They Crucified Us on the Cross

The famous stalker artist Peter Yemets returned from the town of Mascalucia, located on the island of Sicily. There he visited the opening of the exhibition of his works “The Bells of Chernobyl”, which will be shown until the end of the year.

‘There is a lot of interest to the exhibition,’ says Peter Zakharovich. ‘As I was convinced, the Italians had heard something about Chernobyl, but they could not even imagine what a terrible disaster it was.’

Several times local television “scrolled” interview with Yemets filmed on tape in Kiev. Responding to questions from journalists, the artist told a lot of interesting facts. Here is one of them.

When the question arose of what to do with radioactive villages - to bury them or burn them - they decided that it was very difficult and expensive to hide thousands of houses in deep burial grounds. The burning of the villages was called the “Experiment”. Peter Yemets was in the unit, which was supposed to “experiment” first.

‘We were paraded,’ he recalls, ‘in front of the houses spilled with gasoline and a torch was lit. Involuntarily, I remembered the film shots about fascists destroying our villages. I felt terrible. One of us, a communist, a “patriot”, voluntarily agreed to be the first to bring the torch to the last house. But an elderly man who was mobilized to eliminate the consequences of the accident came forward. He pushed the “patriot” away and entered the house. All calmed down. A few minutes later he went out into the courtyard, holding in his hands the icons of Christ and the Mother of God. ‘Now set fire to it,’ he said softly and sadly. This episode turned my whole soul, and from that day I often turn to God.’

In one of the paintings “The Cry of the Forerunner” Yemets depicted Jesus and the liquidator crucified on the cross. ‘Why?’ asks Peter Zakharovich. ‘Well, because we, the liquidators, were also crucified for the sins and atrocities of others. So many people are suffering now - the sick, the crippled, the disabled. So many people prematurely lost their lives.’ And below one can see the head of a boy, who was swallowed up by dozens of documents from various foundations and unions, who declared themselves assistants and protectors of those who suffered from the accident. Lord, how bitterly the boy is crying!

The exhibition of the Ukrainian artist was organized by the activists of the Italian society Arka, which deals with environmental, religious, and ufological problems, and above all - Eugenio Siragusa, Giorgio Bongiovanni and Orazio Valenti, who had recently visited Kiev. The Italians warmly welcomed Peter Yemets; he was awarded a diploma from the Leonardo da Vinci School of Art, the administration of Sicily and the city of Mascalucia. When he returned home, he was given a small concert, which began with the melody “The Cossack rode beyond the Danube”.

Alexander Vinokurov.

Kiev.

November 16, 1993