You are to be impressed with "Chernobyl" NationalMuseum conception as well as with its dramatic and expressive way of artistic means used there. "Chernobyl" NationalMuseum is a very informative and technically equipped museum. You will be told about the nuclear explosion in 1986. It is one of the most tragic pages of the Ukrainian history and of the world history too. "Chernobyl" NationalMuseum is one of the first museums opened in independent Ukraine. There are no analogues to "Chernobyl" National Museum by the nature of the collected material and by the concept of its presentation.
The main concept of the exhibition is the very artistic, emotional and philosophical approach assisting to understand that tragedy of the previous century. The audio-visual and informative facilities are used widely there. One of the "gems" of the museum is a three-phase interactive diorama showing Chernobyl nuclear power plant before, during and after the accident. You feel as if you were witnessing the explosion and the destruction of the nuclear power plant. Then you see new shelter being constructed over the destroyed unit. You can see the interactive model of the 4th reactor in the museum too. There are some computer programs on disaster and its consequences that can be used by visitors.
There are seven thousand exhibits in the museum. They are documents, maps marked with Top Secret sign, photographs. There are some relics brought from the Zone such as ancient icons, objects of folk art, crafts and everyday life of former local residents there. You can see personal belongings of the liquidators, copies of state decisions on the secrecy of information related to disaster.
After entering the museum you go along the symbolic way to Chernobyl. There is an uprooted apple tree there. It is used as the symbol of the biblical tree of life. You see vivid red fruits which have always been the symbol of prosperity and joy. The apples are rolling on the road towards us, recalling the life that ended in the land of Ukrainian Polesie in one moment. Above the road there is a church banner brought here from the Church of St. John in Dlinny Les village. The village was abandoned in 1986. Two thousand years ago St. John wrote about the ominous star named "Wormwood". Along the road there are road signs mentioning 76 villages and some towns abandoned because of high level radiation. The road seems leading to the exclusion zone. That’s the area where thousands of people lived. But now the connection between generations is interrupted. Twenty-four thousand years – unthinkably many for our consciousness - is life span of plutonium. The plutonium was blown from the Chernobyl power unit into the open sky in April 1986...
Photos of 70 years long history of the Soviet Union ended with the Chernobyl tragedy seem to be spilling from the collapsing symbolic iconostasis which had been created with the Soviet regime. There are portraits of party leaders and government members. There is the renovated iconostasis too. Some fragments of original ResurrectionChurch iconostasis and St. Michael's Church iconostasis are used there. The original churches were burned by looters. The holy gate of the iconostasis has been wrapped with barbed wire. There is a sign "Caution, radiation!" on the holy gate. There are figures in protective suits and respirators used as decoration of the iconostasis.
In the center of the final hall there is a real size top of reactor blown into the air in 1986. You can see the established there covering of the destroyed Archangel Michael’s church in Krasne village. There is a swinging Polyessie style boat - a symbol of Noah's ark - instead of the font. Children who visit the museum leave their favorite toys in the boat. Above the covering and the boat with toys there are two angels - white and black angels spreading out their wings – as the symbols of a good force and an evil force.
It seems not long ago that no New Year passed for us without mentioning distant Cuba. Each time it felt like we entered a new year with cheerful smile of Cubans. On the Island of Liberty much was told about the 1st of January – Liberation Day in holiday editions of local newspapers, radio and TV. Unfortunately, the tradition of common New Year has perished. But many Ukrainians keep good and grateful memories about the island of Cuba − a “ship” in endless ocean.
"Chernobyl" National Museum 
