It's 2019 and culture is bizarre, which means nuclear disaster zone Chernobyl has now become prime Instagram fodder.

Following the success of the HBO historical drama, which has been dubbed one of the best shows on television, people are taking selfies in the now-deserted towns where thousands of people died.

As fans of the TV show (or Russian history) would know, much of the then-Soviet Union had to be evacuated in 1986, after the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine malfunctioned, causing deadly particles to spew into the air and across kilometres of land.

The official death toll has not been recorded, but experts say it could be anywhere between 4000, to around 93,000, due to deaths from radiation related illnesses.

The Chernobyl site has been open to tourists since 2011, when authorities deemed it safe to visit. Local tour operators say in the days since the show has finished airing, a fresh groundswell of tourists have swarmed the area.