Zelenskyy: Russian strike destroyed 40% of Chernobyl Museum exhibits

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that approximately 40% of exhibits at the National Chernobyl Museum were destroyed as a result of a Russian strike.

“Today’s strike by Russia was aimed not only at destroying life, but also memory. About 40% of museum items from the exhibition of the National Chernobyl Museum have been irretrievably lost,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.

According to him, rescue services and museum staff immediately began evacuating the remaining exhibits following the attack. 

Among the items preserved were objects from storage facilities, a painting by Maria Prymachenko, and the Ukrainian flag that was installed at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant after its de-occupation in 2022.

National Chernobyl Museum is a site in Kyiv dedicated to documenting the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster and its consequences, including the human, environmental, and technological impacts. It was opened in 1992 and presents archival materials, photographs, personal belongings of liquidators, and multimedia installations that preserve historical evidence of the catastrophe. 

The institution also functions as an educational and memorial centre, hosting guided exhibitions and public programs aimed at raising awareness about nuclear safety and disaster response while preserving the collective memory of Chernobyl.

By Jeyhun Aghazada