24th

Today is the 24th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster. The accident was a monstrous result of irresponsibility and incompetence (those features were typical for any soviet institution), and a cruel illustration of the damage that improper handling of nuclear power can cause.

At the same time, Chornobyl disaster was one of the most affecting black swans in my life. At the moment of the accident I was living together with my parents and a sister in Obninsk, Russia. My parents worked in local scientific research institute. Right after the explosion my father, as an expert in radiobiology, along with a group of other scientists was directed to Kyiv in order to investigate the damage and develop the plans on minimizing the consequences of the accident. He then have been proposed to stay in Kyiv on a permanent basis. A year later we have also moved to Kyiv, opening new page of our life in our new homeland.