Chernobyl, the great symbol
Since april 26, 1986 the name of a small ukrainian town chernobyl has become the symbol of the worst environmental disaster that affected the ecology not of ukraine only. 17 countries (sweden, norway, finland, germany, uk, austria, usa, canada and others) got radioactive fallouts after the explosion of the first and the biggest ukrainian atomic plant. A town of pripiat (50 000 people used to live there) together with the near-by villages to-day are ghosts, everything except human life is still there. Quiet and isolation are everywhere, one feels like being a part of the apocalyptic movie. One does not need to go there to learn everything about the tragedy, all details you will get while visiting the "chernobyl" national museum. Museum was opened on april 26, 1992, on the fifth anniversary of the accident at the chernobyl station. It is located in the reconstructed building of old fire-stations. No wonder why in a “fire-station” – the firemen were the first ones who came to combat the fire after the explosion in pripiat. The plant is located near the town of pripiat that had been specially constructed for the plant’s staff (18 km northwest of the town of chernobyl, 16 km from the border of ukraine and belarus, and about 110 km north of kiev).
7000 items from chernobyl
The present exposition with over 7 000 items was collected slowly, because there were almost no information, and all the data on the causes and consequences of the accident were strictly confidential. There are some relics brought from the area such as ancient icons, objects of folk art, crafts and everyday life of former local residents there. You can see personal belongings of the liquidators, copies of state decisions on the secrecy of information related to the disaster. It is a very informative and technically equipped museum. The main concept of the exhibition is the very artistic, emotional and philosophical approach assisting to understand that tragedy of the 20th century. One of the "gems" of the museum is a three-phase interactive diorama showing chernobyl nuclear power plant before, during and after the accident. You feel as if you were witnessing the explosion and the destruction of the nuclear power plant. Then you see new shelter being constructed over the destroyed unit. You can see the interactive model of the fourth reactor in the museum too. Very symbolic is a staircase leading to the main hall decorated with the road signs mentioning 76 villages and some towns that now are abandoned. The museum exhibition halls show the heroic and selfless work of people who participated in the work of elimination of accident consequences. In 1998 in the museum a memory e-book of participants who eliminated the accident was set up; it contains more than 5 thousand names of liquidators. The museum's mission is to help people to understand the scale of the chernobyl accident and its impact on the fate of thousands of victims and witnesses, to draw lessons from the tragedy and to serve as a warning for future generations.
There is a limit of sadness
The museum states that chernobyl disaster finally convinced the world of the need to reconcile humans with science and technology in order to protect life on the earth. It strives to be an educational centre promoting environmental safety. After all, the lack of safety was the main cause of the chernobyl disaster. Above the entrance to the museum there is written phrase «est dolendi modus, non est timendi» (there is a limit of sadness, but there is no limit for worries).
