It's hard to say how many of the pictures you see are really the result of Chernobyl, or would have happened anyway. However, there is no doubt that the accident ruined many lives and destroyed the area. A good look at the land is through a tour by a woman who has clearance (and equipment) through her father who is a scientist: http://www.elenafilatova.com/
One thing that they have been able to prove over and over is the increased rate of Thyroid disease (as high as 12 times as much since before the accident in some areas). Of course, Thyroid disease is on the rise across the world, and some have speculated that it is due to more radiation, from sources both man made and natural, in the earth.