Daša Słabčanka (Minsk)- 26 April 2010, warm and sunny day. Cities all around Belarus are made gaudy with “back to the USSR”-style flags and posters reminding in advance the victory in the Second World War. But I would like to see black flags alongside our wide prospects as a symbol of a never-won battle. 24 years ago the blow on the Charnobyl nuclear power station changed the life of my country irreversibly: according to the official statics, 23% of the territory of Belarus became contaminated with long-lived radioactive isotopes (in comparison to 4.8% of Ukraine and 0.5% of Russia) (more statistics).
In reality, every single person in Belarus is affected by Charnobyl. Even me. I know this when I visit doctors more often than is normal for my age. Today we face a double crime. One is on the conscience of the government that lies to us, that cuts benefits for affected, that hides the real numbers of still dying people, that feeds us with products produced on contaminated lands. The government denies the laws of physics. Another crime is our own - of being too naive and irresponsible, of being just stupid. We are not capable of realising that this will stay with us forever. And we never know exactly how Charnobyl will influence the health of each person, but no doubt it will.
Today morning at state TV Charnobyl anniversary was not the main news, not even the second. We were reminded what day is today and assured that at some contaminated territories the ecological parameters now are much better than before the catastrophe. The government plans to build a nuclear power station. The practise of the Soviet authorities is continuing.
The Black Truth
The Black Truth
What is Charnobyl? That is the black truth about our white country (Charnobyl, if translated, means “Black truth” and “Bel”, in Belarus, is “white”). That is the dark side of us. The truth we are afraid to see. Charnobyl became a cognitive switch: people were burying the ground in the ground; their enemies were the sun, the rain, fruits from our garden, milk from own cows.
Svetlana Alexievich is the world-wide heard voice of Charnobyl. She has collected many painful stories and gave a philosophical view on the tragedy. At least once a year, on the 26th of April, I read these stories to make sure my heart has not been hardened by the cold statistics and my consciousness is not lulled by the government. By the way, this year the movie based on her story was nominated to an Oscar (The Door, by the Irish director Juanita Wilson).
This day I want to mourn for my beautiful and beloved country. This day I want to hear the truth. But I know it is hard to think about sad things in such a sunny day.
Somewhere I heard the phrase that if people would learn from each tragedy we will live in absolutely different world now. Charnobyl lesson was not learnt.
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