Engineers at Chernobyl nuclear power station shut down its last working reactor. In 1986 one of the power plant`s reactors malfunctioned sending a cloud of radio active dust across Europe - the world`s worst peace time nuclear accident. A wreath laying ceremony for the victims of Chernobyl will be arranged in memory of the 30 firemen who perished immediately after the accident and thousands radiation has since been blamed for thousands of deaths. Now this tragedy is facing it`s final chapter - the last remaining operative reactor at Chernobyl will be switched off. Ukraine`s President Leonid Kuchma and the Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov took an official last tour of the power plant. During which, engineers at Chernobyl shut down the reactor one day earlier than planned, in an impromptu attempt to impress visiting dignitaries. But officials says the plant will be restarted, to avoid spoiling a televised off-button-pushing ceremony.
For many the final shut down will be something to celebrate, but for those who work at the plant, and their families - it will be a grey day.
They took the opportunity to protest the closure.
"Workers of the station are like toilet paper", you desperately needed them then you throw them away, said this man.
The Ukraine President sought to reassure workers they would not be condemned to penniless unemployment. But many have such specific skills that finding comparable work will be difficult.
In fact the closure could spell problems for the west as unemployed nuclear scientists are forced to find work in countries such as North Korea.