Before 1988 Belarusan officials considered Chernobyl disaster to be regional Gomel’s problem

In the map of radioactive contamination of the Belarusan territory stale data is used. The current level of pollution is measured pointwise. We don’t have documented history of Chernobyl either.

The first map of radioactive contamination of Belarus has been published only in 1989. It was published in newspaper specially for gatherers of mushrooms and berries. Since then maps of radioactive contamination are renewed mainly with the help of mathematic calculations, not measurements on location. Contours of contaminated forests and fields have changed long time ago, radioactive territories are dragged into agricultural circulation so that people with strontium in their bones replenished the stock of radionuclides with the gifts of Belarusan nature.

Can social and humanitarian sciences of Belarus revive the interest to the problems of Chernobyl in our society? What research of historians and sociologists gives key to understanding of historical memory about the catastrophe?

The place of Chernobyl in Belarusans’ conscience was discussed at the round table “The place of social and humanitarian sciences of Belarus in understanding Chernobyl catastrophe and its consequences” that took place recently in “EuroBelarus” office in Minsk. Belarusan Oral History Archives was the organizer of the scientific discussion.

Let us cite short extracts from the speeches of participants of the round table:

Moderator of the event Tatsiana Vadalazhskaja, candidate of sociological sciences, coordinator of Flying University:

- Belarus is firmly associated with Chernobyl catastrophe, but on the other hand, it is very hard to say how this topic is studied and how sensible it is.

I would like to start the discussion with the question what kind of research was conducted and what approaches existed in social and humanitarian sciences after the Chernobyl catastrophe?

Andrei Stsiapanau, EHU associate professor, Doctor of Sociological Sciences:

- I was studying Chernobyl within my doctoral thesis. Chernobyl ended with the decision of building new NPP. For me as a researcher and a citizen this decision was very important and symbolized the end of Chernobyl.

When I was finishing my doctoral thesis, academic literature of Belarus lacked works on understanding of Chernobyl. First thing I faced was the absence of academic work on consequences of Chernobyl catastrophe.

The work we proceeded from was the thesis of a German researcher Astrid Zam about the Chernobyl ecological policy in Belarus and in Ukraine.

First scientific works on Chernobyl that appeared in the 90s and 2000s were connected with formation of expert knowledge. If we talk about the structure of research, they all referred to three directions of consequences: oncological, medical, and radioactive, with a little bit of economic analysis related to the losses of Belarus in relation to overpopulation and estrangement zones.

In 2000s the directions changed, and it was a question of rehabilitation of victims and ways of life with radiation.

Western academic literature after Chernobyl in the late 80s – early 90s is dedicated to rethinking nuclear power engineering, antinuclear movement and so on.

We should also mark the research of public opinion about Chernobyl that started to appear in the 90s. First large-scale research was conducted by Academy of Sciences of Belarus in 1992 and continued annually up to late 90s and was published by professor Babosov. This research is very interesting, especially if compared with the reaction of the population to the nuclear program of Belarus in late 2000s.

During the research in late 2000s we faced the absence of historical research about Chernobyl. In our project it was Aliaksandr Dalhouski, who was studying these archives.

It wasn’t very obvious for me why in late 2000s the history of Chernobyl catastrophe was absent as such? Being a political scientist, I had to work with political system and find all laws and programs that were adopted back then. There was no information about them, although it was 25 years after Chernobyl.

Aliaksandr Dalhouski, a researcher in the University of Giessen, candidate of historical sciences:

- There are a number of objective reasons for that. This topic is hard to fit it the history as its witnesses are still living. Historians will hardly study this topic; it is more for sociologists, political scientists, and so on. There is no historical research either in Belarus or in the West.

For Belarusan historians two collections of documents are offered – Homel edition (very superficial) and Minsk one (more diverse).

What I think is important are addresses of citizens in the first months after Chernobyl that show how they perceived Chernobyl.

Before 1988 Belarusan officials and people that were writing addresses considered Chernobyl disaster to be regional Gomel’s problem.

Uladzimir Valodzin, Master of History, representative of Belarusan Archives of Oral History:

- Our archives are raising up the topic of Chernobyl now on the threshold of 25^th anniversary of Chernobyl catastrophe. Next year we hope to hold a scientific conference dedicated to the catastrophe, with participation of historians, sociologists, lawyers, representatives of other disciplines.

The late Ivan Nikichenka, who was studying the consequences of the catastrophe for agriculture, recollected that KGB officer was giving him the documents that the professor was to return to the committee’s officer afterwards.

Now, fortunately, many documents are declassified. Historians can start working with archives. Unfortunately, few get down to that. We hope to change the situation.

Iryna Sukhij, the head of “Eco House” public organization:

- Back in 90s the problem of Chernobyl seemed very opportunistic; however, it actualized in relation to construction of Astravets NPP.

In 1999 a governmental commission was created to say that no NPP would be built in 10 years and ecological publicity calmed down.

Now, when Astravets NPP is being built the problem of Chernobyl acquires other meaning. I had a feeling that no new NPP will be constructed because the whole Belarusan nation will lie across the rails and won’t let it be constructed. And suddenly silence came to all statements made by the government, as if we never had Chernobyl catastrophe, as if there were no victims of nuclear power engineering. It came to me as a shock.

But now I understand why: the problem of Chernobyl wasn’t actualized then, all the programs were cancelled…

I have another theory as to why Belarusans are silent about the new NPP. Everyone has a feeling that this is the high-level problem they cannot influence, likewise when you get very tired of Chernobyl catastrophe because you can no longer change anything except for not eating contaminated products.

Alexei Krivolap, candidate of culturology:

- Now we almost don’t recall radiation when we collect berries and mushrooms, but there were times when newspapers printed maps with contaminated territories. We have unclear image of today’s ecologic situation.

Of course, Chernobyl left certain consequences. But in Belarus it is only remembered once a year. And the question is, how our routine takes account of the catastrophe’s consequences? For the majority of people it is not a problem at all.

Andrei Stsiapanau:

- The maps you have recalled were wrong; the only correct map was the one about mushrooms. It was printed in 1989 in “Soviet Belorussia” and is the only map that more or less reflects the situation of radioactive contamination of Belarusan territory. Next “adequate” maps appeared only in the early 90s.

Uladzimir Valodzin:

- The “Atlas of modern and predictive aspects of the effects of the Chernobyl disaster” contains maps that refer to the late 80s – early 90s, which were based on quite detailed measurements on the ground, whereas all the later maps are based on old data and mathematic calculations. In reality, no one remeasured Belarusan territory. This operation is very laborious and expensive, while in 1986 all forces were mobilized to measure radiation.