CENSORSHIP

When the first draft of Legasov’s report was received by the Central Committee, some were shocked that he disclosed the entire context he wrote, being the representative of the Soviet delegation for the meeting, Legasov had no choice but to be as honest as possible about the details of the catastrophe.

The ministers later forwarded it to the KGB who came up with the recommendation that the authors be prosecuted. As the KGB also implies that to find fault with the reactor design would directly implicate senior members of the Soviet government. As a result Legasov got himself into a dilemma where he found himself caught between either telling the truth to improve the nuclear programme for the greater benefit or obey Soviet government’s desire to limit the spread of information about the disaster in order to maintain a positive image.

The KGB

Also known as the Committee for State Security, the KGB was the main security agency for the Soviet Union and act as their unit for intelligence, counterintelligence, and internal security.

The KGB played a pivotal role in shaping the Soviet Union’s security and was considered the primary government security agency during the later decades of the Soviet Union.

They’re were feared due to its extensive surveillance over the world and the control over the Soviet population. As they have the capability to silence someone from within and outside of the Soviet Union should the individual represent a threat to their country’s government ideology and their control in the Soviet Union.

Legasov’s frustration with the KGB’s interference in the investigation process and their attempts to suppress information about the causes and consequences of the disaster.