He came to this city with a bunch of dreams. As a part of the ambitious Ignalina nuclear power plant project, he was proud to contribute to the prosperity of his nation. Everything changed on the eve of December 31st, 2009 when the power plant generated electricity for the last time.
Valerie Kurlenko Ivanovich, is one among thousands of people, who came to Sniečkus; the butterfly city, from all over Soviet Russia. Everyone came with their own dreams, and their own fate. Valerie’s life took him to Chernobyl. After the infamous nuclear leak out of 1986 caused by a blast, in reactor 2 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, many men were sent to the site as liquidators. Valerie and around 300 other men from Sniečkus, were among the liquidators. Their job was to pound radioactive concrete, and burry it. But, not all of them were lucky to have proper technological knowledge, or to have proper protective gear against radiation.
Upon returning, like many of his fellow comrades, who worked as liquidators, Valerie suffered from cardiovascular problems, and other diseases related to over exposure to radiations, along with psychological trauma. Soon Soviet Russia collapsed, Sniečkus became Visaginas, and Lithuania joined European Union. European Union demanded Lithuania, to shut down Ignalina nuclear power plant, because it used same reactors as Chernobyl NPP. And, life turned upside down for many.
The political decision left Valerie with an unhealthy body, and financial uncertainties. Gradually his friends began to leave the city, if they already didn’t die due to radiations of Chernobyl incident. When Valerie couldn’t see a future for his family, he decided to move back to Russia. A better pension in Russia seemed better than being unemployed in Europe.