ARRIVAL ON CHERNOBYL

When Legasov arrived at chernobyl, the true dangers of the meltdown were unknown to everyone. But only Legasov was aware of the actual threat of the radiation emitted from the reactor as soon he saw a foreboding red glow in the night sky six miles from the plant.

Legasov knew that the Chernobyl disaster was unprecedented in its severity and complexity and was well aware of the dangers of ionizing radiation and the potential long-term impacts on human health and the environment. He was also the very first person being aware that the reactor core had exploded, and the remains of the reactor were emitting intense radiation, making it extremely dangerous for anyone to be in close proximity to the site.

Hence, his immediate focus on understanding the causes of the explosion, assessing the extent of the damage, and proposing strategies to limit the spread of radiation and mitigate the disaster’s consequences. He worked tirelessly with other members of the commission, scientists, and responders to address the unprecedented challenges posed by the Chernobyl disaster.

Legasov was already fearful for his life expentacy and the potential dangers of millions more as he is aware of the severe health risks associated with exposure to high levels of radiation. Even before his commision team send pesonel to detect the actual levels amount of radiation, he already knew that most personel, including himself would be expected to die within a few months to a few years.

RECORDED

Statement From The Legasov Tapes

DATE: May 11, 1986

PART: #001

TAPE VARIANT: The Legasov Tapes (Tape 1 Side A)

RECORDED BY: Valery Legasov

SUBJECT:

Legasov describing his experience arriving on Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster site for the first time

STATEMENT:

“ When we were just nearing Pripyat, about 8-10 kilometers from it, I was struck by the appearance of the sky. It was like mulberry, or even crimson maybe, glowing above the station, which made it absolutely unlike how it should be in a nuclear power station. It is known that nuclear power stations are very clean and accurate, with all their facilities and pipes which usually don’t output anything visible into the air. And a nuclear station for a specialist is usually an object that doesn’t produce any gases. This is its distinctive feature, if we exclude some specific facilities. But this one looked like a metallurgical factory or a giant chemistry plant with a huge crimson glow over half of the visible sky. This was very disturbing and made the situation very unusual. ”

SOVIET PERMISSION LEVEL:

PERMISSION ONLY

ADDITIONAL INFO:

SIGNATURE: