Remembering Chornobyl 40 years on
In remembrance of the Chornobyl catastrophe, the Nuclear Free Collective held a vigil on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral on April 27, 2026. We lit 40 handmade candles as we extended our solidarity and sympathy to many thousands of victims; past, present and future.
On April 26, 1986, a power plant near the town of Chornobyl (or Chernobyl, in the Russified spelling) became the site of the worst nuclear accident in history.
We must never forget Chornobyl. The catastrophe is ongoing, especially in the current context of war. Most of Ukraine's five nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities have come under direct shelling in recent years. This includes Chornobyl, where the dome designed to contain the site's radiation was damaged in a drone strike last year.
Nuclear facilities readily become military targets.
Nuclear: never safe.
You can listen back to our our episode of the Radioactive Show about this event here: https://www.3cr.org.au/radioactive/episode/40-years-chornobyl-vigil
Photography by Andy Plumridge