Belarus Opens Temporary Access to Cemeteries in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

As of Monday, May 4, the Belarussian authorities have opened temporary access to cemeteries in the Chernobyl nuclear accident exclusion zone, which embraces a number of areas in eastern and southeast parts of the country affected by radiation in the wake of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident.

The exclusion zone has restricted access, and the population from there was largely resettled to other parts of the country shortly after the accident.

Temporary access is now given to the cemeteries, as Eastern Orthodox believers are going to mark Radonitsa, the Tuesday of the second week after Easter on which the Eastern Orthodox Church remembers all the departed.

The Belarussians have a tradition of visiting cemeteries on the eve of Radonitsa for clearing and decorating the graves of their departed relatives.

This year, the cemeteries in the exclusion zone will be open for access through to May 6.

Experts at the special administration supervising the exclusion zone told Itar-Tass that people get permission to go to the cemeteries only and cannot travel freely within the areas affected by the Chernobyl radioactive fallout.

To prevent undesirable traveling inside the zone, the authorities have placed special patrols there.

Fire precautions take on special significance these days, and Belarussian law enforcers call the attention of all the visitors to the importance of strictly observing the fire safety regulations.

More than 250 cemeteries are located in the exclusion zone and about 50,000 visit them annually for remembrance purposes.