Ukraine
The Chernobyl accident consequences liquidator’s day is a holiday and oblivion at the same time
December 14 is the day when people honor the liquidators of the Chernobyl accident consequences that happened in 1986. The “Jerusalem Hand” Organization, remembers the heroes of those days and hopes that in Israel people will take better care of them than today.
Three and a half decades ago, hundreds of millions of people were in mortal danger. Then, in April 1986, the exploded reactor power unit of the Chernobyl NPP threatened the safety of living across vast territories. The dedicated efforts of rescuers who came to the scene of the accident from all republics of the USSR, which existed at that time, prevented a catastrophe on the truly planetary scale. And then, in record time, the Shelter was built over the destroyed reactor, that is a complex of protection structures that prevented radiation leaks into the external environment. The day when the Shelter was put into operation – December 14, subsequently became Liquidator’s Day.
This day was not immediately recognized as an official holiday. In Russia, the decision about it was made only in 2012, while Ukraine began to celebrate it earlier, since 2006. Which is not surprising, because about half of 650 thousand liquidators of the accident consequences lived on its territory at that time. There, people remember and honor those who, at the cost of their health, and sometimes even their lives, saved millions of people from deadly radiation. But unfortunately, the same cannot be said for some other countries in which liquidators live today.
Since the late 1980s, more than 4,000 participants in the events of 1986 have repatriated to Israel. Not all of them are alive today – only about 1200 people. Alas, their merits were not recognized by the authorities, which actually did nothing for them. Although the Knesset adopted the law on liquidators in 2001, in practice it isn’t implemented. For example, the status of the liquidator itself is absent in the country today.
Being a rescue organization, the “Jerusalem Hand” honors everyone who prevented the tragedy at the Chernobyl NPP in due time. Both those who has left us and the living ones. But the last ones, in addition to respect, also need real help in solving their problems. The “Jerusalem Hand” is ready to participate in it and hopes that the attitude to the liquidators from the Israeli authorities will change in a positive direction within the near future.