A unified information day is being held in the Vitebsk region
A Unified Information Day is being held in the regions of the Vitebsk region. Speakers are addressing work collectives on the topic: "Chernobyl: From Revival to Sustainable Development".
SENNO
The Assistant to the President of the Republic of Belarus – Inspector for the Vitebsk Region, Vladimir Yurgevich, held a "direct telephone line" and a personal reception of citizens in the Sennensky district, and also met with the work collective of the UP "Masherov State Farm" as part of the Unified Information Day "Chernobyl: From Revival to Sustainable Development".
Vladimir Yurgevich emphasized that much has been done over the 40 years since the Chernobyl NPP accident to restore the affected areas. State programs were developed, and such a document has been approved for the current five-year period. Great attention is paid to the rehabilitation of the population, especially children. In particular, children from affected areas are undergoing health improvement at the "Zhemchuzhina" sanatorium located in the Lepelsky district.
Vladimir Yurgevich also familiarized himself with the progress of field work and visited the livestock facilities of the farm.
Regarding the sowing campaign, Vladimir Yurgevich noted that the Sennensky district is coping with the set tasks. To date, about 74 percent of grain and leguminous crops have been sown, and at Masherov State Farm – 80 percent. The farm has received four high-power tractors, which are involved in sowing. The new equipment has been entrusted, among others, to young specialists, who, according to the head of the agricultural enterprise, are working on it commendably. Masherov State Farm is a promising farm, so the district leadership has been instructed to consider the possibility of building housing for young specialists.
LEPEL
The Minister of Housing and Communal Services of the Republic of Belarus, Gennady Trubilo, is visiting the Lepelsky district with a working visit today.
As part of the Unified Information Day, Gennady Alekseevich visited the staff of KUPP "Borovka" and spoke on the topic: "Chernobyl: From Revival to Sustainable Development".
Also, the First Deputy Head of the Main Department of Housing and Communal Services of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Dmitry Gerasimov, and the Head of the District, Mikhail Kiselevich, arrived at the meeting with the residents of Lepel.
NOVOPOLOTSK
Ilya Ikan, Member of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus and Chairman of the Belneftekhim concern, met with the staff of OJSC "Naftan" as part of the unified information day.
The topic of the April discussion is symbolic for every Belarusian – Chernobyl: From Revival to Sustainable Development.
— Belarus suffered the most from the Chernobyl NPP accident. However, over 40 years, our country has done a colossal job in eliminating the consequences, rehabilitating and reviving the affected territories to transition them to sustainable socio-economic development, — emphasized Ilya Ikan.
First and foremost, state policy has been aimed at reducing radiation risks to people's health and ensuring the safety of their lives. During this period, 6 state programs were implemented to overcome the consequences of the Chernobyl NPP accident and the socio-economic development of the affected regions.
— Today, our country has the State Program "Population Safety Infrastructure" for 2026–2030, which ensures the integration of modern post-Chernobyl situation management into a unified system for comprehensive nuclear and radiation safety assurance in the Republic of Belarus. In addition, "Chernobyl" measures are integrated into a number of state programs of the new cycle, — noted the senator.
Since the post-accident period, 1657 settlements, or 45% of the total number of settlements located in the radioactive contamination zone (excluding evacuated and resettled settlements), have been returned to normal living conditions. Since 1993, 20.5 thousand hectares of land in the Brest, Gomel, and Mogilev regions have been returned to agricultural use. A permanent system of special agrochemical and agrotechnical protective measures has been organized to ensure the production of clean, high-quality products that meet the strictest standards.
The speaker also touched upon the restoration of the forest fund, the system of social protection measures for citizens affected by the Chernobyl NPP accident, special medical examinations of the population, a multi-level healthcare system, and the state's provision of free sanatorium-resort treatment and health improvement for the affected population.
— The work aimed at ensuring the revival and sustainable socio-economic development of the affected regions will continue so that people in these areas can live ordinary lives: sow grain, build houses, and raise children. The Chernobyl NPP accident is a lesson for all humanity, a stark reminder of the need for extreme caution in the operation of nuclear power plants worldwide. That is precisely why the Belarusian NPP is equipped with multi-level safety systems, — Ilya Ikan concluded.
Traditionally, at the end of the meeting, the factory workers had the opportunity to ask the senator questions. Those present were interested in how global oil prices affect pricing at Belarusian gas stations today, and also discussed the role of women in the petrochemical industry.
GORODOK
A unified information day on the topic: "Chernobyl: From Revival to Sustainable Development" was held in Gorodok. Members of information and propaganda groups met with the workforces of institutions and enterprises of the district.
The Chairperson of the Gorodok District Executive Committee, Irina Polyakova, held a meeting with employees of the "Mayak" store and the "Gorodok District" water supply and sewerage unit of the "Vitebskvodokanal" branch.
– Despite the fact that forty years have passed since the tragedy at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and today a great deal of work is being done in Belarus to eliminate its consequences, – emphasized the head of the district. – Six state programs have been implemented to overcome the consequences and for the socio-economic development of the affected regions. Currently, the state has the State Program "Population Safety Infrastructure" for 2026-2030. It ensures the functioning of a unified system for comprehensive nuclear and radiation safety. Measures to eliminate the consequences of the accident are integrated into the state programs "Society of Equal Opportunities," "Intellectual Belarus," "Nation's Health," "Future Agro-Industrial Complex," "Sustainable Energy and Energy Efficiency," "Housing Construction," "Comfortable Housing and a Favorable Environment" for 2026-2030.
Almost a quarter of the territory of Belarus, where a fifth of the country's population lived, was contaminated with radionuclides. 479 settlements ceased to exist. According to specialists' estimates, the total damage is estimated at 32 budgets of the republic in 1985.
Over four decades, large-scale work has been carried out to revive life in the affected territories. From eliminating the consequences, the focus has shifted to the sustainable socio-economic development of the regions. First and foremost, the state took care of reducing the radiation risk to people's health. In the post-accident period, 138,000 people were resettled, and 200,000 left on their own. Citizens were provided with housing, compensation payments, benefits, and allowances.
Irina Mikhailovna shared how she personally felt the state's support for families of displaced persons. Her family moved from the Gomel region to the Vitebsk region on their own in 1992. In their new location, they were given the opportunity to build housing on preferential terms. Regular mandatory special medical examinations were organized to monitor their health, as well as free health improvement in sanatoriums.
Today, 171 displaced persons from the Chernobyl zone live in the Gorodok district. 73 people receive pension supplements as victims of the accident.
The Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, opened with the support of the head of state Alexander Lukashenko in Gomel in 2002, is of great importance for the population of the affected territories. Today, this clinic is equipped with the latest generation equipment and meets European standards for healthcare. In order to ensure the accessibility of specialized medical care for citizens, the center's specialists practice outreach work. Thus, about 10,000 people are examined annually, of whom about 40% are children.
Work is being carried out to return lands to agricultural circulation. Since 1993, 20.5 thousand hectares of land in the Brest, Gomel, and Mogilev regions have been returned to agricultural use.
Radiation surveys of forest areas most frequented by people are conducted annually to identify places where the collection of birch sap and wild products (berries and mushrooms) is prohibited.
Considering the sad experience of past years, the Belarusian NPP in Ostrovets is equipped with a multi-level safety system. It has been operating successfully for five years, generating about 40% of the country's total electricity. This has allowed the state to completely abandon the import of energy resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, Belarus has provided itself with a reliable source of environmentally friendly and affordable energy for the population for decades to come.
DOKSHITSY
Deputy Chairman of the District Executive Committee Oksana Polochyanina met with the staff of the newspaper "Rodnyya Vytoki".
During the meeting, the discussion focused on the revival of the territories of the Republic of Belarus affected by the Chernobyl NPP accident, and on social protection of the population as a priority of our country's state policy.
– Today, "peaceful atom" has firmly entered many spheres of human activity, and we understand that a country with modern NPPs can create competitive products for the global market, – noted Oksana Eduardovna in conclusion. – The Chernobyl experience has taught us all a lot. The accident was a lesson for all of humanity. And today, at new NPPs, including the Belarusian one, the number of safety measures guarantees security.
MIORY
As part of the Unified Information Day, employees of the District Department for Emergency Situations met with the Head of the District Executive Committee's Office, Natalia Brodnytskaya. She recalled that after the Chernobyl NPP accident, 70% of the emissions fell on Belarus: a quarter of the territory became uninhabitable, a fifth of the population was at risk, and the damage was estimated at 32 annual budgets of the republic in 1985.
ROSSONY
The Chernobyl NPP accident occurred 40 years ago. Belarus suffered more than other countries.
Our Republic has invested colossal funds to minimize the consequences of the accident. People were resettled, territories were decontaminated, and radioactive waste was buried. State programs were adopted for the restoration of regions. Emphasis was placed on projects that were needed by people: social support, healthcare development, housing, clean water, gasification, and land reclamation.
According to the Chairman of the District Council of Deputies, Gennady Fyodorov, the Belarusian NPP is considered one of the safest in the world. It produces about 40 percent of the electricity. This makes the lives of Belarusians comfortable.
"In our district, energy workers are reconstructing transformer substations, power lines, and people are gradually switching to electric heating," he said.
BRASLAV
An information and propaganda group led by the head of the district executive committee, Elena Babinskaya, met with the work collective of the UP "Braslav-kommunalnik" housing and communal services enterprise.
"40 years ago, on April 26, 1986, the largest radiation accident occurred at the Chernobyl NPP. It had large-scale economic and socio-psychological consequences for our republic.
Almost a quarter of the country's territory was contaminated. A fifth of the population of Belarus lived there.
Today, the affected regions are supplied with gas, water deironing stations have been built, an extensive social infrastructure is functioning, good roads have been laid, and the streets of villages and settlements have been improved," noted Elena Mikhailovna.
Addressing the staff of the housing and communal services enterprise, which largely ensures the decent life support of Braslav residents, the head of the district thanked the employees for their essential work.
CHASHNIKI
The head of the district executive committee, Dmitry Stankevich, met with the staff of the Chashniki department of the Security Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
During the meeting, the discussion focused on the revival of the territories of the Republic of Belarus affected by the Chernobyl NPP accident, and on the social protection of the population as a priority of the state policy of our country.
– Today, the Republic of Belarus is implementing the state program "Population Safety Infrastructure" for 2026-2030, which is a logical continuation of the state policy aimed at solving the problems of the "nuclear legacy" and ensures the integration of managing the modern post-Chernobyl situation into a unified system of comprehensive nuclear and radiation safety in the Republic of Belarus, – noted Dmitry Zenonovich. – The Chernobyl experience has taught us a lot. The accident became a lesson for all of humanity.
DUBROVNO
As part of the unified information day, the Chairman of the Dubrovno District Executive Committee, Oleg Makarevich, met with the staff of OJSC "Dubrovno Flax Mill".
"40 years is a long time, but the echo of Chernobyl still resonates. It is a reminder that we must be vigilant, responsible, and always put safety first. The lands of the affected territories are gradually returning to agricultural use, and cities and villages are being revived and developing sustainably," he emphasized.
After four decades, the lands previously classified as contaminated are unrecognizable. Life has returned to normal. Its course is practically no different from any other region of the country. People work calmly, raise children. They feel confident about the future.
ORSHA
As part of the Unified Information Day, a meeting was held with the staff of OJSC "Orsha-Service".
The Chairperson of the Orsha District Council of Deputies, Inna Khomutovskaya, and the Senior Inspector of the Ideological Work and Personnel Support Sector of the Orsha Department for Emergency Situations, Yulia Alesina, addressed the enterprise's employees.
The main topic of discussion was a pressing and significant issue for every Belarusian – "Chernobyl: From Revival to Sustainable Development".
During the meeting, enterprise employees learned in more detail about the chronology of the tragic events of the night of April 26, 1986. In addition, the participants discussed the state policy pursued to overcome the consequences of the disaster.
Special attention was paid to the people who, risking their lives and health, participated in the liquidation of the accident's consequences, and to the issues of safe development of peaceful nuclear energy in the country. Inna Khomutovskaya spoke about the implementation of the civil initiative "In Memory of the Chernobyl Disaster Liquidators" in the Orsha district.
POLOTSK
Today, the Unified Information Day is being held in the labor collectives of Polotsk. This time, its theme is dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the tragic events at the Chernobyl NPP, which left a deep mark on the history and life of our country.
The accident, which occurred on April 26, 1986, became the largest catastrophe in the history of nuclear energy. Its consequences were truly large-scale, affecting the economy, society, and the psychological state of people. Belarus, unfortunately, suffered more from this disaster than others.
However, as the speakers emphasize today to the collectives, over the past four decades, our country has gone through a long and difficult path. We have managed not only to cope with the consequences of the disaster but also to begin the revival of the affected territories, gradually putting them on the track of sustainable socio-economic development.
LIOZNO
A Unified Information Day was held at the "Solnyshko" kindergarten in the town of Liozno. The theme of the meeting was "Chernobyl: From Revival to Sustainable Development."
The main guest was the chairman of the district council of deputies, Sergey Shliadnev. He reminded the staff of the institution about the largest man-made disaster in human history. But the main focus of the conversation was on what has been achieved thanks to those lessons.
Belarus has drawn conclusions: today the country has completely abandoned electricity imports, and nuclear energy is successfully developing.
In terms of the ratio of charging stations to eco-cars, the republic confidently ranks among the top 15 countries in the world.
In the Vitebsk region, there are already over 3,000 electric vehicles and 41 charging stations. In the near future, such a station will appear in Liozno!