The events of 26 April, 1986, changed the lives of millions of Ukrainians, and people beyond Ukraine’s borders, when Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant underwent a catastrophic failure during a safety test. RFI spoke with Dr Andrei Kindzelski, son of Professor Leonid Kindzelski, chief radiologist of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, who in 2021 was awarded the title Hero of Ukraine in recognition of his tireless efforts to save the lives of those affected.
The failed safety test at Chernobyl caused a massive power surge, leading to two explosions which severely damaged the reactor's core, releasing radioactive nuclides into the atmosphere and causing widespread contamination of the surrounding land – and long-term harm to human health, the effects of which are still being felt today.
