HBO’s Chernobyl is a rare beast on television, taking a real-life tragedy and turning it into a must-watch event. You’d think it would be too depressing to keep tuning in, but it’s just so well done and such a fascinating piece of history that audiences just couldn’t look away.
But it might have gotten just a bit too real for Instagram.
While you’d think that generally people would know better than to be disrespectful in a place where a tragedy occurred, you also have to remember that not everyone does know better, and a lot of the people who don’t know better DO have Instagram.
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On April 25, 1986, the lives of people in the Ukrainian town of Pripyat were changed in an instant after an explosion tore apart the nearby Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
The explosion released radiation equivalent to 500 Hiroshima bombs. But it wasn’t until the afternoon April 27 that the town was evacuated.
It was supposed to be a temporary move.
But the radiation levels in the area made it permanent, and an area of 1,000 square miles around the plant was designated as an exclusion zone.
It was a huge evacuation.
In all, 116,000 people had to be relocated, and Pripyat became a ghost town.
Unfortunately, that’s also where Instagrammers are flocking for selfies.
HBO’s hit show about the tragedy has captured audiences around the globe.
And it had rekindled an interest in the region, sparking not only increased internet searches, but increased tourism as well.
It’s a nice place to visit, but you can’t live there.
Even though the area remains contaminated with radiation and is expected to be uninhabitable for hundreds of years, it’s still possible to visit and take a tour.
That’s where Instagrammers come in.
Many Instagrammers have latched onto the show’s popularity and tied in a visit to Pripyat with an opportunity to boost their likes and follows.
However, many are drawing criticism for the nature of the selfies they’re taking.
If you check out the #Chernobyl hashtag on Instagram, you’ll be able to scroll through thousands of images of Pripyat, and most are solemn and dignified.
Not all of them, though.
You’ll also see many folks striking poses and pouting their duck faces in front of landmarks such as the ferris wheel, bumper cars, and the town’s sign.
The reaction online as the photos get shared around has been quite damning.
“Sickening,” wrote one person on Twitter. “It wouldn’t be so bad if they were putting up links to various charities that would benefit hugely from publicity.”
Some likened visiting Pripyat to other sites of tragedies.
“It’s akin to visiting Auschwitz,” wrote another person on Twitter. “Definitely not meant to be a joyous occasion and definitely questionable in terms of safety.”
One of the more controversial photos involved a woman posing in a thong in Pripyat.
Users roundly condemned the image, saying things like “People have died there in a very horrific way, have some respect,” and “Shame on you.”
The show’s creator Craig Mazin commented about the insensitive selfies on his Twitter account.
“It’s wonderful that #ChernobylHBO has inspired a wave of tourism to the Zone of Exclusion. But yes, I’ve seen the photos going around,” he wrote .
“If you visit, please remember that a terrible tragedy occurred there. Comport yourselves with respect for all who suffered and sacrificed.”
It’s expected that tourism to Pripyat will only keep rising.
As Reuters reported , Chernobyl tour agencies are seeing a 30-40% rise in bookings since the HBO series premiered in May.
h/t The Independent
