On April 26, on the Day Commemorating Victims of Radiation Accidents and Catastrophes, Novovoronezh recalled those people who had lost their health and lives in the emergency clean-up after the Chernobyl NPP Accident.

That day has begun with a traditional collective prayer in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in memory of the deceased liquidators of the Chernobyl NPP Accident aftermath.

Then, at the Memorial stone, there has been held a rally, which was attended by the Chernobyl NPP and other radiation disasters liquidators, directors of nuclear power plants and Novovoronezh Administration, representatives of the public organization of the Chernobyl clean-up veterans-disabled persons, students of schools, and simply the involved citizens of the city. Those who were present paid the tribute with a minute of silence to the memory of all accidentsХ liquidators who did not live up to the present day, whereafter there has been held a flower-laying ceremony at the Memorial stone. 

The Deputy Director of the nuclear power plant Anatoliy Levadniy, speaking before the present people, recalled his 26th April of 1986: Т26 years ago I was on the shift, when I received news that the Unit 4 of Chernobyl NPP was in accident. We even could not imagine the scale of the catastrophe occurred. That accident showed that our country had not a lack of brave and responsible people. They could extinguish, fight the out-of-control energy of atom. For 26 years, there was grown an entire generation of young power engineers, which nowadays work in the nuclear industry, develop and multiply the success of our country in using the nuclear power for peaceful purposes. We must remember that the atom is safe only in capable and competent hands.У

One of the rally participants Leonid Khomenko told: ТOur team consisting of 106 people was gathered from the whole Soviet Union, and worked, I may say, at the very epicenter of the accident. We laid the pipelines under the reactor to supply the cooling agency. Our team manager Vyacheslav Garanikhin is a Hero of the Soviet Union. For me the 26th of April is, primarily, a Day of memory and sorrow for my friends, I have already lost many of them.У

Nina Polupanova Р a person of the most peaceful and humane profession: she is a cook. But her work was also necessary at Chernobyl NPP: ТI was in Chernobyl in the most disastrous days. To liquidate the accident, there arrived thousands of peopleЙ 26 years ago there happened great misfortune not only for our country, but for all the mankind in general. And God forbid that it happens ever again!У
 
Novovoronezh NPP is a branch of Rosenergoatom Concern OJSC. The plant is situated on the bank of the Don river at 42 km south of Voronezh. It is the first NPP in Russia, which operates reactors of VVER-type (Vessel type Pressurized Water Reactor with light water under pressure). Each of the five plant reactors are prime Р a prototype of serial power reactors: No.1 power unit operates on VVER-210-type reactor, No.2 power unit Р VVER-365, No.3,4 power units Р VVER-440, No.5 power unit Р VVER-1000. 

At present there are operated three power units (the Units 1 and 2 were stopped in 1984 and 1990 respectively).

Online data on the radiation environment near nuclear power plants in Russia and other nuclear facilities are provided on website russianatom.ru