Sarcophagus 2010
In 1972 ladybird publishing produced a children's information book titled The story of Nuclear Power. The book tells us of positive advancements that nuclear energy creates in which a clean, cheap and sustainable energy resource is provided for all families.
On 26th April 1986 at 1.23 am, reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear power plant in the Ukraine, Suffered a massive, catastrophic power excursion. The chain reaction (similar to that of the detonation of a nuclear bomb) caused several huge explosions and exposed the reactor core. Radioactive material was dispersed in large amounts.
Approximately 800,000 Firemen, Power station employees, soldiers and civilian men and women (Liquidators) were charged with the containment of the contamination area.
As a totalitarian government the Soviet Union forced many young soldiers to assist in the cleanup. The firemen believing they were attending a regular fire, spending only 40 seconds at a time working on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings due to the effects of radiation sickness.
The doses of radiation were so high that many liquidaters died within 3 weeks of the disaster.
The government provided limited information of the danger involved and only evacuated the whole of the City of Pripyat after radiation levels set off alarms at the Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant in Sweden. The Soviet Union had to admit that an accident had occurred, but authorities attempted to conceal the scale of the disaster.
In December 1986 a large concrete Sarcophagus had been erected to seal off the reactor and its contents.
In 1990 the USSR State Committee on Labour and Social issues awarded 'The Participant in the liquidation of effects if the accident at the chAES' (Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant). The central pattern of the badge representing a drop of blood through the radiation symbols of alpha, beta and gamma.
The badge was never awarded as many of the liquidators had by this point sadly died of radiation sickness.
When the USSR dispersed the award was disregarded.
www.chernobyl.info
The international communications platform on the longterm consequences of the Chernobyl disaster
www.chernobyl-children.org.uk/
Provides medical treatment and respite care for children from the Chernobyl-affected areas of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.
www.cnduk.org
campaign for Nuclear disarmament.
Sarcophagus 2010
Ladybird book 'The story of Nuclear power' dated 1972, Liquidator medal, Concrete plinth, Glass case.
Please click the images for a closer view
