End of April in 1986 was important change for my family, we were moving from a tiny flat in block of flats near hospital where my parents worked to our new house. The house was mostly finished inside and was in a new district of terraced houses with mud roads and other investment in infrastructure abandoned. But it was all exciting, more space, our own small garden, my own room!! The day was long and we were working hard taking boxes from the 5th floor to the van. Out of the blue the rain came and there were strange yellow rims around puddles. We had no idea that two days earlier there was a disaster explosion in Chernobyl and what we see and experience is radioactive rain.
We had to complete the move regardless but that was our ignorance to implications of that day, that rain. Few days later we had to take part in 1st May parade. Presence of all of the school children was compulsory and we all had to march waving flags and demonstrate how happy we are and well looked after by the communist system. That year was just more exposure to radioactivity. It was one of the last compulsory parades, following years my school made it optional for students to attend.
No amount of "lugola liquid" we had to drink was able to save my thyroid but I have learned that the hard way many years later. We were all very confused, nobody knew what Chernobyl meant to Poland. All of the actions to protect population by giving lode solution ... it was all too little too late. Poland has been warned by Swedes and not by "friendly communist party" of USSR when it mattered, because they were all busy to cover it up.
I suffered a thyroid cancer many years later, I had to have it removed and I am on hormonal medication for life.
Propaganda of success and swiping up the bad stuff under the propaganda carpet is what we used to live with on daily basis.
Even historical facts were twisted and "corrected" in history books as the history is usually written by the winning side - possibly material for another story.