Larisa Telyatnikova

Larisa Telyatnikova holds a portrait of her dead husband in Kiev, April 2, 2006. Major-General of Interior Troops Leonid Telyatnikov headed liquidation of the fire at Chornobyl reactor after the explosion in April 1986. His troops took upon themselves the main blow of the most terrible man-caused disaster of the 20-th century. At that time Telyatnikov was the chief of military fire prevention of Chornobyl nuclear-power station. Telyatnikov himself and his subordinates have ascended to the roof the fourth power-generating unit of Chornobyl reactor more than once to prevent the fire spreading on other roofs. The honoured Kiev citizen, hero of the USSR Leonid Telyatnikov died on December 2, 2004. Photo by Alexander Sinitsa / UNIAN