"Nuclear power stations are like stars that shine all day long!"
"We shall sow them all over the land. They are perfectly safe!"
- Soviet Academy of Sciences Presidium Member M.A. Styrikovich (1980).
Courtesy of Univ. of Texas Library
"Nuclear power stations are like stars that shine all day long!"
"We shall sow them all over the land. They are perfectly safe!"
- Soviet Academy of Sciences Presidium Member M.A. Styrikovich (1980).
Courtesy of Univ. of Texas Library
Courtesy of Pripyat-russia
CONSTRUCTION
Construction of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant began in 1970 in Ukraine. The location was chosen because of its safe proximity to Ukraine’s capital, Kiev. The Soviet government wanted it to become the largest nuclear power plant in the world.
Courtesy of Pripyat-russia
DESIGN
“The RBMK -- high powered channel-type reactor design is fundamentally faulty, having a built-in instability."
- Nobel laureate Hans Bethe
Image Courtesy of World Nuclear Association
Courtesy of Pripyat-russia
Critics noted the plant was built hastily, and safety standards were ignored. Many people believe the Soviets rushed building Chernobyl because they wanted to generate power and build weapons.
Translation Exerpts:
TO THE HEAD OF THE KGB ADMINISTRATION OF THE UKR. SSR FOR THE CITY OF KIEV AND KIEV OBLAST
Major-General Comrade N.K. VAKULENKO Kiev
INFORMATION About violations in the construction of the Chernobyl atomic energy station In report #I005 from 18.08.1978
Facts were reported of technical standard violations that are taking place in construction and assembly work in certain areas, which will lead to accidents and unfortunate situations, and could lead to dangerous occurrences when the reactor is put into use in the future. We continue to receive information from agents and trusted individuals that attests to gross violations of technical construction standards, fire safety, and construction and assembly safety technique, which will lead to unfortunate situations.
Necessary attention is not being given by the dispatcher service and quality control laboratory to the distribution of the concrete mixture, which leads to a violation of technical standards in the laying of concrete, and consequently to its forming in layers, as occurred in the erection of blocks B, C, and D.
As a consequence of this violation of technical safety rules the workers were contaminated with aluminum dust. According to a communication from agent “Muratov,” quality control inspectors at the IuTEM Chernobyl assembly plant frequently violate the rules of radioactive safety. For instance, in September of this year during an inspection of penetrating substances on pipelines at building 505/4 of block “B” they conducted a quality control examination of welding seams by illuminating them with gamma radiation at a close distance to day shift workers, which obviously displeased them and led to their refusal to work.
The Chernobyl District Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine has been informed by us about these facts relating to the violation of technical safety rules in the work being conducted in the construction of the Chernobyl atomic energy station. The low quality of the construction and the lack of necessary inspection by the Construction Administration could lead in the future to the destruction of the units under construction, radioactive contamination of the surrounding environment, or other dangerous occurrences.
DIRECTOR OF THE CHERNOBYL DISTRICT DEPARTMENT OF THE UKR. SSR KGB ADMINISTRATION FOR THE CITY OF KIEV AND KIEV OBLAST
– Captain
The head of the KGB discusses the flaws of Chernobyl.
Courtesy of the Wilson Library
"Accidents were hidden not only from the general public and the government but also from the people who worked at Soviet nuclear power stations. This latter fact posed a special danger, as failure to publicize mishaps always has unexpected consequences: it makes people careless and complacent."
- Engineer Grigori Medvedev