Surviving Chernobyl: Former Liquidator Tells His Story 30 Years Later

When the Chernobyl nuclear plant exploded in 1986, Viktor Ivkin was only a few meters away from the main control room. He suffered severe radiation burns but survived and later returned to work as a 'liquidator,' charged with the task of cleaning up after the disaster. We meet Viktor as he returns to the control room where it all happened 30 years later to talk about that night, his thoughts on the HBO show depicting it, and what he wants people to know about the plight of liquidators. (🎥: Dima Kolchinsky)
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[@FoxSullivan]

Liquidators should be considered heros of all humanity.

[@monochromatic2808]

Agreed

[@heriksalvadorianreacts6646]

@@monochromatic2808 NO, BRIE LARSON AND IRON MAN ARE THE CURRENT HEROES OF MANKIND, WHAT A SHAME. XDD

[@brunoKenzer]

I agree

[@LubckeEnjoyer]

They all got the legendary liquidator medal from the soviet union

[@Tavivl]

Your life is a shame

[@markmeadows7093]

There isn’t enough money in the world to repay these men for what they did.

[@anti-jhoncoalition5420]

Not enough for the 3 sacrifice underground

[@djoleizfontane]

They also caused it so i would pay them nothing

[@danielmarron3508]

Mladen Milojkovic 3 men caused it which were corrupt, the others are pretty much heroes and were following orders

[@markmeadows7093]

TheGameTheatre agreed!

[@danielmarron3508]

@@markmeadows7093 in my opinion those men should be rewarded in some sort of way for what they faced in that hell hole full of radiation waste

[@williamklug4647]

Believe me when i say this. You have sympathy from the whole world.

[@drac124]

He doesnt, otherwise he wouldnt be asking for while almost crying. His day to day life must be hard.

[@arthurmorgan6087]

Douglas the world sympathizes with the workers, but not with the government who caused this to happen and tried to cover it up.

[@dafid]

@@arthurmorgan6087 exactly

[@doyou4133]

Many people have cancer from the radiation that was 40 years ago. The radiation that was release all over the world. This explosion is worst then hiroshima .

[@mohammedrazeenzaeencamil9344]

@@doyou4133 it's not the explosion itself, but the dangerous radiation levels

[@restanibalu]

Basically this guys shows up smoking cigarettes after annoucing his is a former liquidator and then says that the doctor told him that the vodka he drank by the morning saved him from a worse injury. He is a real badass. Respect for all the liquidators and victims of this tragedy.

[@Kenneth_James]

Really hes still alive because he was an alcoholic he didnt show up to work bc he fell asleep on the toilet after drinking vodka while yelling at his wife to make him his fkin breakfast. ha. jk

[@ROSE6450]

It's just everyday average Russian for you

[@LaserTractor]

ROSE6450 that feeling when u use russian instead of slav. Btw i guess he is ukrainian. It was part of USSR till 1991.

[@ukaszw6623]

@@LaserTractor Ukraine, belarus = russia

[@Marauder1981]

He´s NOT his

[@LifeofBoris]

"vodka? yes of course!"

[@ridwansr3687]

Hi my comrade

[@centralcontroller6483]

Privet tavarisch Boris

[@stevz7490]

Tere boris 😀

[@theverminator8048]

Stay cheeki breeki

[@warrior8154]

Oy blyat, I just found Boris

[@shaan8032]

This line hit me really hard - "They didn't understand...they just did their duties"

[@coryboy345]

That's what you did in the Soviet Republic though, you did what you were told to do, or you were shot. Not all that different from Nazi Germany.

[@shaan8032]

@@coryboy345 Unfortunately true. No choice whatsoever.

[@chromitehertz9016]

@@coryboy345 That's not what he meant. He was referring to the fighters, not the state. They just kept performing their duties because they didn't understand the extent of what had happened and it's consequences. Not that the firefighters who responded knew that the core was open and were forced to work by a gun to their head.

[@constantinmilitaru]

They didn’t know it was a radiation fire. Just a normal fire... idk if this can be true.

[@shaan8032]

@@constantinmilitaru USSR tried really hard to hide everything they could about Chernobyl. Obviously, no one would dare enter the site had they known that they will be literally maimed to death due to Skin Cancer later. So, radiation fire or not, no one will ever know.

[@alinaermogenous7150]

My grandfather was a liquidator, he died from lung cancer 5 years ago (though he was still young for his age). I later found out that he had some dose of radioactivity, it may explain the lung cancer tha he died from. I still have his liquidator medals that were bestowed to him. 🙏

[@jackfanning7952]

Your grandfather helped save the world from terrible suffering and loss. What a great sacrifice and noble gift he made for us all.

[@vinayjb007]

Your grandfather is a hero in many ways. Lots of lives was saved because of him. I'm sure his efforts will always be appreciated by everyone.

[@alinaermogenous7150]

He just wasted away, it was very difficult for him to breathe and even eat and it just kept getting worse, it really pained me to see him suffer so slowly until he died in his bed. (I live in Cyprus so I couldn't say goodbye when that day came (although I have visited my relatives in Ukraine a few times.) 😢🙏

[@matthewsthatsit5717]

@@alinaermogenous7150 theres a chance u will have a cancer too depnds on the dose ur grandfather got

[@jackfanning7952]

@@alinaermogenous7150 I'm sorry. Very sorry. Every time you hear someone say that nuclear energy is clean and safe, think about how he died.

[@talatsmum]

It's a shame there's people who were there who saw the miniseries and thought it made them look bad, i thought it made them look brave and obviously provoked so much sympathy

[@talatsmum]

@Aerspasius yep, what's a word for 'beyond bravery' though Courageousness is a bit clunky

[@talatsmum]

@don't care yeah it made the party loyalty and commitment to presenting a certain image to the point of danger look bad. But the people there actually sorting the problem came off as v good I thought

[@asddsdsssd]

I believe he meant he was upset they were coming from a place of disliking the soviets vs actually focusing on the event itself. As in focusing more on who fucked up than the actual fuck up. Not necessarily pushing a political agenda but perhaps a bias from the western filmmakers. Which btw I have no love for the soviet regime, I can just understand where this guy in particular is coming from.

[@lemonsqweezy9532]

@don't care history repeats itself because humans are all the same. We are not as intelligent as people think. Almost makes you wonder if the world really is some sort of weird advanced simulation and religion was created to scare us from figuring it out.

[@martinc.720]

Aerspasius “they were terrified...” - they did not know that what they were doing was unsafe, they were told otherwise

[@konstantinnegrebetskiy3745]

This guy isn't even a grandpa. He may look old but that's because of what he's been through. He was 20 when this happened.

[@SuperSummer58]

Konstantin Negrebetskiy He’s about 68 - he was 34 when it happened, 33 years ago....I hope he’s a Grampa, hero Grampa

[@casualplaguedoctor]

The cigs probably don’t help either

[@yevhensmith6704]

Konstantin Negrebetskiy he’s 54

[@fico8400]

@don't care exactly

[@chitterlingsrtasty]

don't care cigs will hasten that right along

[@alHollandi_1998]

Most Heroes don't have silly costumes or superpowers. *This man only had a shovel*

[@GhostOfDamned]

Yep only a shovel and praise him

[@karlkrauss7984]

How dare you envoke William H. Macy in such a serious video!!!!!!!

[@sbmgames157]

This translation is trash. 7:42 He said "Not feeling sorry, we don't need people feeling sorry for us." and not the "regret" translation that was on screen.

[@mychannel-lp9iq]

Makes more sense

[@nahuelma97]

Yeah, I found it odd at first but then I realized it was a mistake because of what he says next

[@MomMom4Cubs]

Thank you for pointing that out!

[@domyboji]

Exactly, he said pity not regret

[@mercenaryex834]

Thanks for that

[@jodyporter6086]

Our family was living just outside Frankfurt, Germany when Chernobyl happened. We are Americans, with my husband being stationed there with the U.S. Military. The radiation was over Frankfurt within 36 hours time. The military never advised us of this, or told us to keep our children inside. We were in Germany for three years while Chernobyl churned radiation over our heads. When it was time to go back to the United States, we were told we could never donate blood for the rest of our lives, including the children. The doctors or anyone in charge refused to give us a reason why. The military doctors we saw in the state’s when we arrived home seemed to be totally informed. When it was time for the unit my husband was in to donate blood as a group, he was always told, “oh no you don’t have to do it”. He served another 14 years and it was always the same answer. My youngest daughter ended up with an aggressive cancer in her uterus at age 31. She had a total hysterectomy and never had the pleasure of being a mother. She has fought lumps in her breast from a much younger age. The last few years the coating on her nerve endings have been coming off. She has not healed well after surgeries. I ended up needing a hysterectomy right before we left Germany. I have also had cancer in my breast. I have trouble with my intestines, which makes it hard to keep food in me. Three years ago the doctor found tumors on both sides of my thyroid. The doctors are doing needle biopsies every year until it turns to cancer. This year they found a tumor on my husband’s thyroid. He will be going through the biopsies until it is cancer just like I am. Chernobyl radiation covered most of the European Continent the scientists say now. It is a tragedy that keeps causing more illnesses and pain over 30 years on.

[@jgripen969]

I'm very, very sorry.. I'm from Sweden, the country who first noticed something wasn’t right over in Communist-land. We were exposed to massive amounts of radiation; we still find boars today that have radiation levels exceeding the limit. I'm not implying this is directly related to the accident, but my step father died a few years ago from cancer. Cancer is also very high among the population in Scandinavia, compared to the rest of the world.

[@jodyporter6086]

J Gripen, I am very sorry to hear about your stepfather’s death by cancer. I’m sure the people of your country have been effected also. The radiation is still effecting children in Belarus with deformities from their parents exposure. I saw a tv show on a city in Ireland that brings some of these children who have been left in orphanages, over to spend the summer with them every year at no cost. The deformities are very sad. It’s tuff to see innocent children paying the price for such a mistake. I recently met a German lady here in the states who lived in a town up by the East/West border. (Pre-falling of the wall) Both her and her mother have had surgery for thyroid cancer. I have seen documentaries that say 30+ years later the radiation is still in the dirt in surrounding towns. The cows milk they feed the children is contaminated with radiation. What choice do these poor farmers have. They make their living off the land. Thank you for your kind words about my family. I am sending hope and prayers for yours. Jody

[@M8kmecry]

I'm so sorry....it continues to shock and sadden me every time I hear about our own military keeping things from its soldiers and their families, that could be putting their lives in danger. I love our country and wish we didnt have a history of doing that. Nuclear reactors frighten me for this reason. The damage of an accident goes on forever

[@shuubhamkhona8297]

So sorry to hear that. Can't imagine the amount of lives that were destroyed by this accident.

[@The-Celestial]

@@jgripen969 you mean you still find Radioactive Animals??!

[@ramujaku]

as someone who speaks russian, hearing what he was saying was way sadder than reading it from english subtitles. i started crying when he started talking about the people who died in this unfortunate accident.

[@TinaTissue28]

Would you say that the translation was pretty accurate?

[@irbovch]

@@TinaTissue28 it was quite accurate but not only did the subtitles miss a few phrases as well as English isn't nearly rich enough to express all the things said in the original

[@calyps0man]

@@irbovch It's rich enough, they just excluded and simplified a few things.

[@donrumata1006]

it's not unfortunate accident my friend! It's an accident that occure because of the laxism, the lies and the safety mediocrity of the main operator who did the security test the day of the catastrophe...

[@sofiebab5158]

It breaks my heart to know that so many people were disrespectful to the ones who saved the world

[@kraysmax3715]

Unfortunately, people are kind of responsible for what happened, because they believe in propaganda, among them are a lot of smart people, but stupid ones make orders. That's exactly what happens when people stop thinking with their own brain, they create and follow authorities, believing that they know better, the truth is they don't, even worse, as a rule, that authorities the worst bastards imaginable, they are deceitful populists and only poorly educated crowd could select them. So they are heroes, but also responsible for the situation in which they had to be heroes. And even now they complain about the TV show, I mean really USSR almost destroy the world with their lies and stupidity, but this TV show somehow defiled them. In fact, this show showed a bright side, because reality is much much worse.

[@8catweazle]

@@kraysmax3715 There was NO choice in their situation, communism came about in a brutal way, it was not a fairy tale that people woke up to one day and they simply chose to live in it.

[@RsRj-qd2cg]

Shit, imagine Chernobyl happening and you *still* have to go back to work the next day.

[@greaseaddiktz3217]

Facts

[@mariowilotschek2487]

I'm married for over 40 years now. Believe me... Chernobyl is a Joke compared to my wife.

[@samrastagar8554]

@@mariowilotschek2487Well you still survived 40 years

[@Moonlight_shine7]

@@mariowilotschek2487 what a jerk.

[@krisraps]

The translation lied. When he said in titles that he was 34 years old, he really said it wwas 34 years back, not that he was 34 years old at time.

[@sharong8511]

I don’t believe the translation lied exactly. It’s more of an error than an outright lie, but I thank you for your clarification.

[@krisraps]

@@sharong8511 Probably, I Just Heard He Say That And Read The Other Thing, Just Put That Out There :)

[@Kenneth_James]

Imagine if he said "I am 34 years old now" lol. That radiation did a number on him in that case.

[@krisraps]

@@Kenneth_James Oh, I Didnt Actually Thought About THAT , LOL < You Right ! :D

[@somedude2492]

Radiation can fuck up someone pretty bad, but who in their right mind would believe that this guy was 34 years old?

[@africanelectron751]

This dude is alive 35 years after suffering radiation burns to his ORGANS!!!! And he went back, that man is the definition of hero, and here we are following the lives of musicians and actors like any of that matters!

[@MrMaxyield]

Those brave men faced almost certain death without hesitation to further save their people... The level of selflessness is admirable and amazing...!!!

[@blueclover9918]

They saved the world

[@rampage3337]

they did not actually face much. most of them survived and lived happy lives. most of them actually killed themselves rather than the radiation killing them. they got told they where gonna die soon so they just stopped taking care of themselves and died because of it. there where not really that many casualties from Chernobyl. and the series is not really accurate iter. they just give a OK summary of what kind of happened but they changed allot of the story and facts to make the series more entertaining. radiation is not nearly as dangerous as people believe. it's just a case of people knowing it can be dangerous so they fear it but they don't have any actual clue of what it all means and what really happens to you.

[@3rdGearHeroR1]

3:18 "You had vodka?" "obviously in the morning before I tryed to eat" This dudes hard asf.

[@xelario]

The subtitles are terrible. They omit some details. He was puking his guts out for half an hour or more ("sat hugging the toilet bowl" were his words). And when he is asked about drinking vodka sounds like the question was " you were telling us about the prescription to drink vodka", in other words I think he was just doing what he was told.

[@coryboy345]

Obviously he had vodka, what a stupid question that guy asked. lol

[@blackbeargear8884]

@@xelario how much did he drink?

[@xelario]

@@blackbeargear8884 He didn't specify, just "consumed alcohol".

[@PetteriWar]

Also it is a tradition. Nothing fancy about it.

[@muqriseni7998]

I drop my tears when he nearly cry when he wish to all his comrades... Salute to all that participating in solving the disaster.

[@grabasandwich]

The stone cold look on his face says it all. I was only 6 or 7, so I didn't know the gravity of the situation, but they have my sympathy now.

[@ROT8TED]

My dad was working in 3rd ambulance brigade, he told me that most of the Kiev ambulance brigades and firefighter divisions were sent day and night back and forth to Chernobyl and back to Kiev there were extreme road blocks were all cars would be washed from tires to roof, the amount of cooperation was incredible and he said i was indeed very lucky that i wasnt sent there.

[@SovietLensReviews]

A great man amongst the many that cleaned up what was potentially the most catastrophic man-made disaster in the history of our planet. On the topic of the HBO show, I did not see it as an overtly negative portrayal of the Soviet period. It heroed the people involved in the cleanup, and yes, criticised the government/system of the time, as was warranted. Embellishment of certain elements (like the bridge scene) is simply required to make a commercial TV show these days.

[@davidsirmons]

See my comment up top. The negativity given by the series was well-earned by the Soviets.

[@EmilM-pb2hn]

Not to be rude, and he is indefinitely a hero, but it was so far from the greatest catastrophic man-made disaster in the history of our planet that it's not even funny. We've done things with severity times at least a hundred, or even a thousand. This however, is the worst nuclear powerplant accident known to humanity- as far as I know.

[@madezra64]

The man is a hero but he is clearly an old school Soviet so while I do believe he worked selflessly, he still seems to want to believe the Soviet Union was not to blame so he's down playing the shows depiction to discredit it.

[@ChrisD__]

@@EmilM-pb2hn There was Bhopal, and it worries me to know there's probably something worse.

[@MoarCargoNG]

The bridge scene was quite harrowing to see, and I almost would have figured it was real until I looked into this event after watching the show. Several other elements in the show were embellished as well, such as the helicopter crashing into the building, which is half true. A helicopter did crash just not while trying to put out the fires. Some of the details regarding Legasov were changed as well, such as his official job, but I would not hold any of these elements against the show as it did a fantastic job or showing the desperation and fear surrounding this horrific event. I could knock the show for not being 100% accurate, but what truly is 100% accurate these days.

[@revatorjohn]

Seeing the dates of deaths at the memorial hit hard. April 26. May 11. May 13. May 14. Rest In Peace to the heroes that died trying to save their country and the world 🙏🏻 Chornobyl liquidators have all my respect

[@Peter-hw6tk]

The HBO series has, above all, highlighted the undeniable heroism of these men and women. Chemists, doctors, nurses, firemen, troops, miners and civilians alike. The world owes them and always will.

[@comondere2801]

Have you noticed that the main quote of the HBO series is „What is the host of lies?“ and not „What is the heroism of the people that participated in the event?“? And this actually describes that the main reason to make the series was to show the Soviet Leaders as pure garbage, it’s sad that it’s done in such a way. And have you noticed that most of the „heroes“ in the series just die not knowing what they are going for, do you think that was true?

[@010falcon]

@@comondere2801 This old man, may he live his life to the fullest, is not saying the truth. Here are my points: - The ionizing radiation WAS clearly visible - The government and the people working at the plant denied that such a thing ever happened - Not many wanted to do the cleanup, the majority was forced to, due to their conscription in the military I could list more, I don’t want to. The HBO series tried to show the heroism of the people, and the disgusting nature of a communist state which tries to hide. The entire system was flawed, that’s why in the end, communism failed. My great grandfather always told me, they thought the germans as resistance fighters in the slovak mountains, after they were gone, the bolsheviks came, but they were way worse. He wished that the germans would come back.

[@010falcon]

They fought the germans*

[@comondere2801]

@@010falcon - Yeah, ionizing radiation was visible, even a few days after the disaster. - There were many people that worked on the plant that night and knew what was happening. They could see and even smell graphite (who were on the core's graphite laying). And they were not idiots, you cant just think "uhh, another day of black rocks everywhere". -They were cutting off any dependent connections with unit 4. Saving unit 3 from radioactive contamination as much as possible, and etc. Everybody knew what they were doing, they were doing it because they were responsible for it. -There were many cases of people actually demoralised. But the shit shown in HBO where you get vodka and open toilets everywhere is just a pure lie. As said from the liquidators " you can get your vodka smashed on your head for drinking on duty". There was just too much stuff to show the soviet life in a horrible way. Blue filter all over the series, horrible quality of buildings and hospitals, who cares that the city is 16 years old. All the shit said about "omgg omgggg they started evacuating pripyat only on the next day" "omgggg no one knew the radiation". This is just a lie, the radiation levels around ALL over the plant and pripyat before noon, dosimetrists left kiev at 6 am. The buses were already there to evacuate pripyat in the early morning of april 27th. All of the heroism not just of the liquidators, but the generals, high ranking soldiers, party members was just ignored. Remember, the MAIN goal of the HBO series is to show the Soviet Union in a bad way.

[@010falcon]

@@comondere2801 No they denied the reactor blew up, we have evidence from Legasov for that Pripyat was evacuated on the 27 of April, yes. But the plant blew up on the 26 of April (at 1:23 in the morning). Meaning they were in Pripyat for roughly 36 hours. Which is just a joke. Meanwhile in Japan (Fukushima) the accident happened at 16:00 First evacuation was declared/ordered at 19:00, 3 hours after the incident. 24 hours later the radius was increased. Thats much faster than chernobyl. Almost as if, communism failed again, maybe that's just me. Oh, and don't forget, the reactors in Japan didn't blow up, only their containment building blew up. The Soviet Union had no toilet paper, my mother used normal newspaper which they cut up. The military used open toilets, this is common, even in the swiss military we used open toilets when we were in forests. Anyway, yes the show is able to show the terrible state the Soviet Union was in. And again, I don't believe that many Liquidators wanted to die for the Soviet Union...

[@nonamernobrainer846]

He looks like the actor that portrayed Scherbina.

[@jgripen969]

Lol yea, his name’s Stellan Skarsgård.

[@KILLGAMERSCOOT4LIFE]

eh, sorta www.google.co.uk/search?q=stellan&client=opera&hs=pX&sxsrf=ACYBGNRM8Xv3KISrAxWxVy20UtTbvM8o-w:1581651866937&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=Z8hVLIPsIPKQ-M%253A%252Ch79LQxe1uphg0M%252C%252Fm%252F02mkkx&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kRoX2G--CjJPeWUIrBbFH0i0EvWXQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiZlL-tkNDnAhUUbcAKHbdcB7MQ_B0wFHoECAsQAw#imgrc=Z8hVLIPsIPKQ-M:

[@mortymcmuffin4340]

No he looks like my uncle

[@Content_Creator10]

Boris

[@markhodgson2348]

Correct its all propaganda breath deep in and the 5th wave arrives 2021

[@robertstewart8224]

Victor, I watched the HBO mini series Chernobyl and thought it showed the strength and self sacrifice of the people. I was amazed by the Heroism of the people of the former USSR. Thank you for you’re sacrifice and resolve to protect you’re people.

[@user-pf6um3mr3u]

Hello! Thank you very much for the kind words addressed to our people! The mini series Chernobyl turned out to be really good, but historically not always correct. If interested, I advise you to read the INSAG-7 report. It tells about the real causes of the accident. And if you are interested, I advise you to read the book by Anatoly Dyatlov “Chernobyl. How it was". Dyatlov was actually not such a villain, as shown in the film, and was not guilty of the accident. (I'm from Russia and don't know English very well).

[@jeromesantana3505]

@@user-pf6um3mr3u I don't claim to know much of anything except for what I learned from the Chernobyl miniseries in 2019. But my the feeling I got from watching his character didn't feel like he had intent for the accident. He certainly didn't want for that to happen. He had been fed lies. I cant feel animosity toward him. Just compassion.

[@lorenzorubino2195]

@@user-pf6um3mr3u I don't understand how one can say that Dyatlov was not guilty of the accident.Wasn't he the one in charge when they tried to force the reactor to increase the power after they hit 30 MW? By my understanding (I could be wrong) if they shut it down the accident could have been avoided, at least that time. Most likely it would have blown up sooner or later, because obviously if you have a faulty car and a monkey driving sooner or later you are going to crash it (obvs this is an extreme example just to make my point clearer). Dyatlov risked, and it didn't work out due to a faulty plant, but still, he did risk after all, therefore how can one just condone him?

[@user-pf6um3mr3u]

The INSAG-7 report to the IAEA states that there were no clear instructions for low power operation. The staff was unaware of the shortcomings of the reactor. The staff believed that the reactor was designed correctly. On a properly designed reactor, the actions of personnel in 1986 would not have led to an accident and would not have carried any risk.

[@lorenzorubino2195]

@@user-pf6um3mr3u Sorry, but can you point out the exact page in which that is stated? Reading this: "The Chernobyl Accident: in Updating of INSAG-1", at pages 78-79 it clearly states the exact opposite: "The change in the initial reactor power before the tests and subsequent con- tinued power reduction made it necessary for actions to be taken to control the unit which were not foreseen in the test programme. This increased the risk of incorrect actions, as demonstrated by the unauthorized reduction of reactor power to the mini- mum controllable level followed by its increase, which had an extremely negative effect on the subsequent behaviour of the reactor." Furthermore in the conclusions, point 1: " The accident was caused by interaction of the following main factors: the physical characteristics of the reactor; specific design features of the control elements; and the unauthorized state into which the reactor was brought."

[@Will-dt3yg]

More than sympathy Viktor. I feel a deep appreciation for you Viktor, and all those heroes that put others before themselves. Thank you. Many people all over the world believe the endlessly generated propaganda. We are all here to help one another regardless of where we live on this tiny planet. I hope for health for you and everyone affected by this situation.

[@tekvax01]

Hear Hear!

[@sharonw2862]

Will Beautifully said, Will!

[@margaretstephens6649]

We are all human and one people

[@commonsense31]

I didn’t feel that the HBO show made them look bad, it was the USSR they did some things right and somethings wrong. But I had more respect for everyone who fought with the cleanup, they are heroes of humanity! They didn’t cause the damage they were just the heroes who fought the most extensive nuclear cleanup mission in history!

[@criert135]

There is lots of propaganda in Russia that has said the show lies to make Russia look bad. Lots of Russians blindly believe the propaganda rather than actually watching it themselves.

[@babyyoda8719]

That HBO series made a lot of people who survived that very upset. It was disrespectful . An American series ruining the look of this tragic accident. What a shocker.

[@babyyoda8719]

@@criert135 that show is literally a drama . They purposefully made some of the facts wrong to be more dramatic and they admitted it. The creators have a podcast where they even depicted all the inaccuracies. Tell me this. How the fuck do you think the show got everything about Russia right ? You think they asked al the dead people who were in these rooms alone talking and deciding what to do about that situation ? Honestly so naive. Of course a drama show will make up conversations.

[@criert135]

@@babyyoda8719 I never said the show got everything right so how about you calm down and stop being so obtuse. I said that the show is not anti-Russian propaganda, like many Russian’s believe. The areas where the show deviates from the truth were done for dramatic purposes, not to paint Russia in a negative light.

[@babyyoda8719]

@@criert135 the areas are about the only thing right

[@Broocs]

My grandmother was sent there to help out as a doctor. She died 10 years later of cancer. I'm not sure if her death was related in any way to the Chernobyl accident. Most probably she would have lived a few more years if not the radiation exposure, but that's just me guessing. The only memory I have of her is her burial. These people are the heroes nobody gets to hear about. Eastern Europe owes them a lot. I know for sure, I would have never set foot on that reactor after the blast no matter how much you would pay me. It's amazing how great sense of duty these people had.

[@geometricart7851]

Sorry to hear that. I wish I could thank her for her service.

[@eclecticme7]

they stepped as also they were not told how severe it was

[@karlmarx2651]

You can see in the last couple minutes hes about to cry. Stay strong товарищ

[@SEIMYUNGVACTRONCOLTD]

I thought the same thing.

[@helicocktor]

Ah yes, the pre-breakfast vodka, of course!

[@ridingtothegrave]

bird up it a one of his 5 a day can’t forget it and his specialty

[@flatsixer]

RIP to all the men who willingly sacrificed themselves to save others.

[@girlintherain1]

God bless this man & all the Liquidators who saved us all from an even greater catastrophe

[@dianeeileen3527]

My tears fall when his eyes tear up. I wish him a long life. He's a hero. So today will be today.

[@blueclover9918]

I hope someone told him that they are appreciated- for saving the world.

[@Xerroxi]

i think people should let these guys know that we all think of them as Heroes so they know

[@lauraanderson-cook9924]

1:39-1:40 ... when he is standing in the control room ... the look of pure sadness in his eyes as he looks around ....gets me everytime ... its almost as if he is replaying that moment again :( and it hits you in your soul

[@geometricart7851]

He wants those 35 years back ;(

[@bassguitar1919]

The liquidators were brave selfless people who did their duty. Much respect, and prayers for continuing good health to those still living.

[@forrest2457]

Seeing the memorial of those who died, just tugs at my heart and it’s very sad about what happened back then. R.I.P to the workers and people who were involved to help after

[@Garrettdx1988]

Thank you Viktor. You and your colleagues are heroes for what you did. The whole world appreciates you.

[@jaco5187]

It's a miracle this guy's alive and in as good health as he is.

[@djgamble07]

Respect! Can only imagine how strong his body is to have handled all that...

[@mychannel-lp9iq]

The show might've exposed the union but it's main focus was you, the true heroes. It made you noticed and made your sacrifice known to the world. It made us realize the gravity of this tragedy

[@richXPT707]

"one of the world's worst nuclear accidents." i think you can just say "worst nuclear accident'"

[@aegg9915]

Sadly those worse than Chernobyl weren’t accidents.

[@leofiala184]

@@aegg9915 True Hiroshima and Nagasaki

[@farcry4mapmaker738]

@@leofiala184 Hiroshima and nagasaki werent accidents though, everything was planned and done on purpose. Chernobyl was an accident though.

[@leofiala184]

@@farcry4mapmaker738 i know look to what i replied

[@roofieandraggy16]

I dont know..... Fukushima had 4 meltdowns, same kind of cover up, and has enought spent fuel teetering on collapse to destroy the planet 100 times over when the next earthquake hits there. Not to mention holy shitloads of stored nastiness in tanks waiting for a tsunami. Japan still has good probability of turning into a complete wasteland that will kill the entire planet.

[@maksphoto78]

Incredible video, thank you for uploading. Also incredible: Stolyarchuk who was one of the three operators at the block #4 that night, is alive today and gave a comprehensive interview. Shame it doesn't have English subtitiles throughout.

[@samanthawyatt6641]

I agree that what the people did to clean and help to control the disaster is amazing. They gave their lives for their fellow men and women knowing that they were in harm's way. It was a horrible disaster and hopefully things were changed industry wide to put safe guards in place. It is always heartbreaking when any workplace accident happens with casualties.

[@Youre_Right]

Samantha Wyatt All the RBMK reactors were retrofitted with safeguards, but the fact the Soviet Union was to cheap to build containment buildings remains. I’m sure they do on reactors now since they are more open with their operations.

[@bartsalemink5729]

The idiots just put a new one to work. A floating one I might add, with the ocean as it's containment facility. In case of a melt down, it will quite litteraly do so, into the deapths of the ocean floor.

[@Whiskey11Gaming]

@@bartsalemink5729 the reactor you are taking about is a submarine reactor put on a barge... it does not have the power density or water amount to either melt through the steel reactor vessel or explode like Chernobyl did. Significantly safer than any RBMK is and the idea is to flood the reactor room with sea water if things go south... not drop it into the ocean.

[@Soupyxo]

5:29 .... vasily ignatenko ... a firefighter .... 25 years old... not forgetting the rest of the recorded confirmed victims, and those left unrecorded. i feel so grateful for the work these people did to try and clean up the mess, risking life and limb to try and save the world. to the liquidators, the fire fighters, the plant workers, the army men, and all of the rest of the people involved in the aftermath and the cleanup operations.... i salute you, and i thank you deeply.

[@rubahkecil_]

and also 05:26 Akimov?

[@Soupyxo]

@@rubahkecil_ you would be correct, im sure there are more names on there that i'd recognise, but sadly, i can only see 2 names in russian, since well, i literally speak no russian

[@sergeontheloose]

@@rubahkecil_ Yes, Akimov, Toptunov, Khodemchuk. All the firefighters from Viktor Kibenok's and Vladimir Pravik's crews including Vasily Ignatenko.

[@prometheusstalebornheinche9361]

*"Fifty thousand people used to live here, now, it's a ghost town."*

[@darko6270]

Cod mw 2 haha

[@Soupyxo]

@@darko6270 wrong, modern warfare 1...

[@prometheusstalebornheinche9361]

@Дилан Ванчовски "Zakhaev?" "I almost buried him in Pripyat."

[@AmrAziz1]

Oi, Suzy!

[@abunaiN1]

communism can kill.

[@macyreed1831]

I give you more than my sympathy, I give you my admiration. These men are incredible, to think they risked so much of their lives (basically unknowingly and unwillingly) is something to not only be sympathetic of, truly admirable as well.

[@pieterbezuidenhout2741]

Salute Sir , you have done what very few people would ever do. Respect from a South African Boer.

[@brianboverhof1880]

“I could see the ruins of the reactor. It was completely destroyed and there was a cloud of smoke coming from it. Nobody gave us any information, but we knew it was serious. We knew it was something terrifying" -Pasha Kondratiev There were people lining up on the bridge and most of them passed away by radiation related deceases.

[@sirmang9032]

This man, among the many others, is the true definition of a hero. Thank you for uploading this.

[@bowtech1020]

I have the utmost respect for him and all the liquidators that helped honestly save lives. Such a tragedy but I've also been intrigued by Cherynobol since 1988.

[@stevenjohnston6213]

The people of the world owe this brave man and many like him that risked all in the effort to clean up a horrible accident.

[@saritamohanty2217]

To all the heroes of Chernobyl, ur sacrifices dint go in vain. So many people around the globe are thankful. You saved all of us in some way from the radiation. I salute you. ❤️

[@TheSourav77]

Right.

[@AftabAlam-ww6tz]

Indeed, they did their best! They tried as much as they can to save humanity. Respect

[@AlexGranli]

"Ofcourse before breakfast I have some alcohol" 😂 can't get more russian than that 😂😂

[@274pacific]

The vomiting saved his life (although that’s not why he did it😁)

[@xeroxone6509]

People who fought without thinking for themselves are really real life heroes. Respect from India

[@smellyindognesian1646]

Stop this bs love from blah blah, it's hella irritating. 😒

[@jason-ian-Van-Sloten]

Viktor Ifkin, All the liquidators and yourself have my Respect 'THANK YOU' From the Netherlands!

[@billabong9215]

He's a very nice man. Huge admiration for him and his fellow workers

[@madgearcharlie]

God bless this man and all of the people who saved the humanity from being doomed by radiation, may all the ones who passed away rest in peace too, Big respects.

[@williampatterson5067]

Just the fact that this man is still alive is good enough for me and then some what a job, what a human being and what a absolute testament of fortitude. I salute you and all the others that lived and died to contain that disaster.

[@MimiDec1996]

Oh my god. He went back? I applaud him for his extraordinary courage. If I was him I'd be having nightmares very often from the day of the accident. And If someone came to me saying they want to go there, they'd have to drag me. But while they're dragging I'm sure I would be already dead from being scared to death and the panicking.

[@richardgraham-green6643]

Thank you for being a man that did his job and so much more.

[@valivandeocampo993]

Who else saw Akimov and Vasily Ignatenko? Edit: Forgot to mention Leonid Toptunov Also

[@jefecrx]

When tf did you see them? They aren't alive!

[@b.a.brackus6371]

My dad was a employee of (Lumber Liquidators) he died of cancer at age 52.....these brave people (Liquidators) all receive my respect.

[@1985persian]

god bless him🙏 there is iranian poem which said: we(common people) don't know what we are living for, they(heroes) are awair of what they are dying for

[@lisalorraineanderson]

My deepest respect to Viktor and his fellow men. Noble. Thank you for your important story. Respect to the people who continue to work on and around the safety procedures for the Chernobyl area.

[@sabbbass2980]

You have more than sympathy from me and especially from all of us, you are a true hero and all of your comrades. Ura! 🇵🇭

[@ROT8TED]

Saved his intestines with vodka, slav first aid so to speak lol...

[@margaretstephens6649]

Slav first aid, I really like that

[@roserose8282]

I hope he’s okay. He survived Chernobyl, now he has to live through a war too.

[@Bestill_]

Thank you for sharing this and his story. It is great to hear the truth.

[@bishop7633]

Not all heroes wear capes. Some carry shovels. I have nothing but deep respect and gratitude for the liquidators of Chernobyl. If anything worse would've happened back then it would've affected me as a child of 2 years very badly.

[@jack_bench]

As he said - today is today because of the actions of these brave people. I wish them all health, peace and thanks. Bless their souls

[@franceszapata951]

I have nothing but respect and empathy for these hard workers. Hugs from Puerto Rico!

[@kyefogarty9302]

not an ounce of regret in his eyes, a true hero thanks mate

[@justanotherboog3497]

I would like to say thank you!!!! To all the liquidators that did what it took to get the job done knowing the cost they would pay

[@mattp.7002]

This is an interesting interview that for me is a sight into Viktor’s perspective. Agree of disagree with his opinions, he was there. I was a snot nosed 15 year old teen growing up in the USA when the Chernobyl accident happened. I remember watching the news and saw how worried people were in Western Europe. I remember vividly seeing images of families with small children lining up to get a dose of iodine. A short time later I remember seeing documentaries about the impact that the fallout had in Scandinavia, specifically Finland and how people who had traditionally hunted rain deer for food could no longer eat them because of contamination. So maybe I don’t entirely agree with everything that Viktor says, but I have to realize that he’s viewing this from a very different perspective and I respect that.

[@Mm4riii]

I'm from finland and I'm interested what was this document and where did you see it, since I have never heard that the small amount of fallout that we got here would've prohibited us from eating anything in our country. I wasn't even born until 6 years after the accident, but I have read about it a lot. Sure the amount of radiation we got was higher than normal but it wasn't high enough to be dangerous for your health. At the time we got way more radiation from radon and we still do. Today you can still detect higher than normal levels of cesium-137 in wild mushrooms/berries/fish etc but it's a very very small amount and you can eat all that stuff :)

[@mattp.7002]

Mm4riii the documentary I saw was made in the late 1980’s. I remember the people who were affected are called the Lap Landers and they apparently have an annual tradition of hunting rain deer 🦌 . The news documentary talked about the radiation making the rain deer dangerous for human consumption because of the radioactivity. I have no idea how long the radioactive contamination lasted or if it’s even still an issue, but it was an issue at the time. I saw this news documentary over 30 years ago so my memory of it is a bit rusty, I don’t remember who produced it or a title. This was years before the internet and KZbin so I have no idea if this documentary is still available or not? It was on American TV, it might have been produced by PBS. I don’t think it was produced by any of the big American news networks like ABC, NBC or CBS.

[@mattp.7002]

Mm4riii after a little research on google, I found an archived article from the New York Times dated September 14, 1986. CHERNOBYL SHAKES REINDEER CULTURE OF LAPPS is the title. The article talks about the contaminated reindeer. So there’s something...

[@saulgoodmansentme1992]

I'm a Finn, and i have been told most of the radioactive paricles landed on Southern Ostrobothnia here in Finland.

[@Mm4riii]

@@mattp.7002 interesting! I have to look it up, thanks! :) and if it was that long ago, you have a good memory, I can barely remember what happened yesterday 😂

[@cheekydevil69ER]

i show my huge respect for this guy and people who has died from radiation. my empathy are with them. gone but never forget. much love from british

[@gail6552]

Him retelling his story just breaks my heart. You can tell he wished he did more. He wished he could’ve known. Poor man, May God bring peace to his life! God bless him!

[@fakshen1973]

Proud and humble. Thank you for your service, even if I am not Russian or Ukranian.

[@astriddyah9093]

Thankyou sir!

[@xxtovarichxx]

There is a line in another documentary about the Liquidators and the dosimeters. "After 25 rem they had to be "discarded". Some deliberately overcame it, They did not take the X-ray calculator on their shift. Knowing that if they were to be discarded, new recruits who had no experience would be forced to begin work anew. Other asked people going to work to take their calculators with them. We did now refuse, it is useless to keep an unreliable person. So that these devices, measured not only the level of radioactivity, but the level of human dignity." I think mostly people today would fall in the latter category. These men were true heroes. Fighting an invisible enemy. Working through an unthinkable disaster even though their fates may have already been sealed.

[@justj69]

You did your time & then some sir. No regrets. Happy to see you are alive & well. I can't imagine living with such a tragedy

[@jackanderson1534]

When he walks in at 0:57, you can see it in his eyes, he's not just remembering the accident, he's re-living it.

[@mayurvaghela185]

I wonder, Why he is touching the things? Isn't that place radioactive? Please explain

[@timax4114]

@@mayurvaghela185 he touched the things from control room of reactor 3, it was operational until december 2000.

[@tetta2956]

this is such a good documentary, nearly cried at 7:33, such strong men

[@heffsf]

This is a beautiful man. If everyone, starting with me, were able to find the peace and acceptance he has humanity might at least have a chance. I applaud him for speaking out on any and all issues with the cleansed versions of the times he lived through.

[@riq7673]

Thank you for what you and all others did for all of us ! I salute to all of you and if I could id shake your hand !

[@theadminoflife568]

This LEGEND drank vodka instead of eating while he had intense radiation sickness.

[@VanquishMediaDE]

The man is a hero, Soviet Liquidators saved countless lives. Thank you: )

[@lauraanderson-cook9924]

Thank you sir for what you did ....I would like to thank those who passed away also....they were all unsung heroes who truely saved soo many by putting there lives on the line and some did not have a clue ...... they where just doing there jobs ... they deserve so much respect ..I hope and pray there families know how thankful we are and how deeply saddened we are for there loss aswell

[@christinalydia]

Im german and Im forever thankful for all these heros they gave their lives and health for all of us in Europe. Without them, this disaster would have been hell on earth for us.

[@Happygrowercbris420]

I was actually born in Chernobyl both my parents are from a small town just next to where the reactor exploded I have vary severe disease I’m in dialysis and going on my second transplant

[@Happygrowercbris420]

@@MotherMonster34 thabk you ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@cry2love]

Спасибо Виктор Ивкин, что я живу! Низкий поклон

[@piter_sk]

Мне тоже спасибо, Виктору Иванкину и всем ликвидаторам за то что я живу! Вечная память им, геройи мира... Спасибо им и низкий поклон из Словакии...

[@lukeskywalker1840]

Fascinating. Thank you for interviewing this interesting gentleman.

[@socksincrocks4421]

A liquidator, smoker... and still lives to an old age. Incredible how much damage the human body can endure.

[@MrRopucha]

My sister died from the radiation that came from Chernobyl. The radioactive cloud attacked Poland after it had passed through Ukraine and loads of people got cancer or other significant health problems, my sister included. No one knew anything about the accident until it was too late... Rip to all the victims and God bless all the liquidators.

[@Ivangode1433]

Interesting how every "Chernobyl liquidator", or "Chernobyl nurse" contradicts other liquidators or official statements. He says the bridge of death thing never happened, but, he was working at that time, so how would he know if that happened or not? Others claim thats real

[@CC-8891]

The whole world thanks you for what you did during the disaster...You are all heroes, we have sympathy for you. We are thankful for your courage. You will never be forgotten.

[@urielgrey]

Thank you for telling us your story. It made me cry. I haven't watched the usa version and I'm sad they put a bias and negative spin on this tragedy. It grieves my heart actually due to the disrespect it gives those who fought and suffered due to the tragedy. I have also heard the usa version was inaccurate as are a lot of the documentaries on Chernobyl. There is an amazing documentary on the liquidators who cleaned the roofs called 3828. That is the number of young men who went up on the roofs and cleared them. It touched my heart when he spoke at the monument. I have seen interviews and a documentaries of those who cleaned the roofs later in life. They broke my heart. They were told their families would be cared for and money to live on if they passed. They had to hunger strike in the hospital for the government to even start to do the right thing. One of the men died from the dose he received (this was after when the interview/documentary which was several years after the event) and his wife described his death and it was tragic. I'm glad there are still people are alive to give the true story.