The project “The Real Cost of the Chornobyl Disaster” is an installation that lets visitors receive a receipt detailing the consequences of one of the largest man-made disasters in human history. Created for the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident, the project will be on display at Kyiv’s central railway station from 24 to 26 April, and later as part of the permanent exhibition at the National Chornobyl Museum.
On 26 April 1986 an accident occurred and its consequences are still felt today. But how do you talk about losses that cannot be fully measured?
Starting 24 April an interactive installation in the form of a cash register will appear at Kyiv’s Central Railway Station. Visitors will be able to press a button and receive a receipt showing facts about the real “cost” of the disaster: human lives, destroyed homes, the scale of contamination, and decades of consequences.
Thirty people died in the first months alone, with 237 cases of acute radiation sickness. More than 600,000 liquidators were involved, and 2.2 million people were affected. Around 350,000 people lost their homes, while contamination spread across up to 200,000 km² and was detected as far away as Scandinavia.
In addition to figures, the project includes testimonies from eyewitnesses—liquidators, medical workers, and residents of affected areas. Their stories underscore that this tragedy is not just statistics, but above all about people.
The project invites visitors not only to interact with the installation, but also to contribute to preserving memory. Anyone with a personal or family story related to Chornobyl can share it. Selected testimonies will be preserved in the collections of the National Chornobyl Museum. After 26 April the installation will become part of its exhibition.
The project was created with the participation of NGO Ecoaction, Platfor.ma, Ukrzaliznytsia, and the National Chornobyl Museum, with support from Naturvernforbundet.