Unit 4 shift supervisor who ordered the AZ-5 shutdown, stayed at the ruined reactor to direct the response, and died of radiation sickness
«I did everything correctly. I don't understand why it happened.»
Born in Novosibirsk, he graduated from the Moscow Power Engineering Institute in 1976 and joined the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1979, becoming shift supervisor of Reactor Unit 4 in 1984. During the safety test on the night of 26 April 1986, when reactor power unexpectedly plunged, he ordered the power to be raised and, at the test's conclusion, directed that the AZ-5 emergency shutdown button be pressed; a control-rod design flaw triggered the explosion instead. He remained at the ruined unit for eight hours, calling the fire brigade, organising the draining of turbine oil, and leading a group to manually open feedwater valves; he absorbed a lethal 15–20 Gy dose and died of acute radiation syndrome on 11 May 1986 in Moscow Hospital No. 6, aged 33.
Career Timeline
- 1976Graduated from Moscow Power Engineering Institute (automation of heat and power processes)
- 1979–1984Chernobyl NPP: senior turbine management engineer, shift supervisor of the turbine hall
- 1984–1986Shift supervisor, Chernobyl Reactor Unit 4
- 1986.04.26Ordered AZ-5 shutdown during Unit 4 safety test; led on-site response for 8 hours after the explosion
- 2008Posthumously awarded the Order For Courage, 3rd degree, by the President of Ukraine