Ivan Nikitchenko: “When we are gone future generations mustn’t forget Chernobyl”



As previously reported by Euramost.org, on November 22 Belarusian society paid last respects to the chairman of social-ecologic public association “Chernobyl initiatives support centre”, corresponding member of national Academy of Science professor Ivan Nikitchenko who came to a tragic end. Supposedly, this was his last interview…

Ivan Nikitchneko was regularly appearing at our “sites”. He fought actively for true information about Chernobyl tragedy consequences to be brought into the open. He claimed that the state withholds all information about these consequences. He warned that nation’s health is under threat. He was against NPS construction in Belarus. He tried to realize different projects. He regretted that he managed to find money for the last of his projects but the state dropped the matter. – It’s a pity that the state’s policy is to block Chernobyl problem, - these are Nikitchenko’s words from our last talk. Supposedly this was his last interview. – It seems like we don’t have any Chernobyl problem after 24 years. But people keep dying. Look at our last population census’s data. Each year number of Belarusians grows smaller. Even ordinary medical workers say it’s because of Chernobyl and radiation. But at the highest level it’s all perfect! Not long ago I wanted to realize one project. I wanted not only to test people by radiation counters but also to check safety system on different levels of pollution. But they didn’t let us do it in spite money for this project had been already transferred to the bank. USA grant commission provided the money. But to realize the project and to get the money we had to be supported by the government. So the position was not to let us get this money. Ministry of health care motivated it by having no necessity in supporting of such kind of project. So it’s all very logic: it is the continuation of the policy of withholding information of Chernobyl tragedy’s consequences. By the way according to the law of public associations and statute of Chernobyl initiatives support centre, established by the Ministry of Justice, the social-ecologic public association has the right to receive information requested. This conversation took place on November 15. And in four days Ivan Nikitchenko has died… He was concerned about life and health of Belarusian nation. But he couldn’t save his own life… Here are some quotations from previous Nikitchenko’s interviews to Euramost.org: Basically, Belarus doesn’t need nuclear power station. The country has energy demands of gross domestic product 3,8 times bigger than Europe. We must modernize technologies but not build NPS. Energy demands must be decreased – stop lighting the sky. We must use energy rationally. And finally – this station won’t have any power marketing. We can’t hope to sell it to the West. They can count money there… - The results of the poll proved that people don’t trust nuclear power station. People realize danger of NPS and I think it’s a normal reaction of public. Almost all territory of Belarus is polluted with Chernobyl emissions, but nobody can tell for sure because they don’t control it everywhere… - Such tragedy as Chernobyl catastrophe happened nowhere in the world. Have we already forgotten about it? Chernobyl catastrophe will destroy Belarusians to 2050 if no radiation protection measures are taken, UNO experts forecast. Belarus disbands indeed. When we are gone future generations mustn’t forget Chernobyl. I told many times that radionuclids are harmful for human organism in any quantity. They destroy body cells, become causes of different illnesses and shorten people’s lives. Infant mortality and low birth-weight babies growth, wide spread of chronic pathology among children, lowering of functional abilities of schoolchildren, decrease of lifetime which is already approximately 13 years less in Belarus – all this points at ecosystem problems…

Victor PAVLOV