Personal Stories

"When we had that soldiers were being sent to Chornobyl as liquidators, we all felt we were better off fighting in the war".

Yuri, Afghan war veteran

"We arrived in Prypyat at 2 p.m. on 27th April 1986. There were more than 1000 buses. At 4 p.m. there was a 20 km column leaving the town. By 29th April the town was empty".

Sergei, liquidator

"I've always known that we live in a contaminated zone here, but no one was able to tell me what I could do to help myself. The only place where I've found help and answers to my questions is in this Centre. The staff has accepted me as a volunteer and think of me as a friend".

Volunteer from Borodyanka Community Development Centre

"We were milking the cows and the authorities came and said "don't panic, just carry on milking". On 2 May 1986 people started to run away with their children. We were told to take our cows to the collective farm. At 5 a.m. on 4 May a truck came to our house and dropped us in Borodyanka at noon the next day. We'd traveled at night. We took some pork fat and eggs for three days. We had to cook them in the garden".

Farmer's wife evacuated from Chornobyl to Borodyanka

"We first heard about the accident when victims came to the hospital here. It looked like a small-scale war, with tanks, ambulances and personnel carriers racing by. The light from the headlights was so strong you could read a newspaper at night".

Doctor, Ivankiv

"After being resettled to Borodyanka I felt frustrated. I knew nobody here, was unemployed and didn't see any perspectives as for getting the job I wanted. I was even more depressed because of the fact that I could not help my parents who were the pensioners by the moment and badly needed my assistance. Once I was sitting at home remembering the times when I had good job and listening to the radio. Suddenly I had about Community Development Centre operating in Borodyanka. They invited all the resettlers and evacuees to the Centre. I went there. Then I came again and again. I met people with same problems. We spent hours discussing the opportunities for changing our lives. At last we decided to start pig farming. Centres' personnel assisted us in developing the business plan. At the beginning we've bought 5 pigs. Now we have 30. I am very happy and grateful to the workers of Community Centre who helped me to return to life again."

Former resettler and now the farmer, Borodyanka

"I took part in Afghan war. It was a severe trial for all Soviet soldiers involved in it and their families. But at last we've got used to it. We understood the situation, we knew what to do and where to go or not to, etc. After returning back my friends and I were to adapt to peaceful life again. It appeared to be another psychological ordeal. Fortunately, in Borodyanka, the place I live, we have Community Development Centre. I was happy enough to address to its personnel. Very soon I understood that I just couldn't live without the Centre. We've created "School of Rescues" for children and adolescents. Here they learn how to act in case of emergencies, how to support each other, including psychological support, etc. It is already 5 years that I work as volunteer. Since 1998 our team of rescues takes the first places at CIS and All-Ukrainian competitions of rescues."

Volunteer, "School of Rescues", Borodyanka