Declassified Chernobyl archives released ahead of 40th anniversary
Kyiv • UNN
On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, archival materials stamped "secret" were presented. The documents contain government decisions, reports on evacuation and radiation, and have been included in the UNESCO register.
Previously classified archival documents released on the Chornobyl anniversary
Ahead of the 40th anniversary of the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, archival materials that had been marked "secret" for decades and only now become available to researchers and the public were presented. This was reported by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, UNN writes.
Details
According to the ministry, the documents were presented by the director of the State Archive of Kyiv Oblast, Sofiya Kameneva. Part of the materials has been included in the International Register of the UNESCO "Memory of the World" program, granting them the status of objects of global historical heritage.
What the archives contain
The collections include government decisions, reports, materials on population evacuation, medical reports on the consequences of radiation exposure, contamination maps, as well as citizens' letters and photo and video materials.
The Ministry of Justice notes that these documents allow recreating the events following the accident on April 26, 1986, and their impact on the population and territories.
Significance of the documents
The ministry emphasizes that as the number of tragedy witnesses decreases, the value of the archival heritage increases, as it documents the facts and consequences of the disaster.
The documentary heritage related to the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant is part of humanity's global memory
– as stated in the message.