Chernobyl Charity Teen Kazyra Returns to Belarus

Tanya Kazyra, a 16-year participant in a summer program for children from Belarus’ Chernobyl-affected areas, finally returned to her home in Belarus last weekend. Kazyra made worldwide headlines in August when she remained with her host family in Petaluma, California after refusing to return to Belarus at the end of her summer holiday. Apparently, Kazyra changed her mind after speaking with a Russian Orthodox priest.

Tanya’s host family the Zapata’s, opposed her return to Belarus. In an interesting twist, the girl’s grandmother, Nadzeya Novik, expressed concern that the Zapata’s were preventing Tanya from going back to Belarus and from communicating with Belorussian authorities.

Reports of Tanya’s possible reasons for returning home include Lito Zapata’s departure for military service in Iraq and complaints that Ashley Zapata spent too much time with her boyfriend. The real reason may be that Tanya’s tourist visa expires on December 25, even though she did apply for a 6 month extension.

The furor over Tanya’s refusal to return home resulted in the Belorussian government placing a ban on travel outside the country for all “Chernobyl Children.” Since August, several charity organizations and governments have attempted to get the program reinstated. Hopefully with Tanya’s return to Belarus, these programs will get back to normal in the near future. Don’t be surprised, however, if additional safeguards and limitations are put in place by the Belorussian government.