On the 40th Anniversary of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Disaster to Be Held at the State Archives of the Gomel Region

On April 27, 2026, a staff meeting was held at the State Archives of the Gomel Region to commemorate the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster of April 26, 1986. Archive Director Yuri Shestopalov addressed the staff, describing the scale of the man-made disaster that changed the lives of thousands of people and divided the world into «before» and «after».

«Over the past forty years, Belarus has traveled a difficult path from the aftermath of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster to the economic recovery of the affected regions, particularly in the Gomel Region. In April 2026, a decision was made to remove land parcels totaling over 940 hectares from the category of radiation-hazardous lands and re-purpose them for economic use». This demonstrates the ongoing process of rehabilitating lands in the Gomel region affected by the Chernobyl disaster through improved radiation conditions», concluded Yuri Shestopalov.

A photo exhibition, «Chernobyl: A View Through Time», was held in the archive’s foyer. Senior researcher Maya Vaschenko presented it to colleagues. She described the events of April 26, 1986, at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the heroes—the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant firefighters and liquidators who were the first to respond and saved the world from greater radiation contamination.

Following the event, the archivists watched the documentary «Chernobyl: Chronicles of a Tragedy» from the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo, and Sound Documents.

1. Speech by Director Yuri Shestopalov

2. Archive staff watching the video

3-5. At the presentation of the photo exhibition