The Chuguiv community solemnly celebrated the fortieth anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster - a tragedy that forever changed the fate of thousands of people and became a painful reminder of the price of human courage and self-sacrifice.
In the morning, community and district leaders, veteran liquidators and their family members, representatives of state institutions and local governments gathered near the memorial to the Chernobyl heroes.
Those present observed a minute of silence in memory of the liquidators who are no longer with us, and laid flowers at the monument.
The event continued with a ceremonial concert, during which the Chernobyl veterans were awarded medals as a symbol of deep gratitude for their feat and sacrifice. A special gift for them on this day was a concert performed by local artists, who sincerely and with great respect dedicated their performances to the audience.
On behalf of the head of the Chuguiv city military administration, Halyna Minaeva, and the entire community, the deputy head of the military administration, Igor Shepelev, and the deputy mayor - manager of the executive committee, Lyudmila Makarenko, addressed those present with words of sincere gratitude and respect.
«"Chernobyl is not only pain and loss. It is, above all, an example of incredible courage and self-sacrifice. We will always remember the feat of the liquidators and do everything possible to support them and their families," Igor Shepelev emphasized.
«"We are infinitely grateful to everyone who stood up for life in those terrible days. Your feat is a part of history that cannot be forgotten. Our common cause is to preserve this memory and pass it on to future generations," noted Lyudmila Makarenko.
Today, exhibitions of works by students of the Chuguiv Children's Art School named after I.Yu. Repin and the House of Children's and Youth Creativity, dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident, opened in Chuguiv.
Chernobyl is not just a tragedy of the past. It is a lesson for the future, reminding us of responsibility, unity, and the strength of the human spirit. And today, like 40 years ago, we bow our heads to those who, at the cost of their own health and lives, protected the world from even greater disaster.