329:, blaming the disaster entirely on the operators and local management. The KGB classified the true cause of the accident. On hearing the news on TV, Bryukhanov's mother collapsed from a heart attack and died. Bryukhanov was charged on 12 August and imprisoned by the KGB. At first, he refused legal representation since he regarded the verdict as pre-determined, but his wife, during her permitted monthly visit, changed his mind. As part of discovery procedures dictated by the law, investigators brought him the materials they uncovered during their inquiries, which were used in a case against him. Bryukhanov also found a letter written by one of the
267:
reactor was gone. He ordered all authorities to meet at the nuclear bunker in the basement of the administration building. Bryukhanov attempted to contact the shift supervisor, but there was no answer at the fourth reactor block. He then activated a
General Radiation Accident on the automatic telephone system, which sent a coded message to the Ministry of Energy. He then had to report the situation to his superiors in Moscow and to the local Communist officials.
228:, Bryukhanov was responsible for building the reactors from scratch. As there was nothing nearby, he would need to bring materials and equipment to the construction site. He organized a temporary village, known as "Lesnoy", and had a schoolhouse built. In 1970, he was joined in Lesnoy by his wife, six-year-old daughter and infant son. By 1972, they had moved into the new city of
338:
entered a guilty plea. He contested the more serious charges of abuse of power brought against him. In his testimony, he defended the plant's safety record and emphasized the difficulty of his duties but did little else to defend himself. He knew the outcome was largely predetermined and he had to play his part at least.
284:, who had been overseeing the test, staggered into the bunker with the operating reports showing power levels and coolant pressure charts. Even though he had personally seen the damage to the reactor building, Bryukhanov continued to maintain that the reactor core was intact until well after daybreak.
333:
experts, which revealed the perilous design faults that were kept hidden from him and his staff for 16 years. On 20 January 1987, after he sat in isolation for six weeks, the prosecutor's office filed their closing indictment with the
Supreme Court of the Soviet Union. All of the 48 files of evidence
298:
Bryukhanov remained nominally in charge of the plant in the weeks that followed, although he now slept at the Fairy Tale
Pioneer Camp. A criminal investigation was begun on the day of the accident and was led by Sergei Yankovsky. Yankovsky questioned Bryukhanov about the causes of the accident. After
248:
Bryukhanov presided over the response to fuel element damage at
Reactor 1 on 9 September 1982, when contaminated steam was vented into the atmosphere. The radioactive contaminants had spread fourteen kilometers from the plant and reached Pripyat, but the authorities determined that the public should
235:
During construction, deadlines were missed due to tight schedules, lack of construction equipment, and defective materials. Three years after assuming the role of director, the plant still had not been completed. He offered to resign, but his resignation was torn up by his Party-appointed supervisor
279:
a.m., Bryukhanov contacted
Vladimir V. Marin, the official in charge of nuclear matters of the Communist Party at his Moscow home to report the accident and assure officials that the situation was under control. The radiation team reported that levels was only 13 microroentgens per hour, which was
337:
Bryukhanov was charged with gross violation of safety regulations, creating conditions that led to an explosion, mismanagement by understating the radiation levels after the accident and sending people into known contaminated areas. For the lesser charges of administrative negligence, Bryukhanov
342:
Initially, on the charge brought against me, on August 13, 1986, when I was charged, I wrote my objections and disagreements on the charges. I disagree with them. I am guilty as a leader, I did not finish something, somewhere I showed negligence, indiscretion. I understand that the accident is
266:
On 26 April 1986, the head of the chemical division called
Bryukhanov to report an incident at the station. He had not been informed that there was another attempt at the rundown test that night. While on a bus passing by the fourth reactor block, Bryukhanov realized the upper structure of the
33:
275:, instructed the operators to maintain and restore coolant supply, unaware that the reactor had already been destroyed. The civil defense chief told him that radiation had reached the maximum reading of the military dosimeter of 200 roentgens per hour. At 3:00
173:. He worked at the Angren Thermal Power Plant in the following positions: duty de-aerator installer, driver of feed pumps, assistant turbine driver, turbine driver, senior turbine workshop engineer, shift supervisor and became workshop director a year later.
299:
Bryukhanov went on a week's leave on 22 May to visit his family, party officials made arrangements to remove him from his position as power plant director permanently. He returned from his vacation to find he had been reassigned to a back-office job.
176:
In 1966, he was invited to work at the
Slavyanskaya Thermal Power Plant. He started as a senior foreman and rose up to the rank of head of workshop and finally, deputy chief engineer, finally resigning in 1970 to build a nuclear power plant in
165:). He was the oldest son out of four children. His father used to work as a glazier and his mother was a cleaning lady. He later became the only one of his brothers to receive higher education attaining a degree from Energy Department of the
774:
But he did not die of radiation sickness, even though he spent four months in
Chernobyl after the explosion there. Legasov hanged himself in his office on 27 April 1988, almost two years to the day after the reactor accident in present-day
719:
288:
At night I went to the courtyard of the station. I looked – pieces of graphite under my feet. But I still did not think that the reactor was destroyed. This did not fit in my head. Only later, when the helicopter flew
240:
in July 1972. On 1 August 1977, two years later than planned and more than seven years after the planning and the construction of the plant was launched, the first reactor of the
Chernobyl Power Plant went online. At
647:
270:
Lacking high-range dosimeters, officials had difficulty determining whether a radiation release had occurred or not and, if so, how much radiation had been released. Bryukhanov, assisted by chief engineer
1110:
374:, Ukraine's state-owned energy company, in charge of liquidating the consequences of the Chernobyl accident. By his 80th birthday in December 2015, Bryukhanov had retired due to failing eyesight.
318:
of the
Kurchatov Institute. Bryukhanov was accused of mismanagement and it was decided that operator error was the primary cause of the accident, while reactor design flaws were also a factor.
224:(PWRs), but this decision was met with opposition stating safety and economic reasons supporting construction of RBMK reactors, which was eventually performed. At a cost of almost 400 million
322:
was furious and accused the nuclear designers of covering up dangerous problems with the Soviet nuclear industry for decades. Following the meeting, Bryukhanov was expelled from the CPSU.
1070:
302:
Bryukhanov was summoned to Moscow and attended a turbulent meeting with the Politburo on 3 July in which the causes of the accident were discussed. In attendance was the RBMK designer
1075:
359:
In September 1991, he was released early for good behavior. After his release, he worked in the ministry of international trade in Kyiv. Bryukhanov lived with his wife in the
763:
1080:
854:
442:
954:
204:
Viktor met his wife Valentina at Angren Power Plant. Valentina was an assistant to a turbine engineer and Viktor was a trainee fresh from the university.
1100:
384:
Bryukhanov died in Kyiv on 13 October 2021, at the age of 85. The official cause of death was not communicated. Bryukhanov had a severe form of
245:
p.m. on 27 September the same year, Ukraine's first nuclear electricity ran across 110 and 330 kilovolt lines and on to the Soviet power grid.
973:
1065:
690:
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Wife – Valentina, electrical engineer, in the years 1975–1990 – senior engineer of the production department of Chernobyl, now retired
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821:
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On his return, he faced further questioning by investigators. On 19 July, an official explanation was published in
438:
Medals "For Valiant Labour. In commemoration of the centenary of the birth of V. I. Lenin" and "Veteran of Labour"
922:
432:
212:
In 1971 the energy minister offered Bryukhanov a new assignment – build an atomic power plant consisting of four
186:
64:
1105:
1095:
303:
610:
138:
110:
347:
Bryukhanov was found guilty and given the maximum sentence of ten years. He was sent to a penal colony in
1085:
360:
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since 1966. Between 1970 and 1986, he was repeatedly elected member of the regional district office of
673:
1090:
221:
377:
Bryukhanov stressed in various interviews that neither he nor his employees were to blame for the
249:
not be informed, and that decontamination was only necessary on the grounds of the plant itself.
720:"Бывший директор чернобыльской атомной электростанции виктор брюханов: «ночью, проезжая мимо..."
958:
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764:"'This Reactor Model Is No Good': Documents Show Politburo Skepticism of Chernobyl"
130:
648:"Бывший директор ЧАЭС Брюханов: в день взрыва в Припяти была моя беременная дочь"
307:
281:
974:
Viktor Brjoechanov, oud-directeur van de kerncentrale van Tsjernobyl, overleden
371:
315:
406:
Son – Oleg (born 1969), mechanic for automatic CHP-5 management systems, from
1039:
934:
880:
833:
799:
499:
The ex-director of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant died during the accident
420:
272:
225:
217:
182:
169:
in electrical engineering in 1959. After graduation, he was offered a job at
955:Скончался руководитель Чернобыльской АЭС во время катастрофы Виктор Брюханов
381:, and claimed the accident was caused by "the imperfection of technology."
137:; 1 December 1935 – 12 October 2021) was the manager of construction of the
68:
768:
1016:
993:
388:, in addition to having suffered a series of strokes in 2015 and 2016.
154:
194:
158:
32:
150:
60:
611:"Viktor Bryukhanov, Blamed for the Chernobyl Disaster, Dies at 85"
1111:
Laureates of the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology
820:
Schmemann, Serge; Times, Special To the New York (16 June 1986).
750:
Victor Bryukhanov Former Director of Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Died
401:
348:
229:
198:
178:
90:
326:
1071:
Expelled members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
583:: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster
407:
400:
Daughter – Lily (born 1961), a pediatrician, a resident of
364:
220:
in Ukraine. Initially, Bryukhanov proposed construction of
213:
190:
162:
86:
280:
reassuring but incorrect. At 5:15, deputy chief engineer
16:
Uzbek architect and the director of Chernobyl (1935–2021)
1076:
Politicians from the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
367:
from 1992. He had served half of his 10-year jail term.
149:
Bryukhanov was born on 1 December 1935 in the city of
207:
822:"Chernobyl Chiefs Ousted for Erring During Accident"
1081:
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour
923:"Chernobyl boss says true cause of disaster hidden"
901:
899:
897:
491:
489:
487:
485:
869:"Chernobyl Officials Are Sentenced to Labor Camp"
788:"Text of the Politburo Statement About Chernobyl"
141:and the director of the plant from 1970 to 1986.
1037:
894:
482:
343:serious, but everyone has their own fault in it.
585:. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 362.
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252:Reactor 4 became operational in December 1983.
185:was also part of the USSR). He was a member of
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370:In 1995, Bryukhanov worked as an employee of
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742:
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906:Former Head of Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Dies
508:
31:
737:
419:Laureate of the Republican Prize of the
1101:Ukrainian people of Uzbekistani descent
691:"Личная катастрофа директора Чернобыля"
605:
455:Bryukhanov appeared in the documentary
1038:
755:
772:. Translated by Sultan, Christopher.
674:"Chernobyl; Chronology of a Disaster"
471:played the role of Viktor Bryukhanov.
255:
761:
714:
712:
642:
640:
638:
636:
634:
632:
443:Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR
312:Ministry of Medium Machine Building
13:
915:
861:
794:. Associated Press. 21 July 1986.
208:Chernobyl Power Plant construction
14:
1122:
762:Neef, Christian (24 March 2011).
709:
683:
629:
427:Order of the Red Banner of Labour
171:Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan
1056:20th-century Ukrainian engineers
334:sent to Moscow were classified.
1066:People with Parkinson's disease
1009:
986:
967:
948:
855:"Chernobyl Officials sentenced"
847:
813:
780:
433:Order of the October Revolution
187:Communist Party of Soviet Union
666:
599:
201:city committees of the party.
1:
475:
441:Certificate of Honour of the
354:
216:reactors on the banks of the
139:Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
111:Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
293:
144:
7:
578:Higginbotham, Adam (2019).
119:Viktor Petrovich Bryukhanov
47:Viktor Petrovich Bryukhanov
10:
1127:
259:
222:pressurized water reactors
980:nieuws (13 October 2021)
875:. Reuters. 30 July 1987.
413:
391:
134:
126:
105:
97:
75:
42:
30:
23:
449:
135:Виктор Петрович Брюханов
127:Віктор Петрович Брюханов
1061:Engineers from Tashkent
351:to serve his sentence.
959:Moskovskij Komsomolets
927:The New Zealand Herald
345:
291:
1106:Chernobyl liquidators
1096:Uzbekistani engineers
581:Midnight in Chernobyl
340:
286:
361:Desnianskyi District
167:Tashkent Polytechnic
609:(28 October 2021).
386:Parkinson's disease
331:Kurchatov Institute
961:(13 October 2021)
873:The New York Times
826:The New York Times
792:The New York Times
615:The New York Times
461:In the miniseries
379:Chernobyl disaster
304:Anatoly Alexandrov
262:Chernobyl disaster
256:Chernobyl disaster
37:Bryukhanov in 2001
1086:Nuclear engineers
929:. 25 April 2006.
912:(14 October 2021)
592:978-1-5011-3461-6
505:(13 October 2021)
503:Ukrayinska Pravda
320:Mikhail Gorbachev
116:
115:
25:Viktor Bryukhanov
1118:
1091:Soviet engineers
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109:Director of the
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314:(Sredmash) and
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282:Anatoly Dyatlov
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238:Energy Ministry
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79:12 October 2021
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57:1 December 1935
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372:Ukrinterenergo
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316:Valery Legasov
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260:Main article:
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106:Known for
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83:(aged 85)
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617:. p. B11
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273:Nikolai Fomin
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218:Pripyat River
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1025:11 September
1023:, retrieved
1021:, 6 May 2019
1017:
1011:
1002:11 September
1000:, retrieved
994:
988:
969:
963:(in Russian)
950:
940:11 September
938:. Retrieved
926:
917:
886:11 September
884:. Retrieved
872:
863:
849:
839:27 September
837:. Retrieved
825:
815:
805:11 September
803:. Retrieved
791:
782:
773:
767:
757:
752:, 22.10.2021
748:chernobylx,
729:11 September
727:. Retrieved
725:(in Russian)
722:
701:11 September
699:. Retrieved
697:(in Russian)
694:
685:
668:
658:11 September
656:. Retrieved
654:(in Russian)
651:
619:. Retrieved
614:
607:Roberts, Sam
601:
579:
463:
457:Radiophobia.
456:
383:
376:
369:
358:
346:
341:
336:
324:
308:Efim Slavsky
301:
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211:
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175:
161:part of the
148:
118:
117:
81:(2021-10-12)
69:Soviet Union
18:
1051:2021 deaths
1046:1935 births
995:Radiophobia
769:Der Spiegel
469:Con O'Neill
183:at the time
159:at the time
98:Citizenship
1040:Categories
982:(in Dutch)
621:31 October
476:References
355:Later life
155:Uzbekistan
53:1935-12-01
1018:Chernobyl
935:1170-0777
881:0362-4331
834:0362-4331
800:0362-4331
695:www.mk.ru
464:Chernobyl
294:Aftermath
289:around...
236:from the
195:Chernobyl
145:Biography
123:Ukrainian
65:Uzbek SSR
775:Ukraine.
723:fakty.ua
652:fakty.ua
151:Tashkent
61:Tashkent
467:,
445:(1980).
402:Kherson
349:Donetsk
310:of the
230:Pripyat
226:roubles
199:Pripyat
181:(which
179:Ukraine
131:Russian
101:Ukraine
91:Ukraine
933:
879:
832:
798:
589:
435:(1983)
429:(1978)
423:(1978)
414:Awards
392:Family
327:Vremya
277:
243:
197:, and
677:(PDF)
450:Media
1027:2019
1004:2019
942:2019
931:ISSN
888:2019
877:ISSN
841:2019
830:ISSN
807:2019
796:ISSN
731:2019
703:2019
660:2019
623:2021
587:ISBN
408:Kyiv
365:Kyiv
241:8:10
214:RBMK
191:Kyiv
163:USSR
87:Kyiv
76:Died
43:Born
978:VRT
363:in
1042::
976:,
957:,
925:.
908:,
896:^
871:.
828:.
824:.
790:.
766:.
739:^
711:^
693:.
650:.
631:^
613:.
510:^
501:,
484:^
306:,
232:.
193:,
153:,
133::
129:,
125::
89:,
67:,
63:,
944:.
890:.
857:.
843:.
809:.
733:.
705:.
679:.
662:.
625:.
595:.
157:(
121:(
55:)
51:(
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