Stalking the Atomic City
Stalking the Atomic City: Life Among the Decadent and the Depraved of Chornobyl is a memoir by Ukrainian novelist Markiyan Kamysh. It was originally published in Ukrainian in 2014, and the first English translation was published in 2022. The book is about Kamysh's experiences illegally exploring the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
Synopsis
In the book, Kamysh relates his experiences as a "stalker" in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone of Ukraine between 2010 and 2014. The majority of the book takes place within "The Zone," including Prypiat, Chernobyl-2, and the abandoned villages. Kamysh describes his fascination and obsession with The Zone, and how his self-described "fetish" and "addiction" persists in spite of the various dangers that he encounters while stalking.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 worth 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."