You're reading: The Independent: The real Chornobyl Diaries

Thom Davies, a human geographer and photographer doing doctoral research into the sociological and economic consequences of Chornobyl in Ukraine, writes.

“My brother died from thyroid cancer”, says
Olga, 31, as we walk together near her village on the outskirts of the
Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. “I was helping my parents plant potatoes here
when it happened.  I remember a convoy of army trucks driving along that
track towards Chornobyl. They were staring out of the windows at us,
through their gas masks.” Later we sat together at her family grave and shared bread and vodka, as is tradition in this part of Ukraine.

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