There Is Still Time To Write A Letter To Descendants

A statue made by German sculptor Armin KЪlbli is planned to be unveiled in Chornobyl on April 26, marking the anniversary of the world’s greatest nuclear disaster. It will be his second contribution. The first one was unveiled in 1991, still in BremerwЪrde. The new sculpture is in the shape of an egg which, the artist believes, symbolizes life. Herr KЪlbli has worked on it for almost seven years. He could not finish the statue earlier for want of funds. The composition is made of concrete, weighing over eight tons, reaching three meters in height. Also, transportation costs had to be met.

After the 1986 Chornobyl disaster, KЪlbli’s dream had been to erect a memorial as a warning for all mankind. The egg concept was conceived after Armin KЪlbli visited the high-risk area. There he was most impressed by patrols and checkpoints which reminded him of those found in border areas. In an interview with the German Xzeit Magazin (www.xzeit.de), he noted that Chornobyl is a dreadful place, with absolutely no people, and those that could be spotted wore protective suits. In his view, the whole thing was like a scene from a science fiction movie, with nature being omnipotent master on the face of the earth. Despite nature’s primordial beauty, Chornobyl must be a warning to the coming generations. And so the sculptor worked a nuclear time capsule into the egg, to be filled with letters written by all who wish to do so, addressed to our posterity. The box is to be open before the third millennium. All can write their letters and send them by e-mail: i-project@web.de. These letters should serve as a warning to our descendants, so they do not repeat mistakes like those made by the human race to this day. The ceremony of filling the box with letters will take place on the date of unveiling the sculpture. The ceremony will be attended by Ukrainian artists and representatives of international political organizations. This event may help people in Europe stop regarding Chornobyl as a horrible place, one of death, so they will develop a proper understanding of the problem.