes with the phrase "I will return again."[3]
Reception
[edit]Kamysh's book was well-received in Ukraine. Multiple Ukrainian authors, including Andrey Kurkov,[4] Sofia Andrukhovych,[5] and Andriy Lyubka,[5] have written positive responses to the book. Ukrainian film director Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi included the book in his 2016 list "5 Books Director Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi Recommends Reading."[6]
The prominent French magazine Le Point published a favorable review of the French translation, La Zone, in 2016,[7] any multiple other French media outlets have done the same.[8] An article in the Italian newspaper la Repubblica included the Italian translation, Una passeggiata nella zona, on their list of the ten "most beautiful books of the year" that "best represent the spirit of our times" in 2019.[9] Several other Italian media outlets published favorable reviews of the book that year as well.[8]
Stalking the Atomic City in its English translation has received many favorable reviews since its 2022 release, including in Kirkus Reviews,[10] Publishers Weekly,[11] Los Angeles Review of Books,[12] New Scientist,[13] and The Guardian,[14] among others.
References
[edit]- ^ "Stalking the Atomic City". Astra Publishing House. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
- ^ Nonfiction reviews. (2022). Publishers Weekly, 269(2) Retrieved from https://www2.lib.ku.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/trade-journals/nonfiction-reviews/docview/2617021264/se-2
- ^ Kamysh, Markiyan (2022). Stalking the Atomic City: Life Among the Decadent and the Depraved of Chornobyl. New York: Astra House. p. 139. ISBN 9781662601279.
- ^ "Андрій Курков: «Письменники не ходять на роботу»". Блог Yakaboo.ua (in Ukrainian). 2019-12-04. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
- ^ a b "У Кіровоград приїде автор книги про нелегальний туризм в Чорнобилі". Гречка - інформаційний портал кіровоградщини (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2023-04-09.
- ^ "5 книг, які радить прочитати режисер Мирослав Слабошпицький | Читомо". web.archive.org. 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
- ^ "PressReader - Le Point: 2016-04-28 - Un touriste à Tchernobyl". archive.wikiwix.com. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
- ^ a b See the French Wikipedia page La Zone (roman) for a more comprehensive list.
- ^ "I libri più belli dell'anno ve li consiglia Robinson". la Repubblica (in Italian). 2019-12-28. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
- ^ STALKING THE ATOMIC CITY | Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ "Stalking the Atomic City: Life Among the Decadent and the Depraved of Chornobyl by Markiyan Kamysh". www.publishersweekly.com. April 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
- ^ "Los Angeles Review of Books". Los Angeles Review of Books. 2022-07-22. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
- ^ Bass, George. "Stalking the Atomic City review: An extraordinary window on Chernobyl". New Scientist. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
- ^ Jordison, Sam (2022-07-09). "Stalking the Atomic City by Markiyan Kamysh review – in search of meaning in Chornobyl's forbidden wasteland". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-04-09.