Monument to Those Who Saved the World

In 1996, on the 10 year anniversary of the disaster, the Monument to Those Who Saved the World was unveiled. The Monument was funded and created by Chernobyl firefighters. With sculptures made of concrete, which is rumored to be the same concrete fed to the Sarcophagus when the structure was built, it stands in front of the fire station that sent the team of first responders to the site.

The Monument was made in memory of the liquidators: the power plant operators, emergency and nonprofessional workers that helped to contain and decontaminate after the explosion. There is an estimated total of 600,000 to 800,000 people involved with the consequences in some way.

The monument is composed of a centered Christian cross held high on a double pillar, a globe below that representing the fragility of the world, the chimney that served reactor blocks 3 and 4, and a plaque dedicating the monument to those that saved the world. Each side of the monument has four figures. On the right are four firefighters extinguishing the blaze. On the left are a dosimetrist, an engineer, and a doctor treating a patient succumbing to the effects of the radiation exposure. The monument has become an important symbol to remember the liquidators and the sacrifices they made.

Richter, Darmon. Nothing is forgotten: a study of 100+ Chernobyl monuments, Exutopia.com. December 14th 2020. Accessed June 25th 2021. https://www.exutopia.com/100-chernobyl-monuments/.

Chernobyl Liquidators Day event at the monument “To Those Who Saved The World”, Contamination.zone. December 14th 2020. Accessed July 5th 2021. https://contamination.zone/2020/12/14/chernobyl-liquidators-day-event-at-the-monument-to-those-who-saved-the-world/.

Fire Station of Chernobyl and the Monument to Those Who Saved the World, Chernobyladventure.com. November 10th 2018. Accessed July 6th 2021. https://chernobyladventure.com/en/blog-pozharnaya-chast-goroda-cernobyl-i-monument-tem-kto-spas-mir.

Hill-Gibbins, Paul. Liquidators, Accessed June 14th 2021. http://www.chernobylgallery.com/chernobyl-disaster/liquidators/.