Through the Looking Glass: My Impressions of the Belarus Interviews
"More content." That was pretty much my mindset walking into the door of the Belarus interviews. The day of reckoning had finally come for Jeven Taylor, Anthony Petrillo, Fionna Fotherby, and myself. As I hurriedly scribbled notes and amended questions on the back of a Chinese handwriting sheet, an offhand gaze afforded me a quick glimpse of our interviewee: Ms. Victoria Sazonova. Suddenly, I broke out in a cold sweat. How the hell was I supposed to ask my questions without coming off as an ignorant assimilationist? I had to face facts. I knew almost nothing of importance about Belarus. Was she going to look forward to me explaining the average life expectancy of a Belarusian female? (I was after all in charge of Healthcare) Ummmm no. However, what I did know turned out to SAVE MY LIFE... as far as interviews were concerned.
That information was Chernobyl. In 1986, poor handling of nuclear materials brought about a large explosion that killed many. However, there was a double-sided danger. The blast released harmful radiation that decimated crops and land in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, while contaminating many of its citizens. It is said that the toxic cloud extended far enough to reach the Eastern US coast.
"Radiation stays in your body like forever. It's really dangerous."
A 2006 Greenpeace Report estimates the death toll to number more than 150,000, approximately 93,000 attributable to cancer alone. This part shook me in two important ways. The first was shock. 150,000 is a huge number. To give you an idea of just how big it is, think of the war in Iraq. Close to 3,500 American soldiers have died in service so far (as of 2008). Now imagine 42 more groups of 3,500 Americans dead. You now have a rough estimate of the Chernobyl casualties. But that's only the tip of the iceberg.
The second feeling was relief. Upon discovering the statistics, I knew I had to interview Victoria and question her, no matter how fragile the topic was or how bitter the memories were. Now that I had come this far, to do anything less when I knew this much would be insulting to Ms. Sazonova, the country of Belarus, and most importantly, myself. Deep down, I knew I would never truly understand the horrors that she and her many peers endured. Even if I devoted my entire life to the cause, I could never attain a level of understanding, or even sentimentality, on par with theirs. I needed an eyewitness source - Victoria fit perfectly, and she was more than affable with her answers. Victoria Sazonova, for giving me the authoritative voice I so desperately required, for giving me the chance to make possible the publication of a life's worth of memories in one year, I extend to you my deepest and most sincere thanks.
Critically speaking, Victoria was only a child when the reactor tragedy was announced. Upon my request, she answered, "You went to school and had medical checkups all the time... There were a lot of birth deformities then. There were children with two heads and other things like that." Obviously, there are times when I, as an individual, am glad to be an American. This was definitely one of them.
Actually, Chernobyl aside, Belarusian healthcare is nothing to scoff at. I was quite surprised to learn from Ms. Sazonova that all Belarusians recieve free, unrestricted healthcare. It really makes you think whether Belarus has cheaper public services merely because of its small size, or if they really have been smarter than the US (which only offers partially free healthcare) in regards to government spending. One can only wonder.
Initially during the project, I was quite worried because of insufficient content. Bibliography data, movie data, essay data, it all seemed like it wasn't there. And then the interview took place. Tht's when I figured it out. I could gather all the raw information I wanted and it would mean nothing without a compelling story with which I could base it on. If I was to take one piece of information with me from this interview, it would be that anything can give you facts, but only people can give you a story. Ms. Victoria Sazonova gave us all that and so much more.
