April 26, 1986 ... This date is still remembered by several generations of Ukrainians, Belarusians and Russians as the day and the year, when there was a terrible man-caused accidents.When all this happened, perhaps even the most experienced experts in full and not fully aware of what awaits us all later.
Accident April 26, 1986 resulted in thousands of deaths and illnesses, contaminated forests, poisoned water and soil, plant and animal mutations.Among other things, the map of Ukraine appeared thirty-kilometer exclusion zone, travel on the territory of which is possible only with a special authorizing documents.
This article aims not only to ensure that once again remind readers what happened April 26, 1986, but look at what happened, as they say, from different sides.Now, it seems, it is no secret that in today's world, more and more are those who are willing to pay a lot of money for something to go on a tour to these places, and some of the former residents have not caught on in other regionsoften returning to their ghostly and deserted city.
Summary of events
Almost 30 years ago, namely 26 April 1986, in what is now Ukraine's happened is the largest nuclear accident in the world, the effects of which are felt the planet and to our time.
On power plant in Chernobyl exploded a nuclear reactor of the fourth power.The air was ejected at the same time a huge number of deadly radioactive materials.
It is now estimated that only for the first three months, starting from April 26, 1986, from radiation at the site literally killed 31 people.Later, 134 people were sent to a specialized clinic for intensive treatment of radiation sickness, and in the throes of another 80 died from the infection of the skin, blood and respiratory tract.
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (1986, April 26 and the following days) ever needed working hands.The liquidation of the accident involved more than 600 thousand people, most of whom were soldiers.
Perhaps the most dangerous consequence of the accident was a huge release into the environment of deadly radioactive substances, namely isotopes of plutonium, uranium, iodine, cesium, strontium, and the most radioactive dust.Flex radiation covered not only a huge part of the Soviet Union, but also Eastern Europe and the Nordic countries, but most of all the Chernobyl tragedy of 26 April 1986 affected Byelorussian and Ukrainian SSR.
investigate the causes of the accident takes a lot of international experts, but even now nobody knows the real causes of the incident.
distribution area around Chernobyl after the accident had to define the so-called "dead" zone of 30 km.Hundreds of settlements were destroyed almost to the ground, or buried under tons of earth with the help of heavy machinery.If we consider the sphere of agriculture, it is safe to say that at that time Ukraine has lost five million hectares of fertile soil.
fourth power in the reactor before the accident, there were almost 190 tons of fuel, 30% of which is the explosion of emissions into the environment.In addition, while in the active phase remained a variety of radioactive isotopes that have accumulated over time.They, according to experts, and pose the greatest danger.
More than 200 000 sq.km surrounding land was contaminated by radiation.Lethal radiation spread like aerosol, gradually settling on the ground.Contamination of the territory while largely depended on wind direction.Very hard hit are the regions in which the 26 April 1986 and the next few weeks, a shower of rain.
Who is to blame for what happened?
in April 1987 in Chernobyl, held a hearing.One of the main culprits of the nuclear accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been recognized by the director of the station, named V. Bryuhanov which initially ignored the elementary rules of safety.Subsequently, this man deliberately understated data on radiation levels, has not entered into force evacuation plan working and local communities.
also in the process were discovered facts of gross neglect of his official duties April 26, 1986 by the chief engineer of the Chernobyl N. Fomin and his deputy A. Dyatlov.All of them were sentenced to 10 years in prison.
another five years has been convicted of the Head of the shift on which the accident occurred (B. Rogozhkin), three - Kovalenko, his deputy, and two - Yu Laushkin, state inspector Gosatomenergonadzor.
At first glance it may seem that it is quite cruel, but if all of these people have been very careful to work on such a risky venture, as the Chernobyl disaster 26 April 1986 would hardly have occurred.
alert and evacuation
Expert Commission claims that after the accident, the first thing should immediately evacuate the population, but no one took the responsibility to take the necessary decisions.Happened then on the contrary, human victims could be in the tens or even hundreds of times smaller.
In practice, it turned out that people all day did not know anything about what happened.April 26, 1986 who had worked on the plot, someone preparing the city for the upcoming May holidays, kindergarten kids walking on the streets, and students, as if nothing had happened, doing physical exercise in the open, they thought the air.
Work on the removal of the population began only at night, when left to prepare for the official designation of evacuation.April 27 was announced directive on full evacuation of the city, scheduled for 14.00.
Since Chernobyl disaster on April 26, 1986 which deprived the homes of many of thousands of Ukrainians turned a modest satellite town of Pripyat in the terrible specter of a devastated houses, parks and gardens abandoned and dead, deserted streets.
panic and provocation
when the first rumors about the accident, the population has decided to leave the city alone.Already on 26 April 1986 by the second half of the day, many women in panic and desperation, picked up on the hands of infants, literally running down the road away from the city.
All anything, but do it through the woods, the dose of contamination is actually many times greater than all valid indicators.And the road ... According to witnesses, asphalt coating shone a strange neon shade, although he tried to pour plenty of water, mixed with some unknown simple layman white solution.
very annoyed that serious decisions on rescue and evacuation of the population were not taken in time.
And finally, just a few years it became clear that the Soviet Union's secret services were aware of the harvesting three tons of meat and fifteen tons of oil in areas that directly touched the Chernobyl tragedy of 26 April 1986.Despite this, they have decided to recycle the radioactive products by adding them in a relatively pure components.In accordance with the decision, it is radioactive meat and butter were razvezeno many large mills of the country.
KGB also knew exactly what was used in the construction of Chernobyl defective equipment from Yugoslavia, was acquainted with various kinds of failures in the design of the station, the bundle of the basement and the presence of cracks in the walls ...
What's all the same do?Attempts to prevent an even greater sorrow
about half a second night in the town of Chernobyl (1986, April 26) the local fire department received a report about a fire.A guard on duty went to the challenge and almost immediately gave the signal fire of high complexity.
Upon arrival, a special team saw that the roof was burning machine room and a huge reactor hall.By the way, to date, it found that by putting that terrible fire suffered most guys who are doing exactly the reactor hall.
Only 6 o'clock in the morning the fire was completely extinguished.
was generally involved 14 vehicles and 69 employees.From overalls people perform this important mission, had only a canvas overalls, helmet and gloves.Men put out a fire without gas masks, since at high temperatures to work in them was simply impossible.
already two in the morning there were first affected by the radiation.People began vomiting and general weakness, as well as observed the so-called "nuclear tan."They say that some with gloves removed and your skin.
Desperate firefighters have done everything possible to prevent the fire to get to the third unit in the future.Staff also took up station extinguishing hotbeds of local stations in different rooms and took all necessary measures to prevent hydrogen explosion.These actions helped to prevent an even greater technological disasters.
biological consequences for all mankind
Ionizing radiation in contact with all living organisms has a devastating biological effects.
radiation leads to the destruction of biological matter, mutations change the structure of tissues.Such irradiation promotes the development of various types of oncological diseases, radiation sickness, disruption of vital body functions, change and disintegration of DNA and results in death.
Ghost town called Pripyat
next few years after a man-made disaster, this town is of interest of various kinds of experts.They came here en masse, trying to measure and analyze the level of background radiation contaminated area.
However, in the 90-ies.Pripyat began to attract more attention from scientists interested in environmental change environment, as well as issues of transformation of the natural area of the city, is completely left without human influence.
Many Ukrainian scientific centers was carried out in the city assess changes in the flora and fauna.
Stalkers Chernobyl zone
First of all it is worth noting that the stalkers call people by hook or by crook to penetrate into the exclusion zone.Chernobyl also lovers of extreme sports are divided into two categories, which differ in their appearance, used slang, photographs and prepared reports.The first - the curious, the second - ideological.
agree that now the media is really possible to find a lot of information on the topic: "Chernobyl.1986.April 26 ".Curious stalkers from there and got their knowledge about the radiation zone.A significant role was also played and computer games.These young people, whose average age is rarely more than 20 years, in most cases, only enter the exclusion zone, but do not cross the border itself Chernobyl.At the end of their adventure.
second category - a unique ideological stalkers.They get deeper, not only in the 30-kilometer zone, and the 10-kilometer, and live there for a few days.It's hard to explain what motivates these people, but it seems to be their way of expression.Reliable data about what the size of this group of stalkers, no, but it is estimated there are at most 20, and the "game" is much higher.
modern residents of Chernobyl
significant part of the evacuated population, in spite of prohibitions and restrictions, some time later still came back.Out of a hundred thousand people have returned home exported about 1200, but by 2007 there were only 314. Call them squatters.As a rule, older people, and the main reason for the sharp reduction in their population is considered to be the age.What prompted people to return to their homes contaminated by radiation?The main reasons for this decision was the deep economic crisis in the country, falling incomes and a reluctance to throw their homes.
subsequent fate of power
After the accident in April 1986, all the work was stopped by the NPP, but in October, after the construction of the sarcophagus and carried out cleaning work, two blocks working again, and in December 1987 launched a third.
In 1995, the Ukraine, the European Union and the Group of Seven countries signed a memorandum under which the program began a full closure of Chernobyl nuclear power plant that was supposed to make the year 2000.In December 2000, the 3rd block Chernobyl was finally stopped.
Today sarcophagus erected over the burning unit station is gradually destroyed.Therefore, in 2004 the Bank held a tender for the construction of a new shelter, in 2007 it won the French joint venture.
In 2015, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant have finally stopped their work.
