Chernobyl Nuclear Explosion Disaster Explained (Hour by Hour)
Summary
TLDRThe script recounts the Chernobyl disaster on April 25, 1986, detailing the events leading up to the explosion, the immediate aftermath, and the long-term effects. It describes the initial joyous mood of workers, the design flaws and mismanagement that led to the catastrophe, and the harrowing experiences of those exposed to lethal radiation. The narrative follows key figures, the response of the Soviet government, and the global impact, highlighting the human and environmental toll of the tragedy.
Takeaways
- đ The Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 25, 1986, and had a profound global impact.
- đ ïž A design flaw and subsequent mismanagement led to the catastrophic explosion at Reactor 4.
- đ« Soviet officials initially denied the severity of the incident and attempted to suppress information about the disaster.
- đ The immediate aftermath involved a frantic response to contain the fires and radiation without full understanding of the risks involved.
- đ The residents of Pripyat were uninformed about the true nature of the disaster during the evacuation, which was ordered to protect them from radiation.
- đ The emergency shutdown (SCRAM) was initiated using the AZ-5 button, which inadvertently exacerbated the situation due to a design flaw in the control rods.
- đ€ Many first responders and plant workers suffered from acute radiation sickness, with some dying shortly after exposure.
- đ„ The health effects of the disaster were long-lasting, with increased cancer rates and other radiation-related illnesses affecting survivors.
- đą The Soviet Union's lack of transparency and accountability contributed to the disaster's severity and the public's misperception of nuclear safety.
- đ° The abandoned town of Pripyat became a ghost town, with an eventual resurgence of wildlife in the exclusion zone.
- âł The long-term effects of the disaster are still felt today, with the area around Chernobyl remaining largely uninhabited and contaminated.
Q & A
What was the date and location of the Chernobyl disaster?
-The Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 25-26, 1986, at the Chernobyl Power Plant located about 2 miles (3km) from Pripyat, a small town in northern Ukraine.
What was the initial mood among the workers at the Chernobyl power plant before the disaster?
-The initial mood among the workers was joyful, as it was a beautiful night following a sunny day, and the May Day holiday was approaching.
What were the safety concerns expressed by Natasha, the wife of Alexander Yuvchenko?
-Natasha had misgivings about the safety of nuclear power, but her fears were somewhat diminished by a Soviet official on TV claiming that nuclear meltdowns were extremely rare, possibly occurring only once every 10,000 years.
What was the purpose of the test that was being conducted at Chernobyl's reactor number 4?
-The purpose of the test was to determine if the slowing turbines after being turned off could create enough electrical power to keep the coolant pumps running during the gap before the backup diesel generators reached full capacity.
What was the AZ-5 button used for at Chernobyl?
-The AZ-5 button at Chernobyl was an emergency off-switch designed to make all of the control rods drop down to stop the nuclear reactions.
Why was the AZ-5 button considered a design flaw?
-The AZ-5 button was considered a design flaw because the control rods had a graphite tip which actually increased the reaction rate instead of stopping it, causing a surge in reactivity when the rods were inserted all at once.
What was the immediate consequence of the explosion at the Chernobyl reactor?
-The immediate consequence of the explosion was the ejection of the reactor's steel lid, the destruction of the roof and floor, and the release of radioactive materials and fuel into the environment, causing fires and exposing the core to the atmosphere.
What was the initial response of the local officials to the disaster?
-The initial response of the local officials was to hold meetings to discuss the situation, but they were not informed of the full extent of the disaster, and the town's evacuation was delayed.
What was the role of Valery Legasov in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster?
-Valery Legasov was the deputy director of the Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy and led the commission to deal with the accident. He was responsible for testifying during the tribunal and exposing the Soviet Union's shortcomings in nuclear energy production.
What were the long-term effects of the Chernobyl disaster on the surrounding area and its inhabitants?
-The long-term effects included the formation of an Exclusion Zone, the abandonment of the town of Pripyat, the suffering and death of many due to radiation poisoning, and the contamination of the environment which led to a resurgence of wildlife in the area.
Outlines
đ Chernobyl's Fateful Night
The script opens with a scene set on April 25, 1986, at the Chernobyl Power Plant, highlighting the serene mood among workers before a catastrophic event unfolds. Alexander Yuvchenko begins his night shift, unaware of the impending disaster. The narrative delves into the flawed Soviet nuclear safety beliefs, the reactor's design issues, and the unpreparedness of the night shift crew. It outlines the reactor's operation, the control mechanisms, and the risky decision-making that leads to a sudden power surge and the explosion of Reactor 4, marking the start of a global crisis.
đŽ The Cataclysm Unfolds
This section details the chaotic aftermath of the explosion at Chernobyl's Reactor 4. It describes the confusion and misjudgment among the plant operators, the erroneous activation of the SCRAM button, and the resulting design flaw exacerbating the situation. The narrative follows Alexander's experience, the shocking realization of the reactor's destruction, and the immediate, severe consequences for those exposed to the radiation. It also touches on the initial underestimation of the disaster's scale by authorities and the brave but ill-informed response of the firefighters.
đ The Dawn of a Disaster
The script shifts to the early hours following the disaster, painting a picture of the confusion and misinformation among local officials and the plant's management. It discusses the denial and disbelief about the reactor's explosion, the growing awareness of the severity among a few, and the initial containment efforts. The section also highlights the obliviousness of the nearby town's residents to the unfolding tragedy and the gradual recognition of the disaster's gravity by key figures like Valery Legasov and Boris Shcherbina.
đš Evacuation and Escalation
This part of the script describes the critical decision-making hours that lead to the evacuation of Pripyat. It outlines theéŁćing radiation levels, the frantic efforts to extinguish fires, and the realization that the disaster could have far-reaching consequences. The narrative captures the tension as officials grapple with the decision to evacuate, the implementation of the evacuation process, and the heartbreaking departure of residents from their homes, unaware they would never return.
đïž Abandonment and Aftermath
The script paints a stark picture of the abandoned town of Pripyat and the surreal experience of the evacuation. It discusses the immediate aftermath, the international detection of radiation, and the Soviet Union's attempts to control information about the disaster. The section also touches on the resilience of some residents, the 'liquidators' risking their lives for the cleanup, and the global panic sparked by the news of the disaster.
đ ïž Containment and Cleanup
This section delves into the massive undertaking of containing the disaster and the cleanup efforts. It describes the construction of the sarcophagus, the formation of the Exclusion Zone, and the long-term health effects on the liquidators. The narrative also addresses the misinformation about the disaster, the eventual recognition of the scale of the tragedy, and the legacy of Chernobyl on the perception of nuclear energy.
đ Reflections and Lessons
The final part of the script reflects on the Chernobyl disaster's impact, the investigations into its causes, and the broader implications for nuclear safety. It recounts Valery Legasov's recordings, his warning about the systemic failures leading to the disaster, and his tragic death. The section concludes with a look at the long-term effects on the environment, the wildlife thriving in the Exclusion Zone, and a sobering reminder of the disaster's lasting legacy.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄChernobyl power plant
đĄNuclear meltdown
đĄRadiation
đĄControl rods
đĄGraphite
đĄReactor core
đĄLiquidators
đĄExclusion Zone
đĄSarcophagus
đĄRadiation poisoning
đĄMisinformation
Highlights
Chernobyl disaster is considered one of the most controversial and panic-inducing events in history.
Natasha's fears about nuclear power safety were alleviated by Soviet officials claiming nuclear meltdowns are extremely rare.
Alexander Yuvchenko's nightshift at Chernobyl leads to a catastrophic event, affecting him and his family.
A design flaw in the reactor's backup diesel generators and their delayed power-up time is revealed.
The reactor's emergency core cooling system was deliberately disabled for the test, increasing risk.
Miscommunication and lack of proper briefing among nightshift workers contributed to the disaster.
Xenon poisoning due to a slowdown in the reactor caused an unexpected power decrease.
The reactor's power surged dangerously high during the test, leading to a serious situation.
The AZ-5 button was mistakenly hit, exposing a critical design flaw in Chernobyl's control rods.
The explosion at Chernobyl released a massive amount of radioactive materials into the atmosphere.
Firefighters and plant workers were unaware of the radiation levels and potential dangers.
The Soviet government initially downplayed the severity of the disaster and attempted to control information.
Evacuation of Pripyat began with residents unaware of the long-term consequences of the disaster.
The 'Chernobyl Suicide Squad' risked their lives to drain water and prevent a potential larger explosion.
Misinformation about radiation dangers led to widespread fear and the killing of pets in the Exclusion Zone.
Valery Legasov's recordings revealed the truth about the disaster and the Soviet Union's unsafe nuclear power plants.
The long-term effects of the disaster on human health and the environment are still debated.
Pripyat has become a ghost town, with nature reclaiming the area over time.
Transcripts
Hour 0 April 25, 1986. Â
Chernobyl power plant, located about 2 miles (3km)Â from Pripyat, a small town in northern Ukraine.
At just before midnight the engineer-mechanic Alexander Yuvchenko clocks on for his nightshift, Â
a shift that will go down on record as one of the most controversial few hours in history, Â
creating a panic that will take over the planet.
The mood among the workers is joyful. Itâs a beautiful night after a sunny day Â
and the May Day holiday is just around the corner. At home sleeping in his small apartment is his Â
wife Natasha, and his two-year-old son, Kirill. The family is well taken of, and although Natasha Â
has some misgivings about the safety of nuclear power, only recently those fears were diminished Â
when she heard a Soviet official on TV saying nuclear meltdowns just donât happen, or, if they Â
do, he said there might be one every 10,000 years. In just over 24 hours from now, people who Natasha Â
knows will be out in the street looking into the sky at a dazzling laser beam shooting up to the Â
stars. At exactly the same time, her husband will be in a party of four men who are exposed Â
to deadly amounts of radiation after being sent to assess damage at Chernobylâs reactor number 4.Â
Three of them will die in excruciating pain, their bodies destroyed from within. Alexander Â
will survive because he doesnât enter the reactor hall but only holds a door for his friends. Â
The arm and leg and shoulder that he uses will later turn black. Heâll tell Natasha Â
with what he thinks could be his dying words that heâs been turned into a mutant.Â
Alexander will see things the communist government will want to keep secret. Death by radiation is Â
a monstrous thing to behold and the Chernobyl power plant disaster will be one of the most Â
monstrous events in world history. At the heart of the matter is a design flaw that the Soviets Â
will not want to admit. What the capitalists can do, they can do just as well, or so they think.
One thing you donât want at a nuclear power station is a total shutdown. Â
If that happens, things can heat up, and if an explosion follows, what you Â
have is a massive leakage of deadly radiation. So, every reactor at Chernobyl has three backup Â
diesel generators that will kick in if power is suddenly lost. The problem is that it takes 60 to Â
75 seconds for them to fully power the coolant pumps. The theory, and it is only a theory, Â
is that the slowing turbines after being turned off will create enough electrical power Â
to keep the pumps running during that gap before the generators are running at full capacity.Â
To know if this works, they need to do some tests. The first came in 1982 and it wasnât Â
successful. They tried again in 1984 and again the results werenât good. Then they tried in 1985, Â
and yet again, a message was sent back to Moscow saying things hadnât gone as planned. This was not Â
what the bigwigs wanted to hear, and they made that known. The pressure was onâŠexcuse the pun.Â
The realtor has already been slowed down to run at about 25 percent of its normal power. Importantly, Â
the reactorâs emergency core cooling system has been disabled so it doesnât get in the way Â
of seeing if the turbines can power the generators. More importantly, some of the Â
nightshift workers that have arrived havenât been properly briefed about the test. The reason is the Â
test should have happened on the day shift, but there was a power outage earlier in the day at Â
a coal plant, so Chernobyl had to keep running at full power to give people their electricity.Â
To fully appreciate this story, you need to know how we get electricity from a nuclear power plant, Â
so here weâll give you the very basics in laymans terms. Inside the reactor, neutrons split uranium Â
atoms, and that makes more neutrons. They split more atoms, and we have more neutrons, Â
and on and on and on. This is called a chain reaction, and it produces a crapload of heat.Â
You harness that heat and make it turn water into steam, and the steam runs those turbines Â
weâve already talked about. As they move all this energy becomes electricity that Â
ensures people like Natasha can cook, clean, eat, see, watch TV, and stay warm in winter.Â
All that heat and energy, of course, can be a bit unstable so you have to have control Â
mechanisms to make sure there isnât an overload. If not, the chain reactions would just keep going, Â
becoming highly dangerous. Control rods are the things used to slow down the chain reactions.
These are a bunch of rods that can be inserted into the reactor in different numbers or different Â
lengths allowing the nuclear technicians to control the rate of the nuclear chain reaction. Â
Theyâre made out of special materials that can absorb neutrons, so if all does suddenly go to Â
hell, you will hope those rods can come and save the day. No one at Chernobyl doubts their safety, Â
or at least the less experienced operators donât. Hour 1Â
Now you know the night shift isnât properly prepared for the test and it might be their Â
fault that the power out of the plant falls too much at 28 minutes past midnight on April 26. Â
They try to increase power, but something is wrong. Theyâve never seen this before.Â
This is partly because thereâs been a build-up of Xenon during the test. Â
You donât need to know what Xenon is, and to be frank, itâs too complicated to fully explain, Â
but when there is a build-up of the stuff it can cause Xenon poisoning. Xenon would usually burn Â
away when the reactor is at full power, but the slow down has caused the build-up and the build-up Â
has caused a further slowdown. This is not good. Itâs because of this overabundance of Xenon Â
that even when the guys take most of the control rods out, 200 from 206, Â
they still canât get enough power. As you know, by taking out the rods, they should get more power Â
since the nuclear reaction isnât hampered. Doing this, though, can be pretty dangerous. In fact, Â
they shouldnât be doing this in the first place. A young operator gets on the phone and asks, Â
ââWhat shall I do? In the program, there are instructions of what to do, and then a lot Â
of things are crossed out.â The guy on the other end pauses and then says, âFollow the crossed-out Â
instructions.â Hour 2Â
At around 1.05 am, they have the power stabilized, although the reactor is running Â
well below what the shift supervisor, Anatoly Dyatlov, thinks is ideal. One day heâll lie Â
and say he wasnât in the room when mistakes were made, but he was. Donât forget his name.
The reactor is certainly running at less power than is safe for a test, Â
but they carry on anyway on the orders of Dyatlov. He doesnât want a black mark against Â
his name in the form of another failed test. At 1.24 and four seconds, the test really starts, Â
meaning they are going to simulate a power outage and as we have explained, Â
see if the slowing turbines can power the coolant pumps before the generators can turn on.Â
This is when all hell breaks loose. What happens is a sudden and massive increase in power. Â
Itâs dangerously high, and this is now very serious. So serious, Â
that someone hits the SCRAM button. At Chernobyl, this was the AZ-5 button.
Itâs an emergency off-switch, which makes all of the control rods drop down to stop the nuclear Â
reactions. This is a big mistake, and one which exposes one of a few design flaws at Chernobyl. Â
The rods have a graphite tip, which in short actually increases the reaction rate, Â
not the opposite, as is wanted. The boron in the rods reduces reactivity, but Â
not those tips. As so many rods hit the reactor at the same time there is a huge surge in reactivity. Â
The operators donât know what they have done. The graphite tips are fixed in position and the heat Â
creates a massive amount of hot steam, in effect, a bomb. The operators are not Â
aware of this or they wouldnât have dropped the rods into a reactor already surging with power.Â
The man in the reactor hall watches this as it happens and is shocked to see those Â
200 rods and their caps, each weighing 772 pounds (350 kg), jumping up and down Â
within the reactor lid. Itâs as if they are being pushed by the power of a God.Â
The output of the reactor is now at ten times the power it should be. And Â
thatâs it. BANG. The bomb goes off. The world will never be the same again after this moment.
The explosion causes the reactorâs steel lid, weighing about 10,000 Â
tons (2,000 medium-sized male African elephants)Â to fly off and go straight through the roof.
Shortly after, thereâs another big explosion, likely down to a build-up of hydrogen from Â
zirconium-steam reactions. Bits of radioactive materials and fuel are sent everywhere. Â
Fires rage and the core is exposed to the world. Right now, itâs not obvious to most Â
of the men in the plant what is happening. They all think the reactor is still intact, Â
only because reactors normally donât just blow up. The roof is destroyed. The floor is in pieces. Â
Radioactive materials are lying about everywhere. The air is filled with clouds of dust, Â
pieces of radioactive graphite are flung great distances, Â
and radiation is now spilling into the atmosphere. To say this is bad would be putting it lightly. Â
Soon a few men will know this, but the one that knows it best will be too dead to tell the story.
Right now, Alexander is in a state of shock. Just a moment ago, he was in his office with Â
some colleagues reading some documents but now everything around them now is shuddering, Â
on the brink of what feels like imminent collapse. His first thought is this is Â
war. The USA has attacked us! Heâs not alone in thinking this. What else could have happened?Â
The phone rings. Itâs the guys from building number three. âBring some stretchers,â they Â
shout over the noise. Alexander takes off down some dark corridors in search of the men Â
he knows are the closest to the explosion site. As he gets closer to a deafening hissing sound, Â
he finds his buddy. His face is horribly disfigured, so much so that he only knows who Â
it is when he hears the sound of his voice. More people are injured, the guy tells Alexander.Â
He then meets with Yuri Tregub, whoâs come from control room number 4. He tells Alexander Â
that Deatlov has asked for the emergency high-pressure coolant water to flood the area. Â
Deatlov still doesnât know that the reactor has blown and he wonât even believe it when heâs told.Â
Now waste deep in water, Alexander and a few other men try to get to the coolant taps, but through Â
a door, they see that the giant water containers have been blown apart. All the men are terrified. Â
This is worse than they thought. Alexander looks around at whatâs left of the room and Â
sees his colleague Khodemchuk on the floor, dead. He then looks up at the roof, or where the roof Â
was, and he sees something magical. A great beam of light is reaching to the heavens. Â
Itâs magnificent and beautiful, and as things now stand, Alexander is not aware of how deadly it is. Â
For a few seconds, he just stares at what he doesnât know are gamma rays and neutrons. Â
A more experienced colleague who knows what it is grabs him by the shoulder and pulls Â
him away. He likely saves his life doing so. Alexander sets off to control room number four Â
and there he meets three other guys whoâve been ordered by Deatlov to go to the reactor Â
hall and lower the control rods by hand. This is madness, sheer madness. Alexander screams, Â
âThere is no reactor hall. The reactor has blown up. There are no control rods. Theyâve Â
blown up, too. Thereâs nothing left but space.â The guys think heâs crazy. Reactors donât explode. Â
Alexander has to admit that what heâs seen, heâs seen only from the bottom floor. Â
The men tell him they need to assess the damage from above to really know whatâs happened.Â
The four of them head to the reactor hall upper floor. Little do they know that this is a journey Â
to the end of the night, for three of them anyway. As you know, Alexander only survives Â
because heâs the one that holds the door, being the strongest of the four. When the guys come out, Â
they say nothing can be done. They look at Alexander and tell him heâs right. They say Â
the reactor hall now looks like a volcano crater. They understand that radiation levels are high, Â
of course, they do, itâs their job, but they donât know just how high. They look at the radiation Â
level reader device they have, the dosimeter, and the needle is off the scales, but they Â
still donât know how bad things are because what is happening is just so unprecedented.Â
Itâs still only just after 1.55 but the firefighters are already outside on the Â
scene. They too donât have much of an idea of the gravity of the situation, and when they start to Â
try and put out the fires that have started in various places, they are not even wearing Â
protective clothing. Some of them will die in agony very soon. Others will pass away in a month, Â
their immune systems destroyed by the radiation. Back in Piryrat, most people are in bed asleep, Â
although a few people are now standing outside, mesmerized by the ethereal beam Â
in the sky that they don't know is caused by irradiated air. They just think it looks cool.
In years to come, stories told in the West will say there was a large group of them on a bridge, Â
watching radioactive blue dust fall like snowflakes. This will be called âThe Bridge Â
of Death.â The stories will say they all died, but none of that is true. There was no Bridge Â
of Death. Most people were asleep at the time. In the end, most people who actually were close Â
to the accident, recovered, with just 20 percent of those who suffered acute radiation poisoning Â
biting the dust. As youâll see again in this show, it sometimes pays not to believe everything Â
you see on TV or in the newspapers. If you donât know, the way radiation Â
poisoning works on the body is it takes out electrons from atoms in a personâs molecules, Â
destroying the chemical bonds and thus damaging tissue. We donât need to tell Â
you that this isnât good for a person. In short, after an hour or two, Â
diarrhea and vomiting can occur as tissue in the GI tract breaks down and bacteria is let loose Â
on the body. Bone marrow stops producing white blood cells, and infections canât be fought, Â
since the personâs immune system is incredibly weak. Without an immune system, Â
your countless bacteria eat you from within. This might take some time, so even though the Â
person is covered in blisters and ulcers, they could start to feel ok after a couple of days, Â
but then a blood infection might lead to deadly sepsis.
For some at Chernobyl, even a blood transfusion and bone marrow transplant wonât help them.Â
One of the townâs people is Lyudmila Ignatenko. Sheâs already awake and has seen the glow. Her Â
husband, Vasily, is currently fighting the fires. The two are due to have a child in two months.
Fast-forward a week, and his skin is covered in boils, and when he turns on his pillow Â
he leaves skin and hair behind. The lesions spread and some of his skin now looks like white film. Â
At one point he asks Lyudmila for a mirror but when he sees his own disfigured face he cries Â
out in horror. Vasily will be buried in a zinc casket under cement, his body still radioactive.Â
Lyudmila is lucky she even got to see him. A nurse told her it was too dangerous. Â
She looked at Lyudmila and warned, âIf you start crying, I'll kick you out right away. Â
No hugging or kissing. Don't even get near him. You have half an hour.âÂ
Lyudmila will have much to say about this in time to come, and sheâll also lose the child. Â
It will be born with congenital heart defects and liver cirrhosis and die after a few hours.Â
Many people will criticize her for this, asking why did she visit her dying husband. Â
The radiation from him contaminated her and the fetus, theyâll say, but you canât just Â
catch radiation from a cleaned person and thereâs no proof this is how the baby died. Â
A falsity that will be talked about for years is that the baby somehow took the radiation Â
and that saved her. This is not scientific at all, but it makes good newspaper copy and great TV.Â
The consequences of this misinformation will mean the lives and lights of hundreds of thousands Â
of babies are put out before they get going. We should say, though, that while seeing her dying Â
husband wasnât the reason for the baby dying, it was very likely radiation exposure from somewhere Â
else that led to the death. Back in 1986, the nurse that told Lyudmila not to touch her husband Â
couldnât have known radiation doesnât spread to people after theyâve been cleaned and are out of Â
their contaminated clothes. Itâs not contagious. We should also tell you that a personâs hand Â
canât suddenly burn when they touch the hand of a contaminated person. Thatâs TV, not reality.Â
One of the firefighters turns to his friend and jokes, saying, âThere must be an incredible amount Â
of radiation here. Weâll be lucky if weâre all still alive in the morning.â As the survivors will Â
later testify, they were never told the reactor was on fire, only that there were regular fires Â
to put out. Some of them kicked the radioactive blocks, even picking them with their hands after Â
theyâd doused them. They would never have done any of these things had they known the truth.Â
One of the firefighters who survived explained how little they knew, Â
saying some of his colleagues went up to the roof to work from there. Soberingly, he said, âThen Â
those boys who died went up to the roofâVashchik, Kolya and others, and Volodya Pravik. They went up Â
the ladder ... and I never saw them again.â Hour 3Â
Local officials have already arrived on the scene to discuss whatâs happening. When theyâre told, Â
theyâre not told the entire truth. Thatâs because only a handful of people right now Â
truly understand that the reactor has blown up, and some of them are now burned, vomiting, Â
so not in a meeting explaining what theyâve seen. Dyatlov still thinks what he always has, that a Â
water tank has blown up and the radiation currently making some people very sick Â
is from the contaminated water. He just canât believe the core would blow, even though some Â
people are starting to realise that a water tank blowing up wouldnât lead to so much destruction.Â
Hour 4 More firemen arrive to help with the fires. Â
The last thing anyone wants is reactor three to set on fire, which is looking like a possibility. Â
Itâs soon safely shut down, but reactors 1 and 2 keep going until the next day.Â
Inside reactor 4 is now a molten reactor core; a large graphite and concrete slag that is burning Â
at around 1200 degrees Celsius. Hour 5Â
Another meeting is held, now with experts. Some ask about the high levels of radiation, Â
proffering a theory that the core might have blown. Nonsense, says Dyatlov, Â
even though heâs not far from keeling over himself. A second later, he throws up.Â
A decision is made that no one will leave the town, not yet. Perhaps they can be evacuated in Â
three days. All the phone lines are blocked in case anyone starts spreading rumors, Â
which one official calls âmisinformationâ that can negatively affect the Soviet Union. Â
Police soon start blocking the roads, just as soldiers pass them on their way in to help with Â
the clean-up job. Hour 7Â
At 6.35 am, most of the fires are out, but by no means does this mean the problems Â
are over. Theyâre only just beginning. Real horror is taking place inside that reactor.Â
A man who understands this horror is Valery Legasov, the deputy director of the Kurchatov Â
Institute of Atomic Energy and the man that will lead the commission to deal with the accident.
Heâll also be the one that testifies during the tribunal, and as youâll see, heâs the guy Â
that exposes the Soviet Unionâs shortcomings when it comes to producing nuclear energy.
Hour 8 Heâs called Â
on the phone soon heâs at the airport with the man whoâll manage the crisis, Boris Shcherbina.
In time, both these men will suffer from radiation poisoning, but for now, they still donât know Â
exactly whatâs happened. Hour 13Â
Itâs around midday when they attend a meeting to discuss matters. Legasov already knows about Â
the people in the hospital, suffering from severe radiation burns, so he and others agree Â
the town needs to be evacuated. Hour 30Â
Legasov is driven in an armored personnel carrier to assess the damage for himself. Itâs bad, Â
very bad, and he says they have to get that main fire under control or Â
radiation will be taken by the wind for many, many miles. Many parts of Europe, Â
not just Ukraine, are at risk. This is a disaster of unbelievable proportions.Â
Itâs agreed that dropping sand and boron on the reactor fire from helicopters might be the Â
best way to go, even though Legasov knows it might not work. They have no choice, he says, Â
something needs to be done right now. The military will need to help with the cleanup, Â
and many men will be expected to risk their lives. These people will become known as the Â
liquidators and many of them will suffer long-term health effects from their work.
Hour 33 Shcherbina Â
gets on the phone with Moscow and reports, âWeâve measured the radiation. Prypiat has Â
to be evacuated. Immediately. The station is close by, and itâs emitting radioactive Â
contagion. And people in the city are living it up full blast; weddings are going on.â
Levels of radioactivity in the town are rising at an alarming rate. Earlier in the day, the level Â
was between 14-140 milliroentgens per hour, but that has gone up to 180 and 300 milliroentgens, Â
and in areas closer to the plant, 600. 50 milliroentgens or more Â
per year can be dangerous with 400Â milliroentgens per year can kill you.Â
The people in that town now have a much higher risk of developing cancer, Â
and they have no idea about this. Still, in parts of the plant, the level reached Â
an astounding 20,000 milliroentgens per hour, and thatâs why some men died so soon after exposure.Â
How 36 Sometime in the morning, Â
the first helicopters start dropping the sand and boron on the fire. Itâs a perilous job. Getting Â
too close to the hole where the reactor was can lead to acute radiation sickness.
Itâs dangerous enough anyway, as can be seen when one helicopter collides Â
with a chain and crashes, killing the men onboard.Â
Hour 38 The evacuation begins
From speakers all over the town comes a womanâs voice, saying the same thing over and over again.Â
âAttention! Attention! In connection with the accident at the Chernobyl atomic power station, Â
unfavorable radiation conditions are developing in the city of Prypiat. Â
In order to ensure complete safety for residents, children first and foremost, Â
it has become necessary to carry out a temporary evacuation.âÂ
They are told to take everything with them that is important, including all their personal documents. Â
They donât know it, but they are never going back to their homes. Just one hour before Â
this announcement, families were enjoying the weekend. In the cafeteria in the shopping mall, Â
kids and their mothers were hanging out and eating ice cream. For them, it was just a normal Â
day. There were kids playing on the bumper cars, then suddenly they were told the ride is over.
Now they are taken aback when they hear the speakers say, Â
âComrades, on leaving your dwellings, please do not forget to close windows, switch off Â
electrical and gas appliances and turn off water taps. Please remain calm, organized, and orderly.âÂ
Whatâs startling is these people have not been told the full story and certainly Â
arenât given any protective clothing, in spite of the fact that Soviet officials Â
know about the dangerous levels of radiation. So far, they donât want to cause too much panic, Â
or for the word to get out about the disaster. Hour 42Â
Shcherbina calls Premier Nikolai Ryzhkovand and explains, Â
âThere are no people left in Pripyat. There are only dogs running around.â Â
What happens to the mutts, in the end, is awful, but thatâs a few days away yet.Â
Shcherbinaâs not exactly correct about all the people leaving. Â
Some young folks have hidden so they can stay together in their parentsâ apartments and get Â
it on for once with some privacy. They donât care about some little radiation leak. Old folks, too, Â
have stayed behind, or some of them have. Theyâre well past the age of moving away and theyâre too Â
tough to worry about radiation. Some have lived through wars, famine and Stalinâs reign of terror.Â
Hour 46 116,000 people have Â
left, but about 1,200 have stayed behind, mostly the aged, and many of them women â babushkas as Â
they say in Russian. They have refused to budge, and itâs hard to argue with a stubborn babushka.
One woman, Hanna Zavorotnya is given a stern order to leave after sheâs been found by a soldier. Â
She looks him square in the face and says, âShoot us and dig the grave, Â
otherwise weâre staying.â After listening to the soldier explain the danger, she replies, Â
âRadiation doesnât scare me. Starvation does.â The world still doesnât know the extent of whatâs Â
happened, and you can be sure the Soviet leaders are determined to try and keep matters within a Â
fairly small circle. The KGB is told to stop the âspread of panicky rumors and unreliable Â
informationâ getting out, although nothing they can do can prevent what happens next.Â
Hour 52Â
The Soviets get word that Sweden has detected radiation and it has been identified as coming Â
from Chernobyl. On top of this, soon the USAÂ will have satellite photos of the disaster.
The news carries as fast as the radiation, with presenters all over the world telling Â
people that this major accident, something thatâs never happened before on this scale, Â
could mean dangerous radiation being carried from Ukraine to other European countries.Â
As the children of Chernobyl settle into their new surroundings, school kids in Germany are kept home Â
in fear of radiation poisoning. Panic reverberates from North America back to Europe and into Asia.Â
Hour 55 Itâs not until the evening Â
that the official news is shown on Russian TV. A report states, âThere has been an accident at Â
the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. One of the nuclear reactors was damaged. The effects of Â
the accident are being remedied. Assistance has been provided for any affected people. Â
An investigative commission has been set up.â More Russian news follows, and this time with Â
in-depth discussions. Not surprisingly, experts talk about the Three Mile Island nuclear accident Â
of the USA and some other American nuclear mishaps. What the news doesnât talk about is Â
what could happen at Chernobyl right now, a new kind of disaster could be in the works.Â
Hour 58 It was thought that the water tanks were empty, Â
which isnât actually the case. To make things worse, fire hoses have been filling the place Â
with more water. Soviet scientists are now saying that if that smoldering graphite, remember heated Â
to about 1,200 °C (2,190 °F), hits the water, there could be another massive explosion, Â
even bigger than the last one, and that could mean Europe being hit with even more radiation.Â
They donât know it yet, but itâs highly unlikely this explosion will happen. They think it could, Â
and so tell three men who know the area inside out that they will have to drain Â
the 20,000 tons of water through a sluice gate. These men know that thereâs a good chance they Â
might not make it out, and even if they do, they may not live very long after. Hence the name, Â
the Chernobyl Suicide Squad: Alexei Ananenko, Valeri Bezpalov and Boris Baranov.
Hour 60 Finding the valves in the dark is Â
like finding a needle in a haystack, but they do it in the end. For them, it is just another day at Â
work. They knew theyâd be fired if they didnât do as asked, and unlike what will be said in years to Â
come, they didnât get any reward for their work. As weâve explained, there will be a lot of western Â
misinformation flying about in regard to the Chernobyl disaster. One falsity Â
told time and again is that these men all died shortly after they succeeded in their mission, Â
but they didnât. They lived long, healthy lives after their time in the darkness of Chernobyl.
Hour 66 The Soviet government Â
is now worried that the molten core will burn through the cement and get to the groundwater, Â
thereby contaminating it and spreading radiation into the rest of Ukraine and into Europe, Â
possibly making some places uninhabitable. A mining team is brought in to dig a huge Â
tunnel below the reactor to act as a cooling system. They are given respirators for the work, Â
but itâs hard to breathe with them on. Itâs also very hot, Â
but they donât work naked, as will be told on TV in the future.
Again, itâs a big job and risky job for the 400 or so miners. The Soviets donât Â
have to be too concerned because the core wonât melt through the concrete. Â
Obviously, they donât know that yet and have to take all precautions.Â
Hour 100 The debris removal starts. At first, Â
the 100 tons of radioactive material is said to be so dangerous that men shouldnât go near it. Â
They opt to use robots, but most of the robots break as soon as deployed due to the radiation.Â
The liquidators are chosen to do the job, men who are now camping close to the plant. Â
Thousands of them are there, and in time, 600,000Â or so of them will help with this clean-up.
Theyâre given protective clothing, but still told they shouldnât stay on the roof for longer than Â
40â90 seconds since the graphite and other materials up there are about as radiative Â
as you can get. Of the 5,000 men who do the job, some will go up as many as six times, Â
but itâs hard to say how many will have health problems because of it.Â
Alexander, as you know, survives.
Heâs flown to Moscow. His hair falls out and he finds it hard to breathe. Â
His eyes, nose, and most of his face hurts, but then after a couple of days, Â
he and the other men all start to feel pretty good. As you already know, Â
this doesnât mean they are good. One day heâs in pain again and he Â
pulls back his bedsheets to see massive ulcers and necrotic skin on his shoulder, hip, and calf, Â
all the bits exposed when he held that door open. He is turning black and feels like heâs a monster, Â
telling himself he looks like some kind of radioactive mutant.Â
Luckily for him, his body accepts the skin grafts, and blood transfusions and bone marrow transplants Â
do the rest. His arm is in really bad shape and will stay in bandages for years. In the hospital, Â
ever so often someone walks in the room and tells him another of his colleagues is dead. Â
One of them first goes blind, and then the infection in his blood finishes him off. For Â
two months, Alexander lies in bed close to death thinking about when it will be his turn to die.Â
He will later be awarded medals for his bravery, but once heâs better, Â
heâll keep his Chernobyl experience mostly to himself. For many years to come, people in this Â
part of the world will cross the street if they see a Chernobyl survivor walking toward them.Â
These people, not educated about radiation, wrongly assume the Â
survivors are still contaminated. This fear has devesting consequences. Â
Chernobyl, in fact, will make much of the world wrongly over-estimate the dangers of producing Â
nuclear power. This will go on for decades and is still a factor in some peopleâs minds today Â
when they think about nuclear energy. What or who is to blame for the disaster Â
is the question that the Soviets and many other countries will be asking Â
for some time to come. The investigations at the start will mostly blame human error rather than Â
technical error and pick out a few names to shame and send to prison, such as Mr. Dyatlo.
Sure, he messed up a bit, as did others at the plant, but the fault lies in many people, Â
going right up to the top brass in the Communist government.Â
1 year later It's now 1987 and Legasov is very Â
ill from radiation poisoning and is in and out of hospital all the time. He knows heâs going to die, Â
so he records himself on tape telling the whole truth about how and why this disaster happened.Â
Part of the tape goes: âThe Chernobyl disaster is an apotheosis, Â
the pinnacle of all the mismanagement that has been carried out for decades in our countryâŠÂ Â
When one looks at the chain of events, why someone acted in this way and another in that way, Â
and so on, it is impossible to point to a single culprit, an initiator of all Â
the unpleasant events that led to the crime. Because it is a chain that links to itself.âÂ
He finishes off by warning that as he speaks, the Soviet Union does not have safe nuclear power Â
plants, not because the production of energy is dangerous in itself, but because too many mistakes Â
have been made and too many corners have been cut. He says when you canât hold the state accountable Â
then the state is broken. 2 years laterÂ
In 1988, the day after the second anniversary of the accident, he is found dead in his apartment. Â
Shcherbina, who had become a close friend, said, âValery was too great, I loved him Â
more than all the people I knew, he gave all of himself to work, to Chernobyl. He burnt out.âÂ
Of the 237 people that suffered acute radiation sickness, 31 died within a couple of months. The Â
amount of people that died from cancer due to radiation poisoning reached around 4,000, Â
and many more survived cancer. Still, the health effects of the disaster Â
have been argued about for many years. As for reactor 4, it was covered with a Â
giant steel and concrete building called the sarcophagus containment structure.
An Exclusion Zone was formed, covering an area of around 1,000 sq. miles (2,600 km2) of Â
Ukraine. Over the years, the town of Pripyat became home to life again, Â
but of the wild animal kind, not the human kind.
20 years later As for all those pet Â
dogs and cats, they were killed by special teams not long after the disaster became Â
worldwide knowledge. Some may have survived, though, because in the years to come, dogs in Â
the town will be seen alongside wolves, brown bears, dear, badgers, lynx, bison, and moose.
In 20,000 years, the town of Pripyat might be safe again for humans to go and live there. Â
You can visit now, but experts recommend you donât eat the wild mushrooms or other plants Â
you can find there, and wear something youâre prepared to throw away later. Radiation sucks, Â
but we canât live without it. Now you need to watch, Â
âWhat If There Was A Nuclear War Between the US and Russia?â Or, have a look at, Â
âMan Receives Highest Dose of Nuclear Radiation - This Is What Happened To Him.â
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