Chernobyl 1986.
Machines that Fought the Invisible
Chernobyl 1986. Machines that Fought the Invisible is an illustrated book by Igor Donchik Art about the machines that worked in the disaster zone — from unique robots and armored vehicles to lead-lined dump trucks. Faithful reconstructions from documentary photographs, maps, technical data, and honest stories about how this machinery saved lives — and time.
This book is a visual history of the machines and people who fought the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster. From armored vehicles and unique improvised designs to rare prototypes — we carefully reconstruct the appearance, purpose, and “biography” of each machine based on documentary photographs and archival reports.
Created for those who value historical accuracy, the power of illustration, and an honest look at the machines that operated on the edge of the impossible.
Pripyat: Before the Silence
This opening chapter takes the reader back to the morning of April 25, 1986 — the last ordinary day of a city that would soon disappear from the map of the living. Pripyat, the proud Soviet city of nuclear workers, is still full of life: children play in the courtyards, buses carry shift workers to the plant, and motorcycles and family cars gleam in the spring sun.
Within these pages, readers will discover a series of unique historical reconstructions based on authentic documentary photographs. The chapter features Soviet vehicles of the 1980s — buses, trucks, private cars, and motorcycles — each recreated with exceptional attention to historical accuracy and detail.
A centerpiece of the chapter is a hand-drawn map of Pripyat, meticulously reconstructed from original plans and archival sources. It allows readers to walk once more through the streets of Pripyat, explore its parks, squares, and familiar bus stops — a city moments away from silence.
“Pripyat: Before the Silence” will captivate not only historians and Chernobyl researchers, but also fans of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game series, who will be able to see the familiar locations from the game as they once truly were.
This chapter serves as a visual time capsule — a quiet tribute to a place that lived, breathed, and then vanished into history.
Vehicles Featured in This Chapter
- VAZ-2101 and VAZ-21011 passenger cars
- ZAZ-968M “Zaporozhets” compact car
- LAZ-695N city bus
- Bonus: Soviet street vending icons — a sparkling water dispenser and beer/kvass barrel trailers
Note: The list of vehicles will be updated as new artworks are completed.
Chernobyl: Into the Fire
This chapter tells the story of the first and darkest days of the Chernobyl disaster. It is a tribute to the people and machines that faced the unimaginable — those who stepped into the radioactive fire to save others.
At its heart are the firefighters, medics, and police officers whose courage and sacrifice became symbols of duty and resilience.
Within these pages are faithful reconstructions of fire engines, ambulances, police vehicles, and evacuation buses, each recreated with meticulous attention to historical accuracy. Every illustration honors those who fought the invisible enemy in the first hours after the explosion.
Vehicles Featured in This Chapter
- AC-40 (130) fire engines (including Pravik’s ZIL)
- RAF-977, RAF-2203, GAZ-2403 “Volga”, and UAZ-452 ambulances
- VAZ-2101 police cars
- LAZ-695N evacuation buses
Note: The list of vehicles will be updated as new artworks are completed.
Chernobyl: Against the Invisible
Information about this chapter will be available soon.
Chernobyl: Above the Inferno
Information about this chapter will be available soon.
Information about this chapter will be available soon.
Information about this chapter will be available soon.
Conclusion
Thank you to everyone supporting our projects and helping us make this Chernobyl book better every day. We are pushing hard: collecting documentary sources, eyewitness accounts, and rare photographs to create an illustrated book about the machinery of the cleanup—accurate, respectful, and alive. This edition is meant for a wide audience: researchers of the topic, the liquidators themselves and their families (a meaningful gift), fans of HBO’s “Chernobyl” mini-series, and the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe.
We believe a catastrophe of global scale was averted at an enormous cost. With this book, we pay tribute to all the heroic liquidators who, quite literally, saved the world from an even greater disaster. Their courage and labor are the heart of this work; our task is to carefully and faithfully document Chernobyl machinery, its missions, and the people behind the machines.
This post will be updated regularly with new materials, illustrations, timelines, and photo-based reconstructions as the project advances. The pre-order start date will be announced later—follow this page and subscribe for updates.
With respect,
Deniss Ignatjev & Igor Donchik
Igor Donchik Art Team
