Chernobyl and Alexievich

The Atomization of Time and Space

Abstract

This article analyses the chronotopic fracture that emerged in the historical imaginary of modernity as a result of the Chernobyl catastrophe. For that purpose, it proceeds from the polyphonic and testimonial view offered by the writer Svetlana Alexievich in Chernobyl Prayer, even though other authors from the field of theoretical history and cultural criticism are also brought into focus. Firstly, a revision of the ways of perceiving historical time before and after the nuclear disaster is proposed. Secondly, the focus shifts to the geographical dimension of Chernobyl, emphasizing the new territorial and material organization of a globalized and ruinous space. Finally, it concludes with the examination of Alexievich’s narrative proposal, coming to understand that it is the thoughtful outcome of a radical transformation in the way of thinking and representing the current world.