Finally watched the last episode, riveting. My favorite part is when one of the judges asked why the control rods' tips were made out of graphite. Legasov casual lists all of the short cuts the Soviet state had taken with their reactors vs the west.
I remember when the Russians were constructing buildings for the Sochi winter olympics (or some games) a few years ago. A Western reporter interviewed one of the construction workers.
The construction worker said approximately: “If you want an average job done, we can do that. If you want a very good job done, not so much.”
Riveting mini series. The characteristics of the failing bureaucracy were on full display.
I just wished they hadn’t made such a big deal of the miners, who were heroes for giving their lives, but doing it for something that was never meaningful. Their efforts never were needed. The ‘miss’ in the miniseries was the total failure to close that plot thread. From one episode they are naked and digging to prevent Armageddon. The next episode starts and there is never any further mention of the miners. What the heck?
Riveting mini series. The characteristics of the failing bureaucracy were on full display.
I just wished they hadn’t made such a big deal of the miners, who were heroes for giving their lives, but doing it for something that was never meaningful. Their efforts never were needed. The ‘miss’ in the miniseries was the total failure to close that plot thread. From one episode they are naked and digging to prevent Armageddon. The next episode starts and there is never any further mention of the miners. What the heck?
Thats a very interesting thought. You're right, no mention the next episode except my interpretation when they conscripted the miners was that they needed people with digging and excavation experience. The leader of the miners knew full well that their mission was doomed because he questioned the effectiveness of the face masks and they all entered without masks as they knew it didn't't matter and they knew it was a fatal mission
the miners usage showed the futility, desperation and shambolic nature of the Soviet efforts. They tried everything and the miners were just pawns in the frantic efforts to avoid total disaster.
how about the 750,000 troops that were conscripted to deal with the infrastructure of the country -destroying crops, and killing pets and livestock etc
Pretty soon some tourists will start stealing graphite rods for their souvenir's collection. Similar things happened @ other human disaster places of our history.
To me it's a place of prayers, of deep thinking about our humanity, respect and dignity.
It's a cemetery for humanity, for Russia.
the miners usage showed the futility, desperation and shambolic nature of the Soviet efforts. They tried everything and the miners were just pawns in the frantic efforts to avoid total disaster.
how true but having watched the mini series it would seem that all life in Russia came cheap and expendable. I remember the scene after they conscripted an additional 750,000 soldiers for biorobots (in reality) and the truck carrying the new, young and completely inexperienced boys to the area of disaster. I recall the look on the face of the kid who was eventually part of the killing of the abandoned pets. He had a look of fear as he watched busses going in the other direction carrying the badly burned.
And how about the "egg basket" they wore out of ignorance and fear
I find it somewhat realistic that the crack cocaine that the CIA was selling in the inner cities of the USA was shipped to Chernobyl. It's the only explanation for building a reactor without safety protocols.
I'd watch this movie but you know the production value will be as crappy as their reactors.
