Secrets of Longevity from Chernobyl

This year marks exactly 30 years since the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. This tragedy is the largest in the history of nuclear power. Such a large number of people who died and suffered during the accident did not exist, as well as the economic damage caused by it.

Despite the fact that almost the entire population was evacuated, and the territory was closed, some people refused to leave their homes and still remain in them. One of them is a 90-year-old resident of the village of Tulgovichi, Ivan Shemenok. Tulgovichi is also called a “luminous” village, as it is located in a 30-kilometer resettlement zone.

Previously, before the accident occurred, the settlement was quite large and consisted of about 300 yards. In 1991, everyone was evicted from here, but 20 families decided to stay, no matter what. By 2004, there were already 12 people left, by 2013 - only 3 yards and 3 residents.

Long-liver Ivan Shemenok from the village of Tulgovichi (Belarus).

After the 1986 tragedy, Ivan and his wife were among those who refused to move. According to him, he never experienced any consequences of radiation enveloping the territory of Chernobyl.

Grandfather says that recently doctors came to him and after the examination they said that everything was in order.

At first, a sister and her husband lived in the village with them, but later they decided to leave. They soon died. According to Ivan, from fear.

From this well, which is in his yard, a 90-year-old grandfather draws water.

Now there are two old people left. As before, they continue to keep livestock and grow vegetables. That is what they live for.

In the house of Ivan Shemenka, photographs of his relatives hang.

After the Chernobyl disaster, according to Ivan, his life has not changed at all. His family, as before, continued to eat vegetables and fruits grown in the garden, to keep cows for milk and pigs with chicken for meat.

At the moment, his wife has died, the children have left, and only he and his nephew are left in Tulgovichi.

When asked whether people will ever come back here, grandfather answers negatively. "They will not return. And those who returned have already died," Ivan says.

Ivan Shemenok visits the grave of his brother at the local cemetery in Tulgovichi.

Near the old man’s house is another, abandoned and boarded up.

A mess reigns inside it, the things left by the former owners lie.

Ivan’s life is calm. Every day he gets up at 6 am to a hymn that plays on the radio, then cooks himself breakfast, lighting a cast-iron stove, feeds pigs and a dog living in the yard. Twice a week a car arrives in the village where you can buy everything you need.

The old man does not regret that he did not leave and never regretted. He has no health problems. Only sometimes takes the necessary medicines, and for appetite before a meal, drinks a glass of vodka.

Ivan considers constancy as his secret of longevity. In this place he was born, lived here all his life and did not leave even at the time when a nuclear disaster occurred, which poisoned everything around with radioactive fallout.

For him, living in a strange place, away from his home and forests seems worse than invisible radiation.

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