ABSTRACT

This chapter investigates religious commemorative culture that has sprung up in Belarus in the wake of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. More specifically, it focuses on commemorative icons and religious artwork and how they are used in coming to grips with the consequences of radiation contamination. The author pays attention to the conflicting interpretations of the disaster and its proper commemoration by different individuals, interest groups, and religious institutions. According to her analysis, the struggles between various parties over legitimate representation pertain also to how gender comes to play in the imagery of Chernobyl icons and religious art.