Belarus: From Soviet Rule to Nuclear Catastrophe

Richard G. Kuhn is an associate professor of geography at the University
of Guelph.

The legacy of the Chernobyl disaster is far-ranging and profound.
Although much is known about its impact on world nuclear power
development and safety issues, less is known about its long-term effects
on the local areas surrounding Chernobyl in the Ukraine and Belarus.
David Marples has admirably filled this void. Setting his discourse in
the social and political context of Belarus, Marples attempts to answer
a basic question: “What is Belarus?” His analysis of historical and
contemporary social and political issues reveals a country mired in a
pro-Soviet mentality, with a surprising absence of self-identity and
independence. The import of this conclusion is intrinsically bound up in
the response by Belorussian officials to coping with the aftermath of
the nuclear catastrophe. As Marples concludes, “Chernobyl had a far
more adverse effect upon Belarus than elsewhere. For over three years
the population remained largely ignorant of the significance of the
disaster outside the Chernobyl region itself.”

Marples focuses on uncovering the myriad effects of radiation fallout
on the physical and mental health of the population, exploring the
impact of relocating thousands of citizens to less contaminated areas,
and reviewing the often conflicting medical evidence advanced by
physicians. He is at his best when discussing these issues in relation
to the ongoing political struggles occurring in Belarus.

Marples’s excellent book gives us an insightful look at the citizens
of a little-known country coping with the aftermath of a nuclear
disaster.