Met. Onuphry of Kiev honors memory of heroes of Chernobyl

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine honored the memory of the heroes of the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant tragedy yesterday, the day of their memory.

December 14 was established by a November 2006 presidential decree as the day of commemoration of the Chernobyl victims in memory of the December 14, 1986 completion of the building of the sarcophagus over the destroyed fourth Chernobyl power generator.

The Ukrainian primate laid flowers at the memorial mound “Heroes of Chernobyl,” on the territory of the St. Michael the Archangel Church in Kiev. The commemoration ceremony was also attended by President Poroshenko of Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andrei Parubiy, representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers, and other public figures.

His Beatitude was accompanied by Archbishop Jonah of Obukhov and St. Michael’s rector Archpriest Bogdan Shtim.

All those present honored the memory of the victims with a moment of silence. 31 people died immediately after the catastrophe, with another 60-80 dying in the future from the radiation. More than 600,000 who helped cleaning up after the disaster also received a dose of radiation to varying degrees.

Source: Ukranian Orthodox church