35 Years Later. The Chernobyl Nuclear Accident in the Memories of Russians and Bulgarians . Cover Image

35 години по-късно. Чернобилската авария в спомените на руснаци и българи
35 Years Later. The Chernobyl Nuclear Accident in the Memories of Russians and Bulgarians .

Author(s): Yulia Tsyryapkina, Yelis Erolova
Subject(s): Anthropology, Social Sciences, Customs / Folklore, Sociology, Oral history, Social history, Recent History (1900 till today), Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Culture and social structure , Human Ecology, Political Ecology, Post-War period (1950 - 1989), Transformation Period (1990 - 2010)
Published by: Институт за етнология и фолклористика с Етнографски музей при БАН
Keywords: nuclear accident; technological disaster; Chernobyl accident; historic memory

Summary/Abstract: On April 26, 1986, the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Soviet Ukraine occurred and it is known as one of the greatest disasters in the history of nuclear energy. Immediately after the accident, dozens of people lost their lives, hundreds developed the so-called radiation sickness, hundreds of thousands have been evacuated and displaced, and the surrounding flora and fauna were severely affected. The resulting cloud of radioactive particles passed through a number of countries in Northern, Eastern and Southern Europe and led to long-term negative consequences in the health of a significant part of the population. The following article introduces the primary results of a joint historical and ethnological study, conducted both in Russia and Bulgaria, on the memories of contemporaries of this technological disaster which had global consequences. The aim is to analyze how the population today in both countries is reflecting on the Chernobyl accident in terms of its awareness and the degree of the impact; its reaction and preparedness; the measures applied by the responsible institutions; short-termand long-term consequences. The methodology of the study at this stage includes a comparative analysis of the results of in-depth interviews among Russians and Bulgarians conducted in early 2021.

  • Issue Year: 2021
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 567-583
  • Page Count: 17
  • Language: Bulgarian