The YouTube video above is a series of film clips shot by the late Russian filmmaker, Vladimir Shevchenko, who was allowed complete access to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant site in the days immediately following the reactor accident, which occurred 25 years ago this April 26. It is terrifying and appalling at the same time: the clips document dozens of Soviet Army troops working cleanup detail in the middle of the worst nuclear accident in history, wearing absolutely no protective gear other than surgical masks or passive respirators. In one scene, footage of men clearing debris from the roof of a building is accompanied by some broken-English titles that explain that even 40 seconds of exposure to the massive radiation in that location was enough to kill men virtually on the spot. In another, men dig tunnels and pour concrete directly underneath the reactor, wearing nothing but miners’ workclothes.
Shevchenko compiled his footage into a brief film entitled “Chernobyl: A Chronicle of Difficult Weeks”, which was immediately suppressed by the Soviet government for over a year after the accident. In that time, Shevchenko himself succumbed to radiation poisoning, as he, too, had no protective gear and was exposed to the same lethal levels of radiation. Other than these scenes, which apparently were not included in the final cut, the film is not available online but can be purchased on DVD.
The entire region of Pripyat has been sealed off from the world for the last quarter-century, although trespassers have explored the area and have shared countless haunting photographs of the abandoned towns and villages. There was also a later documentary made in 1999 (a trailer is also on YouTube here). Now it is possible to book day tours to the region, including a visit to Reactor #4, where the accident occurred — the website says lunch is included in the excursion, but hastens to add that the food comes from outside the Chernobyl region. Bring your own dosimeter.
