Bet they had some sweaty palms when they pressed that button haha
(Edit seeing as I keep getting notified of Reactor 4 purists: this was a lighthearted comment, meant nothing more than for comedic effect! Happy holidays guys 🙏❤️)
If I remember correctly the graphite tips weren’t inherently dangerous on their own, but because of the fuel channel rupturing the graphite tips of the rods were stuck in place, endlessly accelerating the reaction
Similarly, I thought they would at least have looked at posts explaining the night of the accident, but apparently they are incapable of forming an opinion different from that of the Soviet propaganda repeated by HBO...
you gotta think the only reason AZ-5 made the reactor blow up was because in 1986 they were running at half power for about 12 hours which made the reactor already unstable and they dropped the power all the way down causing xenon which tainted the reactor, then the led rods made it explode so they did like everything wrong before hitting the button, very hard to do something like this again today unless you’re just an idiot
You're incredibly lucky you didn't get downvoted, man, because what you're saying is based on absolutely nothing but the HBO version, which, by the way, is a condensed version of Soviet propaganda. You should really check out some posts on this subreddit to at least understand how an RBMK works and why its very design was flawed, rather than spouting things you don't even understand.
Now, I think if you're interested in knowing the truth, you could learn and even understand it very quickly.
HBO depiction of the catastrophically failed experiment is based on several books published by soviet nuclear engineers in late USSR, early 90s. It is my understanding that this generally accepted hypothesis.
No it doesn't. Quick example being Nikolai Steinberg, the chief investigator all the way back in the 90s, former chief engineer at the ChNPP brought in after the explosion, and all round expert on the causes of the disaster to this day.
Here is his thoughts on the HBO miniseries.
"... there are other people who are creative. Stage producers and directors, writers and so on. One very good example of differences between these two categories is the famous HBO series, Chernobyl, with all of the awards that it collected and so on. A load of disgusting crap. I can't call it anything else."
Source: Літературно-експертні вечори "Ті, хто не залишив варту". Частина 1
Timestamp: 2:31:21
After that, they go around the other three people there, including Boris Stolyarchuk, who was literally in the Control Room that night of the explosion, as well as Uskov and Orlov, who were there the morning after, and none of them had any positive thoughts about the show. As one of the hosts puts it at 2:42:56
"Thank you for your attention. It's just that this HBO series and series in general, they are not meant as factual accounts, but viewers perceive them as such. It's really unfortunate that listening to the four of you, you who were there when it happened, none of you has a positive opinion about the series."
If you actually read what really happened that night, it's pretty much the exact opposite of the show. So think real hard about those involved, the survivors and the family and friends of the victims, and consider that spreading propaganda BS is actually bad.
I'd advise you to look further than surface level YouTube and Google searches of nuclear operators who literally have nothing to do and no knowledge about Chernobyl or RBMKs outside of Insag-1, and probably look in this subreddit. You will find we don't take kindly to that show
I did. There are multiple articles by physicists who go into the technical aspects. The "blue cards, red cards" bit was fairly accurate - at least as it was understood at the time.
Trouble is, you need to allow for whether or not those so called professionals are actually qualified in reactor physics at all or more specifically on RBMKs.
There's a lot of complicated, counter intuitive behaviour in the circumstances that led up to the explosion of Unit 4.
It doesn't all lend itself to sound byte explanations for the masses.
Going through it in detail would also be fairly boring for the show and counter to its narratives that echoed the Soviet propaganda used to scapegoat the operators.
TL:DR - the operators were set up to fail by unsafe design features and reckless operating policies set by Soviet authorities.
Trouble is, you need to allow for whether or not those so called professionals are actually qualified in reactor physics at all or more specifically on RBMKs.
Multiple research professionals vs random, hostile reddit guy. Sorry but his posts are basically "nu-uh! do your own research!" which is a terrible argument.
So according to you being a Chernobyl "expert" means you have to be an American Physicist or American nuclear power engineer, who knows nothing about RBMK nor Chernobyl. Not a Ukrainian nuclear power engineer where we learn about the RBMK (Like me) or someone who just has spent clearly more time than you researching the topic (like me)
If you want to stay ignorant, which i hear is blissful, but it's on you
Please, for the love of god, just use this subreddit's search feature and look at posts from this year. You'll learn the HBO and American delusions to be false in no time.
Or, check out "That Chernobyl Guy" on the youtube,
You're very fond of making inaccurate guesses and assuming you are right. This does not exactly support your credibility. No, I don't know who those people are you mentioned.
First hit on google which goes into the details is from Lee Sobotka.
One way the living operators realized the danger of the original design was as they learned what mods were being done to the still operating RBMK stations.
No actually. The reason they were built in the 60s-80s is due to the fact that In places like Chernobyl and Kursk the infrastructure to transport VVER reactor vessels did not exist (VVER is cheaper)
Umm they literally set a concrete wall between reactor 4 and 3 for shielding. There was a video documenting this. Showed how they had to cut and reroute piping and do all kinds of work in prep for the concrete But even in most parts of the reactor building the levels were not mega high. And even the reactor pit was not melted.
I don't understand how anyone could go to work at that place for 15 years and not get a mega dose of radiation every single day. Sure the old reactor 4 had a sarcophagus but surely the internal structure of the plant itself wasn't designed to be.... Melted
They didn’t get a “mega dose” each day. Radiation in most of the plant is quite reasonable. Source: been there.
Edit: did some googling and there isn’t a lot of reliable data, but figures around 6 mSv yearly keep popping up, which is perfectly fine.
^Building on this comment, iirc, they specifically built shielding around the necessary areas so work could safely continue. Was a huge effort, but afterwards, workers could safely operate the rest of the plant with minimal exposure. I do imagine it was a depressing place to work at, given what had happened, but someone had to do it.
Yeah, working next to a massive sarcophagus containing the obliterated remains of one of the exact reactors you’re currently working on wasn’t great for work morale, I’m sure
They went to great lengths to decontaminate the plant after the disaster and it was surprisingly effective. Pressure washed, sandblasted and even used this polymer which could be applied to surfaces and peeled off. Dug up tons of contaminated topsoil and buried it over. Built a wall between unit 3 and 4.
Some places like the Red Forest and electrical switchyard remain pretty heavily radioactive but workers are cautioned to limit their time there if they must go in.
Umm they literally set a concrete wall between reactor 4 and 3 for shielding. There was a video documenting this. Showed how they had to cut and reroute piping and do all kinds of work in prep for the concrete
But even in most parts of the reactor building the levels were not mega high.
way more than that. unit 5 and 6 were being built, but never finished. As far as I know it was planned to get 12 units in total, which would have made it the largest power plant in the world.
The Wikipedia page on ChNPP tells this information. I haven't checked the sources, but given how much of a hot topic the plant is, I would guess stuff gets cross referenced pretty well.
I’ve heard that too, seen pics that were supposed to be the steam turbine for unit 5 that was delivered on site but of course never installed, just rotting in the elements
The future plans were vauge, ranging from 8 at chernobyl and a further 4 across the river, or 4 at chernobyl and 2 on the island with another plant on the other side of the river. But in summary, 5&6 were the clostest to becoming reality however discussions at the time intended for many more reactors to be constructed.
My prediction was that if the disaster never happened, in that circumstance, the plant might have never closed and it could have seen 2 additional reactors built.
reactors 5 and 6 were already under construction so I'm sure they would've become online.
I believe chernobyl was one of the events that ultimately led to the fall of the USSR. I don't know if it would still exist had chernobyl never happened but it may have fallen at a later year.
Russia still operates RBMKs so it would probably still run longer, if Ukraine ended up separating after a fall it probably would have plans to close the plant as many accidents happened even in chernobyl itself like the 1982 accident in reactor 1.
Reading more about the secrecy and design the entire RBMK project was a timebomb that literally exploded so I think it would've happened eventually
It would probably be recently closed. Lithuania had two RBMK 1500 reactors, they were shut down in 2009 but technically they could've continued operating until 2022 or so, when their licenses would've expired.
The Soviet Union collapsed only a few years after the disaster. I believe (and could be mistaken) that reactor 5 was closer to being finished, so it might have been built and put on the grid. 6 was much less developed and would have taken longer to finish.
Some reactors that were being built in Ukraine when the Soviet Union collapsed were finished after 1991, but not many. I am guessing (and that is all any of us can do, guess) that reactor 5 would have been completed, and reactor 6 might have been. But Ukraine would not have built any of the additionally planned reactors.
I know there was a lot of shielding to keep the dose tolerable for the workers, but what were the odds of contamination during day to day activities like? Presumably the interior was extensively cleaned and monitored but I guess there would be a greater risk of picking something up outside.
I was surprised to know that, from how it seems, that Unit 3, based on the news and the interview of one of the workers by Kupnyi, suffered an incident on December 5 and was not generating energy since.
The most I know about Chernobyl is that a reactor went boom, so I’m shocked to find out that this plant was still in operation even after the whole event. I was always under the assumption that after the reactor exploded, the place and surrounding area was too highly radiated for people to spend time there, that it was abandoned.
It’s fascinating, gonna have to look further into the aftermath of Chernobyl. It’s scary to think that ‘life continued’ which of course it has to, but it’s mad.
Surrounding area being too highly radiated for people to spend time there is a myth that's very often repeated. The plant continues to have workers being present on site as of today, because since 2000 it is undergoing the process of being decomissioned. If the area was too highly radiated, the Exclusion Zone would have never opened up to tourism, either.
Yup. I had a dosimeter on me for a full day there and the accumulated radiation was about the equivalent of a 2 hour flight. One of the most interesting trips I've ever done.
Because of evacuations following the disaster (which, as it turned out years later, were actually partly unnecessary). And also, the Zone is still de facto inhabited (de jure, it's not). Chernobyl town (NOT Pripyat) is inhabited by about 1000 more or less people, most of which are workers of the Zone. About 11 samosely also live in 2 villages in the Zone.
It's their uniform they change into and out of for their shifts. There's always some risk of contamination, that's why. The hat helps protect their hair from contamination.
One of the worst decisions president Kuchma had ever made. To please paranoid european politicians he stripped 5% of Ukrainian power generation, made around a hundred people loose their beloved job. His decision still impacts Ukraine today due to the electrical deficit. This unit could have worked for at least another 10 years without any maintenance to extend service life.
The only need in the Chernobyl decision was purely political, decommissioning would be even more expensive than maintenance. Giving up the arsenal lifted a burden from Ukraine's economy while it already was in an economic depression. Do you think it's cheap to maintain the 3rd world largest nuclear arsenal? And of course nobody expected a war at that time.
Even an infinitesimal part of that enormous nuclear arsenal could make the current "electrical deficit" impossible. Because those pests who caused it just have to find a victim elsewhere.
Having even the 6th largest nuclear Arsenal is a significant advantage over having not having one at all. Having nukes is enough of an advantage to warrant expensive maintenance. Hell, they don't even need to work, just the fact that you possess nukes that can In theory be launched at any time is enough of an advantage. Definitely the dumbest thing Ukraine did. It was foolish to believe they would be protected, since with those nukes no one would dare attack them
This is surprising to me! I always assumed that after the disaster the entire facility was shut down. I mean, wasn’t there lethal radiation for miles around?
Wild to think that was the Final Shutdown. Such a huge Historical moment.
"It's the final shutdown! 🎶🎶" /s
Illusions, Michael!
Bet they had some sweaty palms when they pressed that button haha
(Edit seeing as I keep getting notified of Reactor 4 purists: this was a lighthearted comment, meant nothing more than for comedic effect! Happy holidays guys 🙏❤️)
well, the AZ-5 button was harmless in that moment. it wasn’t like that night, during the experiment and with that state of the reactor
I do realise that, this was purely a lighthearted comment haha! Happy holidays ☺️🙏
Did we remove those graphite tips?
No. But thanks to many modifications they became safe.
No they did not
Why would you wanna remove the graphite displacers? They are literally an essential component of the control rods
he only saw the Chernobyl show and thinks they are inherently bad and serve no purpose
wrong subreddit then lol, isn't there an extra subreddit for the fictional stories? r/ChernobylTV
If I remember correctly the graphite tips weren’t inherently dangerous on their own, but because of the fuel channel rupturing the graphite tips of the rods were stuck in place, endlessly accelerating the reaction
The danger was created by withdrawing too many rods so that the carbon portion was past center.
Had the carbon portion already extended to the bottom of the core, lowering them further would not have caused an increase in reactivity.
I am still amazed people on this subreddit don't know the truth.
Similarly, I thought they would at least have looked at posts explaining the night of the accident, but apparently they are incapable of forming an opinion different from that of the Soviet propaganda repeated by HBO...
Atleast its not as bad as TikTok lmao. TikTok is terrible, 8 out of 10 tiktoks are based on HBO. And the comments on there always blow my mind.
Reddit isn't better; whenever a Chornobyl related post hits r/InterestingAsFuck the comment section turns the same.
Oh sweet summer child. Stop using the HBO series as the source of information.
No, this is pure HBO knowledge
No, they were extended so they reach all the way to the bottom of the core and the water column below them is no longer there.
😂😂
you gotta think the only reason AZ-5 made the reactor blow up was because in 1986 they were running at half power for about 12 hours which made the reactor already unstable and they dropped the power all the way down causing xenon which tainted the reactor, then the led rods made it explode so they did like everything wrong before hitting the button, very hard to do something like this again today unless you’re just an idiot
You're incredibly lucky you didn't get downvoted, man, because what you're saying is based on absolutely nothing but the HBO version, which, by the way, is a condensed version of Soviet propaganda. You should really check out some posts on this subreddit to at least understand how an RBMK works and why its very design was flawed, rather than spouting things you don't even understand.
Now, I think if you're interested in knowing the truth, you could learn and even understand it very quickly.
That's what I strongly encourage you to do.
A condensed version of anti-Soviet propaganda, maybe
HBO depiction of the catastrophically failed experiment is based on several books published by soviet nuclear engineers in late USSR, early 90s. It is my understanding that this generally accepted hypothesis.
No, this is pure HBO knowledge
Googling shows nuclear scientists praising the show on this specific aspect. Criticism is on health-aspects and spread.
No it doesn't. Quick example being Nikolai Steinberg, the chief investigator all the way back in the 90s, former chief engineer at the ChNPP brought in after the explosion, and all round expert on the causes of the disaster to this day.
Here is his thoughts on the HBO miniseries.
"... there are other people who are creative. Stage producers and directors, writers and so on. One very good example of differences between these two categories is the famous HBO series, Chernobyl, with all of the awards that it collected and so on. A load of disgusting crap. I can't call it anything else."
Source: Літературно-експертні вечори "Ті, хто не залишив варту". Частина 1
Timestamp: 2:31:21
After that, they go around the other three people there, including Boris Stolyarchuk, who was literally in the Control Room that night of the explosion, as well as Uskov and Orlov, who were there the morning after, and none of them had any positive thoughts about the show. As one of the hosts puts it at 2:42:56
"Thank you for your attention. It's just that this HBO series and series in general, they are not meant as factual accounts, but viewers perceive them as such. It's really unfortunate that listening to the four of you, you who were there when it happened, none of you has a positive opinion about the series."
If you actually read what really happened that night, it's pretty much the exact opposite of the show. So think real hard about those involved, the survivors and the family and friends of the victims, and consider that spreading propaganda BS is actually bad.
can you elaborate on "what really happened that night"?
A very calm environment, with no arguments. Nobody put pressure on anyone, and nobody was threatened with their jobs.
No operating procedures were knowingly violated.
The room was rammed with focus on another experiment happening simultaneously.
No power surge before AZ-5.
There was no real denial about the reactor being gone.
People actually took the matter seriously.
I made a forty-five minute-ish explanation a couple years ago. It's now slightly outdated, but here is Part One.
I'd advise you to look further than surface level YouTube and Google searches of nuclear operators who literally have nothing to do and no knowledge about Chernobyl or RBMKs outside of Insag-1, and probably look in this subreddit. You will find we don't take kindly to that show
I did. There are multiple articles by physicists who go into the technical aspects. The "blue cards, red cards" bit was fairly accurate - at least as it was understood at the time.
No it wasn't. That wasn't how the graphite displacers worked, nor how the rods worked, nor did the rods jam, etc.
Physicists aren't the people who will tell you whether it's accurate or not. Knowing science does not equal knowing an RBMK
Sorry but I'll believe multiple professionals over you on this topic
Trouble is, you need to allow for whether or not those so called professionals are actually qualified in reactor physics at all or more specifically on RBMKs.
There's a lot of complicated, counter intuitive behaviour in the circumstances that led up to the explosion of Unit 4.
It doesn't all lend itself to sound byte explanations for the masses.
Going through it in detail would also be fairly boring for the show and counter to its narratives that echoed the Soviet propaganda used to scapegoat the operators.
TL:DR - the operators were set up to fail by unsafe design features and reckless operating policies set by Soviet authorities.
Multiple research professionals vs random, hostile reddit guy. Sorry but his posts are basically "nu-uh! do your own research!" which is a terrible argument.
Let me guess.. Tyler Folse? Kyle hill?
So according to you being a Chernobyl "expert" means you have to be an American Physicist or American nuclear power engineer, who knows nothing about RBMK nor Chernobyl. Not a Ukrainian nuclear power engineer where we learn about the RBMK (Like me) or someone who just has spent clearly more time than you researching the topic (like me)
If you want to stay ignorant, which i hear is blissful, but it's on you
Please, for the love of god, just use this subreddit's search feature and look at posts from this year. You'll learn the HBO and American delusions to be false in no time.
Or, check out "That Chernobyl Guy" on the youtube,
You're very fond of making inaccurate guesses and assuming you are right. This does not exactly support your credibility. No, I don't know who those people are you mentioned.
First hit on google which goes into the details is from Lee Sobotka.
Yikes brother looks like your attitude is the one not taken kindly too round these parts
No actually, only amongst the HBO fans that randomly appear in this subreddit on random days.
So they did everything right
Russia still runs RBMKs.
7 of them!
Outside of Chernobyl they mostly stayed out of trouble among the almost 20 they ran over the years.
Presumably post Chernobyl they fixed the other ones
One way the living operators realized the danger of the original design was as they learned what mods were being done to the still operating RBMK stations.
Because they're cheaper
No actually. The reason they were built in the 60s-80s is due to the fact that In places like Chernobyl and Kursk the infrastructure to transport VVER reactor vessels did not exist (VVER is cheaper)
I was quoting the HBO show, Legasov's testimony, but here's an [/s] to close the loop. Cool details though, thanks!
Actually saddening. Despite how awful the reactor design is.
Umm they literally set a concrete wall between reactor 4 and 3 for shielding. There was a video documenting this. Showed how they had to cut and reroute piping and do all kinds of work in prep for the concrete But even in most parts of the reactor building the levels were not mega high. And even the reactor pit was not melted.
I don't understand how anyone could go to work at that place for 15 years and not get a mega dose of radiation every single day. Sure the old reactor 4 had a sarcophagus but surely the internal structure of the plant itself wasn't designed to be.... Melted
They didn’t get a “mega dose” each day. Radiation in most of the plant is quite reasonable. Source: been there. Edit: did some googling and there isn’t a lot of reliable data, but figures around 6 mSv yearly keep popping up, which is perfectly fine.
^Building on this comment, iirc, they specifically built shielding around the necessary areas so work could safely continue. Was a huge effort, but afterwards, workers could safely operate the rest of the plant with minimal exposure. I do imagine it was a depressing place to work at, given what had happened, but someone had to do it.
Yeah, working next to a massive sarcophagus containing the obliterated remains of one of the exact reactors you’re currently working on wasn’t great for work morale, I’m sure
Not only the reactor, but one former coworker as well.
They certainly wouldn't need to show staff the "don't do what Donny Don't does" training video every 6 months, that's for sure.
Flip side for morale: can't think of a better workplace on earth to play an April fool's prank
That would’ve been the most epic April Fool’s of all time!!! 😂😂😂
So because you have been there for a day makes your opinion on the matter more relevant? Try using logic instead of your twisted fantasy.
So how long have you been there?
Why would I be going there? The liquidators would be laughing in your face for asking such a dumb question
It's not my face they'd be laughing at. Good day.
They went to great lengths to decontaminate the plant after the disaster and it was surprisingly effective. Pressure washed, sandblasted and even used this polymer which could be applied to surfaces and peeled off. Dug up tons of contaminated topsoil and buried it over. Built a wall between unit 3 and 4.
Some places like the Red Forest and electrical switchyard remain pretty heavily radioactive but workers are cautioned to limit their time there if they must go in.
All of the cores are highly radioactive and massive neutron emitters when operating.
That's what shielding is for.
Umm they literally set a concrete wall between reactor 4 and 3 for shielding. There was a video documenting this. Showed how they had to cut and reroute piping and do all kinds of work in prep for the concrete
But even in most parts of the reactor building the levels were not mega high.
“We did everything right” man imagine the suspense when they hit AZ-5 on #3
Under normal conditions, all AZ-5 does is drop the remaining control rods into place.
It is the difference between stomping the brake pedal on dry pavement vs. on an icy road next to a cliff.
[deleted]
That’s not a source.
Yes of course not. but if you know if it's true could you please tell me? I'd be curious if they did it didn't
Have you never used Wikipedia?
It feels unreal, that after the disaster the plant kept working. So surreal tbh.
I don't know man, anyone of you also getting the urge to play Stalker again?
This is such a fascinating story
What if this never happened? Where would this plant be today?
I remember reading the soviets had 2 more reactors planned for this location. it may still be running today
way more than that. unit 5 and 6 were being built, but never finished. As far as I know it was planned to get 12 units in total, which would have made it the largest power plant in the world.
Do you have any references? Id like to read up on this
The Wikipedia page on ChNPP tells this information. I haven't checked the sources, but given how much of a hot topic the plant is, I would guess stuff gets cross referenced pretty well.
I’ve heard that too, seen pics that were supposed to be the steam turbine for unit 5 that was delivered on site but of course never installed, just rotting in the elements
They were planning to build another.. 6? Across the river too.
But from what I can find this information is muddy, ranges from only 4 on the other side to just expanding along the current bank.
They had plans for a further 4 at least
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_Reactors_5_and_6
I dont see any references to reactors 7 & 8
Check out this post Source: Reddit https://share.google/F0yKKRXwArRVpAhCG
And i will highlight this video from 8.20
The future plans were vauge, ranging from 8 at chernobyl and a further 4 across the river, or 4 at chernobyl and 2 on the island with another plant on the other side of the river. But in summary, 5&6 were the clostest to becoming reality however discussions at the time intended for many more reactors to be constructed.
Thanks!
[deleted]
It does seem like an extra 4 across the river was a serious contender, potentially RBMK 1500s?
Read the first sentence on that page under "History".
i dont know how the hell I missed that. Too much summarization and speed reading- TY!
It happens
That’s a shame
[deleted]
My prediction was that if the disaster never happened, in that circumstance, the plant might have never closed and it could have seen 2 additional reactors built.
reactors 5 and 6 were already under construction so I'm sure they would've become online.
I believe chernobyl was one of the events that ultimately led to the fall of the USSR. I don't know if it would still exist had chernobyl never happened but it may have fallen at a later year.
Russia still operates RBMKs so it would probably still run longer, if Ukraine ended up separating after a fall it probably would have plans to close the plant as many accidents happened even in chernobyl itself like the 1982 accident in reactor 1.
Reading more about the secrecy and design the entire RBMK project was a timebomb that literally exploded so I think it would've happened eventually
It would probably be recently closed. Lithuania had two RBMK 1500 reactors, they were shut down in 2009 but technically they could've continued operating until 2022 or so, when their licenses would've expired.
The Soviet Union collapsed only a few years after the disaster. I believe (and could be mistaken) that reactor 5 was closer to being finished, so it might have been built and put on the grid. 6 was much less developed and would have taken longer to finish.
Some reactors that were being built in Ukraine when the Soviet Union collapsed were finished after 1991, but not many. I am guessing (and that is all any of us can do, guess) that reactor 5 would have been completed, and reactor 6 might have been. But Ukraine would not have built any of the additionally planned reactors.
I know there was a lot of shielding to keep the dose tolerable for the workers, but what were the odds of contamination during day to day activities like? Presumably the interior was extensively cleaned and monitored but I guess there would be a greater risk of picking something up outside.
I was surprised to know that, from how it seems, that Unit 3, based on the news and the interview of one of the workers by Kupnyi, suffered an incident on December 5 and was not generating energy since.
I heard when the new coat was beeing build, they turned on one of the reactors, wich one? 1 or 3? Likely 3 I think
What’s with the white hats?
RBMKs are kind of dirty reactors. White vests and hats are a way to prevent operators from carrying home spicy dust/particles.
The most I know about Chernobyl is that a reactor went boom, so I’m shocked to find out that this plant was still in operation even after the whole event. I was always under the assumption that after the reactor exploded, the place and surrounding area was too highly radiated for people to spend time there, that it was abandoned.
It’s fascinating, gonna have to look further into the aftermath of Chernobyl. It’s scary to think that ‘life continued’ which of course it has to, but it’s mad.
Surrounding area being too highly radiated for people to spend time there is a myth that's very often repeated. The plant continues to have workers being present on site as of today, because since 2000 it is undergoing the process of being decomissioned. If the area was too highly radiated, the Exclusion Zone would have never opened up to tourism, either.
Yup. I had a dosimeter on me for a full day there and the accumulated radiation was about the equivalent of a 2 hour flight. One of the most interesting trips I've ever done.
This was on TV back in the day
If it was safe enough to work at for years after the disaster then how is the entire place and surrounding area uninhabitable for so long now?
Because of evacuations following the disaster (which, as it turned out years later, were actually partly unnecessary). And also, the Zone is still de facto inhabited (de jure, it's not). Chernobyl town (NOT Pripyat) is inhabited by about 1000 more or less people, most of which are workers of the Zone. About 11 samosely also live in 2 villages in the Zone.
Working there for short periods of time is not the same as living there.
What's with the white outfits and goofy hats? Couldn't they just wear regular clothes to work?
It's their uniform they change into and out of for their shifts. There's always some risk of contamination, that's why. The hat helps protect their hair from contamination.
One of the worst decisions president Kuchma had ever made. To please paranoid european politicians he stripped 5% of Ukrainian power generation, made around a hundred people loose their beloved job. His decision still impacts Ukraine today due to the electrical deficit. This unit could have worked for at least another 10 years without any maintenance to extend service life.
Compared to his decision to give Ukrainian nukes to the russia, decommissioning Chernobyl sounds ok.
The only need in the Chernobyl decision was purely political, decommissioning would be even more expensive than maintenance. Giving up the arsenal lifted a burden from Ukraine's economy while it already was in an economic depression. Do you think it's cheap to maintain the 3rd world largest nuclear arsenal? And of course nobody expected a war at that time.
Even an infinitesimal part of that enormous nuclear arsenal could make the current "electrical deficit" impossible. Because those pests who caused it just have to find a victim elsewhere.
Having even the 6th largest nuclear Arsenal is a significant advantage over having not having one at all. Having nukes is enough of an advantage to warrant expensive maintenance. Hell, they don't even need to work, just the fact that you possess nukes that can In theory be launched at any time is enough of an advantage. Definitely the dumbest thing Ukraine did. It was foolish to believe they would be protected, since with those nukes no one would dare attack them
This is surprising to me! I always assumed that after the disaster the entire facility was shut down. I mean, wasn’t there lethal radiation for miles around?
It is a myth that lethal radiation was present all around Chernobyl after the disaster.
Damn, that’s one hell of a myth. Not surprising I suppose, with all of the anti-nuclear power hysteria and whatnot.
Not great, not terrible
Valerie legosov would be proud!