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Not really regarding to Akimov specifically, but in my book Im reading the wife of the firefighter who stayed by his side all the way described lots of horrific side affects from the radiation, and he wasnt even in the same situation as Akimov. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? "When he was present at the block, it created tension for everyone. "If I didn't do it, they could just fire me. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The body of one of them, Valery Khodemchuk, was never recovered from the reactor debris. Aleksandr Fyodorovich Akimov (Russian: ; 6 May 1953 11 May 1986) was a Soviet engineer who was the supervisor of the shift that worked at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Reactor Unit 4 on the night of the Chernobyl disaster, 26 April 1986. The reason was the reactors unstable condition due to low electrical network power. They didnt have a clue. You could see the equipment and pumps exposed. It was close to midnight at the end of April 26 when an evacuation was ordered; 1,200 buses and 200 trucks relocated 47,000 residents of Pripyat. The roles of three key personalities lie at the heart of the story: Plant director Viktor) Bryukhanov, chief engineer Nikolai Fomin and deputy chief engineer Anatoly Dyatlov. Firefighters were also asked to help clear radioactive debris from the roof after the fire was extinguished. Is there any truth or is it all here say? Read about our approach to external linking. The shows creators havent managed to keep track of all the little things (even though their attention to detail is why many people fell in love with the miniseries in the first place): Valery Legasov, the character played by Jared Harris, drinks his vodka from a large glass in small sips, as if it were whiskey, and everyone in the cast keeps addressing each other as comrade in complete seriousness. I've never seen any reliable source for anything regarding his face. It's not just a local interest, for a small group of people, but it is still worldwide. However, the operation was flawed, as the scale of the disaster was like nothing ever seen before. In a weird way, it was more moving to me than moving through the actual power plant itself. A 10-square-kilometer (4 mi2) area of forest that surrounds the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant has become known as the Red Forest after the contamination caused the trees to die and their leaves to turn a deep red color. startxref g][^b'v@2RPROza"e =-2Ik053NC=~k{'H|(V>a!Y^5idI1OLgx]zdO f6D*@=7'9 I am still very convinced, that this footage actually shows Boris Stolyarchuk. "The miners are shown as tough guys who are not afraid of anything, but not the power plant workers.". 6 in Moscow, where Alexander Akomv is suffering towards death. The explosion occurred. More than 600,000 civil and military personnel have been given the honorary status of Chernobyl liquidators since the cleanup began in 1986. Aleksandr Akimov was born on 6 May 1953 in Novosibirsk, Russian SFSR (Republic of the Soviet Union . All three men were sentenced to 10 years in a labour camp for their role in the disaster and series creator Craig Mazin maintains that Dyatlov in particular was a "real bully", who later made statements that were not credible. This is how they decided to portray the Minister of Coal Industry Mikhail Shchadov. We flew out to see what was happening, then returned and flew back in the morning.[2], The amount of radiation the Chernobyl disaster released into the atmosphere was 50 million curiesequivalent to around 500 Hiroshima bombs. And Oleksiy Breus sees their portrayal as "not a fiction, but a blatant lie". ', 'The worst cases are brought to hospital No. The original footage was probably taken at reactor 4 control room during the time our guys were on crew, that's why many of them can be seen. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The communications networks were suddenly flooded with calls and information. 4 reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. 0000001387 00000 n Press J to jump to the feed. This later became known as the "Bridge of Death" after reports that those who stood there allegedly died from radiation sickness. xref Ive never heard anything about his face, only his skin blackening and shriveling. A subreddit to discuss the Chernobyl Disaster that happened on the night of April 26, 1986, and the Exclusion Zone that isolates the city of Pripyat from the rest of the world. He wanted a promotion which was promised to him in case of a successful test. The actor playing Alexander Akimov, for instance, was never even put in makeup to depict the loss of his face. Children are shown playing in the radioactive dust, which falls from the sky like snow. Panting. Dr. Gale treated patients who had suffered such a high exposure to radiation that even a bone marrow transplant could not save them. What are you thinking? The level of radiation in the Chernobyl zone is still the same today as it was in 1986.[9]. "A thin stream the firemen poured probably evaporated before it even reached reactor.". Their faces were only partially covered by respirators, so they could speak to each other, they were not offered a reward, and they were not clapped on their successful return. 2023 BBC. His burnt lungs hardly let him breathe, his intestines have decomposed, excrements mixed with blood are oozing from his body. "There are many stereotypes shown, typical of Western portrayal of the Soviet Union," argues Oleksiy Breus. Hours after the world's worst nuclear accident, engineer Oleksiy Breus entered the control room of the No. They were saving lives, and in doing so they put themselves in the line of fire, and this is a fire that doesnt kill you quickly. Following the disaster, citizens in the city of Kiev were advised by authorities to take regular warm showers, keep their windows closed, and regularly wash their furniture. Although he could walk, his parents could see he had strange skin damage. Arriving at work that morning, Mr Breus says he did not see any fire. HWKF=1Zz& TfOku]T#t4d-Ti,J$bTM7d)clC2 VFO&3 zE_6tVQjA[ri&xHG|/4^})-}IrT8bv_d O7fj8jGX a?2`/gn)/nXo]}JR'.H}k%L,CXBk>:+l(]9[F|/#O5X# Y0Gl8f,1 qCy*$ Ao6!^TqRVPyQG. "I've never heard there was a crowd of people who went to watch the fire at night," he says. That is how you advance your career and win awards. At 9:25 time mark, do you think it might be Khodemchuk? Cheish Merryweather is a true crime fan and an oddities fanatic. Movies. In this article, we will tell you about the supervisor of the shift, Aleksandr Akimov, and his role in the accident. During his studies of the reactor documentation, he mentioned to his friend, Sasha Korol, that control rods may, in certain circumstances, accelerate rather than slow the reaction. He was portrayed by Michael Colgan in the 2006 BBC production Surviving Disaster: Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster[7] and by Robert Emms in the 2019 HBO miniseries Chernobyl. Because its so big! Wrong : the poor guy who saw the skin of his leg fell off was Vyacheslav S. Brazhnik, Senior turbine operator. Two more workers died because of injuries. Two weeks have passed since the explosion as Akimov's suffering is ends. Even after more than three decades, the death toll of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster is still wildly disputed. My body parts not covered by clothes - such as hands, face and neck - were red". Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter', Why half of India's urban women stay at home. 4 reactor, Oleksiy Ananenko (then and now) with a scene from the TV series showing the three workers wearing respirators, The TV series portrays how 400 miners were involved in digging the tunnel under the damaged reactor, The TV series shows Pripyat residents watching events unfold on what was later nicknamed the "Bridge of Death", The damage caused to the facility by the biggest nuclear disaster in history, Chernobyl mini-series review: 'It stops you sleeping', Chernobyl disaster: 'I didn't know the truth', Craig Mazin maintains that Dyatlov in particular was a "real bully", The people who moved to the Chernobyl exclusion zone, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Canadian grandma helps police snag phone scammer, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus. However, the power reduction had been too abrupt, which put the reactor into a "poisoned" condition (a buildup of 135Xe, a strong neutron absorber), and made the reactor stall. I know he has been brought up alot in discussions especially about his face. The dogs have been driven out of the woods by the wild wolves that habitat the area. 9:25 is very likely Khodemchuk, and 9:29 is Davletbayev. But Mr Breus believes most Pripyat residents would have slept through the explosion, and he only learned of the accident when he arrived at work the following morning. Thats your job, randomly spouting INSAG reports. He stayed behind and had his crew turn on the emergency water pumps to flood the reactor - sadly, the power source was inactive. [5] However, the operators were found to have deviated from operational procedures, changing test protocols on the fly, as well as having made "ill judged" actions, making human factors a major contributing factor. Aleksandr Fyodorovich Akimov (Russian: ; 6 May 1953 - 11 May 1986) was a Soviet engineer who was the supervisor of the shift that worked at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Reactor Unit 4 on the night of the Chernobyl disaster, 26 April 1986. "I saw the damage at reactor No. )EBiz0xCBM7.q \T:vWM3@M1my0R(;-owTH|B0 8o%;'A~,6rCBU+3gZ/7kzXjUD%o|M\? 4 reactor, Oleksiy Ananenko (then and now) with a scene from the TV series showing the three workers wearing respirators, The TV series portrays how 400 miners were involved in digging the tunnel under the damaged reactor, The TV series shows Pripyat residents watching events unfold on what was later nicknamed the "Bridge of Death", The damage caused to the facility by the biggest nuclear disaster in history, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. Despite the change in tone, Chernobyl still knows how to terrify its audience, and Emily Watsons performance as Ulana Khomyuk, the nuclear scientist who visits men dying of radiation poisoning, gets under your skin even more than scenes of engineer Leonid Toptunovs bloody hospital bed sheets. Later in May, the Russian first deputy health minister also issued a warning that vodka and red wine were not a cure for radiation exposuredespite popular belief. "As we moved through it, we were aware that there were the ghosts of history around us," Mazin said. Yes, i thought the same about Razim Davletbayev. And the atmosphere was radioactive.[3]. 21 0 obj <> endobj Youll burn together. I followed them around them like a dog I stood by the door for hours, asking and begging. The Chernobyl nuclear accident is one of the most shocking and devastating catastrophes of modern times. It would have eventually boiled . These were not random people suffering these were heroes. "It was our job," says Oleksiy Ananenko, who was on shift at the time, while the others had been ordered in by their manager. At first, they also tried to reason with me, saying, Youre young. Read about our approach to external linking. Mr. Alexander was the one who managed the block control panel of the reactor in Chernobyl. When I finished my shift, my skin was brown, as if I had a proper suntan all over my body. Abagian recalled, Children were running in the streets; people were hanging laundered linen out to dry. "I was surprised they even brought us there," Mr Breus says of arriving at work the morning after the explosion. On April 26th, 1986, at 1:23 am, Alexander Akimov did what he and thousands of other nuclear plant operators have been trained to do. It's now a museum. Its estimated that more than 900 stray dogs live in the Exclusion Zone. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. I feel bad for akimov because he died with the guilt weighing on him that he some how caused the accident and why did it happen, I also feel really bad. "For example, that useless secrecy, which became one of the reasons behind the Chernobyl disaster. Meduza shares its thoughts about the shows latest installment, Open Wide, O Earth, and looks at some of the showrunners editing decisions. Are Sky and HBO's miniseries "Chernobyl" historically accurate? Viewers dont need to see what remains of shift supervisor Alexander Akimovs face watching the reaction in Dr. Khomyuks eyes is more than enough. Akimov heard reports of massive reactor damage, but did not believe it, and as a result relayed false information about the state of the reactor for hours after. Hours after the world's worst nuclear accident, engineer Oleksiy Breus entered the control room of the No. 0000018917 00000 n And finally they said, The hell with it! But while many have complimented the show's attention to detail, he believes it is also one of the downsides of the TV series. "I saw other colleagues who worked that night. The reason was the reactor's unstable condition due to low electrical network power. The missing containment wasn't mentioned either', 'It is the morning of the 10th May. Is there any truth or is it all here say? "Its high rankings show that people are still interested in Chernobyl. Another common birth defect in this region is microcephaly, in which a babys head is smaller and not in proportion with the rest of their body. [3] Due to a design flaw, the descending control rods momentarily accelerated the nuclear reaction and caused the reactor to explode. Does anybody know what the sources the author of this article could have used? Elk were contaminated, and the moment their bodies were thrown in a quarry after being stripped of their heads and fur was captured on camera. After two episodes, with the initial fire extinguished and early panic beginning to subside, the focus shifts to questions about why the reactor exploded and who was responsible for the disaster. "The reactor looked so damaged, it seemed there was nothing else to do there.". He was 33 at that time. Two weeks have passed since the explosion as Akimov's suffering is ends. HWr6'/u;6;vL&uJIZ$U|}b5bFB(D9/Wa"wFdezT$~0An0:1z34Pd6:8xk67muc4AUW['n|1yb-,{R;&]<47LVSIqNpsiw8$<7[sA{M`D)Q|i>v`H;h\ul) #@rGF0#?uUs$ [2_\qM/0[KW.jPqA^|)>FCNM]-` e?5"`JjHLkl}o! FromBudapesttoBishkek. Mr Breus says the series creators showed the radiation effects on the human body well. But Mr Breus believes most Pripyat residents would have slept through the explosion, and he only learned of the accident when he arrived at work the following morning. Some dogs have been fitted with radiation sensors and GPS receivers, which help to map the radiation levels across the exclusion zone.[8]. 4. He points to a few inaccuracies in the TV portrayal. It was also difficult to assess how much radiation patients had been exposed to, as the gradual loss of hair and some darkening of the skin were the only visible signs. At 04:00, Moscow ordered feeding of water to the reactor. Judge Raimond Brize declared in the courtroom, There was an atmosphere of lack of control and lack of responsibility at the plant. The plant officials were also heavily criticized for not evacuating the town of Pripyat sooner. TV Shows. In the weeks immediately after the explosion, 29 power plant workers and firefighters died from ARS, caused by exposure to high doses of ionising radiation, according to Soviet officials. Continue Reading 6 2 More answers below Michael Karnerfors He's growing weaker, wheezes, can hardly talk anymore. The original footage was probably taken at reactor 4 control room during the time our guys were on crew, that's why many of them can be seen. One of the most dramatic scenes in the miniseries shows three power plant workers volunteering to go into an underground tunnel beneath the damaged reactor to open a vital drainage valve. The guy that posted it was a Radiation Specialist and had access to records of a lot of the Chernobyl victims. [3][page needed] At some point he gave deathbed confessions stating repeatedly: I did everything correctly. He is reported to have stated that he believed he had done everything correctly. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? [. I don't understand why it happened. Akimov eventually succumbed to acute radiation syndrome two weeks after the disaster at the age of 33. Whilst he was in hospital. In 2008, Akimov was posthumously awarded with what they called the 3rd degree Order for Courage. Dr. Robert Peter Gale, known as the Chernobyl Doctor, was one of the many physicians and scientists brought in from 15 nations to help with the aftermath of the disaster. It was just awful, and right in the middle of a city.. The authors would never pass up a chance to introduce a brand new scientific discovery to the world! In ablaze, he does indeed talk to Akimov and how much he wanted to live.. but Read wasn't talking about Akimov when he said about skin falling off his legs. The information is all on the level of 'he said, she said'. There were fears that "lava" from the molten reactor could reach the water, triggering a further, potentially far more powerful explosion. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnFeTe0nDw8. This should come as no surprise that the reasons for the explosion are being thoroughly investigated. ", I'd say it is indeed Akimov, and the man standing next to him might be Kovalenko, reactor#4 supervisor. The calamity is considered the most disastrous nuclear power plant accident in history, and the area itself is still suffering in its aftermath. Of course, you can criticize the episode for excessive melodrama: Legasov is suddenly partial to Khomyuk, and the miners who stand up to a coal minister recruiting them for the Chernobyl liquidation effort are too theatrical. He was portrayed by actor Volodya Stepanenko in the 2004 Zero Hour TV series. The work done would last until the morning hours of the 27th by trying to pump water into the exposed reactor core. They were nothing like that. Hundreds of people died directly after the explosion, thousands have been injured, and millions suffer long-term health problems. Once more his temperature increases and then he falls into coma. Fresh perspectives. It seemed a good idea at the time, but it wasnt. Nearly 8.4 million residents of Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia were exposed to the radioactive cloud that was released. At first, our commanders didnt know what to do. Mice embryos used for research have dissolved in the conditions, and horses left that lived within 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) of the power plant died due to their thyroid glands disintegrating. 0000001208 00000 n He got a mild type of acute radiation syndrome, a doctor said. They were very pale. Aleksandr Fyodorovich Akimov and Leonid Fedorovych Toptunov "In my opinion, [Aleksandr Akimov and Leonid Toptunov] are the most tragic figures from the Chernobyl personnel. endstream endobj 27 0 obj<>stream The The judges of the show trial claim one year later: The engineers are at fault who started operation of the reactor in 1983, despite not all safety tests having been passed. Ultimately, though, he is happy the show has refocused attention on the disaster and the scale of damage caused. But Chernobyl continues to hit its mark, from a bonafide miners joke (Whats as big as a house, burns 20 liters of fuel every hour, puts out a shit-load of smoke and noise, and cuts an apple into three pieces? There was a comment on a post about him. Mr Breus worked with many of the individuals portrayed and has given his verdict of the series. Yet, with us, death is a biological event. The traffic was insane. Alexander Akimov was the head of the night shift that worked at reactor number 4 on the night of the accident. The miners finished their work ahead of schedule, but by then the molten core had cooled itself. I havent seen this one yet, looking forward to watching! 0000006239 00000 n I'll try and find it. "It was clear they felt sick. Russians and Ukrainians have watched it via the internet, and it has had a favourable rating on Russian film site Kinopoisk. 3, Firefighters pictured in 1986 before cleaning debris from the roof of the No. "Their characters are distorted and misrepresented, as if they were villains. How would I find another job after that?". Cheish Merryweather is a true crime fan and an oddities fanatic. In preparation, Anatoly Dyatlov ordered the power to be reduced to 700 MW, as the test plan stipulated. Withdrawing a dangerous number of control rods, the operators could only reach 200 MW due to xenon poisoning. PEREVOZCHENKO It exploded. "In hospital, I was treated with a guy who biked to that bridge in the morning on 26 April to watch it. Everyone stay calm. There were fears that "lava" from the molten reactor could reach the water, triggering a further, potentially far more powerful explosion. ProtectedbyreCAPTCHAandtheGoogle Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. A member of staff at the plant from 1982, he became a witness to the immediate aftermath on the morning of 26 April 1986. Creator Craig Mazin Stars Jessie Buckley Jared Harris Stellan Skarsgrd See production, box office & company info Watch on HBO Max S1 with Prime Video Channels More watch options What interviewer? DYATLOV We know. "The Chernobyl catastrophe is depicted in a very powerful way, as a global catastrophe that absorbed huge numbers of people. When the situation got out of control, the AZ-5 button was pressed. At least 5,000 people were badly affected at the time, while women who were pregnant were simply told to have abortions. He began his career at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in September 1979. We dont think of our own death. But no matter how strict he was, he was still a high-level professional.". When the operators pushed the red button, the reactor didn't stop but exploded.". So from that Im assuming those could be pretty true about him, especially skin being so delicate because of the radiation. 0000000016 00000 n In April 1986, an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics becomes one of the world's worst man-made catastrophes. In the end, however, the showrunners abandoned the idea of a flashback, to avoid disrupting the storys rhythm and to steer clear of armchair psychology. The episode also cut a scene showing May Day parades that went ahead in cities across Ukraine, despite Chernobyls spreading radiation. Aleksandr Akimov and Leonid Toptunov did their best at saving the situation. But while many have complimented the show's attention to detail, he believes it is also one of the downsides of the TV series. Instead, reserves made their own protective clothing using lead sheets up to 4 millimeters thick as aprons to help protect the spine and bone marrow. However, it is about respecting it for what it can do. "There are many stereotypes shown, typical of Western portrayal of the Soviet Union," argues Oleksiy Breus. You could see the equipment and pumps exposed. Within two weeks, both Mr Akimov and Mr Toptunov had died in a Moscow hospital of acute radiation syndrome (ARS). Only a Second World War survivor can imagine a similar scene.[4]. "The operators were afraid of him," Mr Breus agrees. "The reactor looked so damaged, it seemed there was nothing else to do there.". The turbine was shut down. Those who take the responsible and leading posts are usually the ones to blame for the failures.