Although he could walk, his parents could see he had strange skin damage. Are Sky and HBO's miniseries "Chernobyl" historically accurate? For Russian football coach and player, see, This name uses Eastern Slavic naming customs; the patronymic is. Aleksandr Akimov was born on 6 May 1953 in Novosibirsk, Russian SFSR (Republic of the Soviet Union). On April 26th, 1986, at 1:23 am, Alexander Akimov did what he and thousands of other nuclear plant operators have been trained to do. As we know from the official data, Akimov is wrongfully accused of being responsible for the accident. 43 0 obj<>stream "Its high rankings show that people are still interested in Chernobyl. .] The body of one of them, Valery Khodemchuk, was never recovered from the reactor debris. We dont think of our own death. During the test, Akimov called for the AZ-5 (scram) button to be pressed to shut down the reactor, and Toptunov operated the button. A member of staff at the plant from 1982, he became a witness to the immediate aftermath on the morning of 26 April 1986. It's now a museum. Is there any truth or is it all here say? And Oleksiy Breus sees their portrayal as "not a fiction, but a blatant lie". ", Most of the firefighters were pouring water on the damaged reactor, he says. If you can find a source, Id be interested to know. And still the shift leader is ruminating if the catastrophy was his fault: "What have we done wrong? Russians and Ukrainians have watched it via the internet, and it has had a favourable rating on Russian film site Kinopoisk. There were fears that "lava" from the molten reactor could reach the water, triggering a further, potentially far more powerful explosion. Before he was gone, he told about the test proceedings. [5] However, the operators were found to have deviated from operational procedures, changing test protocols on the fly, as well as having made "ill judged" actions, making human factors a major contributing factor. Leonid Fedorovych Toptunov (Ukrainian: , Russian: ; 16 August 1960 14 May 1986) was a Soviet engineer who was the senior reactor control chief engineer at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Reactor Unit 4 on the night of the Chernobyl disaster, 26 April 1986. Ultimately, though, he is happy the show has refocused attention on the disaster and the scale of damage caused. Firefighters sent from neighbouring Pripyat did not know of any radiation exposure and Ignatenko died of acute radiation syndrome on 13 May 1986. 0000000756 00000 n Of course, you can criticize the episode for excessive melodrama: Legasov is suddenly partial to Khomyuk, and the miners who stand up to a coal minister recruiting them for the Chernobyl liquidation effort are too theatrical. Residents started to panic when there was a metallic smell in the air, and the atmosphere appeared different. But no matter how strict he was, he was still a high-level professional.". Creator Craig Mazin Stars Jessie Buckley Jared Harris Stellan Skarsgrd See production, box office & company info Watch on HBO Max S1 with Prime Video Channels More watch options "When he was present at the block, it created tension for everyone. [] And the last thing that I want this show to do is to scare people about nuclear power. "It was just our work. Warning: This story contains plot details from the miniseries. Whilst he was in hospital. He had health problems afterwards.". Not really regarding to Akimov specifically, but in my book Im reading the wife of the firefighter who stayed by his side all the way described lots of horrific side affects from the radiation, and he wasnt even in the same situation as Akimov. Dr. Gale treated patients who had suffered such a high exposure to radiation that even a bone marrow transplant could not save them. He would try and stand up and walk around, but this resulted in the "skin on his legs falling off like socks". Yet, with us, death is a biological event. The miners finished their work ahead of schedule, but by then the molten core had cooled itself. The original footage was probably taken at reactor 4 control room during the time our guys were on crew, that's why many of them can be seen. He's growing weaker, wheezes, can hardly talk anymore. Movies. Press J to jump to the feed. My body parts not covered by clothes - such as hands, face and neck - were red". And Oleksiy Breus sees their portrayal as "not a fiction, but a blatant lie". 4 reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Mr Breus worked with many of the individuals portrayed and has given his verdict of the series. His family was informed that his death was the only reason he was not prosecuted for the accident. Lyudmillas story appears in Svetlana Alexievichs book, Voices From Chernobyl, where she says, None of the doctors knew I was staying the night with him in the compression chamber. During his stay, he discussed possible causes of the accident with Akimov and Dyatlov but they were mystified. Because its so big! I know he has been brought up alot in discussions especially about his face. Two weeks have passed since the explosion as Akimov's suffering is ends. Contrary to reports that the three divers died of radiation sickness as a result of their action, all three survived. The authors would never pass up a chance to introduce a brand new scientific discovery to the world! At 9:29 is Razim Davletbayev, deputy head of the Turbine Hall. Is it Kovalenko? ", Russia to make its own show about Chernobyl, Giant structure moves in to cover Chernobyl, TV drama Chernobyl: 'So chilling, it spares you nothing', Chernobyl: The end of a three-decade experiment, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. Hes not a man anymore, but a reactor. I am still very convinced, that this footage actually shows Boris Stolyarchuk. "A big cup, vodka, KGB everywhere.". Following the disaster, citizens in the city of Kiev were advised by authorities to take regular warm showers, keep their windows closed, and regularly wash their furniture. The dogs are tagged and their radiation exposure studied. When Alexander has taken his duties, the reactor was in the state of preparation for the shutdown of the power. 0000015771 00000 n However, the deputy chief engineer of the power plant Anatoly Dyatlov ordered to proceed with the tests. Witnesses reported he dried, or his body was mummified alive. "The miners are shown as tough guys who are not afraid of anything, but not the power plant workers.". [3] The operators attempted to perform a rundown test before scheduled routine maintenance, during which reactor 4 exploded. What are you thinking? Is there any truth or is it all here say? April 1986, it turns out, wasnt Dyatlovs first nuclear accident. There are many charities that support facilities which help babies who were born with severe birth defects, including neurological difficulties and heart conditions. He and his crew then stayed and manually pumped the emergency feedwater into the reactor. "Another friend treated at the same time said he had a date with his girlfriend close to the bridge that night. Alexander Akimov worked with other employers in the reactor after the explosion. "I saw other colleagues who worked that night. A subreddit to discuss the Chernobyl Disaster that happened on the night of April 26, 1986, and the Exclusion Zone that isolates the city of Pripyat from the rest of the world. Chernobyl guide Yuri Tatarchuk explained, Kopachi was very badly contaminated and so it was decided to bury it, house by house. [2], Akimov worked with his crew in the reactor building after he learned the extent of the accident. "A thin stream the firemen poured probably evaporated before it even reached reactor.". When confronted with confusing reactor indications, he initiated an emergency shutdown of Unit 4 of the large electricity . The nurses let me in. Cheish Merryweather is a true crime fan and an oddities fanatic. "Now you look like a coal minister." It has nothing to do with reality. Read about our approach to external linking. Or something along those lines. In ablaze, he does indeed talk to Akimov and how much he wanted to live.. but Read wasn't talking about Akimov when he said about skin falling off his legs. But I have to ask about his legs. On the night of April 26, 1986, Alexander Akimov was at work as the shift supervisor of the night crew of Chernobyl Plant Unit Four. Two more workers died because of injuries. Tatarchuk said of the aftermath, It was criminal. Ill say its him until proven otherwise! He is reported to have stated that he believed he had done everything correctly. In 2014, Michael Donnelly, chairman of Chernobyl Childrens Appeal, said, These children are forced to suffer through no fault of their own. In the series, Pripyat residents rush to a railway bridge for a better view of the fire, unaware of the exposure. The guy that posted it was a Radiation Specialist and had access to records of a lot of the Chernobyl victims. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Before coming to Soviet Ukraine, he installed reactors into submarines at a shipbuilding plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where he was once exposed to a nearly fatal dose of radiation. The HBO miniseries includes many of the real people operating the reactor at the time of the meltdown. Their skin had a bright red colour. [11] They were found guilty of gross violation of safety regulations which led to an explosion. HBO. Many can be found playing inside the abandoned cooling tower at the former power plant. Dyatlov could be Tolya, Scherbina could be Borya, Legasov could be Valera, etc. So from that Im assuming those could be pretty true about him, especially skin being so delicate because of the radiation. His father was involved in the Soviet space program and during his childhood, he was surrounded by scientists and engineers.[2]. "For example, that useless secrecy, which became one of the reasons behind the Chernobyl disaster. 4 reactor, and operator Leonid Toptunov, who both feature prominently in the series. A subreddit to discuss the Chernobyl Disaster that happened on the night of April 26, 1986, and the Exclusion Zone that isolates the city of Pripyat from the rest of the world. Lyuba tries to cheer her husband up, she brings him pictures that their children drew. Akimov was exposed during his work to a lethal dose of 15 Gy of radiation. Everyone who worked to restore coolant flow would have suffered greatly from leg burns, because they were standing in the water. He stayed behind and had his crew turn on the emergency water pumps to flood the reactor - sadly, the power source was inactive. At first, they also tried to reason with me, saying, Youre young. It seemed a good idea at the time, but it wasnt. People that are usually blamed for the explosion are the plant employees who worked at the night of the explosion: Aleksandr Akimov, the supervisor of the shift; Leonid Toptunov, the senior reactor control chief engineer; and Anatoly Dyatlov, deputy chief engineer of the power plant. You could see the equipment and pumps exposed. It took 3.5 hours to evacuate. Tel: +38 063 58 16 661E-mail: [emailprotected], Exciting private tours to Chernobyl and Pripyat. In fact, theyre completely true. Despite the change in tone, Chernobyl still knows how to terrify its audience, and Emily Watsons performance as Ulana Khomyuk, the nuclear scientist who visits men dying of radiation poisoning, gets under your skin even more than scenes of engineer Leonid Toptunovs bloody hospital bed sheets. "I saw the damage at reactor No. His famous quote We did everything correctly has been used in the Chernobyl series by HBO. it's not bad, it was probably made in the past few months before February 24th. The Emmy-winning HBO mini-series "Chernobyl," which is a dramatized account of the 1986 nuclear power plant disaster, has rekindled conversation about the accident, its subsequent cleanup and the long-term impacts on people living near the power plant. Aleksandr Akimov and Leonid Toptunov did their best at saving the situation. Some of the events he witnessed that morning were realistically depicted in the show, he says, but others he describes as fiction. 0000017865 00000 n 0000006239 00000 n "The Chernobyl catastrophe is depicted in a very powerful way, as a global catastrophe that absorbed huge numbers of people. "For example, that useless secrecy, which became one of the reasons behind the Chernobyl disaster. I always wonder why toptinov called him sasha? There were little slots for food and such, but then there were some grimmer rooms. ", he asks the one in the neighbouring bed, "We only pressed the shutdown button!" "They took off their clothes, but not like it was shown in the film, not right down to nothing," Mr Breus insists, also pointing out that their role was ultimately not significant to the story. Is there any other reports regarding Akimov? They are also used for research on diseases including rabies. A member of staff at the plant . Russians and Ukrainians have watched it via the internet, and it has had a favourable rating on Russian film site Kinopoisk. ", Most of the firefighters were pouring water on the damaged reactor, he says. [1], Leonid Toptunov was born on 16 August 1960 in Mykolaivka, Buryn Raion, Sumy Oblast. This is an eerie and deserted location, as the homes of Kopachi were completely bulldozed and buried by the Soviet Army. At 1:23 AM, the reactors power levels surged, and the events that followed led to an explosion which released more than 50 tons of radioactive material into the atmosphere.[1]. 4. The explosion occurred. How would I find another job after that?". The dogs have been driven out of the woods by the wild wolves that habitat the area. On May 21, the American premium cable network HBO aired the third episode of Chernobyl, a new miniseries about the catastrophic nuclear accident in April 1986 that rocked the Soviet Union. The traffic was insane. This actor is also famous for his acts in the BBC Robin Hood series. This may be, in part, why the hype around the HBO and Sky series about the disaster has been so substantial. The puppies are believed to be descendants of the pet dogs that were left behind by their owners; residents were granted only a few hours notice before they were evacuated and advised to only take vital personal belongings and a certain amount of food. Mazin also says he visited Chernobyl as a tourist, to prepare for the miniseries. Arriving at work that morning, Mr Breus says he did not see any fire. The actor playing Alexander Akimov, for instance, was never even put in makeup to depict the loss of his face. [4] He left the control room but decided to return out of a sense of responsibility. Yes, i thought the same about Razim Davletbayev. They pumped water into the reactor core, which was the right thing to do at the moment but the wrong thing to do in a long run. You could see the equipment and pumps exposed. DYATLOV (to the room) This is an emergency. 0000018917 00000 n It is the same in the case of the Chernobyl disaster. Elk were contaminated, and the moment their bodies were thrown in a quarry after being stripped of their heads and fur was captured on camera. August 25, 2022 askans. The roles of three key personalities lie at the heart of the story: Plant director Viktor) Bryukhanov, chief engineer Nikolai Fomin and deputy chief engineer Anatoly Dyatlov. They showed us these rooms [], the doors were quite heavy, they were padded on the inside, in case you, I dunno, attempted to smash your head against it. "', 'In Moscow, doctors are trying to save Alexander Akimov's life. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. The scene where Dr. Khomyuk is jailed by the KGB was filmed in Vilnius at a real former KGB prison. The body of one of them, Valery Khodemchuk, was never recovered from the reactor debris. [4], He was admitted to Pripyat Hospital but was quickly transferred to Moscow Hospital 6. 0000016820 00000 n The missing containment wasn't mentioned either', 'It is the morning of the 10th May. Read about our approach to external linking. Months after the Chernobyl disaster, the radioactivity had spread to Galsjo Forest in Sweden. On April 26, 1986, an explosion occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the northern part of Soviet Ukraine, an event which today is widely known as the Chernobyl disaster. Who is the man on the time stamp on 9:20? Jesus, that is terrible for Nekheav, at least they all did what they could to remove all the water from them valves to avoid a steam explosion and tbh I think it is for the best we dont find out about poor Akimovs faces, He got a very large dose all over and I read somewhere he didnt want to die so he tried to act normal but when he would stand the skin around his legs would fal down like loose socks, I just invisioned that in my mind that sounds awful. 0000014730 00000 n However, the power reduction had been too abrupt, which put the reactor into a "poisoned" condition (a buildup of 135Xe, a strong neutron absorber), and made the reactor stall. The Chernobyl disaster is one of the most famous nuclear catastrophes in the world, but not many people know that if it hadn't been for one man, the damage would have been much worse. In 1983, he graduated from the Obninsk Institute for Nuclear Power Engineering, with a specialist degree in nuclear power plant engineering. He's growing weaker, wheezes, can hardly talk anymore. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [] It was a kind of torture I would have never even contemplated. [4] They were found by other workers and taken to the infirmary. Underreported stories. The shows creators havent managed to keep track of all the little things (even though their attention to detail is why many people fell in love with the miniseries in the first place): Valery Legasov, the character played by Jared Harris, drinks his vodka from a large glass in small sips, as if it were whiskey, and everyone in the cast keeps addressing each other as comrade in complete seriousness. [. There was one in particular where the floor sloped down, so it was lower than the entrance to the door, and the idea was that youd go into that room, and they would fill it with water, up to your knees or so, so you couldnt sleep. Its no better now than it was 28 years ago. Oleksiy Breus says the accident helped reveal the substantial flaws of the Soviet system. Theres something wrong with you.. Chernobyl (TV Mini Series 2019) Sam Troughton as Alexandr Akimov. He said, A physician deals with life and death every day. The work done would last until the morning hours of the 27th by trying to pump water into the exposed reactor core. At least 5,000 people were badly affected at the time, while women who were pregnant were simply told to have abortions. They knew where the valves were, so they were the right men for the task. Withdrawing a dangerous number of control rods, the operators could only reach 200 MW due to xenon poisoning. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter', Why half of India's urban women stay at home. Police roamed the streets wearing gas masks, but the residents were kept in the dark and only heard rumors. Toptunov only had two months' experience in operating the reactor and this was his first shutdown as operator. He wanted a promotion which was promised to him in case of a successful test. Photographer Igor Kostin recalled, The clever ones also added a vine leaf for extra comfort.[5]. Akimov heard reports of massive reactor damage, but did not believe it, and as a result relayed false information about the state of the reactor for hours after. A member of. Who would applaud that?". Shift leader Borys Baranov died in 2005, while Valery Bespalov and Oleksiy Ananenko, both chief engineers of one of the reactor sections, are still alive and live in the capital, Kiev. At first, our commanders didnt know what to do. Read about more radioactive calamities on 10 Modern Radiation Accidents Involving Civilians and 10 Famous Incidences of Death by Radiation. Sam Troughton, an English actor, performed the role of Chernobyl supervisor of the shift in the Chernobyl series by HBO in 2019. Their faces were only partially covered by respirators, so they could speak to each other, they were not offered a reward, and they were not clapped on their successful return. 3, Firefighters pictured in 1986 before cleaning debris from the roof of the No. Mr. Alexander was the one who managed the block control panel of the reactor in Chernobyl. He points to a few inaccuracies in the TV portrayal. Role of Akimov in Chernobyl As we know from the official data, Akimov is wrongfully accused of being responsible for the accident. I feel bad for akimov because he died with the guilt weighing on him that he some how caused the accident and why did it happen, I also feel really bad. Aleksandr Fyodorovich Akimov (6 May 1953-11 May 1986) was a Soviet Engineer who was the supervisor of the shift that worked the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant on the night of the Chernobyl Disaster. Because what it can do is savage. Nevertheless, Mazin says the creators wanted to avoid abusive filmmaking and decided not to show the absolute extremes of radiation sickness. It was just awful, and right in the middle of a city.. The Accident at Chernobyl: What Caused the Explosion? Menu. It was way worse for him because he received almost 100% burns from radiation both from the inside and the outside, This article in the German Magazine "Stern" describes Akimov's condition : https://www.stern.de/panorama/weltgeschehen/tschernobyl-anatomie-einer-katastrophe-3597302.html, 'Though Akimov has already recovered from the first symptoms of radiation sickness, his skin is brown and his bone marrow is irreparably damaged. In the hours after the explosion, he spoke to Oleksandr Akimov, the shift leader at the No. They were nothing like that. The reason was the reactors unstable condition due to low electrical network power. The level of radiation in the Chernobyl zone is still the same today as it was in 1986.[9]. AKIMOV . [4], In 2008, Akimov was posthumously awarded with the 3rd degree Order For Courage by Viktor Yushchenko, then the President of Ukraine.[5]. Poor guy. Im not a religious man, but I suppose thats as religious as Ill ever feel. Yes, it's Kovalenko, standing next to Akimov. That night was important because the system tests were taking place. The information is all on the level of 'he said, she said'. I will start a new life. What interviewer? Normally, there is a strict ban on visits to the isolation ward but in hopeless cases the doctors make exceptions. Sputnik/RIA Vasily Ignatenko was 25 years old when he died of radiation. "There are many stereotypes shown, typical of Western portrayal of the Soviet Union," argues Oleksiy Breus. The reactor power level had been reduced, preparing for a planned safety test. Vasily Ignatenko, depicted in the series, was among the first firefighters sent to tackle the blaze. He began his career at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in September 1979. But while many have complimented the show's attention to detail, he believes it is also one of the downsides of the TV series. The village of Kopachi lies 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) from the site of the Chernobyl disaster. moustache is a struggling, wispy version of Akimov's. TOPTUNOV No, that's not--Akimov signals Toptunov not to argue. In 2008, Akimov was posthumously awarded with what they called the 3rd degree Order for Courage. 4 reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. His parents visited him in the hospital. g][^b'v@2RPROza"e =-2Ik053NC=~k{'H|(V>a!Y^5idI1OLgx]zdO f6D*@=7'9 0 He and his colleagues who died from ARS suffered a prolonged and agonising death as the very chromosomes of their bodies were destroyed and organ failure escalated." The bones of your body, he says, "decompose as you become a seeping, foul smelling soup of human material". I also heard that his otopsy file is closed to the public and is only accessible with specific permission. This should come as no surprise that the reasons for the explosion are being thoroughly investigated.