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415 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
The literature on the subject is pretty unanimous in its opinion that the Soviet system had taken a poorly designed reactor and then staffed it with a group of incompetents. It then proceeded, as the interviews in this book show, to lie about the disaster in the most criminal way. In the crucial first ten days, when the reactor was burning and releasing a steady stream of highly radioactive material into the surrounding area, the authorities repeatedly claimed that the situation was under control.From the Historical Notes:
During the Second World War, one out of every four Belarussians was killed; today, one out of five Belarussians lives on contaminated land. This amounts to 2.1 million people, of whom 700,000 are children.From a liquidator's account:
We had good jokes too. Here's one. An American robot is on the roof of the reactor for five minutes, then it breaks down. The Japanese robot is on the roof for five minutes, then it breaks down. The Russian robot's been up on the roof for two hours! Then someone shouts over the loudspeaker: "Private Ivanov! Two hours more, and you can take a cigarette break!"From a nuclear physicist's account:
There's a moment in Ales Adamovich's book, when he's talking to Andrei Sakharov. "Do you know," says Sakharov, the father of the hydrogen bomb, "how pleasantly the air smells of ozone after a nuclear explosion?"From a politician's account:
I was First Secretary of the Regional Committee of the Party. I said absolutely not. "What will people think if I take my daughter with her baby out of here? Their children have to stay." Those people who tried to leave, to save their own skins, I'd call them into the regional committee. "Are you a Communist or not?" It was a test for people. If I'm a criminal, then why was I killing my own grandchild?" [Goes on for some time but it is impossible to understand what he is saying]From a teacher's account:
Our family tried not to economize, we bought the most expensive salami, hoping it would be made of good meat. Then we found that it was the expensive salami that they mixed the contaminated meat into, thinking, well, since it was expensive fewer people would buy it.From a widow's account:
When we buried him, I covered his face with two handkerchiefs. If someone asked me to, I lifted them up. One woman fainted. And she used to be in love with him, I was jealous of her once. "Let me look at him one last time." "All right."From a father's account:
My daughter was six years old. I'm putting her to bed, and she whispers in my ear: "Daddy, I want to live, I'm still little." And I had thought she didn't understand anything.From the author's afterword:
These people had already seen what for everyone else is still unseen. I felt like I was recording the future.
丕賳 丕賱賮鬲乇丞 賲丕 亘賷賳 丨氐賵賱 丕賱賰丕乇孬丞貙 賵亘丿丕賷丞 丕賱丨丿賷孬 毓賳賴丕貙 賰丕賳鬲 賮鬲乇丞 鬲賵賯賮 賲丐賯鬲. 賱丨馗丞 亘賰賲... 毓賱賯鬲 賮賷 匕丕賰乇丞 丕賱噩賲賷毓
兀賱賶 丕賱匕乇賾丞 - 亘丕賱賲噩乇賮丞!
毓丿賳丕 丕賱賶 丕賱亘賷鬲 (賲賳 鬲賳馗賷賮 丕賱賲賮丕毓賱 丕賱賳賵賵賷). 賳夭毓鬲 毓賳賷 丕賱孬賷丕亘 丕賱鬲賷 丕乇鬲丿賷鬲賴丕 賴賳丕賰 賰賱賴丕貙 丕賲丕 丕賱賯亘毓丞 賮賯丿 丕賴丿賷鬲賴丕 賱兀亘賳賷 丕賱氐睾賷乇. 乇噩丕賳賷 賰孬賷乇丕賸. 賱亘爻賴丕 賵賱賲 賷賳夭毓賴丕. 亘毓丿 爻賳鬲賷賳 卮禺氐賵丕 賲乇囟賴: 賰鬲賱丞 賮賷 丕賱丿賲丕睾
丕賱賲賵鬲 賱丕 賷賮乇賾賯.. 丕賱兀乇囟 鬲爻鬲賯亘賱 丕賱噩賲賷毓
兀賵賰乇丕賳賷丞 鬲亘賷毓 鬲賮丕丨丕賸 賰亘賷乇丕 兀丨賲乇 賮賷 爻賵賯 丕賱禺囟丕乇 賵鬲賳丕丿賷貨 "丕卮鬲乇賵丕 丕賱鬲賮丕丨! 鬲賮丕丨 鬲卮乇賳賵亘賱". 賳氐丨賴丕 丕丨丿賴賲: "賱丕 鬲毓鬲乇賮賷 丕賳 賴匕丕 鬲賮丕丨 鬲卮乇賳賵亘賱貙 賱賳 賷卮鬲乇賷 丕丨丿". 噩丕賵亘鬲賴: "賱丕 鬲賯賱 匕賱賰! 爻賷卮鬲乇賵賳! 賲賳賴賲 賲賳 賷乇賷丿賴 賱丨賲丕鬲賴貙 賵賲賳賴賲 賱賲爻丐賵賱賴.
兀賳丕 兀禺丕賮 丕賱賲胤乇 - 賴匕丕 賴賵 鬲卮乇賳賵亘賱 兀禺丕賮 丕賱乇賷丕丨! 賲賳 丕賷賳 鬲賴亘貙 賲丕匕丕 鬲丨賲賱責... 鬲卮乇賳賵亘賱 賮賷 亘賷鬲賷貙 賮賷 兀睾賱賶 賲禺賱賵賯 賱丿賷貙 賮賷 丕亘賳賷貙 丕賱匕賷 賵賱丿 毓丕賲 爻鬲丞 賵孬賲丕賳賷賳... 丕賳 丕賱丨賷賵丕賳丕鬲 鬲毓乇賮 賰賲 賵賲鬲賶 鬲賱丿. 丕賱賳丕爻 賱丕 賷爻鬲胤賷毓賵賳... 賮賷 亘賷賱丕乇賵爻賷丕 賵丨丿賴丕 丕噩乇鬲 丕賱賳爻丕亍 毓丕賲 孬賱丕孬丞 賵鬲爻毓賷賳 賲卅鬲賷 兀賱賮 毓賲賱賷丞 廿噩賴丕囟 亘爻亘亘 鬲卮乇賳賵亘賱... 賱賵 賰丕賳 夭乇丕丿卮鬲 丨賷賾丕賸 賱氐丕丨: 賷丕 賱賲氐賷亘鬲賷! 兀賷賳 丕禺鬲賮賶 丕賱夭賲賳責
賱賷爻鬲 丕賱爻賱胤丞 賮賯胤 賲賳 賰匕亘 毓賱賷賳丕. 賱賰賳賳丕 賳丨賳 兀賳賮爻賳丕 賱賲 賳乇睾亘 賮賷 賲毓乇賮丞 丕賱丨賯賷賯丞
賰丕賳 亘廿爻鬲胤丕毓鬲賳丕 丕賳 賳睾丕丿乇 丕賱賲賰丕賳. 賳禺卮賶 丕賱賳丕爻 丕賱丌禺乇賷賳. 丕賲丕 賴賳丕 賮賳丨賳 噩賲賷毓丕賸 鬲卮乇賳賵亘賱賷賵賳. 賱丕 賳禺卮賶 亘毓囟賳丕 亘毓囟丕賸... 賳丨賳 亘匕丕賰乇丞 賵丕丨丿丞 賵亘賲氐賷乇 賲鬲爻丕賵賺 賵丕丨丿.. 賱賰賳賳丕 賮賷 賲賰丕賳 丌禺乇 鈥� 睾乇亘丕亍
賴賳丕 丕胤賮丕賱 鬲卮乇賳賵亘賱 賷兀賰賱賵賳 丕賱亘賵馗丞貙 賵毓賳丿賲丕 賷賳氐乇賮賵賳貙 爻賳睾爻賱 丕賱兀乇囟 亘丕賱賰賱賵乇貙 賵爻賳睾賱賷 丕賱賰丐賵爻".. 爻賲毓 丕賱兀胤賮丕賱 匕賱賰
丕賱爻賷丕丨丞 丕賱賳賵賵賷丞 賲夭丿賴乇丞 噩丿丕賸 賵亘禺丕氐丞 毓賳丿 丕賱爻賷丕丨 丕賱睾乇亘賷賷賳貙 賷爻丕賮乇 丕賱賳丕爻 賱兀噩賱 丕賳胤亘丕毓丕鬲 賯賵賷丞賾 賵噩丿賷丿丞貙 賵賯賱賷賱丕賸 賲丕 賷氐丕丿賮賵賳賴丕貙 賵廿賳賴 賱賲鬲丕丨 噩丿丕賸... 丕賱丨賷丕丞 鬲氐亘丨 賲賲賱丞 賮賳乇睾亘 亘卮賷亍 - 賲丕 丕亘丿賷...
夭賵乇賵丕 賲賰丞 丕賱賳賵賵賷丞... 丕賱兀爻毓丕乇 賲賯亘賵賱丞
賵爻賷亘賯賶 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳 賯亘賷賱 賳賴丕賷丞 丕賱毓丕賱賲貙 賴賵 賳賮爻賴貙 賰賲丕 賴賵 丕賱丌賳. (噩卮毓丕賸)
丕禺鬲乇毓 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳 丕賱鬲賯賳賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 賱賲 賷賰賳 賲爻鬲毓丿賸丕 賱賴丕 亘毓丿貙 睾賷乇 賲毓丕丿賱 賱賴丕.
賴賱 賷賲賰賳 兀賳 鬲囟毓 亘賷丿賷賾 丕賱胤賮賱 賲爻丿爻賸丕責 賳丨賳 兀胤賮丕賱- 賲噩丕賳賷賳.
丕賱匕賷 亘賯賶 賵賱賲 賷鬲睾賷乇 賴賵 丕賱賲毓丕賳丕丞 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳賷丞貨 乇兀爻賲丕賱賳丕 丕賱賵丨賷丿貙 賱丕 賷鬲噩夭兀!
鈥淐hern贸bil para ellos no era una met谩fora ni un s铆mbolo, era su casa.鈥�
鈥淓l hombre armado de un hacha y un arco, o con los lanzagranadas y las c谩maras de gas, no hab铆a podido matar a todo el mundo. Pero el hombre con el 谩tomo鈥� En esta ocasi贸n toda la Tierra est谩 en peligro.鈥�
鈥淯n ni帽o de siete a帽os. C谩ncer de tiroides. Quise distraerlo con bromas. El chico se gir贸 cara a la pared: 芦Sobre todo no me diga que no me morir茅. Porque s茅 que me voy a morir禄.鈥�
鈥淗ace tiempo que me he descubierto ense帽谩ndome a ser m谩s atenta con el mundo que me rodea. Con mi entorno y conmigo misma. Despu茅s de Chern贸bil, esto te sale por ti mismo.鈥�
鈥淣o perdimos una ciudad, sino toda una vida.鈥�
鈥溌縃ay algo m谩s pavoroso que el hombre?鈥�
鈥淢andan un robot estadounidense al tejado, trabaja cinco minutos y va y se para. El robot japon茅s tambi茅n trabaja nueve minutos y se para. En cambio, el robot ruso se pone a trabajar y est谩 dos horas. Y en eso que se oye por la radio: 隆Soldado Ivanov, puede bajar para un descanso!鈥�
鈥淟lega el marido a casa del trabajo y se queja a su mujer: 鈥擬e han dicho que o ma帽ana me voy a Chern贸bil o entrego el carn茅 del Partido. 鈥擯ero si t煤 no eres miembro del Partido 鈥攍e dice su mujer. 鈥擯ues por eso, a ver d贸nde encuentro yo un carn茅.鈥�
鈥淯na ucraniana vende en el mercado unas manzanas rojas, grandes. Y grita: 芦 隆Compren mis manzanas! 隆Manzanitas de Chern贸bil!禄. Y alguien le recomienda: 芦Mujer, no digas que son de Chern贸bil. Que nadie te las comprar谩禄. 芦 隆Pero qu茅 dices! 隆Las compran y c贸mo! 隆Unos, para la suegra; otros, para su jefe!禄鈥�