Remember those names - the first firefighters who arrived at the scene of the explosion and started combating the fire: Vladimir Pravik - died May 11, 1986 Victor Kibenok - died May 11, 1986 Leonid Telyatnikov - lived longest among these firemen, which is a miracle in itself. Died in 2005 of Chernobyl-related cancer. Vasiliy Ignatenko - died May 13, 1986. In 2006 posthumously awarded the title Hero of Ukraine. Nikolay Vaschuk - was instrumental in preventing fire from reaching reactor number 3. Died with the rest of his crew on the same day. Hero of Ukraine. Nikolay Titenok - died May 16, 1986. Hero of Ukraine Leonid Shavrey - miraculous recovery in the facility in Kyiv. Had bone marrow partially replaced which help the organism and DNA to fight off radiation exposure and sickness. Ivan Shavrey - the younger brother of Leonid. Also survived by miraculous treatment in Kyiv. Again, partial replacement of bone marrow. Petro Shavrey - the oldest brother. Also survived. There should be a book about this family of heroes or maybe a separate HBO movie. Alexander Lelichenko - electrician technician of Chernobyl NPP. Was responsible for preventing an additional hydrogen explosion. Received lethal dose of radiation and died on May 7, 1986. Hero of Ukraine. The first wave of firefighters consisted of 28 men in total.
@@alanpennie8013 What survivors? "Leonid Telyatnikov - lived longest among these firemen, which is a miracle in itself. Died in 2005 of Chernobyl-related cancer. "
"they don't allow the children to play outside. In Frankfurt..." camera pans down to children coming home from school with the emerging smoke coming from the reactor in the background. what a thrilling and horrifying episode...
that was a gtrully great moment. They don't allow the children to play outside (accented pause) in Frankfurt. (pan outside) (cut and show evacuation buses)
That's actually a huge inaccuracy and I'm surprised they did not address this in the podcast. They detected the radiation in Sweden a day after the Pripyat evacuation.
Julian Krick i just asked this very question since the miniseries and this podcast states that contradictory timeline to the website www.chernobylgallery.com/chernobyl-disaster/timeline/ that has the Pripyat evacuation happening days before Sweden and Germany know of the radiation. This issue of correctness bothers me. Not sure which is right it if the series is wrong it’s a huge problem even if it is for dramatic effect because this is the sort of stuff that undercuts buying ANYTHING they suggest in the series and that is a shame.
Thank you for mentioning the May Day parade in Kyiv. I was disappointed that it wasn't in the show, but at least some people will know because of the podcast. For a lot of Ukrainians, that was one of the biggest betrayals: not cancelling the parade.
I've read that all footage of the 86' parade there has been "mysteriously" lost. That fat pig bastard ignored a nuclear physicist because he "preferred his own opinion".
Yup, especially since most Americans just don't know about May 1st. It's a very important and well known holiday in all of Europe, yet over there they are astounded to hear that it is a holiday over here.
Love how Boris Shcherbina (played by Stellan Skarsgård) became more and more respectful of the scientific expertise of Professor Valery Legasov (Jared Harris). Humility set in after seeing the fall of that helicopter.
There's that great moment when Boris takes Legasov's side against those two assholes that were running the place and owns them. That's when I knew I liked him.
@@MakerInMotion loved that he answers them with Legasov's explanation to him. I thought he knew that the two dumbasses were taking advantage of his lack of knowledge in the science stuff
I loved how when the three guys went into the water, the director uses no words but just the sound of the Geiger counter. It was just intense. And when the light goes out, I may have flat-lined. The scariest things aren't ghosts or zombies or aliens... It's always things that can actually happen.
Aliens can happen to the earth, think of all the infinite galaxies that are perceived with its indescribably many worlds and what they might contain. zombies The phenomenon exists in nature as in the case of humans, wodo treated people, abused drug and manipulated, or those who are affected by the drug Flaka are becoming violent and zombie like. The fungus fungus in nature takes over insects. but I agree with you mostley but would say this instead. What makes this more scary is that we can safely for sure know how and why such catastrophes happen + that it is closer to our everyday life and so it makes the whole thing scarier than Zombies and Alines. And ghost dont exist,You have right about that.
Being from Belarus - I have such tremendous respect for the writer. Now only was he able to depict the story in such detail and accuracy, he was able to understand the soul of people from Soviet Union, and show their heroism. Absolutely amazing!
Александр Бородин Why do Russians keep taking the Chernobyl events as their own? The fact you are Russian doesn’t matter. To say you are a post Soviet citizen would make sense but this is an event that happened in Ukraine and helped by Ukrainian and Belorussian scientists, not just Russians.
@@jerrell1169 I didn't mean to provoke any political conflicts here, okay? My comment was basically about the setting and atmosphere, which were pretty much the same for all soviet republics.
When we read about the superheroes, we wonder them; and when we hear about the real heroes of humanity, we can’t even remember their names and call their something like “moving robots” (which is the perfect mention of this phrase “typical soviet mentality”). Isn’t our world mad?
And the wonderful fact: I don’t know how they will picture it in the show, but in fact “the Chernobyl divers” survived their mission. Boris Baranov died in 2005 and Valery Bespalov and Alexey Ananenko are still alive now in 2019.
The sound of the dosimeters in the last 10 minutes with that score, or the scene where they're telling Gorbachev what is going to happen was so ridiculous!
The score was actually made using sounds from a nuclear reactor! I saw a video on synthtopia where the composer and her associate took field recordings inside of a decommissioned reactor in Latvia or Lithuania.... this is the type of creativity that will earn this series a lot of awards..... it fucking better anyway.....
One of the most shocking things is that 2 of these 3 Chernobyl’s heroes are still alive. One of them died 2005. This is important because press reports often that they were dead in several days. All of them were engineers, who knew the power plant perfectly. That’s the reason because they could do their mission in the whole darkness.
I used to think I knew how Chernobyl happened but because normally documentaries only show how the explosion went...I had no idea about the water tanks or the facts that there could be a much worse explosion...It's incredible this was a man-made accident. Good job making this series!
I was born and raised in Kiev, the capitol of Ukraine, which is located 69 miles away from Chernobyl. That April of 1986 I just turned 12 years old, and I lived in Kiev, Ukraine for three more years after this accident! Thank you Craig Mazin! Thank you HBO! And, thank you SKY for making this miniseries and bringing this back to life with such a great group of actors, big research and amazing story script writing! This story is way way way overdue for the whole world to know and to learn! After watching the first episode I wanted to wait and see how the story will unfold into the next 24-48 hours of all events, before I comment on this! Now I feel, I can say. This show deserves nothing, but respect and appreciation! THANK YOU! April 26, 1986 was a Saturday. That time, that weekend I was outdoors, camping on the city wide type of Boy-scout competition (туристический слёт) , about 1/3 of the distance between Kiev and Chernobyl! That Saturday, was a normal day for us, full of outdoor activities, such as fire starting, tent building, trees climbing, guitar playing and yes, beer drinking too :) WE all felt to sleep exited and exhausted, thinking of packing and drugging all our camping stuff across the city in overcrowded public transportation. To our surprise, the camp wide weak up call came in 2 hours earlier, and when we got out of our tents we found our selves surrounded by city buses! (30-34 hours into the event) No comments or explanations were given. We were all loaded into those buses and taken back to the city! On Monday, everyone went back to school as we would normally do! For the next 3 weeks the live in Kiev happened as usual. We were going to school everyday, talking about, spreading rumors about possible nuclear explosion, or American nuclear attack, or some other crazy conspiracy theory, that kids could of come up with during those day. We were told to stay indoors as much as possible, keep windows shut, not to eat raw fruits and vegetables and wash our floors more often. We lived through May 1st Labor Day city parade. We were getting ready for school finals. We were dreaming about 3 months long summer vacations! To our big surprise, in the middle of May (about 3 weeks into the event) we were told that all finals are canceled and all kids grades 4-8 (10 grade schools) are being evacuated to summer camps along Black and Azov seas! And, that is how we spent most of that summer! Only small amount of population in Kiev was able to get off their jobs, grub their families and get somewhere save! Most of the Capitol city remained active, working, NOT evacuated. As I said, I was just a kid! I did not learn the whole extant of this disaster until after I left Kiev, Ukraine, USSR, moved to USA, grow up, went to college and learned the true facts of this event with proper scientific education, declassified historical records, without Soviet propaganda bullshit! Being a kid, I remember a laughing rime going around the school, amount kids, where we were about to graduate and become new generation of Soviet Citizens! This rime pretty much summarizes the general attitude of younger generation towards the Soviet system, Soviet communist party, our leaders: "Thank you, party our Dear For your kindness and your care For Peaceful nuclear reaction in our homes For 7 Renghen on Passover! Thank you, once again for this show and for following podcasts! Just a few small requests! 1. Less spoilers. In podcasts 1 & 2 few toppings were covered about things that are yet to happen in future episodes 2. Less laughing! Peter Sagal seams very exited about Soviet regime and the ways things were done down there! 3. Less comparison to America and how Americans would of act, handle things and react to event like this! Especially being exited with Soviet ways!
@@Harcix No one knows exactly. My close relatives, who lived near by, died relatively early. But, to say it is Chernibyl effects, and not just simply bad genes, or bad healthcare would be wrong. I lost my hair pretty early! But so did my father.
They wanted to send my dad to do the cleanup, but luckly he was, smart enough to escape. Army men came to his house to collect him but he jumped out of the window as they were approaching and ran into forest. Later he went to hospital and simulated a stomach illness with a help of an understanding doctor and lied in hospital for a while.
I said this in the last podcast and I’ll say it again, this series is almost completely accurate to the real life events which occur as well as the objects, vehicles, clothing, and other equipment is so amazing to see. I don’t know how you got it in such large amounts but is simply amazing seeing people walking around in the actual equipment which was used in the clean up by the Liquidators after the start of the disaster. The end of this episode was so crazy to see, cause you read about it and don’t really get the scope of how scary it was being underneath a burning RBMK-1000 reactor, and this episode just made more real and just amazing! For those who don’t know, the Firefighter’s equipment which was brought down into the basement of the hospital was so radioactive that it’s still their to this day. Sadly it can’t be seen because the entry to the basement of the hospital has been filled with dirt which for good reason, before that you could literally walk down into the basement and touch the clothing which was worn in and around the reactor.
I've seen a video from before the the entry was blocked, where a pair of guys making a documentary were holding a dosimeter up to the coats and boots still down there. (Which by the way, looked more or less exactly like the ones in Episode 1, after 20-some years of decay in a basement...) The readings were translated as being between 4000 and 5000 x what the normal background radiation should be, even after that much time. They didn't even stay in that basement for 5 minutes.
yep, I've been to Chernobyl in 2016, the basement was already closed but everything looked exactly like in this series. One firefighter helmet still lies in the hospital lobby because its so radioactive nobody would ever touch it, my dosimeter did not stop going up when I was approaching it, so damn scary. Love the series, it really feels like when you're there again!
I am still amazed and surprised to read how many people concentrate not on main tragedy of the show and detailed research, performed by its creators, but on a simple fact. The presents of a female (fictional) scientist as a lead characters in the show. If, the addition of a fictional character is not in question, after a few explanations from creators of this show, then why, people ask, this character is a woman? Looks like this bothers many people! I believe, the use of female character is another huge credit to HBO team for good research and good presentation of Soviet culture of those times! Here is a little highlight of the Soviet culture of 1980's for those, who did not know: The standard American scenario of youth integration into the society did not exist in USSR. Forget about standard: High school graduation, college parties, marriage, career, house, mortgage, minivan plan! All kids graduated 10 year school program at the ages of 16-17. At the age of 18 all boys were required to serve 2+ years in the Soviet army. Only those boys, who managed to get accepted into a 4-year colleges/universities, were excused from the army. That rule gave all boys only one chance to apply, pass all tests and get accepted, before they turn 18 and get collected for the army service. Girls, on the other hand, had 2-3 years on their hands to apply, get in and advance in schools, while boys (boyfriends, husbands) are serving in the Army. (I believe, we will see young solders of the Soviet Army later in this show) After the army service, the Soviet tradition demanded "normal citizens" to start families, get jobs to provide for those families and wait for the government to give you a free apartment to live in. Normally, young family would live with his/her parents under one roof, until government gives them a separate unit. One could not buy, sell, or build private house/unit in the city. Only "community", or "state owned" housing was allowed. In villages, away from big cities those rules could be bent and under-looked. Only a small number of boys after serving in the army were able to come home and get back into education, to get a degree. Also, an education in USSR was free, and great, and could compete with many other education systems across the world, only a small percent of people, mostly in big cities, could get a decent degree. And, if degree could guaranty one a good career, it would not make one rich. Salaries of scientist, engineers, doctors and all other professions requiring a high levels of education were government controlled, not worth an effort! No private business! People of the lover scale jobs, such as construction workers, farmers, taxi drivers and/or plumbers were making equal, or at times high pays then teachers and engineers. To cut the long story short. It was totally normal to see a man in USSR working blue color jobs full time and some more, providing for families, while woman, holding a worthless college diploma, working a cheep full time job, caring for kids, making family meals. Both parents shopping for food/goods whatever you could find at the spare time. I think, HBO picked a perfect presentation of an educated Soviet woman with no power, or influence in that system! Bravo!
Absolutely fantastic! As I had mentioned in the Part One podcast my wife is Russian and I am a Navy Nuclear Propulsion plant operator from the 80's and early 90's. We are both very impressed with the series. My wife was translating the poem in the beginning and the evacuation of Preterit and all was spot on. Excellent attention to detail!!
'Chernobyl' was not hyped at all so I didn't expect much from it. But Episode One held my attention and left me looking forward to Two, which I watched tonight and I'm hooked. This looks like a very well-done series, mainly because this incredibly scary event really happened.
@@TeddyPicker191: "Hype" is an extremely flexible word. I don't know what it means to you but to me it means advance announcement and descriptive previews -- as in the examples of some of the finest programming on television. To me, 'hype' is a taste, a sampling to capture interest. In the 'Chernobyl' example there was nothing but the word "Chernobyl," leaving me to wonder if it was some slapped-together newsreels and depressing, warmed over reportage -- worth watching only in the absence of something more interesting. It would have been encouraging to know the cast included Jared Harris and Emily Watson.
I just rolled my eyes so bad, that I'm gonna have to walk with a terrible headache for the rest of the day. I'm sick and tired from all the hype and promotion of this tv series on all the media I follow. This totally deterred me from watching any part of the show for very long time, and I came here solely to make this statement. My friends are going nuts, "dude, you totally have to watch it", even tho they know well that I don't watch any tv shows since like 1995...
After having watched the entire series I can say that Episode 2 is my favorite. The three volunteers, especially, whose names I now vow to remember... gut-wrenching.
I found it interesting that there were so many women in the sciences in the USSR at that time. I wouldn't have thought that, but it makes me happy. On another note, that ending. Omfg. I was so stressed out I literally forgot to breathe. Those men were heroes, really. I'd be terrified to do what they did, tbh. Y'all deserve MULTIPLE awards for this show.
The Soviet system was a complete social revolution, comparable only to the French one. Besides the horrors of totalitarian police state and the catastrophically inefficient economical system it also had some good elements. One of them was abolishing of all class and gender divisions and opening of all career choices to everyone, at least in principle. A daughter of a small farmer from ethnic minory in some forgotten corner of the empire could, if she was smart and determined, just join a state-funded polytechnic, get a degree in nuclear phycics and become a respected authority in her field.
In the real life it wasn't Pikalov. It was Legasov who went to the reactor in the armored vehicle. They knew at the time that radiation leves were very high, but they wanted to meause neutron flux, to know if chain reaction is still going inside the reactor.
That never happened. Why are you making shit up. Like they would send in the smartest physicist they had to measure neutron flux. All they needed was the rad levels, why the hell would they measure neutron flux of a blown up reactor?
@@GHound420 That's exactly what happened. They didn't send him, he went on his own, because it's was a work that had to be done. They knew about radiation levels, it was measured shortly after the accident, but they didn't knew if the reactor fully stopped or not, if the chain reaction still continues, because if it does it means more heat and more radioactive isotopes, like iodine. It would affect their further action. In the end it was useless, because neutron detectors were triggered by gamma radiation, so they went to analysing the air for iodine isotopes.
Ananenko, Bezpalov, Baranov are real HEROES. As a all firefighters, that was just doing their job and faced with death. And after that you realise that they were just real persons, not a movie "heroes"
Thank you Craig Mazin and the team for making such an incredible show. Not to mention HBO for continuing to support such amazing and unique content. I'm at the edge of my seat waiting for the horrific beauty of the next episode. Its hard to stomach at times thinking of the sacrifices that where made, I think everyone owes those who died fighting this disaster the respect of watching this show or at the very least informing themselves of the fallen and what they did.
My father worked in radiology department in a hospital in Czechoslovakia and their dosimeters went off and they had no idea what was happening, since other places were reporting the same thing.
This is a perfect complement to an already perfect show. Two smart people talking about the show, one of them is the creator of the show. Hard to beat!
This series is probably the best show out there right now imo realistic accounts of history not overly dramatized but done in a very tasteful way, the subtleties of how the Soviet union operated in the show is probably something not shown to Western audiences before
Alexei Ananenko, Valeri Bezpalov, and Boris Baranov are names that join Vasily Arkhipov and Stanislav Petrov on my list of names that I wish I heard in school.
@@atenrok Ananenko, Bezpalov and Baranov are the men who volunteered to drain the water tanks under the reactor. They went on a suicide mission to save millions of people from nuclear holocaust and their names were almost forgotten in the Soviet secrecy paranoia.
I'm from Estonia and was a child in 1986. I remember these days vividly. The first news that something big had happened came to us (inside USSR) from Finnish and Swedish seismologists detecting earthquakes from the explosions - the fact in-itself was not unusual because there were nuclear tests carried out regularly. But they concluded by the direction (Kiev) and magnitude that nobody was going to do tests in that area. They had personal connections to Estonian scientists and started to exchange data to find answers. Rumors among Estonian public started to spread immediately on Saturday, 26th of April, the day of the accident, but the accident was already a full public knowledge on Sunday, 27. of April 1986. The same day evacuations began in Pripyat and more specific information started to fall into place. Everybody was scared and nobody knew what to do - there was nothing that could be done by majority of general public and nothing was done by the Soviet governors. We had to wait for our fates and watch the nomenclature in their ignorance. It was the first time in the generation that the Soviet oppression was felt so real and in full effect, but it also felt vulnerable. Next day, we were all sent to school and work as usual, but there was a tension in the air - nobody smiled or partied these days, old war- and independence fighting stories were told by elderly. The "news" from official channels of USSR finally came on Monday evening only because they had failed to contain the information in all respects. Gorbatchov based his "glastonost" (transparency) doctrine on taking the role of publicly criticizing this "old way" of handling bad news. But he was seen as a weak leader by others (especially KGB) for selling out old nomenclature. But seeds of free journalism were planted on these days of silence that they all missed. Later updates from the Chernobyl were starting to air each evening with names and passport pictures of the fallen workers and conscripts - everybody watched the news in silence and feared name of somebody they new would appear... This in return started a massive (and nationally seen as a patriotic) desertion from Soviet army, which Red Army was not prepared to face and had no remedy for. Gorbatchov was right by saying - Chernobyl started the end of USSR.
СПАСИБО! HBO! Вы рассказали о том, о чем нам стараются не напоминать! Я из Минска, мне было 16 лет в апреле 1986. Апрель был очень теплым, мы все время находились вне квартир и домов. Принимали солнечные ванны на крыше нашего дома. Играли в волейбол во дворе. Дети выходили на прогулки в детских садах. Нам не давали йод, не предупреждали об опасности. Никто ничего не знал. У меня тогда был друг из семьи ученого из Академии наук Белоруссии, там ситуацию узнали первыми. 28 апреля он всех выгнал с крыши, где мы загорали и спас нас
The thing I appreciate most about this series, I think, is that it stays pretty true to the actual events at Chernobyl. Sure there's embellishment, but many of these are based on something else that _did_ happen. For example, a helicopter _did_ crash when doing the boron drops into the reactor, but many people had no idea it really occurred.
Perfect attention to details! I lived in USSR those time, all furniture, small things, even sounds are real. Hairstyles and clothes make actors look very Russian! This is the best vision of that time! The only thing really wrong is threatening motivations and behaviors Komunist party bosses. A threat to "throw the scientist from the helicopter if he won't tell how reactor works" sounds comic and absurd!!! They normally made an accent in "high ideals of all mankind" in their rhetoric, that was their tool, especially in 1980-s. The worse threat was "you will go to the court as a national betrayer", yea that was most probably scary at those time.
I appreciate the insight, I think they added it to also add some dramatic effect. Its a small example of how the truth is stretched for the sake of creating a film which keeps the viewers attention.
@@scallie6462 Thank you! On the one hand yes - drama, on the other hand - there is a stereotypic vision of USSR based on media war effect. One more compliment to this series - is that there is much much less of these stereotypes! Compare to films like Red Sparrow. I would say this film is the best description of USSR of those time for the last 50 years, I would say subjectively.
Agree. The show is shockingly accurate in almost everything. Especially in scenery and depicting life. But couple of things were a little cringy. Somewhat Hollywoodish. I can’t imagine any Soviet engineer (let alone a woman) act very independently. Mainly, leave her job, arrive at Chernobyl, reach higher decision makers and embarrass them by sounding smarter than them. That’s nonsense and too individualistic, feminist superhero type American acting.
@@TarlanT Tank you! But I wouldn't agree with you at this time. In fact, feminism in specific form started at USSR 100 years ago. SIgnificant principle of the socialistic revolution was the same rights for men and women. What we see in EU and US happened there in 1920-s. I remember a professor at my university ("engineering geology" specialty with tough math), wow she was a classic feminist from 1960-s haha... Also, don't see any problems with providing initiative. At those time there was huge volunteers movement. I would say it is a super classic character of "hyperactive woman" haha ...
I actually whimpered in terror during several parts of last night’s episode, and I know this because my son told me. This series is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
I wish people would stop referencing Game of thrones on videos about Chernobyl... You are sullying a masterpiece... Game of thrones was utter trash, from beginning to end... Not just the final season... Chernobyl is on an entirely different scale... It is a completely different class of television.
9:26 "Uh, everything is under control, situation normal! Uh, we had a slight reactor malfunction, but, uh, everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here, now, thank you. How are you?"
As if it wasn't enough with the greatest mini series ever, you also give us an incredibly riveting podcast to go along with it. What have we done to deserve all this great content, HBO?
Absolutely outstanding series. Should win plenty of awards. Skarsgard, Harris and Watson were amazing to watch. I cannot convey how good this series is, or how much I truly enjoyed it.
In the original version, it actually says the "fires". So it made even more sense. Sometig like this: "By the Russian tradition, having just scattered The fires behind them in Russian lands, Before our eyes our comrades were dying, In a Russian way, tearing the shirts from their chests."
I'm so glad with what Craig said about the cinematography and not wanting to add drama. That was my one fear when I saw the trailers, with an event like Chernobyl, you do not need to add drama!
So true. A lot of TV really pumps up the drama unnecessarily. The suspense is in the details of the story. The subtle stuff like opting for the turned over glass in the bar etc.
I love this series so much! Before it I knew nothing about what happened at chernobyl and now I have found out so much. My god I never knew it was that bad.
@Hugh Chungas: The real impact of this series is the way it awakens us to the presence of these dreadful monsters in our own back yards. It is especially fearsome to those of us who live close to them.
It is utterly chilling to watch,like watching some dreadful accident in the most exquisitely horrible slo-motion imaginable,yet I cannot tear myself away from it. Just based on the two episodes so far this deserves to win awards.
My family and I lived in the Kiev region. Then, after the explosion, we found ourselves in 4 zones, not subject to eviction. Yes, and the third as far as I know, not evicted. My daughter was 2 years old. we didn’t know anything and on May 2 our whole family worked in the garden and planted potatoes. There was a very strong wind. It seems that nature wanted to dispel as much as possible the invisible death.
The actors at that second meeting with Gorbachev did a great job of conveying their horror and disbelief even though none of them said a word. Upon hearing the nightmarish news of what was about to unfold their faces really started to look pale...
Craig Mazin's a genius! Thanks a lot for this master piece!! The podcast is an equally essential part of the mini series that does a wonderful job of explaining many aspects of the miniseries which we as audience often want answers for. It's also amazing to understand how even the fictional parts of the mini series are well thought and not just pure imagination to drive the episode in an interesting way. Thank you again, the experience I have had in the past 2 episodes is beyond conceivable!
" There is no stirring music, there is no tension music" Only that there is. It may not be written like music for the charts, set for piano/guitar/strings/drums/percussion instruments etc. and with lyrics, but there very much *is* music, or if you prefer: a film score, and it is used perfectly to increase tension and convey horror. Watch the first episode again, the scene on the bridge for instance, or the one at the end, and you have this sound that is permeating everything, like the radiation. In fact, I think the first times it can be heard are used to almost condition us to associate it with this invisible threat, so it can be picked up in later scenes like the one at the end to remind us of exactly that.
Remember as you watch this … that it really happened .. the soviets covered it up .. people died .. and many more were injured. Disasters are always confusing and chaotic in the moment. Thank you for not tying a neat Hollywood bow around it. History gives you perspective that those who lived it did not have. Nuclear power is statistically safe but when it goes wrong the payoff is unimaginably bad. Speaking from a lifelong relationship with nuclear power here. I would sum this up as a Navy nuke operator and later a career as an engineer. This topic without extensive background information is confusing to the uninitiated layman as it is so technical. Thank you for not getting lost in explaining every detail. And as someone not from Russia who has lived and worked there .. things and people in Russia look very strange to westerners who are not familiar with the culture and the people. Thank you for making the effort to portray all of this from a Russian view of things. This documentary is amazing. I have read and studied this event from a technical aspect. The show you have created is filling in all the social and bureaucratic factors which made it so bad. The Soviet mentality of hiding the truth and avoiding blame is there for all to see. Echoes of those attitudes still exist today. And last please remember that the Russian people are not represented by their government or its machinations. I have found almost everyone I worked with there to be intelligent, resilient, resourceful, imaginative and easy to admire, easy even to love.
I love the explanation of the score. I couldnt figure out why i felt SO creeped out the whole time and I now realize it was specifically because of the sound track. Crazy
I'm from Ukraine. My country was the epicenter... I watched the first episode yesterday and it made me burst into tears... It was the time of my grandparents, my mom... I can't imagine how the government could hide information about this catastrophe from people! I'm very happy that Soviet Union is gone. Unfortunately, we have a lot of older generation people who even want that time to come back. It can be clearly seen through elections :( By the way, we still have a lot of "chornobyltsi" in the country - they are that citizens from Prypiat, firemen and other stuff and they're still suffering. I wonder do you see any physical or other effects of this tragedy in your country?
I feel very sorry for you...At the day of disaster and two following days thousands of lithuanians were enjoying good weather at the seaside of the Baltics. People didn't know about the disaster nor did they know about an invisible cloud of radioactive dust traveling across the country. There were no information about dangers of exposure to it, no Iodine pills were administered, none were used. I wasn't born at that time too, however I can still hear people saying that Soviet system was simply a reckless, disorganized piece of crap. A simple human being was not important. As a result, we can see the increasing number of cancerous, autoimmune diseases. This disaster affected many, especially those in Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania... The cost of living in the world of lies and denial.
Hello from Canada. A good friend of mine was 10 yrs old and living in Kiev when all of this happened. She was a clever kid, and figured out from eavesdropping on adults that something awful was going on, and that the government was lying to them about it, and that people were getting very sick. Though she hasn't said so directly, I think it was a strong part of her motivation to move to Canada, alone, with her high-school English as soon as she turned 18. She's one of the bravest people I know.
да не забывай что при власти петра было вывезена вся техника которая фонит досихпор всем похуй на людей тогда и сейчас только бабло в голове у таких людей ........настоящих героев забыли и забудут этот урок тоже только такие фильмы напоминают всю ответственность перед людьми ....
Sad...in France people get cancer because the governement lied and the lies were spread by "journalists" and basically no safety measures were taken and people were told the deadly cloud stopped at the border, kids went outside and people ate contaminated foods. I have a childhood friend who suffered a thyroid cancer during his 20s...he was born a few years before Chernobyl and i don't think it's a coincidence.
Well, I am a chemist, and I need to straight one thing up: if you get irradiated it doesn't neceseraly mean that you've become a new source of radiation. Shure, a neutron flux could produce some radioactive isotopes on your body, but it's neglible. But if you get covered by dust containing radioactive nucleides - then you can be considered dangerous. Dust, that had fallen onto the clothes would primarily stan on that clothing, or just fall down. So, the firemen and other people that died from radiation sickness weren't as radioactive as we could think, especialy if they were washed. Of course, the rooms, the sheets etc. had been contamineted with this dust probably hours before anyone came up with the idea to take their clothes away, so the radiation in thoose rooms was significant. Especialy dangerous were radioactive isotopes of potassium, caesium, iodine - all of those acumulate in human body in the same way that minerals do, and from there they are practically imposible to remove, additionaly it can make a human being a source of radiation.
Of course the dust accumulated in the lungs had a major impact both for the radiation sicknes and for considering patients as a potential source of further contamination.
This TV series got me completely speechless, perfect editing, sound effects, score, and of course everybody got it right. P.S.: I would have had a sister if the Chernobyl disaster had not happened. My mom had to have an abortion, due to fear of birth defects.
I've been waiting for a series like this since I read "Voices of Chernobyl" and watched "Seconds from Disaster". I've been fascinated by the events and learned everything I could about it. The whole scene of the poor plant workers staring into the fissioning reactor, and the image and sound..... the firefighters dropping, and the staggering amount of denial by everyone in the gov't and various boards..... You've got a work of art here!
I can’t say enough about this excellent miniseries!! Kudos to everyone who worked on it! It’s wonderful how we can now get to understand the heroism of those who carried out their assignments knowing that they would soon be dead. You have honoured the memory of everyone who died!
Hey. As living in Ukraine, and knowing a lot about those events, after watching the first two episodes i can say that HBO really tried. I want to apologize for my English right away. From the point of view of a feature film, this is a very high-quality approximation to reality. If anyone is interested, I can only say about some of the shortcomings noted, but I'm just amazed that there are so few of them if you don’t have to worry about very small details. 1) Apartment furnishings - they are more suitable for the 50-70s than for 1986. Of course, in the 80s such situations were in many apartments - but this is more likely in my grandmother, or in apartments of unskilled labor. Nuclear physicists were the elite of the working class of the country, for the most part they didn’t really have such an old-fashioned apartment setting. 2) Also, the appearance of many residents of Pripyat in the film reminded me of clothes on Soviet collective farms of the 70s. Pripyat was a very young city, it was not even 20 years old at the time of the accident, and the average age of residents was 26 years. And these were very successful young people by Soviet standards. In the film, they look too old-fashioned. Also, some cars, such as the Gas-51, are clearly outdated for the year 86, etc. 3) In general, there are very few Hollywood clichés in the film, but they still exist. For example, Shcherbinsky’s dialogue with Legasov in the second series, where Shcherbinsky tells Legasov that he will be thrown out of a helicopter if he doesn’t tell how a nuclear reactor works. In reality, such a dialogue could not be. Party workers had tremendous power in the country, but it was impossible to hear such expressions of speech from their mouths, throwing cheap threats around demonstrating their power, was considered to be an incredibly bad tone. It was a couple of clichés, but I don’t want to focus on them, as I will say frankly - I was expecting some typical blockbuster on a historical theme, but I saw a high-quality film with a minimum of moments to complain about.
I have been in love with this setting since exploring it in the Stalker series years ago. The last 2 episodes have been absolutely fantastic, I can't believed what happened back then.
what an amazing 2nd episode I was riveted - all the officials were seriously deluded and refused to listen to the experts. Stellan Skaarsgard is superb as is Emily Watson. Wow.
This series is on the level of band of brothers. So thrilling. Have been waiting for a long time on a series about these subject. Watched a lot of video’s about the accident and exploring all the sites. Really can recommend Bionerd channel.
I needed to pause for a minute after 36:30. The final core of the plant wasn't shut down until the year 2000. Which means they had people operating the plant for decades after the disaster occurred... in a nuclear exclusion zone
I was thinking the exact same thing! Listening to him, his devotion and respect and insight into this series, I thought, "Surely I'll adore his other work!" Took a peak last night, and my mouth dropped as wide as it does watching Chernobyl. 😂
@@safira158 Craig Maizin was a writer for Scary Movie 3 and 4, as well as the Hangover movies. Look at some of his past work.... this series is an unusual departure from satirical comedy movies. The dude is fucking talented! Everyone who worked on this is talented.....
Alexei Ananenko, Valeri Bezpalov, and Boris Baranov ...Rest In Peace. These 3 men made the ultimate sacrifice and stopped the disaster from becoming worse. They saved millions of lives.
Vern schurtz expanding steam is no longer the most likely cause of possibly either explosion. A fizzle event similar to a dirty bomb is a more likely scenario.
@@todd.goslin6190 You have been reading to much Anti-Nuclear propaganda and are confusing two drastically different types of weapons. A "Fizzle" is when a nuclear weapon flies apart prior to achieving it's calculated yield due to a design or manufacturing flaw or a malfunction. A dirty bomb is a conventional explosive device with nuclear waste material embedded within it. It is impossible for a Nuclear Power Plant Reactor to have "Fizzle" since it uses low enriched Uranium (a low percentage of fissile Uranium 235) for fuel. A nuclear weapon uses highly enriched Uranium (a high percentage of fissile Uranium 235) in order to have an uncontrolled nuclear reaction occur ie: a nuclear explosion. In Chernobyl the accident was caused by an intense spike of reactivity during insertion of the control rods which had a design flaw and with the reactor in the unstable condition caused by the operators test would cause this boost in reactivity. This intense boost in reactivity caused the water in the core to flash to steam resulting in a massive steam explosion. www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl-accident.aspx In Fukushima a buildup of Hydrogen gas due to venting of the reactor containment caused the explosions. Without adequate cooling to the core, decay heat continued to build up and excessive pressure was vented into the containment building. The fuel rods became partially uncovered and were exposed to steam. When fuel rods are exposed to steam the ziconium cladding rapidly oxidizes and hydrogen gas is released exothermically. Venting the core to the containment building now released large amounts of hydrogen from the core. Venting the containment building now resulted in large amounts of hydrogen building up in the upper service floor of the building. This was due to e design flaw in the system that allowed the gasses to backflow into the service floor with no power to ventilation fans in the exhaust stack. Hydrogen mixed with oxygen as we know is a volatile mixture that can go boom. www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/fukushima-accident.aspx
Wasn’t just steam. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/chernobyl-disaster-cause-scientists-wrong-nuclear-power-plant-accident-ukraine-study-a8067026.html
The last track it is called Vichnaya Pamyat. is Ukrainian for "Memory Eternal". It is a hymn intoned during Ukrainian Orthodox Christian church Funeral or Memorial Litiyas/prayers for the deceased.
I feel like I need to find these two men and thanks them but I dont think saying "Thank you" would ever be enough for what they did. There is talk about super heroes, these three men are truly super heroes.
@@JustPlayTheGame76 I've read the memories of Ananenko, he said that the episode was overdramatised by the press from the begining. They got the best-case scenario in the basement. The radiation was not too high, exept one part which they ran through. They were in scooba gear in case the valves would be underwater, but they were not. This does not diminish their bravery and the importance of what they done. Las year they were awarded by president.
@@neprogav To those interested here's a link in Ukranian about Poroshenko giving honors to those brave men www.ukrinform.ru/rubric-society/2449795-prezident-vrucil-nagrady-geroamlikvidatoram-i-rabotnikam-caes.html
Remember those names - the first firefighters who arrived at the scene of the explosion and started combating the fire:
Vladimir Pravik - died May 11, 1986
Victor Kibenok - died May 11, 1986
Leonid Telyatnikov - lived longest among these firemen, which is a miracle in itself. Died in 2005 of Chernobyl-related cancer.
Vasiliy Ignatenko - died May 13, 1986. In 2006 posthumously awarded the title Hero of Ukraine.
Nikolay Vaschuk - was instrumental in preventing fire from reaching reactor number 3. Died with the rest of his crew on the same day. Hero of Ukraine.
Nikolay Titenok - died May 16, 1986. Hero of Ukraine
Leonid Shavrey - miraculous recovery in the facility in Kyiv. Had bone marrow partially replaced which help the organism and DNA to fight off radiation exposure and sickness.
Ivan Shavrey - the younger brother of Leonid. Also survived by miraculous treatment in Kyiv. Again, partial replacement of bone marrow.
Petro Shavrey - the oldest brother. Also survived. There should be a book about this family of heroes or maybe a separate HBO movie.
Alexander Lelichenko - electrician technician of Chernobyl NPP. Was responsible for preventing an additional hydrogen explosion. Received lethal dose of radiation and died on May 7, 1986. Hero of Ukraine.
The first wave of firefighters consisted of 28 men in total.
Sergeontheloose
If HBO recorded interviews with the survivors I think that would appeal to fans of the show and also be a useful archive.
@@alanpennie8013 What survivors? "Leonid Telyatnikov - lived longest among these firemen, which is a miracle in itself. Died in 2005 of Chernobyl-related cancer. "
im not remembering all that bro
Idk there's something heartwarming about having those three brothers all survive the incident
Thank you. This is very moving and important. Amazing.
"they don't allow the children to play outside. In Frankfurt..."
camera pans down to children coming home from school with the emerging smoke coming from the reactor in the background.
what a thrilling and horrifying episode...
that was a gtrully great moment. They don't allow the children to play outside (accented pause) in Frankfurt. (pan outside) (cut and show evacuation buses)
That's actually a huge inaccuracy and I'm surprised they did not address this in the podcast. They detected the radiation in Sweden a day after the Pripyat evacuation.
Julian Krick i just asked this very question since the miniseries and this podcast states that contradictory timeline to the website www.chernobylgallery.com/chernobyl-disaster/timeline/ that has the Pripyat evacuation happening days before Sweden and Germany know of the radiation. This issue of correctness bothers me. Not sure which is right it if the series is wrong it’s a huge problem even if it is for dramatic effect because this is the sort of stuff that undercuts buying ANYTHING they suggest in the series and that is a shame.
@@InterCity134 actually no sorry but the problem is when as story is shown is true , fans get too detailed with wanting everything to be exact
@@InterCity134 You are right , the evacuation was on 27 April , and the detection in Sweeden was on 28 April.
Thank you for mentioning the May Day parade in Kyiv. I was disappointed that it wasn't in the show, but at least some people will know because of the podcast. For a lot of Ukrainians, that was one of the biggest betrayals: not cancelling the parade.
I've read that all footage of the 86' parade there has been "mysteriously" lost. That fat pig bastard ignored a nuclear physicist because he "preferred his own opinion".
Lynne Welton
Таки ДА,
согласна с тобой
@@AdamBorseti The only photo evidence left is Igor Kostin's- he referred to the Mayday Parade in Kiev as a 'parade of death'.
Yup, especially since most Americans just don't know about May 1st. It's a very important and well known holiday in all of Europe, yet over there they are astounded to hear that it is a holiday over here.
This was also a key reason Ukraine wanted to 'break up with' the USSR in my understanding.
Love how Boris Shcherbina (played by Stellan Skarsgård) became more and more respectful of the scientific expertise of Professor Valery Legasov (Jared Harris). Humility set in after seeing the fall of that helicopter.
There's that great moment when Boris takes Legasov's side against those two assholes that were running the place and owns them. That's when I knew I liked him.
He’s a career party man, don’t fall in love too much.
@@RollerCoasterLineProductions LOL, hoping for turncoats within party.
That moment the professor told him theyd be dead in 5 years. Damn...
@@MakerInMotion loved that he answers them with Legasov's explanation to him. I thought he knew that the two dumbasses were taking advantage of his lack of knowledge in the science stuff
I loved how when the three guys went into the water, the director uses no words but just the sound of the Geiger counter. It was just intense. And when the light goes out, I may have flat-lined. The scariest things aren't ghosts or zombies or aliens... It's always things that can actually happen.
Aliens can happen to the earth, think of all the infinite galaxies that are perceived with its indescribably many worlds and what they might contain. zombies The phenomenon exists in nature as in the case of humans, wodo treated people, abused drug and manipulated, or those who are affected by the drug Flaka are becoming violent and zombie like. The fungus fungus in nature takes over insects. but I agree with you mostley but would say this instead. What makes this more scary is that we can safely for sure know how and why such catastrophes happen + that it is closer to our everyday life and so it makes the whole thing scarier than Zombies and Alines. And ghost dont exist,You have right about that.
it was the quiet and the darkness and the sound of that geiger counter that made it so terrifying
Being from Belarus - I have such tremendous respect for the writer. Now only was he able to depict the story in such detail and accuracy, he was able to understand the soul of people from Soviet Union, and show their heroism. Absolutely amazing!
As a Russian I literally admire this man who made this show. It is so true, so accurate in details. That's amazing.
Да они даже мотоцикл яву откопали где-то, это было 10/10!!!
Александр Бородин Why do Russians keep taking the Chernobyl events as their own? The fact you are Russian doesn’t matter. To say you are a post Soviet citizen would make sense but this is an event that happened in Ukraine and helped by Ukrainian and Belorussian scientists, not just Russians.
@@jerrell1169 I didn't mean to provoke any political conflicts here, okay? My comment was basically about the setting and atmosphere, which were pretty much the same for all soviet republics.
@@jerrell1169 Well, Russians are post soviet citizens, so what's your point?
Да, довольно таки правдоподобно, и очень атмосферно!
Holy shit what a great episode. Those three guys had balls of steel to volunteer to go into that water. Ananenko, Bezpalov, Baranov. Heroes.
yep i agree with you freand !
Casual soviet mentality
When we read about the superheroes, we wonder them; and when we hear about the real heroes of humanity, we can’t even remember their names and call their something like “moving robots” (which is the perfect mention of this phrase “typical soviet mentality”). Isn’t our world mad?
And the wonderful fact: I don’t know how they will picture it in the show, but in fact “the Chernobyl divers” survived their mission.
Boris Baranov died in 2005 and Valery Bespalov and Alexey Ananenko are still alive now in 2019.
@@lenochkazmeeva3475 they deserve to be alive now, bur rest in peace to boris baranov. they risked their lives to save millions.
I think this series could win an Emmy.
Damn well better - Jared Harris doesn't deserve to have *another* brilliant performance overlooked!
Fuck GOT
@@chupaxf Again, it damn well better!
@@RAYON10 I'm really happy this show came out when it did.
It fucking better!
The musical score is spot on really compliments the eerie feeling.
The song in the evacuate scene it's so amazing!
The sound of the dosimeters in the last 10 minutes with that score, or the scene where they're telling Gorbachev what is going to happen was so ridiculous!
everything made by hildur guðnadóttir gives eerie feeling
I immediately looked up the composer because it adds so much to the series!
The score was actually made using sounds from a nuclear reactor! I saw a video on synthtopia where the composer and her associate took field recordings inside of a decommissioned reactor in Latvia or Lithuania.... this is the type of creativity that will earn this series a lot of awards..... it fucking better anyway.....
One of the most shocking things is that 2 of these 3 Chernobyl’s heroes are still alive. One of them died 2005. This is important because press reports often that they were dead in several days.
All of them were engineers, who knew the power plant perfectly. That’s the reason because they could do their mission in the whole darkness.
realy heros
they knew where to hide/limit their exposure...think about it
@@tomsmith2794 You can't hide from radiation
I used to think I knew how Chernobyl happened but because normally documentaries only show how the explosion went...I had no idea about the water tanks or the facts that there could be a much worse explosion...It's incredible this was a man-made accident. Good job making this series!
Ohhh sit u are not balls deep in chernobyl... the amount of secrecy...wooo
Running to this podcast right after watching the episode
AvenueX I'm doing the opposite. I'm going to watch the episode once again after listening to this.
Absolutely a fantastic series. I've waited for many years hoping someone would create such an epic movie or series about Chernobyl. Thank you!
I agree thank you HBO
too many died too many died after and nobody knew who fihgt whis this disaster this will be last fight for life (((
I definitely agree with that
in the series of error - the helicopter did not fall at the beginning of the accident - only after a few months
There's a shitton of fiction and documentaries about Chernobyl made for the last 30 years. Why would you wait for this one?
I was born and raised in Kiev, the capitol of Ukraine, which is located 69 miles away from Chernobyl. That April of 1986 I just turned 12 years old, and I lived in Kiev, Ukraine for three more years after this accident!
Thank you Craig Mazin! Thank you HBO! And, thank you SKY for making this miniseries and bringing this back to life with such a great group of actors, big research and amazing story script writing! This story is way way way overdue for the whole world to know and to learn! After watching the first episode I wanted to wait and see how the story will unfold into the next 24-48 hours of all events, before I comment on this! Now I feel, I can say. This show deserves nothing, but respect and appreciation! THANK YOU!
April 26, 1986 was a Saturday. That time, that weekend I was outdoors, camping on the city wide type of Boy-scout competition (туристический слёт)
, about 1/3 of the distance between Kiev and Chernobyl! That Saturday, was a normal day for us, full of outdoor activities, such as fire starting, tent building, trees climbing, guitar playing and yes, beer drinking too :) WE all felt to sleep exited and exhausted, thinking of packing and drugging all our camping stuff across the city in overcrowded public transportation. To our surprise, the camp wide weak up call came in 2 hours earlier, and when we got out of our tents we found our selves surrounded by city buses! (30-34 hours into the event) No comments or explanations were given. We were all loaded into those buses and taken back to the city! On Monday, everyone went back to school as we would normally do!
For the next 3 weeks the live in Kiev happened as usual. We were going to school everyday, talking about, spreading rumors about possible nuclear explosion, or American nuclear attack, or some other crazy conspiracy theory, that kids could of come up with during those day. We were told to stay indoors as much as possible, keep windows shut, not to eat raw fruits and vegetables and wash our floors more often. We lived through May 1st Labor Day city parade. We were getting ready for school finals. We were dreaming about 3 months long summer vacations!
To our big surprise, in the middle of May (about 3 weeks into the event) we were told that all finals are canceled and all kids grades 4-8 (10 grade schools) are being evacuated to summer camps along Black and Azov seas! And, that is how we spent most of that summer! Only small amount of population in Kiev was able to get off their jobs, grub their families and get somewhere save! Most of the Capitol city remained active, working, NOT evacuated.
As I said, I was just a kid! I did not learn the whole extant of this disaster until after I left Kiev, Ukraine, USSR, moved to USA, grow up, went to college and learned the true facts of this event with proper scientific education, declassified historical records, without Soviet propaganda bullshit! Being a kid, I remember a laughing rime going around the school, amount kids, where we were about to graduate and become new generation of Soviet Citizens! This rime pretty much summarizes the general attitude of younger generation towards the Soviet system, Soviet communist party, our leaders:
"Thank you, party our Dear
For your kindness and your care
For Peaceful nuclear reaction in our homes
For 7 Renghen on Passover!
Thank you, once again for this show and for following podcasts! Just a few small requests!
1. Less spoilers. In podcasts 1 & 2 few toppings were covered about things that are yet to happen in future episodes
2. Less laughing! Peter Sagal seams very exited about Soviet regime and the ways things were done down there!
3. Less comparison to America and how Americans would of act, handle things and react to event like this! Especially being exited with Soviet ways!
Any of you or your mates got any negative effects from Chernobyl?
@@Harcix No one knows exactly. My close relatives, who lived near by, died relatively early. But, to say it is Chernibyl effects, and not just simply bad genes, or bad healthcare would be wrong.
I lost my hair pretty early! But so did my father.
They wanted to send my dad to do the cleanup, but luckly he was, smart enough to escape. Army men came to his house to collect him but he jumped out of the window as they were approaching and ran into forest. Later he went to hospital and simulated a stomach illness with a help of an understanding doctor and lied in hospital for a while.
Harcix smart!!!!!!!!!!
Harcix coward
I said this in the last podcast and I’ll say it again, this series is almost completely accurate to the real life events which occur as well as the objects, vehicles, clothing, and other equipment is so amazing to see. I don’t know how you got it in such large amounts but is simply amazing seeing people walking around in the actual equipment which was used in the clean up by the Liquidators after the start of the disaster. The end of this episode was so crazy to see, cause you read about it and don’t really get the scope of how scary it was being underneath a burning RBMK-1000 reactor, and this episode just made more real and just amazing! For those who don’t know, the Firefighter’s equipment which was brought down into the basement of the hospital was so radioactive that it’s still their to this day. Sadly it can’t be seen because the entry to the basement of the hospital has been filled with dirt which for good reason, before that you could literally walk down into the basement and touch the clothing which was worn in and around the reactor.
I've seen a video from before the the entry was blocked, where a pair of guys making a documentary were holding a dosimeter up to the coats and boots still down there. (Which by the way, looked more or less exactly like the ones in Episode 1, after 20-some years of decay in a basement...) The readings were translated as being between 4000 and 5000 x what the normal background radiation should be, even after that much time. They didn't even stay in that basement for 5 minutes.
neuralmute I think it was for the best. It’s better than people getting cancer/radiation poisoning from going down their.
@@garbagebanditdayz819 Most definitely. I wouldn't go there.
yep, I've been to Chernobyl in 2016, the basement was already closed but everything looked exactly like in this series. One firefighter helmet still lies in the hospital lobby because its so radioactive nobody would ever touch it, my dosimeter did not stop going up when I was approaching it, so damn scary.
Love the series, it really feels like when you're there again!
It is not completely accurate. It's far from accurate.
I am still amazed and surprised to read how many people concentrate not on main tragedy of the show and detailed research, performed by its creators, but on a simple fact. The presents of a female (fictional) scientist as a lead characters in the show. If, the addition of a fictional character is not in question, after a few explanations from creators of this show, then why, people ask, this character is a woman? Looks like this bothers many people! I believe, the use of female character is another huge credit to HBO team for good research and good presentation of Soviet culture of those times! Here is a little highlight of the Soviet culture of 1980's for those, who did not know:
The standard American scenario of youth integration into the society did not exist in USSR. Forget about standard: High school graduation, college parties, marriage, career, house, mortgage, minivan plan!
All kids graduated 10 year school program at the ages of 16-17. At the age of 18 all boys were required to serve 2+ years in the Soviet army. Only those boys, who managed to get accepted into a 4-year colleges/universities, were excused from the army. That rule gave all boys only one chance to apply, pass all tests and get accepted, before they turn 18 and get collected for the army service.
Girls, on the other hand, had 2-3 years on their hands to apply, get in and advance in schools, while boys (boyfriends, husbands) are serving in the Army. (I believe, we will see young solders of the Soviet Army later in this show)
After the army service, the Soviet tradition demanded "normal citizens" to start families, get jobs to provide for those families and wait for the government to give you a free apartment to live in. Normally, young family would live with his/her parents under one roof, until government gives them a separate unit. One could not buy, sell, or build private house/unit in the city. Only "community", or "state owned" housing was allowed. In villages, away from big cities those rules could be bent and under-looked.
Only a small number of boys after serving in the army were able to come home and get back into education, to get a degree.
Also, an education in USSR was free, and great, and could compete with many other education systems across the world, only a small percent of people, mostly in big cities, could get a decent degree. And, if degree could guaranty one a good career, it would not make one rich. Salaries of scientist, engineers, doctors and all other professions requiring a high levels of education were government controlled, not worth an effort! No private business! People of the lover scale jobs, such as construction workers, farmers, taxi drivers and/or plumbers were making equal, or at times high pays then teachers and engineers.
To cut the long story short. It was totally normal to see a man in USSR working blue color jobs full time and some more, providing for families, while woman, holding a worthless college diploma, working a cheep full time job, caring for kids, making family meals. Both parents shopping for food/goods whatever you could find at the spare time.
I think, HBO picked a perfect presentation of an educated Soviet woman with no power, or influence in that system! Bravo!
I don't mind her at all , she has a good character and there's no sjw feminism bullshit. Her character is awesome so I'm fine with it
This is some great insight into the already marvellous and captivating Chernobyl tv series.
Just misogynists.
The writers and producers of the show did their research very meticulously so I have no doubt they did the best they could.
as an asian who was born after the fall of the USSR, I hv no idea about the soviet culture at all! thanks for the insightful comments!!
Absolutely fantastic! As I had mentioned in the Part One podcast my wife is Russian and I am a Navy Nuclear Propulsion plant operator from the 80's and early 90's. We are both very impressed with the series. My wife was translating the poem in the beginning and the evacuation of Preterit and all was spot on. Excellent attention to detail!!
Subtitles say it was in Ukrainian, but it was in Russian.
Pripyat*
'Chernobyl' was not hyped at all so I didn't expect much from it. But Episode One held my attention and left me looking forward to Two, which I watched tonight and I'm hooked. This looks like a very well-done series, mainly because this incredibly scary event really happened.
Michael Kessler The tipic doesn’t need tobe hyped.
Michael Kessler if you decide to watch something based on its “hype” then you’re doin it wrong buddy
@@TeddyPicker191: "Hype" is an extremely flexible word. I don't know what it means to you but to me it means advance announcement and descriptive previews -- as in the examples of some of the finest programming on television. To me, 'hype' is a taste, a sampling to capture interest. In the 'Chernobyl' example there was nothing but the word "Chernobyl," leaving me to wonder if it was some slapped-together newsreels and depressing, warmed over reportage -- worth watching only in the absence of something more interesting. It would have been encouraging to know the cast included Jared Harris and Emily Watson.
I saw the trailer and let me say, I've never been so hyped for a TV show. It certainly didnt disappoint either.
I just rolled my eyes so bad, that I'm gonna have to walk with a terrible headache for the rest of the day. I'm sick and tired from all the hype and promotion of this tv series on all the media I follow. This totally deterred me from watching any part of the show for very long time, and I came here solely to make this statement.
My friends are going nuts, "dude, you totally have to watch it", even tho they know well that I don't watch any tv shows since like 1995...
After having watched the entire series I can say that Episode 2 is my favorite. The three volunteers, especially, whose names I now vow to remember... gut-wrenching.
Does anyone else agree that this podcast right after the show is the perfect ear snack? Just me?
Defo
Yes just you
I found it interesting that there were so many women in the sciences in the USSR at that time. I wouldn't have thought that, but it makes me happy. On another note, that ending. Omfg. I was so stressed out I literally forgot to breathe. Those men were heroes, really. I'd be terrified to do what they did, tbh. Y'all deserve MULTIPLE awards for this show.
The Soviet system was a complete social revolution, comparable only to the French one. Besides the horrors of totalitarian police state and the catastrophically inefficient economical system it also had some good elements. One of them was abolishing of all class and gender divisions and opening of all career choices to everyone, at least in principle. A daughter of a small farmer from ethnic minory in some forgotten corner of the empire could, if she was smart and determined, just join a state-funded polytechnic, get a degree in nuclear phycics and become a respected authority in her field.
General Pikalov was pretty badass in this episode.
In the real life it wasn't Pikalov. It was Legasov who went to the reactor in the armored vehicle. They knew at the time that radiation leves were very high, but they wanted to meause neutron flux, to know if chain reaction is still going inside the reactor.
That never happened. Why are you making shit up. Like they would send in the smartest physicist they had to measure neutron flux. All they needed was the rad levels, why the hell would they measure neutron flux of a blown up reactor?
@@GHound420 That's exactly what happened. They didn't send him, he went on his own, because it's was a work that had to be done.
They knew about radiation levels, it was measured shortly after the accident, but they didn't knew if the reactor fully stopped or not, if the chain reaction still continues, because if it does it means more heat and more radioactive isotopes, like iodine. It would affect their further action. In the end it was useless, because neutron detectors were triggered by gamma radiation, so they went to analysing the air for iodine isotopes.
This man fought nazis all the way to Berlin. A true badass indeed
Wrex You’re pretty knowledgeable on this subject....Do you work in Nuclear energy? Or just we’ll read 😄
Ananenko, Bezpalov, Baranov are real HEROES. As a all firefighters, that was just doing their job and faced with death. And after that you realise that they were just real persons, not a movie "heroes"
Good thing two of them are still alive.
den stranger And Baranov didn’t even die from the radiation, he died from a heart attack.
Thank you Craig Mazin and the team for making such an incredible show. Not to mention HBO for continuing to support such amazing and unique content. I'm at the edge of my seat waiting for the horrific beauty of the next episode. Its hard to stomach at times thinking of the sacrifices that where made, I think everyone owes those who died fighting this disaster the respect of watching this show or at the very least informing themselves of the fallen and what they did.
My father worked in radiology department in a hospital in Czechoslovakia and their dosimeters went off and they had no idea what was happening, since other places were reporting the same thing.
This is a perfect complement to an already perfect show. Two smart people talking about the show, one of them is the creator of the show. Hard to beat!
This series is probably the best show out there right now imo realistic accounts of history not overly dramatized but done in a very tasteful way, the subtleties of how the Soviet union operated in the show is probably something not shown to Western audiences before
It's been done multiple times before
Alexei Ananenko, Valeri Bezpalov, and Boris Baranov are names that join Vasily Arkhipov and Stanislav Petrov on my list of names that I wish I heard in school.
Why?
@@atenrok Ananenko, Bezpalov and Baranov are the men who volunteered to drain the water tanks under the reactor. They went on a suicide mission to save millions of people from nuclear holocaust and their names were almost forgotten in the Soviet secrecy paranoia.
And 2 of em still alive, fucken gods
I'm from Estonia and was a child in 1986. I remember these days vividly. The first news that something big had happened came to us (inside USSR) from Finnish and Swedish seismologists detecting earthquakes from the explosions - the fact in-itself was not unusual because there were nuclear tests carried out regularly. But they concluded by the direction (Kiev) and magnitude that nobody was going to do tests in that area. They had personal connections to Estonian scientists and started to exchange data to find answers. Rumors among Estonian public started to spread immediately on Saturday, 26th of April, the day of the accident, but the accident was already a full public knowledge on Sunday, 27. of April 1986. The same day evacuations began in Pripyat and more specific information started to fall into place. Everybody was scared and nobody knew what to do - there was nothing that could be done by majority of general public and nothing was done by the Soviet governors. We had to wait for our fates and watch the nomenclature in their ignorance. It was the first time in the generation that the Soviet oppression was felt so real and in full effect, but it also felt vulnerable. Next day, we were all sent to school and work as usual, but there was a tension in the air - nobody smiled or partied these days, old war- and independence fighting stories were told by elderly.
The "news" from official channels of USSR finally came on Monday evening only because they had failed to contain the information in all respects. Gorbatchov based his "glastonost" (transparency) doctrine on taking the role of publicly criticizing this "old way" of handling bad news. But he was seen as a weak leader by others (especially KGB) for selling out old nomenclature. But seeds of free journalism were planted on these days of silence that they all missed. Later updates from the Chernobyl were starting to air each evening with names and passport pictures of the fallen workers and conscripts - everybody watched the news in silence and feared name of somebody they new would appear... This in return started a massive (and nationally seen as a patriotic) desertion from Soviet army, which Red Army was not prepared to face and had no remedy for. Gorbatchov was right by saying - Chernobyl started the end of USSR.
СПАСИБО! HBO! Вы рассказали о том, о чем нам стараются не напоминать! Я из Минска, мне было 16 лет в апреле 1986. Апрель был очень теплым, мы все время находились вне квартир и домов. Принимали солнечные ванны на крыше нашего дома. Играли в волейбол во дворе. Дети выходили на прогулки в детских садах. Нам не давали йод, не предупреждали об опасности. Никто ничего не знал. У меня тогда был друг из семьи ученого из Академии наук Белоруссии, там ситуацию узнали первыми. 28 апреля он всех выгнал с крыши, где мы загорали и спас нас
Напиши на английском!
@@awpryanikov People could plug into google translate...
The thing I appreciate most about this series, I think, is that it stays pretty true to the actual events at Chernobyl. Sure there's embellishment, but many of these are based on something else that _did_ happen. For example, a helicopter _did_ crash when doing the boron drops into the reactor, but many people had no idea it really occurred.
Duh! Those events have been described dozens of times in multiple sources. Is it very difficult to write a plot which actually follows them?
I love these podcasts just as much as the miniseries!
After listening to this podcast episode, I'm dying to watch a director's cut of the series! So many great scenes waiting to be filmed.
Perfect attention to details! I lived in USSR those time, all furniture, small things, even sounds are real. Hairstyles and clothes make actors look very Russian! This is the best vision of that time! The only thing really wrong is threatening motivations and behaviors Komunist party bosses. A threat to "throw the scientist from the helicopter if he won't tell how reactor works" sounds comic and absurd!!! They normally made an accent in "high ideals of all mankind" in their rhetoric, that was their tool, especially in 1980-s. The worse threat was "you will go to the court as a national betrayer", yea that was most probably scary at those time.
Thanks for sharing. Hollywood is not without its well worn cliches and tropes. 😁😁
I appreciate the insight, I think they added it to also add some dramatic effect. Its a small example of how the truth is stretched for the sake of creating a film which keeps the viewers attention.
@@scallie6462 Thank you! On the one hand yes - drama, on the other hand - there is a stereotypic vision of USSR based on media war effect. One more compliment to this series - is that there is much much less of these stereotypes! Compare to films like Red Sparrow. I would say this film is the best description of USSR of those time for the last 50 years, I would say subjectively.
Agree.
The show is shockingly accurate in almost everything. Especially in scenery and depicting life.
But couple of things were a little cringy. Somewhat Hollywoodish.
I can’t imagine any Soviet engineer (let alone a woman) act very independently. Mainly, leave her job, arrive at Chernobyl, reach higher decision makers and embarrass them by sounding smarter than them.
That’s nonsense and too individualistic, feminist superhero type American acting.
@@TarlanT Tank you! But I wouldn't agree with you at this time. In fact, feminism in specific form started at USSR 100 years ago. SIgnificant principle of the socialistic revolution was the same rights for men and women. What we see in EU and US happened there in 1920-s. I remember a professor at my university ("engineering geology" specialty with tough math), wow she was a classic feminist from 1960-s haha... Also, don't see any problems with providing initiative. At those time there was huge volunteers movement. I would say it is a super classic character of "hyperactive woman" haha ...
I actually whimpered in terror during several parts of last night’s episode, and I know this because my son told me. This series is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
All the harris/valery and emily scenes were incredible.
Jared Harris ought to receive Emmy nod for his performance.
A true hidden gem, such a relief to watch show made with amazing love and attention to details after GOT s8 sloppy writing disaster.
Sheriff S lol!!
All true
F A C T S -__-
Hidden? Hardly so, it's like everyone is talking about it right now.
I wish people would stop referencing Game of thrones on videos about Chernobyl... You are sullying a masterpiece... Game of thrones was utter trash, from beginning to end... Not just the final season... Chernobyl is on an entirely different scale... It is a completely different class of television.
I love how the music track is done. So many movies and shows are absolutely ruined because of the music track.
Good job
Made using the sampled sounds of a real nuclear reactor! Check out the composer..... she's quite talented!
So TRUE.
The reason Legasov was called in is that it was Saturday pre May 1st holidays which is huge holiday in Russia. Nobody else was around at that time
9:26 "Uh, everything is under control, situation normal! Uh, we had a slight reactor malfunction, but, uh, everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here, now, thank you. How are you?"
::flames are licking at your back the whole time::
I get you Han Solo... Nicely done!!
Boring conversation anyways...
As if it wasn't enough with the greatest mini series ever, you also give us an incredibly riveting podcast to go along with it. What have we done to deserve all this great content, HBO?
I remember that parade in Kiev. I was 6 years old. It was hot and sunny. I wore my best dress and had ribbons in the hair.
I'm glad you're ok today.
@@lisab6547 Thank you)
@@rwsh1976 thanks)
Now you know why it was so warm that day...
Why don't I believe you? Hmm.
Absolutely outstanding series. Should win plenty of awards. Skarsgard, Harris and Watson were amazing to watch. I cannot convey how good this series is, or how much I truly enjoyed it.
These podcasts are an amazing addition to the show. Good move HBO
Endlessly better than GoT.. this one actually deserves an Emmy.
Seasons 1-4 of GoT didnt deserve emmys?
@@Lemmy1899 NO! GoT is so overhyped its laughable.
In the original version, it actually says the "fires". So it made even more sense. Sometig like this:
"By the Russian tradition, having just scattered
The fires behind them in Russian lands,
Before our eyes our comrades were dying,
In a Russian way, tearing the shirts from their chests."
I'm so glad with what Craig said about the cinematography and not wanting to add drama. That was my one fear when I saw the trailers, with an event like Chernobyl, you do not need to add drama!
So true. A lot of TV really pumps up the drama unnecessarily. The suspense is in the details of the story. The subtle stuff like opting for the turned over glass in the bar etc.
You just nailed it for me. I didn’t realize till you said it. No over dramatization.
Craig is amazing at humanizing even the most inhumane characters. Brilliant.
I love this series so much! Before it I knew nothing about what happened at chernobyl and now I have found out so much. My god I never knew it was that bad.
It was a biggest disaster in human history .. But its so hard to count milions that died or will die from it .. :(
@Hugh Chungas: The real impact of this series is the way it awakens us to the presence of these dreadful monsters in our own back yards. It is especially fearsome to those of us who live close to them.
The ending got me, so intense
Simonov's poem was the only right thing to begin the episode with. Thanks a lot from Russia!
It is utterly chilling to watch,like watching some dreadful accident in the most exquisitely horrible slo-motion imaginable,yet I cannot tear myself away from it.
Just based on the two episodes so far this deserves to win awards.
Episode 1 if this podcast was great. Thank you! Continuing to delay sleep for part 2 :))
Please make a review this show is criminally underrepresented on yt and keep up the good work
These post episode podcasts are incredibly informative. I wish this type of format would continue!
My family and I lived in the Kiev region. Then, after the explosion, we found ourselves in 4 zones, not subject to eviction. Yes, and the third as far as I know, not evicted. My daughter was 2 years old. we didn’t know anything and on May 2 our whole family worked in the garden and planted potatoes. There was a very strong wind. It seems that nature wanted to dispel as much as possible the invisible death.
This show is incredible. Thank you for making it.
Great series, I'm learning more about the disaster and I've been fascinated by it for years.
The actors at that second meeting with Gorbachev did a great job of conveying their horror and disbelief even though none of them said a word. Upon hearing the nightmarish news of what was about to unfold their faces really started to look pale...
Shurbina face during the second meeting says it all
Craig Mazin's a genius! Thanks a lot for this master piece!! The podcast is an equally essential part of the mini series that does a wonderful job of explaining many aspects of the miniseries which we as audience often want answers for. It's also amazing to understand how even the fictional parts of the mini series are well thought and not just pure imagination to drive the episode in an interesting way. Thank you again, the experience I have had in the past 2 episodes is beyond conceivable!
" There is no stirring music, there is no tension music"
Only that there is. It may not be written like music for the charts, set for piano/guitar/strings/drums/percussion instruments etc. and with lyrics, but there very much *is* music, or if you prefer: a film score, and it is used perfectly to increase tension and convey horror.
Watch the first episode again, the scene on the bridge for instance, or the one at the end, and you have this sound that is permeating everything, like the radiation. In fact, I think the first times it can be heard are used to almost condition us to associate it with this invisible threat, so it can be picked up in later scenes like the one at the end to remind us of exactly that.
Remember as you watch this … that it really happened .. the soviets covered it up .. people died .. and many more were injured. Disasters are always confusing and chaotic in the moment. Thank you for not tying a neat Hollywood bow around it. History gives you perspective that those who lived it did not have. Nuclear power is statistically safe but when it goes wrong the payoff is unimaginably bad. Speaking from a lifelong relationship with nuclear power here. I would sum this up as a Navy nuke operator and later a career as an engineer. This topic without extensive background information is confusing to the uninitiated layman as it is so technical. Thank you for not getting lost in explaining every detail. And as someone not from Russia who has lived and worked there .. things and people in Russia look very strange to westerners who are not familiar with the culture and the people. Thank you for making the effort to portray all of this from a Russian view of things. This documentary is amazing. I have read and studied this event from a technical aspect. The show you have created is filling in all the social and bureaucratic factors which made it so bad. The Soviet mentality of hiding the truth and avoiding blame is there for all to see. Echoes of those attitudes still exist today. And last please remember that the Russian people are not represented by their government or its machinations. I have found almost everyone I worked with there to be intelligent, resilient, resourceful, imaginative and easy to admire, easy even to love.
John Wells of course they are easy to love. Not to mention hilarious and beautiful! :)
@@AK-706 all slavs are beautiful ..
Please also remember that most of the people injured were from Ukraine and Belarus, they are not Russians. Thank you
@@crocodile060685 For most people there is little difference between those three ...
Fantastic series, I wish I didn't know about it until it was fully released. I CAN'T WAIT.
Mathew magee
WHAT A BLOODY SHOW.
Do you think after Season 1 they’ll realease it on DVD?
Is that an adjective or expletive
I am stunned of your mini-series about Chernobyl. It’s made so realistic even for me who grew up in Soviet Union. My applause!
It is so well done , and the podcast is the perfect companion to the series .
I love the explanation of the score. I couldnt figure out why i felt SO creeped out the whole time and I now realize it was specifically because of the sound track. Crazy
Chickflixx the end credit are perfect. No music just ambient noise. Chilling
Awesome series and podcast. Well done HBO and friends. Much food for thought in this series.
I'm from Ukraine. My country was the epicenter... I watched the first episode yesterday and it made me burst into tears... It was the time of my grandparents, my mom... I can't imagine how the government could hide information about this catastrophe from people! I'm very happy that Soviet Union is gone. Unfortunately, we have a lot of older generation people who even want that time to come back. It can be clearly seen through elections :(
By the way, we still have a lot of "chornobyltsi" in the country - they are that citizens from Prypiat, firemen and other stuff and they're still suffering.
I wonder do you see any physical or other effects of this tragedy in your country?
I feel very sorry for you...At the day of disaster and two following days thousands of lithuanians were enjoying good weather at the seaside of the Baltics. People didn't know about the disaster nor did they know about an invisible cloud of radioactive dust traveling across the country. There were no information about dangers of exposure to it, no Iodine pills were administered, none were used. I wasn't born at that time too, however I can still hear people saying that Soviet system was simply a reckless, disorganized piece of crap. A simple human being was not important. As a result, we can see the increasing number of cancerous, autoimmune diseases. This disaster affected many, especially those in Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania... The cost of living in the world of lies and denial.
Hello from Canada. A good friend of mine was 10 yrs old and living in Kiev when all of this happened. She was a clever kid, and figured out from eavesdropping on adults that something awful was going on, and that the government was lying to them about it, and that people were getting very sick. Though she hasn't said so directly, I think it was a strong part of her motivation to move to Canada, alone, with her high-school English as soon as she turned 18. She's one of the bravest people I know.
@@Sean-gio2 agreed. The elitists that run the world cover up truth all the time. Their tool in America is our mainstream media.
да не забывай что при власти петра было вывезена вся техника которая фонит досихпор всем похуй на людей тогда и сейчас только бабло в голове у таких людей ........настоящих героев забыли и забудут этот урок тоже только такие фильмы напоминают всю ответственность перед людьми ....
Sad...in France people get cancer because the governement lied and the lies were spread by "journalists" and basically no safety measures were taken and people were told the deadly cloud stopped at the border, kids went outside and people ate contaminated foods.
I have a childhood friend who suffered a thyroid cancer during his 20s...he was born a few years before Chernobyl and i don't think it's a coincidence.
Well, I am a chemist, and I need to straight one thing up: if you get irradiated it doesn't neceseraly mean that you've become a new source of radiation. Shure, a neutron flux could produce some radioactive isotopes on your body, but it's neglible. But if you get covered by dust containing radioactive nucleides - then you can be considered dangerous. Dust, that had fallen onto the clothes would primarily stan on that clothing, or just fall down. So, the firemen and other people that died from radiation sickness weren't as radioactive as we could think, especialy if they were washed. Of course, the rooms, the sheets etc. had been contamineted with this dust probably hours before anyone came up with the idea to take their clothes away, so the radiation in thoose rooms was significant. Especialy dangerous were radioactive isotopes of potassium, caesium, iodine - all of those acumulate in human body in the same way that minerals do, and from there they are practically imposible to remove, additionaly it can make a human being a source of radiation.
Of course the dust accumulated in the lungs had a major impact both for the radiation sicknes and for considering patients as a potential source of further contamination.
Ok thanks, but what if the firemen breath that radioactive dust?
This show is hauntingly amazing, and I applaud the cast and crew for bringing it to life.
I love these podcasts, discussing every scene, giving more insights, this is something you want to come and hear this
This TV series got me completely speechless, perfect editing, sound effects, score, and of course everybody got it right.
P.S.: I would have had a sister if the Chernobyl disaster had not happened. My mom had to have an abortion, due to fear of birth defects.
I've been waiting for a series like this since I read "Voices of Chernobyl" and watched "Seconds from Disaster". I've been fascinated by the events and learned everything I could about it. The whole scene of the poor plant workers staring into the fissioning reactor, and the image and sound..... the firefighters dropping, and the staggering amount of denial by everyone in the gov't and various boards.....
You've got a work of art here!
Good to see another person that's balls deep so to say....this is sooo good
@@snip3d4less You know it, stalker!
Seconds from disaster is a good series but the one about Chernobyl wound me up with all the music.
@@Mayaman67 Sure, but this series makes that 1 SfD episode look like Mr. Roger's Neighborhood!
I can’t say enough about this excellent miniseries!! Kudos to everyone who worked on it! It’s wonderful how we can now get to understand the heroism of those who carried out their assignments knowing that they would soon be dead. You have honoured the memory of everyone who died!
Loving the show, and its so great to have these companion podcasts!
Hey. As living in Ukraine, and knowing a lot about those events, after watching the first two episodes i can say that HBO really tried. I want to apologize for my English right away. From the point of view of a feature film, this is a very high-quality approximation to reality. If anyone is interested, I can only say about some of the shortcomings noted, but I'm just amazed that there are so few of them if you don’t have to worry about very small details. 1) Apartment furnishings - they are more suitable for the 50-70s than for 1986. Of course, in the 80s such situations were in many apartments - but this is more likely in my grandmother, or in apartments of unskilled labor. Nuclear physicists were the elite of the working class of the country, for the most part they didn’t really have such an old-fashioned apartment setting. 2) Also, the appearance of many residents of Pripyat in the film reminded me of clothes on Soviet collective farms of the 70s. Pripyat was a very young city, it was not even 20 years old at the time of the accident, and the average age of residents was 26 years. And these were very successful young people by Soviet standards. In the film, they look too old-fashioned. Also, some cars, such as the Gas-51, are clearly outdated for the year 86, etc. 3) In general, there are very few Hollywood clichés in the film, but they still exist. For example, Shcherbinsky’s dialogue with Legasov in the second series, where Shcherbinsky tells Legasov that he will be thrown out of a helicopter if he doesn’t tell how a nuclear reactor works. In reality, such a dialogue could not be. Party workers had tremendous power in the country, but it was impossible to hear such expressions of speech from their mouths, throwing cheap threats around demonstrating their power, was considered to be an incredibly bad tone. It was a couple of clichés, but I don’t want to focus on them, as I will say frankly - I was expecting some typical blockbuster on a historical theme, but I saw a high-quality film with a minimum of moments to complain about.
I have been in love with this setting since exploring it in the Stalker series years ago. The last 2 episodes have been absolutely fantastic, I can't believed what happened back then.
The three men who went into the chambers to open those valves should absolutely be household names.
This is how you write and direct an award winning show.. putting all that effort into the small details pays off immensely. this show is fantastic
Best mini series I have watched so far. Absolutely incredible, thank you.
Raw Potato try The Wire and Deadwood. All excellent.
what an amazing 2nd episode I was riveted - all the officials were seriously deluded and refused to listen to the experts. Stellan Skaarsgard is superb as is Emily Watson. Wow.
This series is on the level of band of brothers. So thrilling. Have been waiting for a long time on a series about these subject. Watched a lot of video’s about the accident and exploring all the sites. Really can recommend Bionerd channel.
Mad props to Craig Mazin for Boris' character arc, absolute perfection.
I needed to pause for a minute after 36:30. The final core of the plant wasn't shut down until the year 2000. Which means they had people operating the plant for decades after the disaster occurred... in a nuclear exclusion zone
i also dont get that part. the zone was made exclusion zone, yet reactors are run... by who? how?
looking at Craig's filmography... what an amazing leap forward from things like Scary Movie 3/4
I was thinking the exact same thing!
Listening to him, his devotion and respect and insight into this series, I thought, "Surely I'll adore his other work!"
Took a peak last night, and my mouth dropped as wide as it does watching Chernobyl. 😂
@@safira158 Craig Maizin was a writer for Scary Movie 3 and 4, as well as the Hangover movies. Look at some of his past work.... this series is an unusual departure from satirical comedy movies. The dude is fucking talented! Everyone who worked on this is talented.....
45:33 -- How could you have left out the dosimeter going crazy during this scene? That would would've made the scene even more EPIC!!!
This show is stunning. It’s making me remember when I first heard of this when I was a kid :(
I loved the "Yes I was worker and now I have the power" scene. It encapusalted perefectly what was wrong with the core idea of the soviet union.
And the divers actually survived, that's the most unbelievable part of the true story
Alexei Ananenko, Valeri Bezpalov, and Boris Baranov ...Rest In Peace. These 3 men made the ultimate sacrifice and stopped the disaster from becoming worse. They saved millions of lives.
Ananenko and Bezpalov are still alive, my dude.
Will HBO do a Fukushima mini series next?
Just remember, in Fukushima the explosions were from a buildup of Hydrogen gas and not Nuclear....
@@VernShurtz Chernobyl wasn't nuclear either. It was expanding steam that caused the explosion.
Vern schurtz expanding steam is no longer the most likely cause of possibly either explosion.
A fizzle event similar to a dirty bomb is a more likely scenario.
@@todd.goslin6190 You have been reading to much Anti-Nuclear propaganda and are confusing two drastically different types of weapons. A "Fizzle" is when a nuclear weapon flies apart prior to achieving it's calculated yield due to a design or manufacturing flaw or a malfunction. A dirty bomb is a conventional explosive device with nuclear waste material embedded within it.
It is impossible for a Nuclear Power Plant Reactor to have "Fizzle" since it uses low enriched Uranium (a low percentage of fissile Uranium 235) for fuel. A nuclear weapon uses highly enriched Uranium (a high percentage of fissile Uranium 235) in order to have an uncontrolled nuclear reaction occur ie: a nuclear explosion.
In Chernobyl the accident was caused by an intense spike of reactivity during insertion of the control rods which had a design flaw and with the reactor in the unstable condition caused by the operators test would cause this boost in reactivity. This intense boost in reactivity caused the water in the core to flash to steam resulting in a massive steam explosion.
www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl-accident.aspx
In Fukushima a buildup of Hydrogen gas due to venting of the reactor containment caused the explosions. Without adequate cooling to the core, decay heat continued to build up and excessive pressure was vented into the containment building. The fuel rods became partially uncovered and were exposed to steam. When fuel rods are exposed to steam the ziconium cladding rapidly oxidizes and hydrogen gas is released exothermically. Venting the core to the containment building now released large amounts of hydrogen from the core. Venting the containment building now resulted in large amounts of hydrogen building up in the upper service floor of the building. This was due to e design flaw in the system that allowed the gasses to backflow into the service floor with no power to ventilation fans in the exhaust stack. Hydrogen mixed with oxygen as we know is a volatile mixture that can go boom.
www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/fukushima-accident.aspx
Wasn’t just steam.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/chernobyl-disaster-cause-scientists-wrong-nuclear-power-plant-accident-ukraine-study-a8067026.html
The score at the end could've easily been a soundtrack in the game Half Life.
The last track it is called Vichnaya Pamyat.
is Ukrainian for "Memory Eternal". It is a hymn intoned during Ukrainian Orthodox Christian church Funeral or Memorial Litiyas/prayers for the deceased.
This show is superb so far.
Damn fine series thus far.
It's strangely satisfying to hear Craig saying "Correct"
I WATCHED MANY DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT CHERNOBYL. THESE FIREFIGHTERS WERE THE MEN OF STEEL AND BRAVERY. TRUE HEROES.
2 of 3 brave men are still alive.
I feel like I need to find these two men and thanks them but I dont think saying "Thank you" would ever be enough for what they did. There is talk about super heroes, these three men are truly super heroes.
@@JustPlayTheGame76 I've read the memories of Ananenko, he said that the episode was overdramatised by the press from the begining. They got the best-case scenario in the basement. The radiation was not too high, exept one part which they ran through. They were in scooba gear in case the valves would be underwater, but they were not. This does not diminish their bravery and the importance of what they done. Las year they were awarded by president.
@@neprogav To those interested here's a link in Ukranian about Poroshenko giving honors to those brave men
www.ukrinform.ru/rubric-society/2449795-prezident-vrucil-nagrady-geroamlikvidatoram-i-rabotnikam-caes.html
none of them survived for more than a few weeks.www.upworthy.com/you-probably-dont-know-their-names-but-30-years-ago-they-saved-europe
@@gabyubullshit
What a series, huge thanks to the creators and HBO
Yo HBO, tell Mazin to do Fukushima next