Books

Recently, the book "About the Past and the Future" (To the History of the Chernobyl Disaster) appeared in Russia. The author, Alexander I. Glouchtchenko is the nuclear physicist and radioecologist, Chernobyl liquidator of the years 1986-87, member for some years of the Executive Committee of the "Chernobyl" Union of the USSR and one of the leading experts in the State Chernobyl Committee of Russia (in past). He is also an EURASAP and SRA (Society for Risk Analysis) member. His book has not the purpose to give the next scientific and technological description of the problems that rose after Chernobyl. His main concern is the human and moral aspect of the tragedy and the understanding of the reasons that made such a disaster possible. The main goal in writing the book is to enhance a step to the awareness of society and thus to prevent such disasters from happening ever again on the Earth.

The book covers approximately a 35-year period from the mid-sixties to the present time. This book differs from other earlier published books on the Chernobyl disaster in the new and sharp view of the author on this global problem, in the detailed description of the events preceding 26 April 1986, in the extensive citation of literary and scientific sources, both Russian and foreign. An attempt is also made to predict the ecological and demographic situation in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Europe in the beginning of the XXI century with regard to the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. The book is accomplished with photos made by the world famous photographer-liquidator Igor F. Kostin.

The President of the "Chernobyl" Union Viacheslav L. Grishin has written the preface to the book. He recommends it to all people indifferent to the problems of radioecology, nuclear physics and technology. The book is a warning written and illustrated by direct participants in the liquidation of the contamination after the disaster, both of them Chernobyl invalids now.

An understanding, different from the official statements, of the physical processes that led to the explosion of the Chernobyl RBMK-1000 reactor is laid in the book. The problem of the long-term consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster is also discussed.

The contents of the book, which is published only in Russian by now is given here in order to mark the topics discussed in it.

The author has expressed his willingness to answer on the questions and may be to translate parts or the book in English if there is interest among the scientific community in Europe.

About the Past and the Future
(To the History of the Chernobyl Disaster)

Graal, Moskow, 1999 (in Russian), 212 pages with photos, graphics and pictures.

Alexander I. Glouchtchenko

Contents

Preface

From the author

1. Introduction. What is nuclear energy - evil or blessing?
2. How did it begin (1966-1979)?
   1. The working out of the common conceptions.
   2. The technical project of the reactor RBMK-1000 and the reasons for the Chernobyl disaster.
   3. A look in the Past: starting up of the first block of the Leningradskaya NPP. The experimental research on the NPPs in operation. The presentation of a doctoral thesis.
3. From Garrisberg to Chernobyl - seven years of silence (1979-1986).
   1. The accident on the «Three Mile Island» NPP (TMI-2) in USA, 28 March 1979.
   2. The lessons of the accident on TMI-2 and the reaction of the officials in USSR.
   3. On the brink of the Chernobyl disaster.
4. The Chernobyl disaster - a natural outcome from the policy of the Party and State leadership of the country in the years 1960-80 and one of the basic reasons for the destruction of USSR.
   1. The Day «X» - the beginning of the Post-Chernobyl era. The first information abroad, obtained in Sweden.
   2. The information in the press and the opinions of the experts. «Science requires sacrifices». Some comments.
   3. The new answers to the old questions: «How much of the nuclear fuel was discharged?». «Was it necessary to throw the reactor up by materials?».
   4. «Daddy, I want to live, I am too young to die.»- The tragedy of the population in Pryipiat, Chernobyl and other affected regions. The words of the famous Russian writer Fedor M. Dostoevski about «the tear of the tortured child» and their prophetical significance for our time.
5. Ten years after the Chernobyl disaster - silence continues (1986-1996).
   1. The understanding of "what happened at the Chernobyl NPP" in USSR and abroad. Comparisons of the technical characteristics of the reactors RBMK-1000 and CANDU. The «Chernobylskaya» conference of IAEA in the summer of 1986. The suicide of the Deputy Chief of the governmental commission, Academician Valery A. Legasov.
   2. The five-year bound - the resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations to provide International help to the victims of the Chernobyl disaster. The start of the International Chernobyl project. The Russian-German expedition to the Chernobyl zones. The «Chernobyl» radionuclides outside the boundaries of the USSR (Europe).
   3. The ten-year bound - Moscow «summit» on nuclear safety and its «Chernobyl» opinions. The suicide of the Director of the «Cheliabinsk-65» Federal Nuclear Centre professor V. Nechai. The death of the scientist from the «Arzamas-16» Federal Nuclear Centre, the physicist A. Zaharov.
   4. Episodes from the struggle of the Chernobyl liquidators for their rights. The death from leukaemia of the member of the Governmental commission, the member of the New-York Academy of Sciences, the first President of the «Chernobyl» Union of USSR, the geochemist Lev M. Khitrov.
6. What is ahead of our children? (End of the XX - Beginning of the XXI century - an attempt for prediction).
   1. The Man for Atom or Atom for the Man?
   2. Medical and genetic aspects of the Chernobyl disaster consequences. The establishment of common principles of the complex radiation-ecological and medical-genetic monitoring in the zones of higher ecological risk in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other European countries («Genefund of Chernobyl»).
   3. Moral lessons of the Chernobyl disaster and their fundamental significance for the world community. What do we learn from the one-century experience of the intercourse of man with radiation?
7. Conclusion

Appendixes

1. «The Chernobylski boy» («Reader's Digest», January 1997).
2. A.I.Glouchtchenko. The speech on the meeting of the «Round Table» of the League of Independent scientists of Russia (Federal Assembly and Government of Russian Federation, 31 August 1995, Moscow, Parliamentary Centre).
3. A.I.Glouchtchenko «What exactly has happened on the fourth block of Chernobylskaya NPP in the day of 26 April 1986?». ("Zaslon" /"Shelter"/, No. 7, 1997)
4. «We cannot keep silent!» - The appeal of the scientists-Chernobyl invalids to the citizens of Russia. ("Zaslon", No. 2, 1996).
5. A.I.Glouchtchenko «The consequences of the Chernobyl only begin now». ("Zaslon", No. 6, 1998).
6. «We cannot keep silent when the World is perishing!» - The Appeal of the scientists and public figures of Russia to the World community. ("Zelionai mir" /"Green world"/, No. 6, 1998)