On April 26, 1986, Reactor #4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded and sent radioactive steam and other material into the area around the Ukrainian city of Pripyat. It was one of the worst disasters involving a nuclear power plant to ever occur. The area surrounding the plant was immediately evacuated and remains mostly empty to this day. Mostly.
Still inhabiting the area called the Exclusion Zone are the Samosely, people who refused to stay out of the area even when the government officially deemed the zone off-limits. Some were actually evacuated and then illegally sneaked through the barbed wire to get back to their ancestral homeland.
The Babushkas of Chernobyl, a documentary directed by Holly Morris and Anne Bogart, follows three of the women who decided to live in the shadow of Reactor #4 as they tell their personal stories and go about their daily routines. Immediately, it’s obvious that these women are not that concerned about radiation. They’ve lived through Stalin’s Forced Famine and buried the dead of both the Germans and the Russians in World War II. They know how to take care of themselves.
The film paints an oddly uplifting story of these women who live simply; subsisting on meager pensions, raising chickens, and growing their own vegetables. The filmmakers visit them on Easter and follow them to the one church service they attend per year. One of the women has her homemade moonshine blessed in the ceremony.
Also documented in the film are “stalkers”, fans of the video game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, which takes place in and around the deserted city of Pripyat. The “stalkers” sneak into the real Exclusion Zone to visit the locations found in the game. The documentary includes footage shot by some “stalkers” as they climb the barbed wire fences, drink contaminated water, and actually come in contact with one of the Babushkas.
What makes The Babushkas of Chernobyl so appealing is the women themselves. They love the land they call home. Their determination to live in an area that’s deemed uninhabitable is inspiring. Their strong sense of culture, pride, and good humor about their situation is infectious. You might think a documentary about a bunch of old women living in a radiation zone would be somewhat glum. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite. I lost count of how many times I laughed at the women’s matter-of-fact jokes about themselves and how others see them.
If you’re in the mood to watch something a little unusual, a little educational, but quite entertaining, I highly recommend The Babushkas of Chernobyl.
4.5 out of 5.0 stars
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