Chernobyl- 25 Years Later

25 years ago today the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine exploded, spewing clouds of radiation into the atmosphere which was quickly spread by strong winds throughout Western Russia, Belarus and Europe. It was (and still is, even after Fukushima) considered the worst nuclear power plant accident in history. Over 500,000 workers ultimately helped contain the contamination, many of which were not told the full extent of the dangers of working at the disaster site. Some were told it was simply a fire they had to help put out and others were sent in with little or no protection. The general population on the Soviet Union was not informed of the disaster until days later and even those living in the direct contamination zone were told very little about what was going on, continuing to play outside and eat contaminated food because they did not understand the risks. Some citizens were told to wear a scarf over their head for protection, which we now know is absolutely meaningless to protect against radiation poisoning. Only those directly working for the government were immediately told the full effects of the disaster and soon buses full of children in school uniforms, mostly from upper class families were being evacuated to the South.


From 1986 to 2000, 350,400 were evacuated and resettled from the most contaminated areas of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. At first citizens were told the evacuation would only last three days and to only bring what was necessary. Most had no idea they would never return home.

Abandoned Ferris wheel at an amusement park in the deserted city of Pripyat. The park was scheduled to open on May 1, 1986, but the city's 47,000 residents were evacuated shortly after the Chernobyl nuclear reactor explosion on April 26.

I arrived in Belarus on Sunday night and am living in the capital city of Minsk for the next 4 days. Minsk appears to be a fairly affluent city and the effects of Chernobyl and nearly invisible, but once you start talking to the local people, you hear story after story about how the disaster effected them personally. Twenty-five years later, contaminated soil and waterways have contributed to poor nutrition and weakened immune systems in people living in the areas around Chernobyl, especially the children. One of the most predominant physical effects of the Chernobyl radiation on children is the profound increase (over 100%) in Thyroid Cancer, a disease rarely found amongst children elsewhere in the world.

Abandoned classroom.

A nuclear safety poster from a classroom near the Chernobyl region.

Commemorative services and events are being held in many parts of the world and the importance of this anniversary holds special significance after the Fukushima melt down last month. Because of strict laws and political restrictions limiting the number of people that can gather together on the street in Belarus, it is difficult to hold any sort of protests or commemorative gatherings for the event but here, but we are trying to find something to participate in and honor those who died. Later this week we will be visiting an orphanage in a town outside Minsk where many children are living whose parents died due to the fallout of the disaster and radiation.