On the early morning of April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant suffered a catastrophic meltdown during a safety test. In 2005, photographer Gerd Ludwig braved the radioactive ruins for a brief 15-minute photo session. Among haunting images of desolate control rooms and corridors, one stood out—Ludwig risked severe exposure to capture an old clock in a sealed room, its hands frozen at 1:23:58 AM, marking the exact moment of the explosion. Captivated by this symbol of halted time, Ludwig captured this poignant reminder of the disaster at Energy Block #4, where time ceased to move.
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