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THE NEST IS YOURS, IF BUILT BY YOU... Chornobyl. Zone of desolation. 1989. Photo L. Orel. Чорнобиль. Зона відчуження, 1989 р. Фото Л ідії Орел. As a student, I recall being adversely affected by a house in Polissia. I was used to white washed houses in Vinnychyna, but here were squat wooden structures with small windows. In time, to be truthful, the eye no longer noticed the external unattractiveness of the Polissia dwellings when I learned to appreciate the ver satility of a wooden house. Therefore, in 1987 when I met the first self-settler in Terechy, I believed a seventy- year old grandfather who explained: “At home I’d throw two pieces of wood on the fire, cook some soup and the stove bed would warm up also. But in that stone place no matter how much you throw on the fire, it’s still cold.” I still see the caravans of automobiles on the road of the Kiev region, the construction yards of ‘86 — tech nology, technology, technology. There was a lot of talk about an individual. And about good will — and com passion for all. But the actual person seems to have fallen out of the peripheral vision, and against the back ground of the thousands of victims, that person became invisible. Would they have built a dwelling for such a person without asking first what exactly is needed? First, how about asking a peasant. But, as they had built in a fever pitch in ’86, so they are building today, with out conferring with the future tenants. We have build ings, but the people don’t want to live in them, and really cannot. It’s like this — there are buildings, but there are no homes. My old friends live in Kupuvaty. It was not possible to convince them that living there is dangerous. I only begged them not to invite children and grandchildren for visits, nor send them any gifts from there. The government also could not convince many of the self settlers to move. In the "zone” the Moscow ’’truth” per meates, and is surprised that we frighten people with radiation .... Never mind the smart ones, they are insured with a dose control, special checkups and most important they are fed frequently. When they finish work within their prescribed term, they have the opportunity to rest and renew their health in an ecologically clean environment. For the self-settlers it’s the other way around. More so, for some of them from Kupuvaty drive to work in Zelenyj Mys, which is located 30 kilometers outside the “zone.” To rest, they return to the “zone.” Having made themselves comfortable in one set tlement, the self-settlers began to tackle other priorities. Requests were sent to various high authorities to open stores, a medical facility, a post office. As editor of the Chornobil regional newspaper I often met the authors of similar complaints. “Do you have merchants or medics among your friends and family?” I would ask. “Yes.” 18 НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, КВІТЕНЬ, 1993 Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
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