To fulfill the project of rendering help to Chernobyl victims, BSRB staff regularly visit contaminated regions, where there is a possibility to get first-hand information on the life at that land, and learn what categories need spiritual assistance most.

Town on Dnepr river

The town of Komarin, 31 km from the reactor of Chernobyl, with its population of 3,000 people, may be called the very Southern point of Belarus. It is situated on Dnepr river bank, another side of which is Ukrainian. The landscape there is beautiful, people used to call it Byelorussian Sochy (Sochy is the best Russian health resort at the Black Sea). Branchy oaks along stately flowing Dnepr, nice places around – nothing warns of perfidious radiation concealed.

We were met by Yuri Unitsky, Pentecostal priest. He told us of his way to God. Nobody had ever spoken of God in his family. His father was a convinced communist, and once chopped the icon that Yura, when child, used to bring from a church. Having approached his manhood, Yuri got married, but there was no peace in soul. He wasn’t getting on well with his wife, moved from place to place, until he understood that it was impossible to escape from himself. After he had received Christ into his heart, Yuri’s become pastor of a church in a highly contaminated region. Now his wife helps him in his service, their sun goes to Sunday School. That is how he tells of his ministry: ‘People come and ask for a Bible. I can gift but a New Testament, as I haven’t got Bibles to give. Those people can’t buy Bibles, because their pensions are too little to afford it’.

Gospels to the Hospital

Yuri took us to the town hospital. Its chief doctor, Vladimir Maksimovich, told that the hospital provided services for Komarin itself and neighbouring villages. 65% of the patients are aged people, but there are many children (about 800) with of endocrine system diseases appeared due to immunity lowering. They suffer from worsening of memory, and get tired quickly. But there is no pediatrician at the hospital, as doctors are afraid to live at that area.

Vladimir Maksimovich grew excited and happy when we presented him spiritual literature for the hospital. ‘We would like such literature got renewed, because many people when leaving the hospital want to take Bibles home’ he said.

Psalms for Maria

When driving through villages, we noticed that in ever densely populated but abandoned now villages nobody works, fences are fallen, roofs are broken. We stopped in Dubrovka village, Braguin district. Level of radiation there is 40 ku/km2. from its 34 homesteads, just 6 rest populated.

Our attention was taken by a woman, who was working at her garden. Maria Avramenko, that was her name, grew delighted when being gifted with large print Psalms. ‘I like reading, Maria said, but now I have poor eyes, so this book is a great present to me. There is no one to speak to, and I am a very cheerful, and reading of Psalms would help me. I am Orthodox, but there is no church nearby’.

Gospel for Ksenja

In Shubino village, Mogilev oblast, in pine grove, an Aged People House is situated. About 300 old aged people found asylum there. Their children slid apart after Chernobyl disaster, while their parents occurred here, after they’d lived some time at abandoned villages. They spend long ours speaking of their children and grand-children, watch TV, walk in the grove near the House. Great consolation to them was spiritual literature that they were given from us.

Many people in Chernobyl zone are thirst for hearing the God’s Word. And the Bible Society will do its best to help Chernobyl victims.

Ksenja Karpova lost her husband, who was an officer, at 2WW. Now but the photograph on the wall, where they are shown young, reminds of him. She has lived a hard life: has not been married since, and so was left without children. We are sure the Gospel will comfort her soul.