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Construction of the Reactors
Construction of the Chernobyl power plant begins 60 miles north of Kiev in present day Ukraine. The town of Pripyat is built nearby to house the workers and their families. By 1983, four reactors would be completed on site. -
Reactors go online
Reactors begin supplying power to the electrical grid. -
A routine emergency preparation test
0100: In preparation for a test of the emegency water cooling system on reactor 4 in the event of a power failure, engineers begin reducing the power level of the reactor. -
test delay
4-25-86 @ 1400 : The water cooling test is delayed due to power needs in the region. The test is handed off to the less experienced night crew. They are not given proper instruction. -
Reducing Power
0028: The test begins with a further reduction in power, but drops too low ersulting in an unstable reactor. Against protocol, the night crew removes several of the control rods from the core. The reactor is stablilized, but at less than ideal power level. -
Power Surge
0123: As the test begins, an unexpected power surge occurs. An emergency shutdown is initiated. As the removed control rods are reinserted, they jam in the core. Seconds later, two massive explosions blow the roof off of reactor 4. -
Firefighters arrive
1328: Not briefed on the radiation risks and wearing no protective clothing from radiation, firefighters are called in. -
Roadblocks
0215: Police set up roadblocks outside Pripyat. Police officers are unaware of the risk and have no radiation protection. -
Shutdown
Reactor 3 is shutdown. Reactors 1 and 2 will be shut down the next day. -
Statement to the public
Being forced to make a statement due to other countries detecting radiation, the USSR admits that an event occured at Chernobyl but gives no details. -
May Day
A May day celebration is allowed to continue as planned by authorities. The justification was to avoid creating a panic. Kiev was 60 miles downwind from the reactor. -
Clean up
Gorbachev provides details of the acciident and announces that hundreds of thousands of civilians and military reservists will be mobilized to assist in the cleanup. Many will eventually die of radiation poisining and cancer.
