The first photograph of Unit Four after the accident, shot from a helicopter by Chernobyl plant photographer Anatoly Rasskazov, at approximately 3.00pm on April 26, 1986.

Photograph by Anatoly Rasskazov, April 26, 1986, courtesy of Ukrainian National Chernobyl Museum.

Chernobyl Nuclear Accident, 1986

The catastrophic meltdown of Reactor No. 4 at the Chernobyl (Chornobyl) Atomic Energy Station on April 26, 1986, marked one of the most devastating nuclear disasters in history. This collection of primary sources includes Ukrainian and Soviet KGB reports, Communist Party directives, and Ukrainian Academy of Sciences measurements, offering a comprehensive view of the plant's troubled history, the accident's technical details, and the government's emergency response. The documents trace systemic issues dating back to the plant's construction in the 1970s, revealing engineering flaws, mismanagement, and the suppression of critical information. They also expose the prolonged secrecy surrounding radiation damage and its consequences, as officials sought to downplay the disaster's severity for years, leaving a legacy of environmental, social, and political turmoil in its wake.

Adam Higgonbotham, author of Midnight in Chernobyl, introduces parts of the collection in an essay for Sources & Methods. See also the Digital Archive collection on Ukrainian Nuclear History.

The first photograph of Unit Four after the accident, shot from a helicopter by Chernobyl plant photographer Anatoly Rasskazov, at approximately 3.00pm on April 26, 1986.

Photograph by Anatoly Rasskazov, April 26, 1986, courtesy of Ukrainian National Chernobyl Museum.

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Chernobyl

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Soviet soldier taking a photograph of another soldier in Red Square, Moscow, 1959

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Ukrainian Nuclear History

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Popular Documents

April 27, 1986	Untitled notice on levels of radiation in Chernobyl NPP and steps taken in response The document refers to the level of radiation in the area affected and the measures undertaken for planned evacuations.
May 3, 1986	Deputy Head of the 6th Department of the KGB Administration Lieut. Col. Aksenov, 'Notice of Emergency Incident' This note explains the processes of localizing the effects of the accident, lead deposits in the area, and the evacuation of collective farms and the city of Chernobyl.
May 8, 1986	Notice: Information from Places of Evacuation Two weeks after the accident, an unnamed KGB officer from the Ukrainian SSR reports on the situation in evacuation sites, the sentiment of local people, the situation in transportation hubs and at key industrial facilities in Kyiv, as well as about the measures taken to prevent foreign journalists from gathering information about the case.
April 2, 1973	Memo Report from the Head of the KGB Administration under the Ukr. SSR Council of Ministers for Kiev Oblast, Fesenko, to Comrade Tsybulko V.M., First Secretary of the Kiev Oblast Committee of the CP of Ukraine This document discusses the violation of technical rules of reinforcement and concrete work in the construction of the Chernobyl plant, concluding that these deficiencies will diminish the quality of the energy output.
May 20, 1983	Colonel A.I. Samoilov, Head of the 3rd Department of the 6th Service of the KGB Administration of the USSR for the City of Moscow, 'Information about Several Problems in the Use of Atomic Energy Stations in the USSR' This document discusses weaknesses in the technical designs of nuclear power plants in the USSR and their potential consequences, concluding that the Leningrad, Kursk, and Chernobyl plants are extremely dangerous.

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