Kārlis and Andris were 24-year-old guys 38 years ago, who got into the so-called first batch of accident liquidators. They were brought to the disaster site on May 8.
Andris and Kārlis: “We had to wash the house. And we cleaned afterwards. We removed the soil.”
Latvijas Televīzija: “Did you know what had happened there? Did you ask about it when you were there?”
Andris and Kārlis: “No, of course. They put me in and took me away.”
Anna: “I was a soloist [ansamblī] soldiers during the Soviet era, and our brigade was the first to go there.”
Andrej: “I was working as a regular driver. I saw the ruins, I understood that it was quite serious.”
Could not refuse. Did what he was told. At that time, those involved in the prevention of the consequences of the disaster could only guess what the effects of radiation would be on health. Several thousand people were forcibly sent from Latvia to Chernobyl, said Arnolds Ārvaldis Vērzemnieks, president of the “Latvijas savienė “Černobiļa”” society:
“It turns out there were about 7,000 in total when we counted. About 4,000 survived.”
The liquidators of the consequences of the nuclear disaster gather every spring in the courtyard of Stradiņš hospital for a joint moment of remembrance. Remembering the tragedy in which many sacrificed the most precious thing – life and health, hospital board member Ginetta Heinrichson drew parallels with the war in Ukraine, calling to never allow a similar tragedy to be repeated:
“At the moment, the main concern is the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the safety of the Zaporizhia station, which could happen again with a similar tragedy.”
Photo: Zanda Ozola-Balode / Latvian Television
The victims of the Chornobyl tragedy are commemorated in the yard of Stradiņa hospital
The victims of the Chornobyl tragedy are commemorated in the yard of Stradiņa hospital
In the meantime, disaster relief workers pointed out that it is currently in the hands of the Ukrainian occupiers.
Karl: “If they want a disaster, they will do it. They know what the consequences can be.”
Andris: “I don’t know at what moment something can happen. If there are injuries, then is through.”
They also emphasized that every accidentally hit projectile could have tragic consequences for the whole of Europe.
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Tags: Commemorates years explosion Chornobyl nuclear power plant Article
