What day is it?

The Chernobyl disaster of 1986 is considered the largest and most famous among such man-made accidents in the world. She taught to treat the “peaceful atom” with caution – it turned out that it can be very dangerous. The safety of not only Ukraine, but the entire planet depended on the people whose fate it was to eliminate the consequences of nuclear reactor explosions. Every year on December 14, Ukrainians pay their respects to the liquidators of the consequences of the Chernobyl accident. Despite the fact that the Day of the liquidator was officially established only in 2006, it has been celebrated since 1986 – then for the first time liquidators gathered to remember the tragic spring events together.

How the idea to celebrate came about Liquidator’s Day?

Construction of the Chornobyl NPP began in 1970, and the city of Pripyat was built nearby at the same time for the station’s employees and their families.

The first power unit of the Chernobyl NPP was connected to the power system of the Soviet Union on September 27, 1977. Later, three more power units were put into operation. The station produced 29 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every day.

Experiment

In the early hours of the night on April 26, a planned experiment was conducted at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. At the fourth reactor, the emergency cooling system was to be turned off and the turbogenerator parameters were to be measured.

But as a result of the unprofessional actions of the staff and the peculiarities of the design of the reactor itself, everything went wrong. The power level of the reactor during the experiment was supposed to be about 30%, but it was reduced to only half due to the prohibition of the dispatcher of Kyivenergo.

The reactor operated for several hours with the auto-cooling system turned off. Then the operator failed to keep the reactor parameters at the required level. According to the instructions, the reactor should have been stopped in such a situation, but the station employees decided to continue the experiment. The self-acceleration of the reactor began, the thermal power increased rapidly.

At 1 hour 23 minutes, two powerful explosions were heard with an interval of 3 seconds, as a result of which the reactor of the fourth power unit was completely destroyed. The explosion also damaged the walls and ceiling of the engine room, and a fire broke out inside the station and on the roof.

Without dosimeters and special protection

Already five minutes later, fighters of the paramilitary fire department guarding the station arrived at the scene of the accident. The duty guard included 14 firefighters headed by Lieutenant Volodymyr Pravyk. He was a 24-year-old young man whose life was just beginning. Pravyk had a wife and a small daughter.

Firefighters began to fight the flames on the roof of the engine room, and soon ten more firefighters with equipment – the fire department from Pripyat – arrived to help. The unit was commanded by Viktor Kibenok, a 23-year-old lieutenant of the internal troops.

The head of the fire department that guarded the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Major Leonid Telyatnikov, took charge of the operation. At that time, he was on vacation, but when he learned about the disaster, he rushed to help his subordinates.

Despite the fact that the firefighters did not have dosimeters, they understood that they were working under powerful radioactive radiation. At the same time, there were no special means of protection against radiation. But the officers and firefighters had no other choice – it was their duty, besides, it was impossible to let the flames take over the neighboring power unit. The fire on an area of ​​about 300 square meters was extinguished after five hours.

People who were the first to fight with fire received doses of radiation that were incompatible with life. Symptoms of radiation sickness began to appear immediately. On the same day, April 26, they were sent to Moscow for treatment.

Among the first liquidators of the accident, 31 people died. Almost all died within a few weeks, including lieutenants Pravyk and Kibenok. Another 134 people from the number of ChNPP workers and rescuers got radiation sickness.

The hidden truth

The government of the USSR informed the citizens of the country about the accident in the evening of April 28. The information was very dosed, the danger of radiation was hushed up for a long time.

For many months after the disaster, hundreds of thousands of firefighters, engineers, military personnel, medics and other specialists worked at the government’s command in the vicinity of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. They cleared the territory of radioactive debris around the nuclear plant, carried out decontamination of facilities.

The most important thing is that it was thanks to these people that a protective sarcophagus was erected over the fourth power unit, and a few months after the disaster, electricity production was even restored at the station.

Day of commemoration of participants in the liquidation of the accident at the Chornobyl NPP in history

• 1983
  December 21

  The fourth power unit at the Chornobyl NPP has started its work.
• 1986
  April 26

  At one o’clock in the morning, a planned experiment with the reactor began at the station, which led to the accident.
• 1986
  November 30

  They finished erecting the sarcophagus that closed the emergency fourth power unit. The building was called the “Shelter” facility.
• 1991
  March 29

  All-Ukrainian public non-governmental organization “Soyuz Chernobyl of Ukraine” appeared in Ukraine.
• 1995
  December

  Ukraine signed a memorandum on the preparation of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant for complete closure.
• 2012
  April

  Construction of a new, more reliable shelter over the fourth power unit has begun. It was commissioned in July 2019.

Frequent Questions and answers about Liquidator’s Day

How to celebrate Liquidator’s Day?

Bringing flowers to the monument to the liquidators, taking part in a rally dedicated to these courageous people or attending a church service is the least that every Ukrainian can do on this day to express his gratitude and respect to the liquidators of the Chernobyl disaster.

Students in schools are introduced to information about the Chernobyl disaster – meetings are usually held with participants in the liquidation of the accident, so that children can receive first-hand accounts of the events of that time.

If someone has not yet seen the popular series “Chernobyl”, which was released in 2019, this is a reason to watch a film dedicated to the accident, its elimination and the search for causes.

On this day, liquidators have an opportunity to gather together, remember the past and discuss the problems of the present.

Therefore, December 14 motivates to pay attention and thank each of the liquidators and remember the dead and honor their memory.

Why is this event important?

The day of the liquidator of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is a reminder of the heroic work of people who, in inhumane conditions, stopped radioactive pollution and six months later built a shelter and were able to return the nuclear power plant to working condition.

One of the many lessons of Chernobyl is to know firmly how to act in such extreme situations. The leaders of the country need to be able to talk to people not only on holidays, but also in times of trials. Human casualties in this disaster occurred mainly because people were not aware and did not have the necessary protection.

You don’t have to look for the liquidators of the Chernobyl accident for a long time – they live right next to us. Among them, there are many people who are disabled and need support and help.

If possible, it is worth helping people who, at the cost of their own health, protected not only their own country, but actually the whole world from the spread of radioactive contamination.

Liquidator’s Day reminds everyone that honor and memory are important not only for the heroes of this day, but also for our common future. In order to ensure that such a disaster never happens again, those responsible must be competent and citizens must be informed.

When will we celebrate Day of commemoration of participants in the liquidation of the accident at the Chernobyl NPP (Liquidator’s Day)?