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Mr. Vladimir Pravik
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LIFESAVER HERO:
FIREWORKERS FROM CHERNOBYL
by Sergei Levandovsky
There were only 28 fireworkers in the town of Chernobyl and all of them were in charge of the nuclear power station (the most powerful one in the former USSR). In one day, people from all over the world knew about these men because of the tragedy that occurred on the nights of April 25 to 26, 1986. Unfortunately, very few people, even in the former USSR republics, know about these men now...people's memory is very short sometimes. Our teacher told us about this tragic event during human rights classes and about the people who fought one by one against nuclear power and disaster. In Belarus we call these people "Team N1" because they were the first on the line in the fight for the safety of others. Their wives, parents and children were living in the same town and they remember them and how, as documents show, they did not panic despite knowing that they would die and this would be the last working day of their lives.  40,000 people from the small Ukranian town were sleeping the night of April 25, unaware that somebody was fighting for their lives. My teacher said that it was a mentality of the former Soviet people to think about others and to be willing to die for the happiness and safety of others.
I think that every nation has their own heroes who are an example to follow.
I want to remind others of my heroes and what I have found out in our books about what happened during that time: Chernobyl blowings were the equivalent of 1000 Hiroshimas and Nagasakis together. It is hard for people to understand how it was even possible for anyone to survive because people from Japan are suffering still now.
 Chernobyl is a geopolitical disaster and catastrophe not only for the Ukraine, but also for Russia, and especially for us in Belarus. 40 percent of our land is affected by radioactivity. Children are suffering most of all because of cancer. So, it is a pity that my country has to fight this disaster alone, but I do believe that we will survive because, historically, we have survived many tragic events, especially during WW2 when every third Belarussian died because of naziism.
So, my conclusion is that we have to remember our heroes who died during a peaceful time trying to defend others. Without such a memory, we do not have a future as a nation.
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Written by
Sergei Levandovsky
from
Belarus
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Chernobyl.info Switzerland and the United Nations provide an impartial international communications platform on the long-term consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. Chernobyl Children's Project International is a humanitarian effort that seeks long-term community-based solutions, provides assistance, and advocates for the rights of victims and survivors of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster. Adi Roche Read a story on MY HERO about the founder of the Chernobyl Children's Project International. Wikipedia Find out more about Belarus. |
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Click on the image below to view a short interview with Valentina Suvorina, an iEARN teacher, who was interviewed by MY HERO at the iEARN conference in Slovakia, July 2004. Valentina speaks about the unsung heroes of Chernobyl. 
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| Elizabeth Blackwell became the first female doctor and opened the first medical school for women. | Evelyn H. Lauder founded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation | Fauzia Minallah is the founder of Funkor Childart Centre and an ARTIVIST. | Firefighters in New York City are the heroes of the day. |
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| Fireworkers from Chernobyl bravely gave their lives to protect the safety of others during the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. | Florence Ngobeni urges African leaders to work for AIDS prevention. | Florence Nightingale revolutionized nursing. | Frances Moore Lappe works to eliminate the injustices that cause hunger. |
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| Fred Hollows was an Australian ophthalmologist committed to providing eye care to Aboriginal and poor people. | Fridtjof Nansen was a daring explorer, a freedom fighter, and a selfless humanitarian. | George Latham saved a girl from a burning car and is also a hero to his daughter. | Giorgio Perlasca saved the lives of thousands of Jews during WWII |
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| Irena Sendler helped Jewish children escape the Warsaw ghetto during the Holocaust. | Ivan Beltrami joined the resistance during WWII and saved many Jews. | Jody Williams is a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner who began a campaign to rid the world of landmines. | John Polivchuk was a firefighter who inspired others with his bravery, selflessness and optimism. |
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| Jon Rose is a surfer dedicated to bringing clean drinking water to the world. | Judith Blair donated one of her kidneys to a man in desperate need. | Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is a hero to Rachel who was recently diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. | Kurt Klein brought, among others, his future wife, Gerda, and Oskar Schindler, to safety. |
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| Olara Otunnu is devoted to saving the lives and futures of children in war-torn countries. | Olivia Harrison founded an organization to help abandoned children in Romania. | Oumoul Khary Sow founded the Caravan of Hope which travels to remote areas in Senegal to help prevent malaria. | Pat Pedraja and Driving for Donors is helping young and old cancer patients receive the life saving bone marrow treatments. |
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| Paul Farmer has dedicated his life to treating people in the poorest nations in the world | Paul Rusesabagina saved the lives of more than 1200 Rwandans who took refuge in his hotel. | Princess Eliza Ella has been inspired by Eliza the hero in The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Anderson | Raoul Wallenberg saved thousands of lives during the Holocaust. |
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| RAWA promotes women's rights through non-violent action. | Robert E. Kimura, M.D. is a hero to his niece in and out of the operating room. | Rudolph Giuliani , New York Mayor, was a compassionate leader following the World Trade Center attack. | Ryan Hreljac helps build wells for clean water in Africa. |
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| Sompop Jantraka helps poor children in Thailand to avoid child prostitution and obtain an education. | To Write Love On Her Arms was founded to help people suffering from depression and substance abuse. | Tommie Hamaluba is a teacher in Botswana, Africa working to eradicate malaria. | Trisomy 18 Foundation raises awareness and supports research for cures for this genetic disorder. |
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| Vilmos Farkas sacrificed his personal safety to save the lives of a couple of strangers. |
Last changed on:10/21/2009 9:41:07 PM
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