Press Release, October 1, 2013

On the 56th anniversary of the accident at the Mayak plant, one of the largest Russian nuclear facilities, the Chelyabinsk branch of YABLOKO reminded President Putin of the accident in the Southern Urals in 1957.

218 paper cranes made by the children as a symbol of peace without nuclear weapons and nuclear technologies were sent to the President by post, as 218 settlements in the Urals region suffered from different accidents at the Mayak plant.

The parcel with origami also contained a letter demanding to take into account the opinion of the residents of the Urals, who were against nuclear energy, when planning domestic and external policy on nuclear energy.

On September 29, 1957, an industrial disaster took place at the plant. A tank with highly radioactive waste broke due to failure in the cooling system. Radioactive material spread for hundreds of miles around.

“Yesterday the atomic sector scientists celebrated their professional holiday and President Putin congratulated them. Our action aims to remind President of the consequences of the accident at the Mayak plant on September 29, 1957. We hope that when implementing his policies President will take into account the opinion of the citizens who are against the development of the nuclear power industry”, said head of the Chelyabinsk branch of YABLOKO Andrei Talevin.