Chernobyl Babushkas

[Helen of Annoy]

An article worth reading, in my opinion:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/9646437/The-women-living-in-Chernobyls-toxic-wasteland.html

[+ouija ouija]

A strange and ultimately sad story, but 'well done the Babushkas'! They obviously have a very, very hard life but not the depression and lack of motivation that the ones who left the Chenobyl area apparently have. 'Home is where the heart is'.

On a superficial level: I love their colourful houses and clothes.

Thanks for posting that, Helen.

Forgot to quote from the article: ' When one Babushka met up with the reporter and photographer, she immediately called a neighbour, saying, "Hurry, quick, come over. There's interesting people here and they're not missionaries!" '...... made me smile.

Edited November 10, 2012 by ouija ouija

[Coffey]

Very interesting article.

I wonder why all the men died and the woman survived? I find that weird.

Does this article prove radiation isn't as bad as they say? Does it prove will power and happiness are really a lot more "powerful" than most people realise?

Obviously people understand that the happier you are the happier your body is. So it works more efficiently.

The article raises lots of questions.

Thanks for posting this.

Edited November 10, 2012 by Coffey

[Helen of Annoy]

You're both welcome and thank you for taking time to meet the Babushkas.

A strange and ultimately sad story, but 'well done the Babushkas'! They obviously have a very, very hard life but not the depression and lack of motivation that the ones who left the Chenobyl area apparently have. 'Home is where the heart is'.

On a superficial level: I love their colourful houses and clothes.

Thanks for posting that, Helen.

Forgot to quote from the article: ' When one Babushka met up with the reporter and photographer, she immediately called a neighbour, saying, "Hurry, quick, come over. There's interesting people here and they're not missionaries!" '...... made me smile.

Cracked me up

I can so relate to the Babushkas. Lives of my grandmothers were very similar to lives of Chernobyl wonder women. From the embroidery to the tragedies they endured.

And much like Babushkas, my grandmothers never lost the sense of humour or their spirit.

Very interesting article.

I wonder why all the men died and the woman survived? I find that weird.

Does this article prove radiation isn't as bad as they say? Does it prove will power and happiness are really a lot more "powerful" than most people realise?

Obviously people understand that the happier you are the happier your body is. So it works more efficiently.

The article raises lots of questions.

Thanks for posting this.

It’s normal for Ukrainian (or any other Slavic) women of their age to be widows. I never met either of my grandfathers. One has a formal grave but his bones are god knows where.

Because it’s normal for Slavic nations to have deadly periods of oppressive peace between deadly periods of devastating wars. If the enemy doesn’t get you, your own government will.

Survivors tell morbid jokes about it, because no one takes pathetic speeches seriously and you have to relate your experience to the next generations somehow.

So you had fewer old men to start with and young were more likely to be even more exposed than women. I believe there could be more, maybe there's some Mother Nature's metabolic joke on the expense of men, like there is one with heart diseases.

I honestly don’t know what science has to say about weird fact that self-settlers live longer than people that stayed evacuated.

Personally, I think it’s something we call paranormal, only I also think there’s nothing “para” in normal attachment to the place to which you belong. It’s obvious (to me) that there is something in or from the Mother Land that heals the damage, that gives strength to her people.

And the age. The eeriest factor in radiation effect on people. There were and still are so many horrible malformations and deaths among babies in the affected area. Thyroid cancer has heartbreaking rate among kids and though it's not rare among people who were exposed as adults, it looks like the youngest are the most vulnerable to the radiation. Probably because cancers are generally slower in old bodies, so once you reach certain age you shouldn't bother with it because you are very likely to fart in the dust from more natural causes, like heart.

I don't know if anyone keeps any records of young Chernobyl squatters' health. Probably not. But I remember one of them talking to the camera about health benefits from exposing yourself to the moderate radiation from time to time He believes you can train your body to take reasonable radiation doses and even have an immune boost from it... I really am proud memeber of cuckoo brigade, but I do not agree with his theory and I have a dead uncle that used to work in controlled (!) slightly (!) radioactive environment to back my opinion up. Maybe he wasn't regularly irradiated, god rest his wonderful soul.

I apologise to materialist crowd for my train wreck of thought

Edited November 10, 2012 by Helen of Annoy

[Ashotep]

Must of been heartbreaking for those people to have to leave their home. I think I can understand why some went back even with the risks. Probably didn't feel a part of that other world.

[+ouija ouija]

The Babushkas have been on my mind since I first read the article. I wonder what they will do when they get really old? They remind me of photos of my old Irish great-grannies who lived in remote rural parts(although the weather would be a lot kinder to them), using the outdoor, hand-operated water pumps to obtain every drop of water they wanted.

Also, I wondered if younger people would gradually start to move back into the area, although perhaps there aren't any jobs for them?

Edited November 11, 2012 by ouija ouija

[Helen of Annoy]

The Babushkas have been on my mind since I first read the article. I wonder what they will do when they get really old? They remind me of photos of my old Irish great-grannies who lived in remote rural parts(although the weather would be a lot kinder to them), using the outdoor, hand-operated water pumps to obtain every drop of water they wanted.

Also, I wondered if younger people would gradually start to move back into the area, although perhaps there aren't any jobs for them?

Irish and Ukrainian history share something, the utter horror of famine.

Some people don’t believe in genetic or folk memory, but I do. There’s certain subconscious sympathy for those that carry similar echoes of the past inside their souls.

OK, now I’ll shift back to less weird gear

I think younger members of their families do visit them. Also, it’s not the kind of people that falls into bed and keeps on dying for years. They go on and on and then one day drop dead at the doorstep.

(I’m not sure about Ukraine, but our grandmas usually have their grave, casket and cross ready and waiting so they don’t put their children into sudden expense. Just add the year of death. Very, very considerate generation. You do have to make a funeral feast, but stories of grandmothers being seen overlooking preparations for their own funeral feast are common. Not even death can stop them from being useful )

Young people might even start returning, once it becomes clear the radiation risk is there for the whole wider area, not only dead zone and the dead zone is not deadlier than – say – working in mines or having your kids play among dirty needles scattered on playgrounds.

Where’s frying pan and where’s fire, it’s hard to tell.

Chernobyl area was at least officially irradiated. Unlike places (Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan comes to mind) where cancer types typical for radiation exposure are skyrocketing, but everything was under control there, officially. Like you can have nuclear bomb test under control.

Because of that fame of officially recognized nuclear catastrophe site, Chernobyl attracts tourists, which can’t really change much but something is better than nothing. Tourism alone can’t bring people back and to be honest I’m not sure if they should be back. Again, it’s frying pan/fire conundrum.

It’s not surprising but it's still somewhat depressive to see the significant presence of humans is more devastating for nature than serious radiation. Which was again caused by human factor. Human stupidity factor, to be precise. The same that creates famines sometimes.

Edited November 11, 2012 by Helen of Annoy

[s33ker]

"wish I had a husband to quarrel with" lol.

Sad but uplifting at the same time, can't wait to see the doco.

[Keel M.]

The article raises lots of questions.

That's my thought in a nutshell. If nothing else, these women prove that we don't know all there is to know about radiation and what happens to the environment.

I enjoyed this story very much. I add my thanks for sharing it.