On the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addresses Belarusians, recalling her personal memories and warning about the risks linked to the Astravets Nuclear Power Plant and the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus:
“When Chornobyl happened, I was only three years old. I do not remember the explosion itself, but I remember how its long shadow stayed with us afterwards.
My hometown, Mikashevichy, was also affected by radioactive contamination. At school, doctors visited us frequently. They paid special attention to checking our thyroid glands. Iodine became almost routine — something that simply had to be there. The trace of the fact that many Belarusians were born on contaminated land is something we still carry within us today.
Belarus bore the brunt of Chornobyl — up to 70 percent of the radioactive fallout fell on our country. But people were harmed not only by radiation. They were harmed by silence. By concealment. When Soviet ‘stability’ and May Day parades were considered more important than people’s health and lives.
We must remember Chornobyl so that this never happens again. The regime in today’s Belarus behaved in much the same way as the Soviet authorities did at the time of Chornobyl. The Astravets Nuclear Power Plant was built without proper international oversight, and when incidents occurred there, they were likewise concealed, as if nothing had happened.
The regime has gone even further and is now deploying Russian nuclear weapons on our territory. This turns Belarus into a target and makes Belarusians hostages to Russia’s imperial ambitions. In this way, Russia seeks to consolidate its control over Belarus, as well as to blackmail and threaten its neighbors. Russian nuclear weapons are not about security — they are a threat both to our people and to our independence.
Yes, Chornobyl showed where the irresponsibility of authorities can lead. But it also showed the strength of solidarity. And on this day, I think of our remarkable people — not only those who suffered, but also those who helped. Chornobyl revealed how much human warmth exists in the world. Displaced families were supported by relatives and friends. Tens of thousands of Belarusian children were hosted by families in Europe, the United States, and Canada for recovery. For many, it was their first experience that the world can be kind and open — and that even through a foreign language, you can see someone’s big heart.
We remember Chornobyl. We remember every single person. And we will do everything to ensure that the mistakes of the past are never repeated”.
