My Dad Worked at Chernobyl. We Survived—But Our Nightmare Continued
Alina Rudya, a child of the Chernobyl disaster, recounts how her life was shaped by the 1986 nuclear accident that forced her family's evacuation from Pryp’yat. Her father, a senior reactor engineer, continued working at the site and later studied radiation effects, but died from radiation-linked cancer. The disaster's legacy persists in her health, career, and identity, decades after the event.
- ▪Alina Rudya's father, Constantine Rudya, was the senior reactor control engineer on Reactor No. 2 during the Chernobyl disaster.
- ▪She and her mother were evacuated to Kharkiv and later moved to Kyiv, where many Chernobyl evacuees settled.
- ▪Rudya has ongoing thyroid-related health issues due to radiation exposure and requires regular medical monitoring.
- ▪Her father founded a scientific Chernobyl research center and collaborated with international scientists before dying from bone cancer linked to radiation.
- ▪Rudya became a professional photographer, inspired by her father’s love of photography and National Geographic magazines.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
By Alyce CollinsLife and Trends ReporterShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.By Alina Rudya, as told to NewsweekIt’s natural to wonder how our choices shape the life we lead, but for me, everything changed when I was just a year old. My life, my family and my future was forever changed on April 26, 1986. From that day on, I would forever be known as a child of Chernobyl.I was just a baby at the time, living in Pryp’yat with my parents. My dad, Constantine Rudya, was the senior reactor control engineer on Reactor No. 2 on the night of the accident.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Newsweek.
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