History Quotes / Chernobyl

->''In 2006, he wrote, "The nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl... [[ForWantOfANail was perhaps the true cause of the collapse of the Soviet Union]]."''

->''"[[ArcWords What is the cost of lies?]] It's not that we'll mistake them for the truth. The real danger is that [[{{Gaslighting}} if we hear enough lies, then we no longer recognize the truth at all]]. What can we do then? What else is left but to abandon even the hope of truth, and content ourselves instead with ''stories''? In these stories, it doesn't matter who the heroes are. All we want to know is: [[TheScapegoat who is to blame]]? In this story, it was Anatoly Dyatlov. He was the [[AssholeVictim best choice]]. [[BadBoss An arrogant, unpleasant man]], he ran the room that night, he gave the orders... and no friends. Or, at least, not [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections important ones]]. And now, Dyatlov will spend the next ten years in a prison labor camp. Of course, that sentence is doubly unfair. There were far greater criminals than him at work. And as for what Dyatlov ''did'' do, [[BaitAndSwitch the man doesn't deserve prison. He deserves ''death'']]. But instead, ten years for "criminal mismanagement." What does that mean? No one knows. It doesn't matter. What ''does'' matter is that, to them, [[KangarooCourt justice was done]]. Because, you see, to them, a just world is a sane world. There was nothing sane about Chernobyl. What happened there, what happened after, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone even the good we did, all of it... all of it... madness]]. Well, [[ThatWasTheLastEntry I've given you everything I know]]. [[ImplausibleDeniability They'll deny it, of course. They always do.]] [[YouKnowWhatToDo I know you'll try your best.]]"''

->'''Shcherbina''' (discussing evacuation of town): Well, he's a medical doctor. If he says it's safe, it's safe.\\

->'''Shcherbina''' (discussing evacuation of town): He's a medical doctor. If he says it's safe, it's safe.\\

'''Legasov''': Yes we are. And we'll be dead [[YourDaysAreNumbered in five years]].

->'''Shcherbina'''(discussing evacuation of town): He's a medical doctor. If he says it's safe, it's safe.\\

[[YourDaysAreNumbered four years and four months]] after he was sent to Chernobyl.''

four years and four months after he was sent to Chernobyl.''

->''Of the people who watched from the railway bridge, it has been reported that none survived.\\

'''Legasov''': It means the core is open. It means the fire we're watching with our own eyes is giving off [[HiroshimaAsAUnitOfMeasure nearly twice the radiation released by the bomb in Hiroshima]]. And that's ''every single hour''. Hour after hour, 20 hours since the explosion, so 40 bombs worth by now. Forty-eight more tomorrow. ''And it will not stop.'' Not in a week, not in a month. It will burn and spread its poison until '''the entire continent is dead!'''

->'''Pikalov''' (having driven around the exploded reactor with a high-range dosimeter): It's not three roentgen. [[ReadingsAreOffTheScale It's 15,000]].\\

->''"[[ArcWords What is the cost of lies?]] It's not that we'll mistake them for the truth. The real danger is that [[{{Gaslighting}} if we hear enough lies, then we no longer recognize the truth at all]]. What can we do then? What else is left but to abandon even the hope of truth, and content ourselves instead with ''stories''? In these stories, it doesn't matter who the heroes are. All we want to know is: [[TheScapegoat who is to blame]]? In this story, it was Anatoly Dyatlov. He was the best choice. [[BadBoss An arrogant, unpleasant man]], he ran the room that night, he gave the orders... and no friends. Or, at least, not [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections important ones]]. And now, Dyatlov will spend the next ten years in a prison labor camp. Of course, that sentence is doubly unfair. There were far greater criminals than him at work. And as for what Dyatlov ''did'' do, [[BaitAndSwitch the man doesn't deserve prison. He deserves ''death'']]. But instead, ten years for "criminal mismanagement." What does that mean? No one knows. It doesn't matter. What ''does'' matter is that, to them, [[KangarooCourt justice was done]]. Because, you see, to them, a just world is a sane world. There was nothing sane about Chernobyl. What happened there, what happened after, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone even the good we did, all of it... all of it... madness]]. Well, [[ThatWasTheLastEntry I've given you everything I know]]. [[ImplausibleDeniability They'll deny it, of course. They always do.]] [[YouKnowWhatToDo I know you'll try your best.]]"''

->'''Tarakanov:''' Comrade Soldiers, the Soviet people have had enough of this accident. They want us to clean this up, and we have entrusted you with this serious task. Because of the nature of the working area you will each have no more than 90 seconds to solve this problem. Listen carefully to each of my instructions, and do exactly as you have been told. This is for your own safety as well as for the safety of your comrades. You will enter Reactor Building Three, climb the stairs, but do ''not'' immediately proceed to the roof. When you get to the top, wait inside behind the entrance to the roof, and catch your breath. You will need it for what comes next. This is the working area. We must clear the graphite. Some of it is in blocks weighing approximately 40 to 50 kilograms. They all must be thrown over the edge, here. Watch your comrades, moving fast from this opening, then turning to the left, and entering the workspace... Take care not to stumble. [[NoOSHACompliance There's a hole in the roof. Take care not to fall.]] You will need to move quickly and you will need to move carefully. Do you understand your mission as I have described it?\\