“The Battle of Chernobyl”

“The Battle of Chernobyl”

                Produced by “Play Film” in 2006 and directed by “Thomas Johnson” the above documentary projects the disaster that occurred in Chernobyl in 1986 which halted the Cold War between the 2 superpowers of the world.

The Blast

On Friday 26^th April 1986, the electronic power plant at Chernobyl away from the main city in Ukraine blasted at precisely 1:23 am. The experiment conducted to increase power in Reactor 4, suffered catastrophe leading to explosion in its core.  The 176 employees at the plant were unable to control the blast which exploded 1200 tons of radioactive power rising as much as 1000 meters high in the air. Radioactive power was 2 times more than that witnessed at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Former Secretary of USSR, Mikhael Gorbachev was informed about the disaster. The disaster was kept secret from the world media, Mr. Gorbachev himself knew little about the blast and Moscow was unaware of the crisis.

The town of Peripyat which was 3 km away from the plant started experiencing effects of the blast. Civilians complained having taste of radioactive iodine in the air. The chief of police at Peripyat Mr. Vladimir Grebeniuk received the information next morning. As the effects proved more disturbing, Mr. Grebeniuk sent his troops to read the amount of radioactive contamination in the area. The results were highly astonishing, A human being can absorb 2 roentgens per day if it exceeds 400 it leads to death but the amount of radioactive elements present were  50 times higher than the normal amount. The first journalist to reach Chernobyl was Igor Kostin.

Mr. Kostin experienced the radioactive fumes spread in the air; the photographs taken at Chernobyl were too exposed to radioactive elements as witnessed here. To curb the disaster Mr. Gorbachev commissioned a committee Moscow headed by a nuclear physicist; the people were still not informed about the blast. 30 hours after the blast security was sent from Moscow. The entire city of Peripyat was evacuated. The video contains statements of one of the many refugees Yulia, she said only 2 hours were given to the civilians to evacuate their homes and carry only selective belongings. Elderly people of the town insisted on not leaving, they were left behind but died weeks later. Approximately 43,000 people were evacuated; these were Europe’s first nuclear refugees.

The only people left in town who resided at “Peripyat Hotel” were scientist and military personnel’s; this was a dicey gamble as the officials underestimated the situation. The radioactive waste had now contaminated the clouds. These clouds later travelled towards the North, 1000 km to Belorussia later towards Italy, France and the United Kingdom.   On 28^th April 1986, Sweden sent an official notice to UUSR about the contaminated clouds; citizens were alerted via TV news and dailies. On one hand it was Sweden who alerted USSR on the other hand American and European spies took pictures of the blast. On 28^th April 1986, USSR finally informed the world media. The Director of “International Atomic Energy Agency” Mr. Hans Blix issued a statement to the USSR Secretary to take immediate actions.  Nikolai Antochkin, commander general flew to the site only 200 m above the burning funnel.

Operation Undertaken

Three days after the blast 80 helicopters were sent to set the blaze which was continuously letting out gas and dust into the atmosphere. To extinguish fire at the reactor, 80 kg of sand dumped into the fire, as it neutralizes radioactivity. Soldiers were sent from Moscow, titled “National Heroes”. 600 pilots died in attempting to stop the fire. The soldiers sent for this purpose would sweat after completion of task, after eating they would vomit, some suffered severe burns cases as fatal as bone marrow were observed.

The soldiers were taken to Moscow Hospital Number 6, as it was the one hospital equipped with radioactive therapy. 10 days passed, 60000 tons of sand has been used. Rumors started spreading that the 2^nd reactor might also blast. If this came true the entire Europe would have become inhabitable. Natalia Nadejina who was the doctor at the hospital stated that most of the soldiers admitted were very young between the age group of 20-30 years. Most of the patients admitted died weeks later. 1^st May 1986, as the world witnessed the disaster, The Pravda’s attitude was mostly indifferent towards the matter, only a tiny article was published.

The USSR encouraged people to participate in the May Day. For Mr. Kostin it was a “Parade of Death”. 1^st secretary of Ukraine also took part, later committed suicide. After being present at the roof of the reactor Mr. Kostin experienced red eyes, bleeding nose and shaking hands. The forest land around the power plant was scratched. On 11^th May 1986, the final solution was suggested; the magma must be stopped from seeping through the bottom and entering the water that is supplied in the entire country. Thick cement tunnel, 30 m long was to be constructed for which miners were called from Tula, 1000 km away from Chernobyl. A sarcophagus would be built to block the magma from spreading.  Working conditions were inhuman, 50’C, no head masks, shirts off, water was provided from open bottles, lack of oxygen, fast pace. 1/4^th of these men died before the age of 40.

Mean while an international press conference was held in Moscow, 500 journalists attend the same, USSR agreed for co-operation. Nikloai send commanders called “Liquidators” (100000 military and 400000 civilians), their mission was to liquidate the magma, accompanied by nurses and doctors. Troops were sent on the roof of the reactor to dump radioactive debris off the roof, since the machines too stopped working there, Bio – Robots were sent. These Bio- Robots were specially equipped, their uniform weighting 30 kg. After 10 days of continuous work, the radioactive level reduced by 35%. Mission was accomplished, red flag was hoisted there, the project 800 billion dollars.

Aftermath

An area of 300000 was completed reduced to dust. 20 years later, Peripyat was still a ghost town. Residents’ suffered the “Chernobyl Syndrome” because of radioactive illness. After the disaster no figures of casualties were announced. In 1991, USSR dissolved, Alla Yaroshinskaya, Deputy of USSR Supreme Soviet got hold of confidential documents, and it said people got miraculously cured. A closed door conference held in late august 1986 showed 40,000 deaths, Lagaso spoke for 3 hours in that meeting, 1988 he committed suicide. These figures were framed on the line of the Japan bombings; in 2005 these became the official figures. Till date 8 million people live in contaminated areas of Ukraine, Russia and Belorussia. In 2005 Youri Bandazhevsky’s report revealed throat cancer cases in this areas; he was jailed on the charges of corruption. The Chernobyl disaster was a global lesson and cannot be less than a “Nuclear Apocalypse.”

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