Kyiv Polytechnic hosts conference on Chornobyl nuclear disaster, 40 years on
The Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute hosted the All-Ukrainian scientific conference “The Chernobyl Disaster: Medical, Environmental and Social Consequences, 40 Years On” — one of the major events co-organised by the university in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of this accident.
Specifically, Kyiv Polytechnic served as a highly effective platform for meaningful engagement, bringing together nuclear scientists, medical professionals, ecologists, demographers, historians, sociologists, Chornobyl cleanup workers, policymakers, and representatives of the academic community in a globally inclusive, interdisciplinary dialogue. Among those taking part were Oleksandr Korniienko, First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s parliament) and Chairman of the Kyiv Polytechnic’s Supervisory Board; Denys Kurbatov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine; Viacheslav Bohdanov, First Vice-President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; Halyna Tretiakova, Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Social Policy and Veterans’ Rights Protection; and other high-ranking officials.
Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Yurii Vitrenko, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organisations in Vienna, delivered video messages. The participants focused on reflections on the consequences of the tragic accident at Chornobyl nuclear-power plant, seeking, through shared insights, effective solutions to prevent similar future disasters.
Flowers were laid at the monument to Oleksandr Lelechenko, a heroic Chornobyl cleanup worker, within the framework of the conference. A graduate of Kyiv Polytechnic, he is a symbol of astonishing courage and professionalism. Serving as deputy chief of the electrical workshop at Chornobyl nuclear-power plant, he prevented a further explosion on the night of the accident, thereby averting an even more tragic end. Oleksandr Lelechenko was posthumously conferred with the title Hero of Ukraine.
Kyiv Polytechnic played a vital role in dealing with the aftermath of the disaster. In the very first days after the accident, specialists of the Faculty of Chemical Technology developed the mobile technology for cleaning up contaminated water under the guidance of Prof Oleksander Shutko, which enabled its rapid and substantial decontamination.
Special thanks are due to the organisers of this well-run and thoughtful event — the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute — for drawing scientific community’s attention to the theme of great national importance.
https://kpi.ua/2026-conf-chornobyl
