14.05.2022

Chornobyl.
The vanishing logo

14.05.2022

Vanishing branding

for the vanishing Zone

Few people don’t know about the tragedy that occurred on April 26, 1986 at Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. One night turned the place of the future into a place of memory reminding the world of the price of human error. But few people know that the cities of Chornobyl Exclusion Zone are gradually disappearing: they are being destroyed by time and absorbed by nature. This means that over time, people won’t be able to see the direct consequences of the disaster that changed the world.

We decided to create the Exclusion Zone’s branding to draw attention to the disappearing places of memory. We want people to have a chance to see everything with their own eyes and learn an important lesson: every action has a consequence.

Searching

for a strong image

We needed to find a strong visual image that would make people think. And realized that a standard logo won’t have enough power: a static icon simply can not contain such an important message. So, we created the first vanishing logo in the world.

The basis for our logo is the shape of the fourth reactor, which was the place where

it all began. This is the starting point

for the logo, as if it were Chernobyl’86 logo.

Every year the image changes and gradually disappears. The end point of the logo's existence is 2064, when Chornobyl Power Plant will be completely decommissioned.

This way we close this cycle of history and open some space for a new one.

Altering visual system

Next, we created the whole visual system around the logo. Just like the logo, it changes every year. However, we have decided that these changes will not take place every January 1, but every April 26 instead. From now on, the new year in Chornobyl will begin on this day.

Not a souvenir,

but a part of history

The new visual system, changing every year, makes each item a collector's item and turns it into a part of history. It also gives us the opportunity to combine past and future in one space, reminding people that the past always influences the present.

Together with Other Land studio and Orient Web Development, we also created a new website for the Zone. Its main idea also lies in the intersection of times: past, present and future. So that the users could travel through time. You can visit the new website here: chornobyl.today