Solving the social problems caused by the Chernobyl catastrophe. 20 years is not enough

In this paper we will briefly outline only problems of those who live in Ukraine - liquidators, resettled, those who still live in contaminated areas. The issue of several thousands workers of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) - veterans from before 1986 and newcomers - needs a separate research, as it was developing first in the unique 'closed' system of the Soviet nuclear industry, and later under the influence of a fierce struggle between international community trying to close Chernobyl NPP and the Ukrainian government trying to smooth over numerous negative consequences of closing the NPP. Closely linked to their problems is the history of the city of Slavutich (population 26,000, built in 1987-89 chiefly to house personnel of Chernobyl NPP): all pains and tensions caused by changing social protection policy and by the process of closing Chernobyl left their traces here. For each affected community, each family and individual the disaster had various social, economic, health and psychological impacts. From the first days after the catastrophe the state (first the Communist Party and the Government of the Soviet Union, later Governments of independent states) played a major role in attempts to protect the affected population and to provide compensations for incurred adverse impacts. An outline of these attempts (adopted legislative acts, economic decisions, social policies, direct international assistance etc.) will be discussed in this paper, as well as results of implementation of the planned measures. International assistance to the city of Slavutich, which was quite significant and which went hand in hand with the political pressure on the Ukrainian government - to close down Chernobyl NPP - will not be discussed in this paper. (author)