On December 14, ceremonial event was held at Chornobyl NPP site to honour those who participated in mitigation of the consequences of Chornobyl NPP accident. Annually, this day reminds us of the courage and professionalism of more than 600 thousand liquidators - servicemen, militiamen, rescuers, employees of state enterprises and institutions, who jeopardizing their lives succeeded in overcoming one of the largest man-made disasters of the 20th century.
The event was attended by Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Svitlana Hrynchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management Oleh Bondarenko, Jocelin Cornet, Head of the Reconstruction, Energy, Infrastructure, and Environment Section of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, representatives of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine, the State Agency on Exclusion Zone Management, and Kyiv Regional Military Administration.
To commemorate the deceased liquidators, flowers were laid at the Memorial to the Heroes of Chornobyl, and then a minute of silence was taken in remembrance of all the deceased.
While delivering her address the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Svitlana Hrynchuk emphasized:
“It was a truly heroic deed. The liquidators displayed incredible courage in curbing the menace. Their contribution is an example of commitment that is still inspiring today."
28 employees of Exclusion Zone enterprises received certificates of appreciation for their professionalism and selfless labour from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the State Agency on Exclusion Zone Management. 10 of these employees work at Chornobyl NPP.
Special attention was paid to the issue of restoring the infrastructure damaged during the occupation. As part of the project implemented with the European Commission support, the enterprises of Exclusion Zone received more than 500 laptops, 100 of those were handed over to Chornobyl NPP. This is an important step to ensure the proper functioning of the enterprise and development of Exclusion Zone.
This day reminds one more time how important memory and gratitude are to those who made our future possible, and it also reminds us of key role of international cooperation in remediation of the area.
