Zaporozhye is located in south-central Ukraine, about 600 kilometers from Kiev, Ukraine’s capital. The city was built on wide plains along both banks of the mighty and ancient Dnepr River, which gives Zaporozhye a unique atmosphere. 

Today the city has over a million inhabitants and it stretches 30 kilometers along the sides of the Dnepr River.  The residential areas are large and spacious, with plenty of greenery and light.  A walk down Lenin Prospekt – Zaporozhye’s longest road – will take you down to the river.  The region is rich in history, culture and natural beauty.

There are over 100 secondary schools in Zaporozhye, 14 professional schools, one university, three institutes, 13 technical secondary schools, two medical schools, two pedagogical institutes and a musical college and about 30 scientific research and design institutes.  Every fourth inhabitant is a scholar.  The community has access to over 400 libraries, more than 50 cinemas, and a musical and drama theater               
If you are visiting the city, the most breathtaking attraction is Kortitsa Island.  The Island now houses the Antiquity Reserve and Museum.  While its historical treasures are immeasurable and intriguing, the surrounding greenery is a popular nature reserve.  At the same time, production keeps booming and the city keeps growing quietly in the background.

At the end of the Russian Revolution, the city became an important industrial center.  The presence of cheap labor and the proximity of deposits of coal, iron ore, and manganese created favorable conditions for large scale iron and mechanical factories.  Today, Zaporozhye is an important industrial center of the region with metallurgy, aluminum and chemical industries.  Zaporizhstal, Ukraine’s fourth largest steel maker, ranks 54^th in the world and is based in the city.  About 400 different products are exported by the city’s industries to more than 70 foreign countries.

Zaporozhye also has a large electricity generating complex fueled by industrial demand.  The biggest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, as well at the Dnepr Hydroelectric Station is located near the city, in addition to fossil fuel power plants.

But most factories have not been updated with technological advances in over 50 years.  Outdated equipment allows vast amounts of chemical waste into the air, land and water.  Smoke pollution creates a thick haze over the city, making it hard to breath.  This combined with water and land pollution has caused significant health problems for the areas residences.  

          

Pollution is not the only reason for the high amount of health issues in Zaporozhye.  The Chernobyl disaster continues to have devastating effects on the people of Ukraine.  Considered to be the worst manmade nuclear disaster in world history, the human dimensions of the Chernobyl nuclear explosion are vast and heartbreaking.   

Despite the fact that the accident occurred in 1986, its subsequent problems have not disappeared.  Doctors express fear that a variety of cancers will emerge 20 to 30 years after the accident.  The full effects of the Chernobyl accident on human health cannot be grasped.  It has left a long term contamination of the land, water and air. 

The Zapororozhye people suffer a multitude of illnesses because of Chernobyl and industrial pollutants.  Thyroid, breast and other cancers, heart and lung disease, tumors, genetic defects and juvenile diabetes are just a few of the health problems affecting them.

Proper diagnosis and treatment to control these health issues are desperately needed.  However, many people in Zaporozhye cannot afford basic medical care.  The average wage in the area is $200 a month.  A medical exam costs around $100, making treatment financially out of reach for many.

Chalice of Mercy Medical Diagnostic Center’s mission is to provide medical care to people who cannot afford it.  With our help, treatment will be available for all those in need.