BGAMLI and the Lessons of Chernobyl

On April 25, 2026, I.A.Lobovich, leading archivist at the Belarusian State Archives and Museum of Literature and Art (hereinafter referred to as BGAMLI), attended the event «Belarus and Chernobyl. 40 Years: Results», organized by the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident.

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident was one of the most significant man-made disasters of the last century. April 26 is a somber date not only for Belarus but for the entire world.

Leonid Frantsevich Dedul, First Deputy Head of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus, spoke at the event. He discussed the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster for Belarus, outlined the system of measures to mitigate their consequences, the state’s plans for protecting the population and remediating the radioactively contaminated area, and answered questions of interest, including the reliability of the current state of protection at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the problem of radioactive waste storage, and the operational aspects of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant.

Among the documents stored at the Belarusian State Historical and Cultural Museum and Literature Museum, several dozen are devoted to Chernobyl: articles, materials from photo exhibitions, manuscripts of literary works, etc. They reflect the deep imprint that the tragedy of 40 years ago left on Belarusian society.

1. I.A.Lobovich at «Belarus and Chernobyl. 40 Years: Results».

2. Children’s drawing exhibition «Chernobyl through the Eyes of Children».

3. Speech by L.F.Dedul.

4. The manuscript of Ivan Shamyakin’s novel «The Evil Stare», stored at the Belarusian State Historical and Cultural Museum and Literature Museum.