The Chernobyl Exclusion zone is located in Ukraine near the borders of the former Soviet Republics of Russia and Belarus. The site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, Moscow’s initial cover-up of this catastrophic event is often cited as one of the principal causes of the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991. Today, following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and his regime’s Orwellian propaganda and censorship, these images take on new significance as a compelling symbol of the rhetoric of an autocratic regime and the reality of the people that live under it. They serve as a stark reminder of the historic deception of the Russian people imposed by their leaders throughout all periods of the country’s history.