What is "chernobyl"

city in Ukraine (Ukrainian Chornobyl), from Russian chernobylnik "mugwort." Site of 1986 nuclear disaster.

Chernobyl or Chornobyl (IPA ; , ; , , , ) is a city in the restricted Chernobyl Exclusion Zone situated in Ivankiv Raion of northern Kiev Oblast, Ukraine, near the border with Belarus. The city was the administrative center of Chernobyl Raion (district) from 1923 until it was disestablished in 1988. The city currently has 704 inhabitants.

Chernobyl is about northeast of Kiev, and approximately southwest of the Belarusian city of Gomel.

The city was evacuated in 1986 due to the Chernobyl disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, located north-northwest, the most disastrous single nuclear accident in history. The power plant was within Chernobyl Raion, but the city was not the residence of the power plant workers. When the power plant was under construction, Pripyat, a city larger and closer to the power plant, had been built as home for the power plant workers.

After the accident the Chernobyl Raion administration was transferred to the neighboring Ivankiv Raion. Though the city today is mostly a ghost town, a small number of people reside in houses marked with signs stating that the "Owner of this house lives here". Workers on watch and administrative personnel of the Zone of Alienation are stationed in the city on a long-term basis. Before its evacuation, the city had about 14,000 residents. The city of Slavutych, specifically built for those evacuated from Pripyat, also received the population relocated from Chernobyl.

Chernobyl is a Hasidic dynasty that was founded by Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky, known by the name of his work as the "Meor Einayim" (meaning "vision", lit. "the light of the eyes"). The dynasty is named after the Ukrainian town of Chernobyl, where Rabbi Nachum served as the maggid ("[communal] preacher").

Rabbi Twersky was a student of the Baal Shem Tov (the founder of the Hasidic movement) and his pupil and chief disciple the Maggid of Mezritch. He is considered one of the pioneers of the Hasidic movement. His book Me'or Einayim ("Light [of One's] Eyes"), comprising insights on the weekly Torah portion, reflects his proclivity to Kabbalah. It has gained widespread acceptance as one of the major works and foundations of Hasidic ideology.

Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky was succeeded by his son, the Rebbe Mordechai of Chernobyl – also known as the Chernobyler Magid. Throughout his life Rabbi Mordechai collected large amounts of money for tzedakah (charity), but before his death he regretted not collecting even more than he did. His thoughts, sermons and discourses were published in his book Likutei Torah, which was praised for its holiness by other Hasidic leaders. Throughout his teachings, Rabbi Mordechai stressed the importance of pure speech and pure thought as a condition for a proper prayer connection. He also spoke of including all Jewish souls in one's prayer, even evil people. By doing so, evil people will stand a better chance of repenting ( teshuvah).

Rabbi Mordechai was succeeded by his son Rebbe Aaron of Chernobyl, as his successor in Chernobyl. All of Rebbe Mordechai's eight sons became rebbes in different cities.

The Chernobyl dynasty includes the rebbes of Chernobyl, Cherkas, Turisk, Talne, Korestchov, Makarov, Skver, Rachmastrivka, Malyn, Hornosteipl, Machnovka, Ozarnetz, and several others.

Chernobyl Hasidism as a movement survived the ravages of the Holocaust, although many of its members perished. There are many scions of the Chernobyl dynasty alive today. Generally, at present, anyone with the last name Twersky (or Twerski) is likely to be a descendant of the Chernobyl dynasty.

Chernobyl is the name of a Ukrainian city, the location for the catastrophic Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Chernobyl may also refer to:

• Chernobyl disaster, a catastrophic nuclear disaster
• Chernobyl nuclear power plant, where the disaster took place
• Chernobyl (Hasidic dynasty)
• CIH (computer virus), sometimes known as Chernobyl