Anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster

COMM UNIAN ARCHIVE A view of Chornobyl reactor photographed by a staff photographer and designer of Chornobyl nuclear-power station Anatoly Rasskazov from a helicopter in Prypyat on in September, 1986. A wall of a machinery apartment with holes broken by falling elements of the fourth power-generating unit destroyed by the explosion is seen in the foreground. The central hall of the fourth power-generating unit with the roof blown off by the explosion is seen in the background. Rasskazov is the author of the first and only photography of Chornobyl reactor made from a helicopter several hours after the explosion on April 26, 1986. A governmental commission, working in an underground shelter not far from the reactor, made conclusions about the scale of this terrible disaster on the basis of Rasskazov's photography, in particular, whether the active part of the fourth power-generating unit had been damaged. The printed photos were given to the commission on April 26, 1986, at 23.00. On the same day they were withdrawn by the Soviet security services. Two of these photos were printed only once in the photo album "Chornobyl report" in 1987. The author's name was not mentioned. The supervision of Chornobyl nuclear-power station returned some of these photos to Rasskazov a month ago. Chornobyl reactor exploded nearly 20 years ago. It is the world's worst ever nuclear accident. Ukraine is preparing to mark the 20th anniversary of this disaster on April, 26, 2006. Photo by Anatoly Rasskazov / UNIAN