{"id":11767,"date":"2019-06-17T07:37:58","date_gmt":"2019-06-17T07:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=11767"},"modified":"2019-06-20T19:26:08","modified_gmt":"2019-06-20T19:26:08","slug":"talking-about-chernobyl-in-russian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/talking-about-chernobyl-in-russian\/","title":{"rendered":"Talking About Chernobyl<\/em> in Russian"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Internet has been abuzz lately with discussions of the HBO Chernobyl<\/em> miniseries<\/a>. The show is based on the real story of an explosion<\/a> at the Chernobyl Nuclear Powerplant (\u0427\u0435\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0301\u0431\u044b\u043b\u044c\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u0410\u0301\u0442\u043e\u043c\u043d\u0430\u044f \u042d\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0301\u043d\u0446\u0438\u044f, \u0427\u0410\u042d\u0421<\/strong>), and its release has reignited interest in the catastrophe, its causes, and how its been covered by witnesses, survivors, first responders, writers, and film-makers.<\/p>\n

\"Pripyat

Photo by G Meyer<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Not-So-Secret Disaster<\/h2>\n

The series is inspired by the story of the nuclear disaster at a nuclear station in the Ukrainian town of Pripyat (Russian \u041f\u0440\u0438\u0301\u043f\u044f\u0442\u044c<\/strong>, Ukrainian \u041f\u0440\u0438\u0301\u043f’\u044f\u0442\u044c<\/strong>). The station itself was named after the town of Chernobyl (Russian \u0427\u0435\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0301\u0431\u044b\u043b\u044c<\/strong>, Ukrainian \u0427\u043e\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0301\u0431\u0438\u043b\u044c<\/strong>), which lay a little further out. Due to operator negligence and technical faults, a nuclear reactor (\u044f\u0301\u0434\u0435\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0440\u0435\u0430\u0301\u043a\u0442\u043e\u0440<\/strong>) exploded during a safety test in the wee hours of the morning on 26 April 1986. At first, the Soviet government tried to keep the accident (\u0430\u0432\u0430\u0301\u0440\u0438\u044f<\/strong>) a secret, until a nuclear power plant in Sweden<\/a> detected elevated levels of radiation.<\/p>\n

It is estimated<\/a> that tens of people died in the immediate aftermath, and several thousand died subsequently. Hundreds of thousands responders, called “liquidators<\/a>” (\u043b\u0438\u043a\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0430\u0301\u0442\u043e\u0440\u044b<\/strong>), helped to contain the damage. People living in the 30 km (17 mi) radius were evacuated and have not been allowed to come back.<\/p>\n

\"View

Photo by Hugh Mitton<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Russian Connection<\/h2>\n

The show Chernobyl <\/em>is a US-UK production, and many of the actors are from the UK. (By the way, there have been several other shows<\/a> about the disaster.) The characters speak English, so we don’t have to suspend disbelief over the actors attempting awkward Russian. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

However, there is<\/em> some Russian language featured in the series, in the form of radio announcements, poetry<\/a>, songs, and street signs. Of course, Ukraine’s official language is Ukrainian. However, at the time of the disaster, in 1989, Ukraine was still part of the Soviet Union. Some of the power plant workers had moved to Pripyat from other parts of the USSR, and a lot of the liquidators were sent in from the outside, so Russian would have been spoken by many among them.<\/p>\n

Praise<\/h2>\n

The show’s been praised by many currently or formerly Russian\/Soviet-based commentators for its attention to detail and level of authenticity. US-based writer Slava Malamud<\/a>, who was born in Transnistria<\/a> (\u041f\u0440\u0438\u0434\u043d\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0301\u0432\u044c\u0435<\/strong>, currently an unrecognized breakaway region of Moldova), has pointed out that the shows creators recreated details of Soviet life, both material and mental, with a great deal of accuracy. Journalish Alexey Kovalev<\/a> (\u0410\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0435\u0301\u0439 \u041a\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043b\u0451\u0432<\/strong>) was similarly impressed with the level of authenticity.<\/p>\n

The show’s creators consulted several primary sources. Among them is the book\u00a0Chernobyl Prayer\/Voices from Chernobyl<\/a><\/em> (\u00ab\u0427\u0435\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0301\u0431\u044b\u043b\u044c\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u043c\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0301\u0442\u0432\u0430<\/strong>\u00bb) by Svetlana Alexievich<\/a> (\u0421\u0432\u0435\u0442\u043b\u0430\u0301\u043d\u0430 \u0410\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0438\u0435\u0301\u0432\u0438\u0447<\/strong>), who interviewed hundreds of eyewitnesses and survivors. Other sources included<\/a> books, feature films, interviews, and documentaries on the subject.<\/p>\n

\"book

Photo by Yves Alarie<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Criticism<\/h2>\n

There has, of course, been some criticism. Pro-government media<\/a> complained that the show makes Soviet leaders and people look cartoonishly incompetent, scared, and malicious. Other commentators have pointed out inaccuracies<\/a> in the plot, such as with the helicopter crash (\u043a\u0440\u0443\u0448\u0435\u0301\u043d\u0438\u0435<\/strong> \u0432\u0435\u0440\u0442\u043e\u043b\u0451\u0442\u0430<\/strong>) and chaotic roof clean-up.<\/p>\n

Several liquidators have chimed in on the series. Among them was engineer Aleksey Breus (\u0410\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0435\u0301\u0439 \u0411\u0440\u0435\u0301\u0443\u0441<\/strong>), who believes<\/a> that some things were portrayed stereotypically:<\/p>\n

\u041a\u043e\u043d\u0435\u0301\u0447\u043d\u043e, \u0432 \u0444\u0438\u0301\u043b\u044c\u043c\u0435 \u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c \u043c\u043d\u043e\u0301\u0433\u043e \u0442\u0438\u043f\u0438\u0301\u0447\u043d\u044b\u0445 \u0434\u043b\u044f \u0417\u0430\u0301\u043f\u0430\u0434\u0430 \u0448\u0442\u0430\u0301\u043c\u043f\u043e\u0432: \u0441\u0442\u0430\u043a\u0430\u0301\u043d \u0432\u043e\u0301\u0434\u043a\u0438 \u0438 \u041a\u0413\u0411 \u043d\u0430 \u043a\u0430\u0301\u0436\u0434\u043e\u043c \u0448\u0430\u0301\u0433\u0443.<\/p>\n

[Of couse, the film has many clich\u00e9s typical for the West, such as vodka glasses and KGB at every turn.]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

However, all in all, he liked the show:<\/p>\n

\u041f\u043e\u0436\u0430\u0301\u043b\u0443\u0439, \u0432\u043f\u0435\u0440\u0432\u044b\u0301\u0435 \u0427\u0435\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0431\u044b\u043b\u044c\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u0430\u0432\u0430\u0301\u0440\u0438\u044f \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0451\u0442\u0441\u044f \u0442\u0430\u043a \u043c\u043e\u0301\u0449\u043d\u043e – \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0433\u043b\u043e\u0431\u0430\u0301\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0430\u044f \u043a\u0430\u0442\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0301\u0444\u0430, \u0437\u0430\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0301\u043d\u0443\u0432\u0448\u0430\u044f \u043e\u0433\u0440\u043e\u0301\u043c\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u043c\u0430\u0301\u0441\u0441\u044b \u043b\u044e\u0434\u0435\u0301\u0439.<\/p>\n

[It’s probably the first time that the Chernobyl disaster has been portrayed so powerfully, as a global catastrophe that affected large numbers of people.]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Have you had a chance to watch this or other films about the Chernobyl disaster or read any books about it? What were your impressions? Do you think there’s a lesson in this story that applies beyond the time and place where it happened?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"Pripyat

The Internet has been abuzz lately with discussions of the HBO Chernobyl miniseries. The show is based on the real story of an explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Powerplant (\u0427\u0435\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0301\u0431\u044b\u043b\u044c\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u0410\u0301\u0442\u043e\u043c\u043d\u0430\u044f \u042d\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0301\u043d\u0446\u0438\u044f, \u0427\u0410\u042d\u0421), and its release has reignited interest in the catastrophe, its causes, and how its been covered by witnesses, survivors, first responders, writers…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":11774,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,178],"tags":[507370,541523,11644,7604,8286],"class_list":["post-11767","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-history","tag-chernobyl","tag-science","tag-soviet-history","tag-ukraine","tag-ussr"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11767"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11783,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11767\/revisions\/11783"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}