Stavropol Territory commemorates victims of Chernobyl NPP tragedy

On April 24 in Stavropol, the mini-park, named in honour of the 55th anniversary of the great victory of Soviet people over fascism, was the venue of a rally dated to the Memory Day of Victims of Radiation Accidents and Catastrophes. This Memory Day is marked in Russia on April 26.

Victor Lukashonok, leader of the Pyatigorsk branch of the organization named "Union-Chernobyl", said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that on April 26 at midday Moscow time another rally - in memory of victims of exposure to radiation - will start in the Komsomol Park of Pyatigorsk near the memorial stela. Officials of the city administration, churchmen and NGO members were invited to take part in the rally. After the rally, commemoration dinner will be organized in the office of one of NGOs, and visits to the museum in memory of liquidators of the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), enterprise "Mayak", and those who received their radiation doses in Semipalatinsk. According to Mr Lukashonok, on that day the doors of the museum will be open for everybody.

"Unfortunately, during the last year, the museum had to receive new sad 'exhibits': mourning tapes appeared on photos of three liquidators of the Chernobyl NPP accident - they deceased," said Victor Lukashonok. According to his story, during the past year, the social status of those Chernobyl liquidators who live in Stavropol Territory became worse.

"It is well-known that initially liquidators and their families enjoyed a 50-percent discount on all their housing and communal services. Then, this privilege was 'scrimped' and preserved only for liquidators, not for their family members. Now, they tell us: the privilege is in force, but at a rate of 50 percent of the so-called 'social norm'. And this social norm, for example, on electricity is 40 kilowatt-hours - it's clear that it is nothing," said Mr Lukashonok.

For today, Pyatigorsk has about 250 persons-radiation victims, while Stavropol Territory as a whole has over 4000 citizens, exposed to radiation after the accident at the Chernobyl NPP.