The evening of April 26 at Holy Assumption Cathedral in Viciebsk held a citywide rally-requiem dedicated to the thirtieth anniversary of the Chernobyl accident.
Over the years, Viciebsk Chernobyl liquidators, members of the civil organization "Union Chernobyl-Belarus", representatives of the democratic community of the city in this mournful day of the Assumption was carried out on a hill at the Cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk impromptu rally. They gathered to remember and honor those who died, prematurely deceased liquidators and victims of the largest man-made disaster. And for the first time in 30 years the city authorities took over the event.
Whether the initiative to contact authorities with a round anniversary of the tragedy, and from now on a rally-requiem with their participation will be an annual tradition, time will tell.
The current meeting was crowded: cadets, students of profile class MES, students, pupils, representatives of the city administration, the clergy, the Chernobyl liquidators ...
Meeting planned to spend on the Cathedral Square, but the rain intensified, and the rector of the church invited all to go inside. Due to this fact the rally has got a different sound. However, to completely get rid of formalism and unnecessary officialdom, so inappropriate in this case, it failed.
Speech by Chairman of the Viciebsk Regional Council Vladimir Terentyev was more prolonged and overly saturated with dry statistics. Rather grandiosely and, I would say, in the Soviet sounded verses of the liquidators, a professional reciter read: "They are here because they have to, Chernobyl – their conscience and honor". Save us from such a conscience and honor, and such thinking, when the incompetence of the leadership responsible forced to ordinary citizens. But the chanting choir and lithium for the dead can be very useful to fit the structure of such an event.
In his speech, Chairman of the Regional Council recalled a number of liquidators from Viciebsk, except that there was no reason any of them former chief of staff of the operational group of the Civil Defense of the USSR in the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident Lieutenant Colonel Anatoly Gnevko nor his comrades. We do not provide them and the opportunity to speak.
After the official part of the event ended, Viciebsk Chernobyl liquidators and representatives of civil society was lowered into the Dźvina a wreath in memory of the victims of the Chernobyl disaster. Following the wreath floated down the river and white boats with names and surnames of the untimely deceased liquidators of Viciebsk.
