What happened to the ten key people involved in the Chernobyl disaster? From fatal radiation sickness to being sentenced to ten years in Soviet labor camp… and another fleeing Kyiv after 2022 Russian invasion

The world’s worst nuclear disaster occurred on April 26, 1986, yet the stories of the key figures involved in the catastrophic event continue to intrigue and haunt.

Today marks the 38th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, a tragedy that left a terrifying legacy of environmental destruction and human suffering.

Nearly four decades ago, reactor No. 4 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, located near the city of Pripyat in the then-Soviet Union (now Ukraine), exploded during a safety test that went terribly wrong.

The meltdown resulted in the release of radioactive material across Europe, and is reported by the World Nuclear Association that while about 30 people died immediately, hundreds, if not thousands, died later due to radiation exposure.

From the scientists and engineers to the politicians and workers, ten key figures played a crucial role in the unfolding tragedy and its aftermath.

Here’s a look at what happened to the figures at the center of the Chernobyl disaster:

1. Anatoly Dyatlov: the Deputy Chief Engineer

Anatoly Dyatlov, deputy chief engineer of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant at the time of the explosion, bore significant responsibility for the disaster.

Dyatlov oversaw a test at the plant’s No. 4 reactor, which resulted in the Chernobyl disaster.

In preparation, Dyatlov ordered the power to be reduced to 200 MW, which was lower than the 700 MW specified in the test plan – the reactor then shut down unexpectedly during test preparations.

Although he was one of the few who worked in the reactor that night and survived, he was later convicted of gross violation of safety regulations and sentenced to ten years in a Soviet labor camp.

Despite his declining health due to radiation exposure, he remained unrepentant until his death in 1995.

2. Viktor Bryukhanov: the director

As director of the factory, Bryukhanov faced similar charges as Dyatlov and was also sentenced to ten years in prison.

He was released early due to health problems and spent his days in obscurity, haunted by the events of April 26, 1986.

3. Leonid Toptunov: the senior reactor controller

Toptunov, a young and inexperienced engineer who was on duty the night of the explosion, suffered severe radiation burns and succumbed to acute radiation syndrome within weeks.

He died of acute radiation poisoning on May 14, 1986, and his family was later told that his death was the only reason he was not prosecuted for the accident.

In 2008, Toptunov was posthumously awarded the 3rd degree Order for Courage by Viktor Yushchenko, then President of Ukraine.

4. Yuri A. Laushkin: senior engineer and nuclear power inspector at reactor No. 4

Yuri A. Laushkin, a senior engineer and inspector at the reactor, was sentenced to two years in a labor camp for negligence and disloyal performance of his duties, as reported by LA times.

5. Vasily Ignatenko: the firefighter

Vasily Ignatenko was one of the very first responders at the Chernobyl plant in Pripyat.

He was 25 years old when he fought the fire in Chernobyl together with other firefighters.

Ignatenko went to the roof of the building and tried to extinguish the open-air graphite fires on top that gave Ignatenko his fatal dose of radiation.

He died, along with 27 other firefighters, less than three weeks later from radiation exposure – but his historic contributions helped prevent the crisis from getting worse.

His wife Lyudmila Ignatenko detailed the build-up and aftermath of her husband’s death, revealing that the morgue was unable to fit the firefighter in a suit or shoes, according to reports The collector.

Ignatenko’s radiation sickness had made it difficult to be properly buried, so he, like the other 27 first responders, was buried barefoot under layers of concrete and zinc to protect the public from his still-radioactive body.

6. Nikolai M. Fomin: former chief engineer

Fomin was chief engineer of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and was sentenced to ten years in a labor camp together with Dyatlov and Bryukhanov. LA times.

However, his health rapidly deteriorated due to radiation sickness, and he died in 1987, just a year after the disaster.

7. Boris V. Rogozhkin: team director

Rogozhkin was a shift manager at the reactor at the time of the explosion and was sentenced to five years in a labor camp for violating safety rules and two years for negligence. LA times.

8. Alexander P. Kovalenko: head of reactor No. 4

Alexander P. Kovalenko, chief inspector of the reactor, was sentenced to three years in a labor camp for violating safety regulations.

9. Boris Shcherbina: Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union

Shcherbina, a Soviet politician charged with overseeing the government’s response to the disaster, was criticized for his handling of the crisis.

He had arrived 18 hours after the explosion to find that none of the local ministers wanted to be responsible for the consequences of declaring the reactor dead.

He refused to wear nuclear protection, and his first suggestion to control the graphite fires was to pour water on them (which would have caused the fires to spread).

Buses had already waited 36 hours between Chernobyl and Pripyat, and yet civilians were not allowed to leave until the afternoon of April 27, when radiation levels had reached 180 to 300 milliroentgens per hour, according to The collector.

Despite initially denying the severity of the situation, he later played a crucial role in the evacuation and containment efforts.

Shcherbina died in 1990; his legacy was shaped by his actions during Chernobyl.

10. Maria Protsenko: leading the evacuation after the Chernobyl disaster

Maria Protsenko was the chief architect of Pripyat and a force to be reckoned with. She was known to have a ruler with her when she assessed buildings, and to scold workers if they were not accurate.

On the night of April 26, 1986, Protsenko was among the first to urge immediate evacuation.

When Scherbina finally ordered the residents to leave, Protsenko was put in charge of organizing the evacuation, planning the escape of everyone in each building and instructing waiting buses where to take the citizens.

Protsenko was the last person to leave the city only when she was satisfied that everyone else was safe.

She is still alive and continued to live in Ukraine until 2022, when she and her family fled the country for Germany after the Russian invasion.