The image shows a Soviet miner, sitting and visibly tired, inside a tunnel dug under the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. After the reactor explosion, thousands of men were sent to dig beneath the core to create a chamber intended to contain a potential meltdown. It was exhausting work, carried out in inhuman conditions, yet deemed essential to save millions of lives. The miner’s weary face reflects the silent heroism of those who confronted the disaster without hesitation.