Commemorative badges presented in Preiļi to participants in the response to the consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident

On Thursday, 3 November, a ceremonial event was held at the Preiļi Municipality Cultural Centre, where specially created commemorative badges for participants in the response to the consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident were presented to participants from Preiļi and Varakļāni municipalities. 

The commemorative badges for participants in the response to the consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident were presented by Intars Zitāns, Deputy Chief of the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Latvia, holding the rank of general. The ceremonial event was attended by Arnolds Ārvaldis Vērzemnieks, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Chernobyl Association, Maruta Plivda, Chairwoman of the Preiļi Municipality Council, participants in the response to the consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident from Preiļi and Varakļāni municipalities, as well as their relatives and friends. 

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster occurred on 26 April 1986, and people from several Soviet republics—Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia—participated in the response to its consequences. More than 6,000 people from Latvia were sent to take part in the response efforts, working under hazardous conditions at various intervals. 

Maruta Plivda, Chairwoman of the Preiļi Municipality Council, thanked the Ministry of the Interior, the State Fire and Rescue Service and the Chernobyl Association for giving the residents of Preiļi Municipality the opportunity to receive badges commemorating the work they carried out 30 years ago. She also wished those involved in responding to the consequences of the accident good health and support from their families.

Arnolds Ārvaldis Vērzemnieks, Chairman of the Board of the Chernobyl Association, noted that the Chernobyl accident marked the beginning of all the transformations in our lives, and that today we live in a different, independent country where there is no longer the same secrecy as in the USSR. As A. Ā. Vērzemnieks explained, these commemorative badges were first presented on 26 April of this year—they represent a small token of gratitude for the heroism shown by our people in participating in the response to the consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. 

General Intars Zitāns told those present about the process of creating the badge and showed what it looked like and how it should be worn and used. He noted that the badge’s design is rare in Latvia and described it as highly successful, adding that it was not intended to be kept in a cupboard, but to be used. 

Those present shared emotional memories of what they had experienced and described what arriving in Chernobyl had been like and what work they had had to carry out, confirming that memories of what happened remain vivid.  Those who are no longer with us were honoured with a moment of silence. A group photograph was also taken during the event so that each recipient of a commemorative badge would have a photograph of this special day. 

Commemorative badges were awarded to 25 participants from Preiļi Municipality who had taken part in the response to the consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident; 17 residents of our municipality and their relatives attended the ceremonial event in person to receive them.

The event was organised by the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Latvia together with the Preiļi Municipality Council and the Preiļi Municipality Cultural Centre.