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The Truth About Chernobyl
The chief engineer at the construction of the Chernobyl plant and an investigator after the accident, gives an account of the accident and its aftermath
274 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
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October 12, 2011
A Chilling Disaster That Still Mystifies ...
The events of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion left only a slight imprint on my memory back in 1986. As a college sophomore, my attention was focused mostly on the happenings within the insular world that a college campus seems to provide most nineteen year olds, and for the most part, world events didn't factor into the equation. My recollection is that Chernobyl did not resonate with most Americans as it should have; the Challenger disaster (several months earlier) still consumed a healthy share of news coverage and the highly secretive nature of the Soviet Union rarely gave the rest of the world a glimpse of occurrences behind the Iron Curtain. Ironically, it was a video game (more specifically, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video game series that lets you explore Pripyat and the exclusion zone) that generated a strong desire to learn more about Chernobyl and its aftermath. My quest to learn more started with Grigori Medvedev's THE TRUTH ABOUT CHERNOBYL, a book that delivers a before-and-after account of the Chernobyl explosion, as well as a peek into the dark heart of the Soviet Union and its efforts to downplay and conceal a disaster of epic proportions.
There were two things I considered in choosing this book: 1) Medvedev's expertise as a Soviet nuclear engineer and 2) the year the book was first published (originally in 1991 ... five years after the event). I was interested in hearing the voice of an expert from within the Soviet Union at a time when the events were still relatively fresh. Medvedev is not merely an outside expert with an opinion, but someone with first-hand knowledge of the Chernobyl plant, before and after the explosion (as an investigator). His words carry a degree of authority that resonates throughout the book. His criticisms of the Soviet state regarding its lackadaisical approach to safety at nuclear power plants, as well as the rampant political "cronyism" that led to unqualified people being placed in positions requiring expertise is quite revealing ... and bold (considering his attempt to publish some of these criticisms prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union).
I found Medvedev's book to be a slow start as the first two chapters focus primarily on nuclear science and operational details of nuclear reactors. Those untrained in the nuclear science field may discover this material (being presented by an expert in the field) as educational, but also rather complex. While these first chapters are a difficult read, they provide a base knowledge that proves beneficial as the book progresses and the events leading up to the explosion and its aftermath are discussed. While the exact causes of the explosion(s) still present somewhat of a mystery, it is quite clear that critical procedural errors were made which assured the likelihood of a disaster. This is where Medvedev focuses on the political influence and lack of expertise among those in crucial positions ... political appointees that had no business being even near a nuclear power plant. The details of the explosion itself are quite chilling in that it is easy to envision the dark serenity of town of Pripyat sleeping through the near-distant explosion(s) at the reactor in the middle of the night ... only to be preyed upon by the ensuing radioactive plume quietly emanating from the reactor No. 4. Knowing that this quiet and deadly plume leaves Pripyat as a massive, modern-day ghost town following the forced evacuation its 50,000 inhabitants only intensifies the eeriness of the Chernobyl story.
It is the events following the destruction of the reactor that I found particularly interesting and exciting to read about. Most notably was the naiveté of those responding to an explosion at a nuclear plant ... it was quite apparent that such an event was never considered as the burning reactor was treated no differently than an ordinary structure fire (I did not know that a nuclear fire is not only impervious to water, but is intensified by it). Medvedev paints a bleak post-explosion picture as radiation spreads not only by the smoke plume, but by anyone and anything leaving the "zone" (the area immediately affected by the radiation). Filled with eyewitness accounts and as well as his personal visit to the plant and the town of Pripyat, Medvedev details the futility and limited capacity of the Soviet Union to handle the enormity of what was unfolding (simply putting out the fire was a monumental task, let alone dealing with the massive and deadly radioactive emission). We also see the political efforts to cover-up and marginalize the catastrophe. Most telling, however, are the numerous accounts of those who succumbed to high levels of radiation and the utmost misery they experienced prior to their deaths.
THE TRUTH ABOUT CHERNOBYL may be dated, but I found it extremely helpful to place it in its proper context. Chernobyl occurred in an era when the Soviet Union could keep most internal troubles from being exposed to the outside world. While the rest of the world was made aware of the situation, the details were still mostly left to one's imagination. Medvedev's book is an eye-opener for sure; he does an excellent job in providing much needed clarity on the subject matter and delivers it from a neutral point-of-view. It serves as a sobering warning to the lethality of using such an energy source, but does not in any way suggest that nuclear power is wrong. My only wish is that there would have been pictures and maps to enhance the text (although there were relatively few pictures released of the site at the time). While THE TRUTH ABOUT CHERNOBYL does satisfy my curiosity to a degree, there still exists a chilling sense of mystery as to what has occurred and what still occurs in that exclusion zone surrounding the destroyed plant.
The events of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion left only a slight imprint on my memory back in 1986. As a college sophomore, my attention was focused mostly on the happenings within the insular world that a college campus seems to provide most nineteen year olds, and for the most part, world events didn't factor into the equation. My recollection is that Chernobyl did not resonate with most Americans as it should have; the Challenger disaster (several months earlier) still consumed a healthy share of news coverage and the highly secretive nature of the Soviet Union rarely gave the rest of the world a glimpse of occurrences behind the Iron Curtain. Ironically, it was a video game (more specifically, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video game series that lets you explore Pripyat and the exclusion zone) that generated a strong desire to learn more about Chernobyl and its aftermath. My quest to learn more started with Grigori Medvedev's THE TRUTH ABOUT CHERNOBYL, a book that delivers a before-and-after account of the Chernobyl explosion, as well as a peek into the dark heart of the Soviet Union and its efforts to downplay and conceal a disaster of epic proportions.
There were two things I considered in choosing this book: 1) Medvedev's expertise as a Soviet nuclear engineer and 2) the year the book was first published (originally in 1991 ... five years after the event). I was interested in hearing the voice of an expert from within the Soviet Union at a time when the events were still relatively fresh. Medvedev is not merely an outside expert with an opinion, but someone with first-hand knowledge of the Chernobyl plant, before and after the explosion (as an investigator). His words carry a degree of authority that resonates throughout the book. His criticisms of the Soviet state regarding its lackadaisical approach to safety at nuclear power plants, as well as the rampant political "cronyism" that led to unqualified people being placed in positions requiring expertise is quite revealing ... and bold (considering his attempt to publish some of these criticisms prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union).
I found Medvedev's book to be a slow start as the first two chapters focus primarily on nuclear science and operational details of nuclear reactors. Those untrained in the nuclear science field may discover this material (being presented by an expert in the field) as educational, but also rather complex. While these first chapters are a difficult read, they provide a base knowledge that proves beneficial as the book progresses and the events leading up to the explosion and its aftermath are discussed. While the exact causes of the explosion(s) still present somewhat of a mystery, it is quite clear that critical procedural errors were made which assured the likelihood of a disaster. This is where Medvedev focuses on the political influence and lack of expertise among those in crucial positions ... political appointees that had no business being even near a nuclear power plant. The details of the explosion itself are quite chilling in that it is easy to envision the dark serenity of town of Pripyat sleeping through the near-distant explosion(s) at the reactor in the middle of the night ... only to be preyed upon by the ensuing radioactive plume quietly emanating from the reactor No. 4. Knowing that this quiet and deadly plume leaves Pripyat as a massive, modern-day ghost town following the forced evacuation its 50,000 inhabitants only intensifies the eeriness of the Chernobyl story.
It is the events following the destruction of the reactor that I found particularly interesting and exciting to read about. Most notably was the naiveté of those responding to an explosion at a nuclear plant ... it was quite apparent that such an event was never considered as the burning reactor was treated no differently than an ordinary structure fire (I did not know that a nuclear fire is not only impervious to water, but is intensified by it). Medvedev paints a bleak post-explosion picture as radiation spreads not only by the smoke plume, but by anyone and anything leaving the "zone" (the area immediately affected by the radiation). Filled with eyewitness accounts and as well as his personal visit to the plant and the town of Pripyat, Medvedev details the futility and limited capacity of the Soviet Union to handle the enormity of what was unfolding (simply putting out the fire was a monumental task, let alone dealing with the massive and deadly radioactive emission). We also see the political efforts to cover-up and marginalize the catastrophe. Most telling, however, are the numerous accounts of those who succumbed to high levels of radiation and the utmost misery they experienced prior to their deaths.
THE TRUTH ABOUT CHERNOBYL may be dated, but I found it extremely helpful to place it in its proper context. Chernobyl occurred in an era when the Soviet Union could keep most internal troubles from being exposed to the outside world. While the rest of the world was made aware of the situation, the details were still mostly left to one's imagination. Medvedev's book is an eye-opener for sure; he does an excellent job in providing much needed clarity on the subject matter and delivers it from a neutral point-of-view. It serves as a sobering warning to the lethality of using such an energy source, but does not in any way suggest that nuclear power is wrong. My only wish is that there would have been pictures and maps to enhance the text (although there were relatively few pictures released of the site at the time). While THE TRUTH ABOUT CHERNOBYL does satisfy my curiosity to a degree, there still exists a chilling sense of mystery as to what has occurred and what still occurs in that exclusion zone surrounding the destroyed plant.
September 8, 2016
This was chilling and at times difficult to read on my way to or from work. I learned a lot and this was a good read. I want to post one quote which I think sums up many of the problems that occurred and is prevalent in most situations where those in power do not think about consequences
"After the meeting, in the lobby of the Kremlin Palace, he (R. G. Khenokh) told me 'There you have our whole national tragedy in a nutshell. We ourselves tell lies, and we teach our subordinates to lie. Lies, even for a worthy cause, are still lies. And no good will come of it'
These remarks were made two months before the Chernobyl disaster"
"After the meeting, in the lobby of the Kremlin Palace, he (R. G. Khenokh) told me 'There you have our whole national tragedy in a nutshell. We ourselves tell lies, and we teach our subordinates to lie. Lies, even for a worthy cause, are still lies. And no good will come of it'
These remarks were made two months before the Chernobyl disaster"
December 27, 2024
La verdad en estos tiempos de tanto control mediático es algo prácticamente imposible de alcanzar; incluso una buena aproximación a la verdad también parece un Everest. Los hechos suelen ser manipulados para contarnos algo que no es.
Sin embargo, es un HECHO que Chernóbil es la peor catástrofe ocurrida en el planeta con tecnología nuclear de por medio; y aunque ocurrió en la URSS (Ucrania) no es menos cierto que las causas y las consecuencias -verdaderas- de ese hecho deben ser de dominio público puesto que en cierto sentido afectaron a todo el planeta (aunque obviamente los ucranianos y los bielorrusos se llevaron la peor parte).
Inicio comentando que siempre tuve curiosidad por este "accidente" porque es inevitable preguntarse ¿cómo cuernos estalla un reactor nuclear? En Fukushima al menos sabemos que la planta recibió el impacto de un terremoto y luego se vino un tsunami, entonces queda claro que estaban operando bajo condiciones extremas (aunque ¡Madre Santa! a quién se le ocurrió construir esa planta a ORILLAS DEL PACIFICO EN JAPÓN, donde día sí y día no hay movimientos telúricos); pero el asunto es que en Chernóbil fue todo tan "sin aviso" que el error humano apunta a ser la causa más probable del desastre.
Atención: El hecho que uno pueda comprender las causas de un accidente nuclear, no quita valor a la discusión sobre si tiene sentido tener plantas nucleares para satisfacer la gran demanda de energía del mundo actual; cuando esa alta demanda y los mecanismos para suplirla amenazan la propia vida de toooodo el planeta!
Ahora bien, como a veces pasa uno puede tener ganas de averiguar sobre algo y se atraviesan cosas y uno va olvidando, olvidando (terrible el olvido humano) y pues me dije que el 2024 no se iría sin leerme este libro que tenía hace mucho tiempo en mi biblioteca de Calibre. Mi plan era:
1. Leer este libro de autor ruso que formó parte de una de las muchas comisiones que se armaron en la URSS para responder la pregunta ¿Qué paso?; (supuse que sería un relato con buenos insides)
2. Luego ir con el libro de Voces de Chernóbil: Crónica del futuro de Svetlana Alexievich (porque su enfoque conocer la opinión de las víctimas siempre me ha resultado interesante)
3. Entre ambos libros pensé en ver la serie de HBO sobre Chernóbil (obviamente no esperaba mucha objetividad en una serie británico-americana, más aún que Reino Unido y USA están en plena campaña mediática contra los "malvados rusos" que tienen invadida parte de la "desvalida Ucrania")
Y acá mi sorpresa porque la serie de HBO ES PRÁCTICAMENTE UN CALCO DE ESTE LIBRO de Grigori Medvedev y no logro determinar si lo escrito por Medvedev está influido por las conclusiones finales que la URSS presentó a la comunidad internacional en Viena en voz del científico soviético Valery Legasov, quién antes de su suicidio (en el 88) afirmó que en la conferencia había dicho la verdad PERO no toda la verdad.
En este libro el autor apunta a que son dos las causas fundamentales del desastre de Chernóbil:
1. Durante una prueba de seguridad del reactor, que consistía en simular una falla de la electricidad general en la planta, la negligencia de los operadores del reactor 4 fue tan extrema que al parecer se olvidaron que estaban operando un aparato altamente complejo con la capacidad de matar toda cosa viva en un radio muy amplio! Y manipularon a ese reactor como si fuese una lavadora! confiados en que el reactor tenía un botón de "apagado rápido" peeeero...
2. El botón de apagado en realidad era una especie de "temido botón rojo" pues al parecer había fallas graves en el diseño del reactor RBMK y cuando pulsaron ese botón, el reactor explotó! (Aunque por lo que entendí en el libro y por pesquisas adicionales que hice, pues ese botón aceleró unos segundos algo que inevitablemente iba a ocurrir! )
Por supuesto que en el libro hay mucho más detalles técnicos, y por cierto algunos son tan complejos de entender que más bien me parecieron un ardid tonto del autor para "sonar experto en la materia". En más de una ocasión el ego del autor desespera! y varias veces nos dice que, apenas con los primeros reportes, él ya sabía que el reactor había explotado, pero se quedó bien calladito porque claro no era su competencia decirlo…
Debo decir que éste libro no lo considero equilibrado; más aún dudo de la credibilidad del autor; y acá resumo algunas de mis razones (que obviamente son debatibles):
Chenóbil ocurrió en 1986; para esa fecha el autor trabajaba para el gobierno de la URSS e incluso fue designado por ese gobierno para investigar las causas del accidente. De allí se desprende que el cargo que ocupaba era necesariamente de confianza. Además el autor tenía una larga trayectoria en la construcción de centrales nucleares (De hecho participó en la construcción de la central de Chernóbil) y con este CV va y suelta esta perla como si nada:
Y yo me pregunto ¿el autor no era parte de esa sociedad?, ¿cómo podemos estar seguros que el autor no era uno de los "personajes incompetentes"? Noten que el autor habla de la unión soviética en pasado, que oficialmente cayó en 1990 y justo ese es el año en que este libro salió publicado en USA (¡Oh casualidad!). Por tanto, si el libro fue "prohibido en la URSS", esa prohibición debió ocurrir entre el 86 y el 90. Ahora bien, en este libro el autor constantemente hace alusión a la "ineptitud" de casi todos los involucrados directa e indirectamente en el accidente (científicos, militares, funcionarios, etc) y si damos por cierto que la gente de la KGB no se andaba con muchos remilgos para apresar gente, ¿nos vamos a creer que Gregori Medvedev, siendo funcionario de la URSS iba a enviar un libro donde despotrica de Raimundo y todo el mundo a una editorial en la URSS?? (Una de dos: o la “temible” KGB no era tan temible; o eso de la prohibición es una mentira publicitaria para que el público americano fuera en masa a comprar el libro.. y por cierto que el libro fue BestSeller y ganó al menos un premio importante en USA). Y no olvidemos que algunos ex-funcionarios soviéticos (y eran "ex-s" porque se cayó la URSS no porque renunciaran) usaban la Glasnost de Gorbachov para desligarse de la URSS.
Este autor no se porque me recuerda a la pléyade de funcionarios venezolanos que tienen años siendo parte del sistema político imperante y un día se levantan con crisis moral y les da por criticar a todo el sistema; claaaro generalmente ese día coincide con el día en que recibieron una notificación del gobierno para pedirles “explicaciones” por tal o cual hecho de corrupción; (recuerden que a cada tantas los gobiernos necesitan chivitos expiatorios, así que no vayan a creer que el gobierno en verdad castiga la corrupción con mano firme)
Sin embargo, es un HECHO que Chernóbil es la peor catástrofe ocurrida en el planeta con tecnología nuclear de por medio; y aunque ocurrió en la URSS (Ucrania) no es menos cierto que las causas y las consecuencias -verdaderas- de ese hecho deben ser de dominio público puesto que en cierto sentido afectaron a todo el planeta (aunque obviamente los ucranianos y los bielorrusos se llevaron la peor parte).
Inicio comentando que siempre tuve curiosidad por este "accidente" porque es inevitable preguntarse ¿cómo cuernos estalla un reactor nuclear? En Fukushima al menos sabemos que la planta recibió el impacto de un terremoto y luego se vino un tsunami, entonces queda claro que estaban operando bajo condiciones extremas (aunque ¡Madre Santa! a quién se le ocurrió construir esa planta a ORILLAS DEL PACIFICO EN JAPÓN, donde día sí y día no hay movimientos telúricos); pero el asunto es que en Chernóbil fue todo tan "sin aviso" que el error humano apunta a ser la causa más probable del desastre.
Atención: El hecho que uno pueda comprender las causas de un accidente nuclear, no quita valor a la discusión sobre si tiene sentido tener plantas nucleares para satisfacer la gran demanda de energía del mundo actual; cuando esa alta demanda y los mecanismos para suplirla amenazan la propia vida de toooodo el planeta!
Ahora bien, como a veces pasa uno puede tener ganas de averiguar sobre algo y se atraviesan cosas y uno va olvidando, olvidando (terrible el olvido humano) y pues me dije que el 2024 no se iría sin leerme este libro que tenía hace mucho tiempo en mi biblioteca de Calibre. Mi plan era:
1. Leer este libro de autor ruso que formó parte de una de las muchas comisiones que se armaron en la URSS para responder la pregunta ¿Qué paso?; (supuse que sería un relato con buenos insides)
2. Luego ir con el libro de Voces de Chernóbil: Crónica del futuro de Svetlana Alexievich (porque su enfoque conocer la opinión de las víctimas siempre me ha resultado interesante)
3. Entre ambos libros pensé en ver la serie de HBO sobre Chernóbil (obviamente no esperaba mucha objetividad en una serie británico-americana, más aún que Reino Unido y USA están en plena campaña mediática contra los "malvados rusos" que tienen invadida parte de la "desvalida Ucrania")
Y acá mi sorpresa porque la serie de HBO ES PRÁCTICAMENTE UN CALCO DE ESTE LIBRO de Grigori Medvedev y no logro determinar si lo escrito por Medvedev está influido por las conclusiones finales que la URSS presentó a la comunidad internacional en Viena en voz del científico soviético Valery Legasov, quién antes de su suicidio (en el 88) afirmó que en la conferencia había dicho la verdad PERO no toda la verdad.
En este libro el autor apunta a que son dos las causas fundamentales del desastre de Chernóbil:
1. Durante una prueba de seguridad del reactor, que consistía en simular una falla de la electricidad general en la planta, la negligencia de los operadores del reactor 4 fue tan extrema que al parecer se olvidaron que estaban operando un aparato altamente complejo con la capacidad de matar toda cosa viva en un radio muy amplio! Y manipularon a ese reactor como si fuese una lavadora! confiados en que el reactor tenía un botón de "apagado rápido" peeeero...
2. El botón de apagado en realidad era una especie de "temido botón rojo" pues al parecer había fallas graves en el diseño del reactor RBMK y cuando pulsaron ese botón, el reactor explotó! (Aunque por lo que entendí en el libro y por pesquisas adicionales que hice, pues ese botón aceleró unos segundos algo que inevitablemente iba a ocurrir! )
Por supuesto que en el libro hay mucho más detalles técnicos, y por cierto algunos son tan complejos de entender que más bien me parecieron un ardid tonto del autor para "sonar experto en la materia". En más de una ocasión el ego del autor desespera! y varias veces nos dice que, apenas con los primeros reportes, él ya sabía que el reactor había explotado, pero se quedó bien calladito porque claro no era su competencia decirlo…
En todo caso, adiviné la explosión del reactor
Debo decir que éste libro no lo considero equilibrado; más aún dudo de la credibilidad del autor; y acá resumo algunas de mis razones (que obviamente son debatibles):
Chenóbil ocurrió en 1986; para esa fecha el autor trabajaba para el gobierno de la URSS e incluso fue designado por ese gobierno para investigar las causas del accidente. De allí se desprende que el cargo que ocupaba era necesariamente de confianza. Además el autor tenía una larga trayectoria en la construcción de centrales nucleares (De hecho participó en la construcción de la central de Chernóbil) y con este CV va y suelta esta perla como si nada:
Sorprende también el conformismo mostrado por la sociedad soviética, que creía a pies juntillas las declaraciones de los académicos y otros personajes incompetentes.
Y yo me pregunto ¿el autor no era parte de esa sociedad?, ¿cómo podemos estar seguros que el autor no era uno de los "personajes incompetentes"? Noten que el autor habla de la unión soviética en pasado, que oficialmente cayó en 1990 y justo ese es el año en que este libro salió publicado en USA (¡Oh casualidad!). Por tanto, si el libro fue "prohibido en la URSS", esa prohibición debió ocurrir entre el 86 y el 90. Ahora bien, en este libro el autor constantemente hace alusión a la "ineptitud" de casi todos los involucrados directa e indirectamente en el accidente (científicos, militares, funcionarios, etc) y si damos por cierto que la gente de la KGB no se andaba con muchos remilgos para apresar gente, ¿nos vamos a creer que Gregori Medvedev, siendo funcionario de la URSS iba a enviar un libro donde despotrica de Raimundo y todo el mundo a una editorial en la URSS?? (Una de dos: o la “temible” KGB no era tan temible; o eso de la prohibición es una mentira publicitaria para que el público americano fuera en masa a comprar el libro.. y por cierto que el libro fue BestSeller y ganó al menos un premio importante en USA). Y no olvidemos que algunos ex-funcionarios soviéticos (y eran "ex-s" porque se cayó la URSS no porque renunciaran) usaban la Glasnost de Gorbachov para desligarse de la URSS.
Este autor no se porque me recuerda a la pléyade de funcionarios venezolanos que tienen años siendo parte del sistema político imperante y un día se levantan con crisis moral y les da por criticar a todo el sistema; claaaro generalmente ese día coincide con el día en que recibieron una notificación del gobierno para pedirles “explicaciones” por tal o cual hecho de corrupción; (recuerden que a cada tantas los gobiernos necesitan chivitos expiatorios, así que no vayan a creer que el gobierno en verdad castiga la corrupción con mano firme)
August 25, 2021
Scientifically it goes in more depth than any other book on the subject I’ve read, because it was written by a scientist.
For a balance of narrative hook and technical accuracy I would still rate Higginbotham’s Midnight in Chernobyl the best of the lot.
For a balance of narrative hook and technical accuracy I would still rate Higginbotham’s Midnight in Chernobyl the best of the lot.
May 8, 2011
The Truth About Chernobyl is as close to primary-source historical material as you can get without visiting the libraries in Kiev and Moscow and reviewing americium-dusted pages from the reactor's SKALA printouts. Medvedev was chief engineer of the reactor's design team when it was built, yet recommended against placement of the leaky, cheap core type in the middle of the Soviet Union's agricultural Ukrainian breadbasket. He was overruled by the same pompous, incompetent bureaucracy that later fumbled the reaction to the accident, allowing thousands of residents of nearby villages and cities to suffer needless exposure to radioactive contamination for days.
Medvedev recounts in vivid detail decisions leading up to the building of the Chornobyl (Ukrainian spelling) site, provides a second-by-second accounting of the accident, then paints a portrait of the aftermath that draws not only from his knowledge of nuclear physics, but from his experience as a seasoned official embedded in Soviet systems. He describes personalities in ways that show you the person ("He suffered from periodic spasms of the cerebral arteries that required emergency medical care at his home during this period") and make it clear that the Soviet governmental system of central control reward driving personality types regardless of their ability to make useful decisions ("In Chernobyl a cosmic tragedy had taken place; and the cosmos can be handled not by brute force alone, but by the force of reason, which is in itself a living and more powerful cosmic force.")
If the book has a fault for me, it is in the vivid side trails that the author explores throughout the book, instead of following a more logical and sequential pattern in his narrative. This is a personal preference, though. Others may appreciate the odd breaks from relentlessly depressing accounts of incompetence and destruction, descriptions of the effects (gruesome) of radiation poisoning ("nuclear tan," "metallic taste," "nuclear frenzy, followed by depression and collapse..."), and dozens of personal statements by reactor station employees, firemen, fishermen, residents of Pripyat, housewives, officials, and scientists. Medvedev interviewed many personally, and read the official accounts of others, often taken just before their demise from exposure to ungodly amounts of ionizing radiation.
This book stands as brilliant witness to the intersection of human frailty and human technology, a nuclear Titanic. It also stands as a first-person accounting of the unreal details of the aftermath of that intersection, from the blue glow of ionizing air, to the mental inability to recognize disaster when you're kicking the graphite core of a blown reactor with your foot, to the effects of severe radiation on the human nervous system, tongue and skin.
If you're scientifically inclined and curious about Chornobyl, this is the book for you.
Now out-of-print, it's available for outrageous prices from on-line used book sellers. I managed to find one early in the Fukushima aftermath for a reasonable price, but there probably aren't too many left.
Medvedev recounts in vivid detail decisions leading up to the building of the Chornobyl (Ukrainian spelling) site, provides a second-by-second accounting of the accident, then paints a portrait of the aftermath that draws not only from his knowledge of nuclear physics, but from his experience as a seasoned official embedded in Soviet systems. He describes personalities in ways that show you the person ("He suffered from periodic spasms of the cerebral arteries that required emergency medical care at his home during this period") and make it clear that the Soviet governmental system of central control reward driving personality types regardless of their ability to make useful decisions ("In Chernobyl a cosmic tragedy had taken place; and the cosmos can be handled not by brute force alone, but by the force of reason, which is in itself a living and more powerful cosmic force.")
If the book has a fault for me, it is in the vivid side trails that the author explores throughout the book, instead of following a more logical and sequential pattern in his narrative. This is a personal preference, though. Others may appreciate the odd breaks from relentlessly depressing accounts of incompetence and destruction, descriptions of the effects (gruesome) of radiation poisoning ("nuclear tan," "metallic taste," "nuclear frenzy, followed by depression and collapse..."), and dozens of personal statements by reactor station employees, firemen, fishermen, residents of Pripyat, housewives, officials, and scientists. Medvedev interviewed many personally, and read the official accounts of others, often taken just before their demise from exposure to ungodly amounts of ionizing radiation.
This book stands as brilliant witness to the intersection of human frailty and human technology, a nuclear Titanic. It also stands as a first-person accounting of the unreal details of the aftermath of that intersection, from the blue glow of ionizing air, to the mental inability to recognize disaster when you're kicking the graphite core of a blown reactor with your foot, to the effects of severe radiation on the human nervous system, tongue and skin.
If you're scientifically inclined and curious about Chornobyl, this is the book for you.
Now out-of-print, it's available for outrageous prices from on-line used book sellers. I managed to find one early in the Fukushima aftermath for a reasonable price, but there probably aren't too many left.
April 26, 2020
Junto a Voces de Chernóbil, proporciona una vista completa del antes, durante y después del accidente nuclear. Es especialmente interesante no sólo desde el punto de vista técnico sino del humano, ya que detalla las fortalezas y debilidades de carácter de los principales agentes implicados en esta historia. La narración se sigue mejor, y me ha gustado más que la de Voces de Chernóbil, aunque hay muchos saltos temporales que la complican de forma algo innecesaria.
March 18, 2019
At times impenetrably technical, at times painfully compassionate. An unfailingly scathing and uniquely qualified critique of a system that allowed this catastrophe to happen. Densely detailed and surprisingly emotional, written by a man who was there.
February 1, 2022
Even after all the books and articles I've read on Chernobyl, this one delivered powerful insight and an insider's perspective on a catastrophe that had been several decades in coming.
June 9, 2013
If you're curious about Chernobyl, and you want to read firsthand descriptions of the disaster itself and the fallout from it, this is worth reading.
The author is a Soviet nuclear engineer, who worked at Chernobyl at one point (well before the disaster) and was sent to help investigate in the days following. As such, he's uniquely acquainted with both nuclear power and Chernobyl in particular. The title suggests that he has an axe to grind, and he does, but it's not the one you might expect. His axe isn't anti-nuclear-power, really; it's anti-coverup. The Chernobyl disaster was initially covered up by the Soviets, leading to a huge amount of misinformation in the press. Grigori Medvedev's goal was to tell the truth.
Since the book was written in 1989 (translated to English in 1991), more information has come to light, and some of the events depicted are now known to be a bit out of date. However, it's still a worthwhile read; along with numerous firsthand accounts, it successfully conveys the feelings of being in the middle of a major disaster.
And if this sort of book interests you, you may also want to check out Five Past Midnight in Bhopal: The Epic Story of the World's Deadliest Industrial Disaster.
The author is a Soviet nuclear engineer, who worked at Chernobyl at one point (well before the disaster) and was sent to help investigate in the days following. As such, he's uniquely acquainted with both nuclear power and Chernobyl in particular. The title suggests that he has an axe to grind, and he does, but it's not the one you might expect. His axe isn't anti-nuclear-power, really; it's anti-coverup. The Chernobyl disaster was initially covered up by the Soviets, leading to a huge amount of misinformation in the press. Grigori Medvedev's goal was to tell the truth.
Since the book was written in 1989 (translated to English in 1991), more information has come to light, and some of the events depicted are now known to be a bit out of date. However, it's still a worthwhile read; along with numerous firsthand accounts, it successfully conveys the feelings of being in the middle of a major disaster.
And if this sort of book interests you, you may also want to check out Five Past Midnight in Bhopal: The Epic Story of the World's Deadliest Industrial Disaster.
March 3, 2020
The truth about Chernobyl. Medvedev, Grigori; Sakharov Andreĭ. First Edition / First Edition 1991. Although this is one of the oldest books covering subject of Chernobyl disaster I have read, it is also one of the best. It was written by participant of those events - author was sent back as a special investigator immediately after the 1986 catastrophe. This gives us opportunity to look at facts directly thanks to this firsthand testimony. Also as it was written by specialists, physicist and engineer supervising the construction of Chernobyl reactors, it contains many important technical details, without which it is impossible to truly understand events of this sinister April night 1986, at the same time, everything is understandable even to a layman. And thanks to personal style it instantly draws you in, it is absolutely fascinating story. We also have here some interesting flavors about the main actors of the drama Dyatlov, Fomin and Bryukhanov, whom author knew personally. It's amazing, fascinating and thrilling story exactly as it happened. Life is truly far more interesting than fiction.
March 4, 2020
One of best books covering Chernobyl disaster. Written by engineer, specialist with extensive knowledge of RMBK reactors, who served as deputy chief engineer during construction of the the first unit of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. At the time of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, Medvedev was deputy director of the main industrial department in the Soviet Ministry of Energy, he was sent back as a special investigator immediately after the 1986 catastrophe so in this book he provides extensive first-hand testimony based also on interviews, describing precisely causes of accident, everything that lead to destruction of Chernobyl reactor no.4 and what happened after the explosion. The book is the single prime source for much of the actions of the operators, managers and others who where main actors in the Chernobyl disaster. Book contains many important technical details related to the RBMK reactors, without which the topic cannot be understood. But this book isn't only about raw data. Author writes in an personal style that draws and engages the reader, providing a lot of curiosities about important actors of disaster like Fomin or Bryukhanov.
December 10, 2017
Una crónica bastante completa y llena de detalles técnicos, pero sin dejar de lado la escala humana.
En general se hace ameno, pero creo que incluye mucho detalle, lo que a veces aburre.
Lo positivo es que incluye testimonios de los involucrados, además de que el autor sabe del campo nuclear.
Muestra que el accidente se produjo debido a la falta de liderazgo de los jefes y al soberbia del personal técnico en los mandos medios. Por otro lado, también muestra la valentía de los que siguieron trabajando para apagar el reactor y a todos aquellos que apoyaron las labores de rescate, curación y mitigación.
Un desastre que pudo ser evitado y que nos muestra la verdadera cara de ser descuidados con las fuerzas nucleares.
En general se hace ameno, pero creo que incluye mucho detalle, lo que a veces aburre.
Lo positivo es que incluye testimonios de los involucrados, además de que el autor sabe del campo nuclear.
Muestra que el accidente se produjo debido a la falta de liderazgo de los jefes y al soberbia del personal técnico en los mandos medios. Por otro lado, también muestra la valentía de los que siguieron trabajando para apagar el reactor y a todos aquellos que apoyaron las labores de rescate, curación y mitigación.
Un desastre que pudo ser evitado y que nos muestra la verdadera cara de ser descuidados con las fuerzas nucleares.
February 5, 2018
Written within a few years of the April 26, 1986 nuclear disaster in what is now Ukraine, this book was both mind-boggling and heartbreaking. Although a bit technically difficult to understand, the author, a nuclear physicist who understood the nuances of nuclear physics better than most, does his best to explain technical terms and their importance. This narrative covers both the heroes and villains; those who literally sacrificed their own lives and died excruciating deaths to save others and those whose negligence and pride led to the great coverup that followed the disaster. This book is a cautionary tale of what happens when we think we know more about science than we actually do.
May 30, 2012
This book was amazing. The author worked for the Soviet nuclear energy department and was visiting the power plant a day before the accident and returned in the days following and saw the damage and efforts to mitigate them. He subsequently interviewed dozen of victims and officials, then published this book soon after the accident - all under Soviet rule. He's honest and often quite scathing about what happened as a result of specific people and their decisions, as well as the Soviet policies in place.
September 14, 2015
A largely excellent book chronicling the history, design, and decisions that ultimately led to the Chernobyl disaster. Authored by a former worker at the plant, Medvedev's book offers a thoroughly detailed timeline to the incident. Although hindered by Soviet secrecy and his own somewhat limited viewpoint, it's a good book for anyone interested in how complex systems can fail through seemingly small and unrelated flaws.
November 23, 2014
This book was an amazing look into the events that occurred on April 26th, 1986. I was shocked to hear some of the things said before, during, after, and about the event. It was also eye opening to read about the health effects it had on so many people. Thank you Medvedev for your inside look of this truly tragic and preventable moment of world history!
October 17, 2019
This is a surprisingly lucid and gripping recount of the many details of the Chernobyl disaster from a nuclear engineer who worked at the plant in its early days, and was present on scene shortly after the explosion. There are many verbatim eyewitness accounts, and the technical detail tended to add to the drama, not distract. I suspect the translator deserves a lot of credit.
February 2, 2015
Re-reading in 2011 because I forgot the details.
July 25, 2013
An amazingly descriptive and vivid read- almost feels like you're watching a movie. People not in the nuclear field may need a little background. A must read for anyone interested in nuclear science.
September 14, 2016
A captivating and terrifying read. It has me hungry to learn more about what's happened since this book was written.
August 12, 2024
The HBO series is taken mainly from this book which is a shame because this book is mainly made up. A shame the title is so ironic. Long story short: the USSR blamed the operators for spinning the thing out of control so they didn't have to admit their design was so flawed that what the operators thought was normal everyday stuff turned into such a catastrophe... In truth they probably did not do anything wrong. The author of this book has a personal vendetta against Dyatlov. All of the things said about him being bossy and unpleasant can't be confirmed by any other source.
Also this book made up the "bridge of death." There was no bridge overlooking the plant that people could go onto then get irradiated and die...
Just read Chernobyl: A Documentary Story instead. And watch That Chernobyl Guy on YouTube. He is the source of most of what I have put in this review.
Also this book made up the "bridge of death." There was no bridge overlooking the plant that people could go onto then get irradiated and die...
Just read Chernobyl: A Documentary Story instead. And watch That Chernobyl Guy on YouTube. He is the source of most of what I have put in this review.
November 22, 2025
le iba a valorar con menos puntuación porque se basa más en los días de la catástrofe, que en la construcción del sarcófago, las dificultades que tuvieron que pasar, el juicio, etc... hasta que llegué al final y vi que el libro fue escrito un año después de la catástrofe.
Sin pelos en la lengua, no deja títere con cabeza de los responsables y del sistema en general. Hay que echarle dos huevos enormes para en esa unión soviética publicar algo así, más aún cuando dice que precisamente el mutismo y el poner todo de color de rosas es lo que llevó finalmente a la tragedia.
Me hubiera gustado más un libro que abarcase más años, pero desgraciadamente en español no hay mucho donde elegir.
Sin pelos en la lengua, no deja títere con cabeza de los responsables y del sistema en general. Hay que echarle dos huevos enormes para en esa unión soviética publicar algo así, más aún cuando dice que precisamente el mutismo y el poner todo de color de rosas es lo que llevó finalmente a la tragedia.
Me hubiera gustado más un libro que abarcase más años, pero desgraciadamente en español no hay mucho donde elegir.
August 27, 2019
Libro que ofrece una lectura, a mi juicio, demasiado rancia y redundante. Aunque el autor intenta establecer un orden cronológico en los capítulos, marea demasiado al lector con saltos temporales innecesarios y que hacen perder el hilo de la narración. Se centra en conversaciones que pecan de banales y creo que hay demasiada paja en el libro. Se nota que es un científico, y el estilo literario deja bastante que desear. No obstante, entre tanta bagatela, describe bien el accidente nuclear.
Casi que mejor ver la serie que leer este libro.
Casi que mejor ver la serie que leer este libro.
July 1, 2020
Excellent read by someone in the industry who knew many of the main characters involved and is actually a nuclear reactor physicist. Unlike some of those running the V I Lenin power station! If you’re into romance and mystery lovers, don’t read this book! But if you like to learn what happened on one of the world’s worst peacetime disasters then this is good. Detailed and pretty objective I reckon. Easy to read.
Read
June 30, 2019Este libro, lúcido y espeluznante, es el único testimonio completo y objetivo de la catástrofe de Chernóbil.Prohibido durante largos años en la URSS, sólo ahora su contenido puede llegar a los lectores. Grigori Medvédev ha sido Ingeniero Jefe del Servicio de Explotación de la Central de Chernóbil desde que ésta fue construida. Su relato, por tanto, es el de alguien que vivió de cerca la tragedia.
April 25, 2020
Boobs and marshmallows, the best insults a Soviet citizen sputters in a crisis.
This was an excellent read. It was thorough, scientific, and had variety. There were interviews, actual narratives of the events, expert opinions; it had it all. Highly recommend for anyone.
This was an excellent read. It was thorough, scientific, and had variety. There were interviews, actual narratives of the events, expert opinions; it had it all. Highly recommend for anyone.
September 17, 2019
a nice follow-up to watching the HBO series CHERNOBYL. sobering and borderline depressing.
November 4, 2020
这本书的成书时间离事件本身太近了，所以在视野、反思的深度和后见之明上，都无法和阿列克谢耶维奇的作品相提并论。但由于作者本身既是核能专业人士，又是体制内的亲历者，在很多方面都能够提供极好的补充。有趣的是，作者在灾难发生后的第一个周年纪念日去到埋葬着消防队员和核电站操作人员的公墓时，碰巧也看到了一个死于阿富汗战争的士兵的葬礼。然而，当时的他并不知道，这一切加起来，正是大厦将倾的绝佳预言。
May 27, 2025
An initially interesting history book was marred by the author's switch to historical fiction when he imagined dialogue and action during the Chernobyl nuclear power station explosion in 1986.
May 6, 2016
On April 26, 1986, at 1:23 in the morning, shift supervisor of the #4 reactor Aleksandr Akimov pressed the AZ-5 emergency shutdown button on the central control panel to lower the control rods in hopes of shutting down the reactor. What followed at the Lenin Nuclear Power Plant, more commonly known as Chernobyl, was a runaway power surge that produced an almost incomprehensible steam/gas explosion that literally blew the bio shield off the top of the reactor and exposed the interior of the reactor (UO2 fuel and graphite) to the atmosphere.
The author of this book, Grigori Medvedev, was a Soviet nuclear engineer who had spent time at Chernobyl during the construction and start-up phase of several of the reactors. While not working at the plant during the catastrophe, he eventually made his way back to the area (plant, Pripyat, Chernobyl, and other areas) days after to help in investigations and mobilizations for shutting down the exposed, burning reactor permanently. Some years after, he wrote this outstanding, frightening, and enlightening account of the events before, during, and after this tragedy.
The reader will learn that the Soviets had a very laid-back and almost hands off policy towards safety in the years during their nuclear plant buildup all over the USSR. Also noted is the inexperience of the operators at this particular plant and the inherent design flaws that existed in the type of reactor at Chernobyl. The Soviets also exhibited a policy of denial, cover-up, and just general incompetence in the aftermath of a destroyed, exposed reactor. However, not to be lost in this mass of errors, is the absolute bravery and courage exhibited by the plant operators and firefighters after the explosion. Their efforts have been documented as quite possibly preventing another reactor from suffering the same fate. Most of them died within 2 months from direct, lethal exposure to intense beta and gamma radiation, all of them not aware of the dangers they were immersed in.
Many feel the disaster at Chernobyl contributed to the downfall of the USSR. It also changed the world's view of nuclear power generation forever. Thankfully, the reactors operating around the world today are of advanced designs that prevent these events from being able to occur (Fukushima notwithstanding, a different kind of accident that will be addressed in the future as well).
I recommend this book to all science and history lovers, as it very well may be one of the most important books I have ever read. Medvedev deserves high praise for his efforts to expose the truth in hopes of saving lives in the future.
The author of this book, Grigori Medvedev, was a Soviet nuclear engineer who had spent time at Chernobyl during the construction and start-up phase of several of the reactors. While not working at the plant during the catastrophe, he eventually made his way back to the area (plant, Pripyat, Chernobyl, and other areas) days after to help in investigations and mobilizations for shutting down the exposed, burning reactor permanently. Some years after, he wrote this outstanding, frightening, and enlightening account of the events before, during, and after this tragedy.
The reader will learn that the Soviets had a very laid-back and almost hands off policy towards safety in the years during their nuclear plant buildup all over the USSR. Also noted is the inexperience of the operators at this particular plant and the inherent design flaws that existed in the type of reactor at Chernobyl. The Soviets also exhibited a policy of denial, cover-up, and just general incompetence in the aftermath of a destroyed, exposed reactor. However, not to be lost in this mass of errors, is the absolute bravery and courage exhibited by the plant operators and firefighters after the explosion. Their efforts have been documented as quite possibly preventing another reactor from suffering the same fate. Most of them died within 2 months from direct, lethal exposure to intense beta and gamma radiation, all of them not aware of the dangers they were immersed in.
Many feel the disaster at Chernobyl contributed to the downfall of the USSR. It also changed the world's view of nuclear power generation forever. Thankfully, the reactors operating around the world today are of advanced designs that prevent these events from being able to occur (Fukushima notwithstanding, a different kind of accident that will be addressed in the future as well).
I recommend this book to all science and history lovers, as it very well may be one of the most important books I have ever read. Medvedev deserves high praise for his efforts to expose the truth in hopes of saving lives in the future.
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