On April 26, 1996, the first memorial in the city was established in Rostov-on-Don to honor the victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The monument was created by sculptor Belyakov based on the design of architect Gmyr, with the support of artist Iskakov.

The Chernobyl memorial depicts a man standing next to a bell tower, which symbolizes the way of alerting about the disaster, as was done in pre-revolutionary times. At the feet of the figure lies a melted piece of iron, while the man covers his head with his hand.

This monument is dedicated not to the liquidators of the disaster's aftermath, but to those who perished in the first minutes after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Likely, the main character of the monument is one of those caught off guard by the catastrophe and who died almost instantly.