On 26 April 1986 at 01-23-45 a.m. (UTC+3) nuclear reactor number four at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near Pripyat in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, exploded. Further explosions and the resulting fire sent a plume of highly radioactive fallout into the atmosphere and over an extensive geographical area. Four hundred times more fallout was released than had been by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Read more to see large selection of pictures Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and Chernobyl area environment.

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. 1986...

25 April 1986

01-06
The planned gradual decline of power of reactor began
03-47
Power of reactor is stopped at the level of 1600 MW(t)
14-00
The emergency system of cooling of kernel is isolated (part of the program of test). Power must was be lowered yet more, however from Kiev a query came to leave power at former level (1600 MW(t)). The test program is deferred
23-10
Repeated diminishing of power

26 april 1986

00-05
The level of power attained 720 MW(t) and continues to diminish
00-28
Level of power – 500 MW(t). A management is translated in the automatic mode, however much it resulted in the unexpected falling of power to 30 MW(t)
00-32
An operator tries to recover power, taking out the bars of management a reaction. In order to leave less than 26 bars, permission of main engineer is required, however already on this time their amount less required.
01-00
Power rise to 200 MW(t)
01-03
In the left sleeve of the cooling system an additional pump is plugged for multiplying the stream of water to the kernel (included in the program of test)
01-07
An additional pump is plugged in the right sleeve of the cooling system (included in the program of test). Additional pumps deleted warmly from a kernel quick. A water level diminished in a steam delimiter
01-15
An operator deactivated the system of disconnecting of reactor at low pressure of steam
01-18
An operator multiplied the stream of water
01-19
Some bars of management are cleaned, to soup up and heave up a temperature and pressure in a steam delimiter. Rules do not allow to abandon less than 15 bars of management, however on this moment them it was, probably, only eight
01-21-40
The stream of water is diminished to the level subnormal in order to stabilize a water level in a steam delimiter and decrease deleting of warmth from a kernel
01-22-10
Formation of steam began in a kernel
01-22-45
In spite of the got warnings about an emergency situation, the state of reactor was stable
01-23-10
The automatic bars of management clean up from a kernel
01-23-21
Formation of steam increases sharply. It must result in increasing power
01-23-35
The amount of steam in a kernel begins to be increased uncontrolledly
01-23-40
The emergency button is pushed. The automatic bars of management are returned into the kernel
01-23-44
Reactor power exceeded nominal in 100 times
01-23-45
The reaction of fuel with cooling water makes the impulse of high pressure in the channels of fuels
01-23-49
Fuel tanks are destroyed
01-24
Two explosions happened. They blew off the roof of reactor, opening access air which was instrumental in formation of inflammable gas and caused a fire


To the picture of Area of alienation, Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Chernobyl and Pripyat after 2000.










































































































"Cemetery Of The Exposed To The X-Rays Technique".