On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident on April 23, 2026, a memorable meeting was held at the Swiss Embassy in Minsk with people who were connected to Switzerland as a result of this tragedy.

The accident of 1986, which changed the lives of thousands of people, became an occasion for interaction and establishing new good contacts with representatives of different countries. During the meeting, special attention was paid to the contribution of Swiss and Belarusian residents in support of the affected regions and the development of humanitarian initiatives. Among those invited were representatives of the Green Cross Belarus NGO, which, with the support and in cooperation with the Green Cross Switzerland, has provided rehabilitation for hundreds of children in clean regions of Belarus and Switzerland for more than 30 years, conducted regular medical examinations of families with children in the affected regions, taught the rules of safe living in these territories.

Semion Shevtsov, the GCB photographer, provided for the meeting his photographs taken over the past few years in the Palessie Radiation and Ecological Reserve. These pictures have become an important reminder of the fragility of nature and the need to preserve memory.

A special atmosphere to the meeting gave an online connection to Bern, where people living in Switzerland and connected to Belarus by the common history of Chernobyl gathered at the Embassy of Belarus. During the turn-on, there was an opportunity to see and hear old friends again. So the event turned out to be a truly common and unifying, despite the distances.

Photographs: Semion Shevtsov, Embassy of Switzerland in Belarus

Materials are presented by the Embassy of Switzerland in Belarus