A deep wound that will never heal, and the pain from it will not subside. 40 years ago, on April 26, the largest man-made disaster in the history of mankind occurred. The explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has forever left a mark on our land and in the destinies of people. More than 20 countries have been affected by radiation. But the main blow fell on Belarus – almost a quarter of the entire territory. It is only 16 kilometers from the station to our border.
A colossal tragedy that divided the lives of millions of people into before and after. 40 years ago, it was hard to believe. The explosion became a national disaster. Almost four thousand settlements turned out to be uninhabitable, hundreds of thousands of people left their homes forever. A wide range of radionuclides was released into the atmosphere. The total damage from the accident is estimated at $235 billion. Despite the high risk of exposure, thousands of liquidators continued to fulfill their duty to the Fatherland.
Since the Chernobyl tragedy, Belarus has spent huge amounts of money on overcoming the consequences – more than $20 billion. And a lot of effort to help everyone who suffered from the accident.
"Problem areas" and the implementation of state programs to overcome the consequences of the accident are under the personal control of the President. Special attention is paid to the revival of lands.
The Chernobyl wound is an absolute warning to future generations. It is both a memory and a lesson for all mankind. It's a long way from tragedy to heroism, when not only remembering the past, but also making plans for the future.
