APRIL 26 – ANNIVERSARY OF THE TRAGEDY AT THE CHERNOBYL NPP
On April 26, 2023, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus opened a photo-documentary exhibition «Chernobyl: our memory and pain», prepared by the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus and dedicated to the Day of the Chernobyl tragedy.
On April 26, 1986, an accident occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Experts from all over the world are still eliminating the consequences of the largest man-made disaster in the history of nuclear energy even today.
In Chernobyl, an unprecedentedly large release of radionuclides into the atmosphere occurred, on this basis, the Chernobyl accident is considered the most severe man-made accident in human history, in terms of the release of radionuclides equivalent to 50 atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima, which dealt a severe blow to the fate of millions of people. The rebellious «peaceful atom» covered huge territories with a black wing of radiation, turning fertile land into a desolation zone, brought pain and suffering to people for whom life was divided into two parts: before and after the accident. More than 200,000 square kilometers were subjected to radioactive contamination, of which 70% were on the territory of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. 115,000 people were forced to evacuate from the 30-kilometer Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
The workers of the station and firefighters were the first to take part in the elimination of the consequences. The military, policemen, miners, doctors and simply caring citizens (later they were called «liquidators») were sent to fight the consequences of the explosion of the power unit. The main part of the work to eliminate the accident was completed in 1986-1987. The total number of «liquidators» (including subsequent years) amounted to more than 600,000 people.
The consequences of the tragedy – not only socio-economic, environmental, but also spiritual – are still being felt, and the echo of the Chernobyl disaster will sound for more than a decade. That is why the history of this disaster and the history of overcoming its consequences deserve to be known and remembered by people.
On April 26, the UN General Assembly proclaimed the International Day of Remembrance for Victims of Radiation Accidents and Catastrophes. In Belarus, April 26 is a national Day of Sorrow.
The funds of the National Archives contain resolutions, memorandums, certificates, minutes of meetings and decisions of the Government Commission for the Elimination of the Consequences of the Chernobyl Accident, documents on the resettlement of the population from the contaminated territories, on the state of their health, on the provision of international assistance in connection with the accident. Of particular interest are also documents on historical and cultural values found in the contaminated areas.
Head of the Department of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus M.A.Starostenko and Candidate of Historical Sciences, leading archivist V.P.Garmatny introduced the employees of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus and the Department for Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus to the exhibition.
