He was on his way back from Vasylkiv, where he had been gathering material about the tank farm fire. In spite of his age, Kostin remained loyal to the once chosen profession and was unwilling to retire. He took extraordinary interest and showed youthful enthusiasm in his work – he had never been on vacation in all the past years. He called himself simply and modestly: reporter.
In Ukraine and throughout Ukraine, the name of the photo reporter Ihor Kostin is associated with the Chornobyl disaster. He and two of his colleagues arrived at the place a few hours after the tragedy. To show the way the disaster and its consequences were being dealt with, Kostin spent two weeks there. Besides, he was the only photographer who managed to take a picture of the ruined reactor from a pointblank distance. About 250 of his pictures were part of the report of the USSR’s governmental commission and the IAEA.
It took Kostin 14 years to inquire into the causes of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant disaster and address its consequences for Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and other countries. This not only made him world-famous, but also affected his health. He was treated several times a year at the specialized clinics of Kyiv, Moscow, and Hiroshima. The radiation he was exposed to in the Chornobyl zone exceeded five times the maximum permissible dose.
ONE OF IHOR KOSTIN’S HISTORIC PICTURES
Before taking up journalism, Kostin worked as chief designer. But he decided to take a sharp turn in 1972 and became a professional photographer.
Kostin said Ukraine had given him not a single prize or award. But he did not need any. He only wanted the country he lived and worked in to help him publish a documentary book, Chornobyl: the Confession of a Reporter. It became the pinnacle of Kostin’s work in Chornobyl.
The world gave him his due – a host of exhibits, awards, and victories at prestigious photo competitions. His works were displayed at the best galleries of many countries and at the UN Headquarters in New York. Ihor Kostin’s pictures are part of “A Hundred 20th-Century Reporters,” an anthology of worldwide political journalism. And, what is more, some foreigners decided to sponsor his book. But it is still to be published in Ukrainian and Russian…
Ihor Kostin is survived by his wife and daughter. The Day expresses its condolences to his family and shares their grief.
