Chernobyl Archive

About archive

Chernobyl Archive aimed to collect and save the life stories of the liquidators of the ChNPP breakdown and people suffered because of the catastrophe in order to make them available for educational and research goals

Catastrophe

As a result of a breakdown on the fourth block of Chernobyl nuclear power plant happened on the 26th of April 1986 at 01.23 pm due to the planned tests at power plant repair completion, part of Belarus, Ukraine and Russia territories was under radiation.

Liquidators

According to different calculations from 600 to 800 thousand people took an active part in breakdown elimination in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. About 4% of them were women. These people are called “liquidators”.

Displaced persons

Due to Chernobyl catastrophe a huge amount of people were forced to leave their homes. Leaving they were sure that they could be back in several days. They had no idea that they were saying goodbye to their native land forever.

Chernobyl Oral History Archive

Oral History Archive is a composite pert of the archive in which there are more than 200 oral-historical interviews and essays of liquidators, evacuated and displaced people. Online-archive can be used in educational, academic and other aims.