The water and soil in the Chernobyl exclusion zone is still contaminated, so it's against the law to live there. Still, the land isn't entirely deserted. In the wake of the disaster, hundreds of local residents returned to their villages despite safety warnings that should have barred them from entering.
The group, known as self-settlers, has adjusted to a quiet life among elevated levels of radiation. Most of them are elderly women in their 70s and 80s who have garnered the affectionate nickname "Chernobyl's babushkas."
Read more: Photos show what daily life is really like inside Chernobyl's exclusion zone, one of the most polluted areas in the world