Memorial Services Held To Mark The 30th Anniversary Of The Chernobyl Disaster

Commemoration events took place in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.

By
Matthew Tucker
by Matthew Tucker

BuzzFeed Picture Editor, UK

On 26 April 1986, the worst nuclear disaster in history happened at the Chernobyl atomic power station in Ukraine, which was then part of the Soviet Union.

Over 30 people died at the site of the explosion and the spread of radioactive material caused many more deaths and illnesses. Over 350,000 people were evacuated from contaminated areas in the years after the disaster.

People in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia held candle-lit vigils and memorial services to mark the anniversary on Tuesday.

Slavutich, Ukraine

Sean Gallup / Getty Images

Young people prepare to lay candles in the pattern of a radioactivity symbol shortly before midnight on 25 April 2016 in Slavutych, Ukraine, 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the accident site.

Sean Gallup / Getty Images
Sean Gallup / Getty Images
Celestino Arce / Getty Images

A man lays a candle at the memorial to Chernobyl firefighters.

Genya Savilov / AFP / Getty Images
Genya Savilov / AFP / Getty Images
Celestino Arce / Getty Images

Kiev, Ukraine

Anadolu Agency / Getty Images

Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko (centre), prime minister Volodymyr Groysman (right), and speaker of the parliament Andriy Parubiy (left) visit a monument to the heroes of Chernobyl.

Anadolu Agency / Getty Images
Anadolu Agency / Getty Images
Brendan Hoffman / Getty Images
Brendan Hoffman / Getty Images
Brendan Hoffman / Getty Images

Dancers perform during a commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster.

Brendan Hoffman / Getty Images
Brendan Hoffman / Getty Images

Soldiers stand guard at a memorial to those killed in the Chernobyl disaster.

Anatolii Stepanov / AFP / Getty Images

A woman mourns at the Chernobyl victims' memorial.

Anatolii Stepanov / AFP / Getty Images

Former liquidators, the civil and military personnel called in to deal with the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, shake hands.

Anatolii Stepanov / AFP / Getty Images
Gleb Garanich / Reuters
Valentyn Ogirenko / Reuters
Gleb Garanich / Reuters
Gleb Garanich / Reuters
Gleb Garanich / Reuters

Minsk, Belarus

Maxim Malinovsky / AFP / Getty Images

Honour guard soldiers lay flowers at the Chernobyl victims' memorial in Minsk.

Rostov-on-Don, Russia

Valery Matytsin

The unveiling ceremony of a memorial by sculptor Sergei Isakov at Prospekt Sholokhova Street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia.

Valery Matytsin
Valery Matytsin

A man with photographs of emergency workers involved in the immediate response to the Chernobyl disaster.

Yekaterinburg, Russia

Donat Sorokin

Military cadets with white balloons attend a time capsule ceremony honoring emergency workers involved in the immediate response to the Chernobyl disaster.

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