Republic
12.04.2006
On the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe representatives of Minsk international ambassadress club visited Gomel region. Club head Nina Arutyunyan told BelTA, the tradition of visiting Chernobyl-polluted areas was started last year. Then the foreign ladies visited Bragin district.
This year they visited Chechersk district. Twenty-five people went on the tour, including spouses of ambassadors of Armenia, Russia, China, the USA, Germany, France, Palestine, Moldavia, Lithuania, and Libya. According to the ambassadresses, who visited Gomel region, such tours are unforgettable. "When you are far away from these places, you cannot imagine that life there is normal. We saw with our own eyes everyday life of collective farms, well-cultivated fields, asphalt streets, normal pace of life. There are smiling faces of elderly and young people. It was a joy to see so many children", said Nina Arutyunyan.
As usual, the ambassadresses brought many gifts to the locals. Chechersk town hospital, medical stations in the villages of Polesye and Zalesye received equipment for monitoring food radiation level as well as the necessary accessories – computers and printers. The equipment will allow residents of these and neighbouring settlements to monitor radiation levels in mushrooms, berries, milk. The computer will print the results right away.
The foreign ladies also visited a school in the village of Polesse and Gomel boarding school. The children were presented with a stereo system, toys, sweets, clothes. The children staged a concert for the guests.