15.04.2026 18-19:45 Uhr
Online
Forum für historische Belarus-Forschung
40 Years After Charnobyl
From Personal Experience to Collective Memory
Беларуская версія ніжэй
The 1986 Charnobyl disaster became part of transnational history and affected the lives of many societies. Russia's war against Ukraine has again brought to the forefront the memory of Charnobyl and the issue of safety.
We will discuss which images of the disaster and life after it are now being established in Belarusian society, which remain marginalized, and how state policy, science, and cultural practices influence this process. An important aspect will also be the question of how Charnobyl continues to be present in the identity of people born after the disaster. The discussion will also focus on examples of how the lives of displaced persons have changed, as well as the children who participated in international humanitarian programs outside of Belarus.
The discussion will also address the transnational dimension of the memory of Charnobyl: how different countries and communities interpret this event, what forms of solidarity have emerged as a result, and whether a common framework for understanding the disaster has been formed.
Moderation
Aliaksei Bratachkin, Distance University in Hagen
Experts
Julia Cimafiejeva Poet, author and translator, Berlin
David Roger Marples, University of Alberta, Canada
Introduction
Gabriele Freitag, German Association for East European Studies
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Osteuropakunde e.V.