📍 Vilnius (Fabijoniškės district as Pripyat) 📍 Kaunas (Hospital No. 6 and Legasov's house) 📍 Kėdainiai (also as Pripyat)

Photo credit: Piotr Kazmierczak

The Chernobyl disaster is often remembered as one of the worst man-made disasters in history, a devastating accident caused by flawed reactor design and critical human error. But when you think about it on a cosmic timescale, the legacy of that night in April 1986 is almost incomprehensible.

Because of the large quantities of uranium-235 and other long-lived radionuclides released during the explosion, Chernobyl’s footprint will endure for billions of years. Long after human civilization has faded from existence and even after our sun expands into a red dwarf and consumes the Earth, the remnants of Chernobyl will still be detectable. It’s an eerie thought that the events of a single night caused by three men unwilling to delay a safety test could create an impact that outlives everything we’ve ever known.

It’s not just a reminder of how fragile human systems are, but also a testament to how deeply our mistakes can scar the planet. The explosion at Reactor 4 wasn’t just a moment in history; it became an indelible mark in the geological timeline. Chernobyl isn’t just a story about human hubris; it’s a permanent, radioactive monument to it.

I finished recently the Chernobyl series, and since I'm trying to dig into it a little bit deeper to understand it more, cause as far as I know the show isn't that much reliable in some aspects.

Although I do understand how it happened and why, my mind just can't grasp how the design of the reactor works no matter how much I look into drawings and stuff. Like, the control rods were made of two parts, they were withdrawn and then the other half was in, the graphite, which led to the explosion due to it's reactivity and lack of water to moderate the reaction (correct me if I'm wrong).

My question is: how this design works? Were the control rods at the top and the bottom? The water was inside the core or just around it in tubes? Just please explain it like I'm five.

I hope this isn't a dumb question, I just can't grasp anything engineer related :(

edit: typos

edit 2: I truly don't know how to phrase my question better since english isn't my first language, I'm sorry 😭😭 But it's basically how the machine works, the physical part of it, the way it was build, just engineer really. The chemical reactions are easier to grasp, although I do appreciate any corrections if my initial thought is wrong!!

I'll read everything later cause I need some sleep rn, but thank you to everyone in advance <3

This is a drawing I made back in 2022. I based it on eye-witness descriptions of the explosion from "midnight at chernobyl".

When I discovered about it, I shared it with people around me. I came to know most people don't remember or even know about this disaster. I even interviewed aged people who were young during that time. Very few of them remember. I think this was one of the biggest tragedies on the face of Earth. I don't understand how people have moved on.

Are they still there below the lids or what?

Hi people, does anyone have experience with chornobyl.shop? As far as i can see it looks legit but unfortunately it doesn't show how much shipping to the Netherlands would be. I'd like to order some stuff but don't want to get scammed or extremely overcharged by the shipping. Anyone who knows more or has some ideas about it?

One of my favorite YouTube ambient soundtrack artists posted his rendition of the Chernobyl HBO Miniseries soundtrack.

Enjoy:

https://youtu.be/v4xRuxtAbXM

Does anyone know what type of reactors where/ are at the Mayak site?

From my knowledge it is called “Lost Life” (Потерянная жизнь). 80’s.

The documentary centers on the life of a Chernobyl liquidator who, after being exposed to radioactive materials during the cleanup, becomes bedridden due to his declining health. The filmmaker, Igor Kalyadin, visits him regularly, documenting his condition and the struggles he faces as his health deteriorates.

It was one of the most raw , personal and heartbreaking pieces of media I have ever seen. I had first seen it on YouTube a couple years ago but can’t seem to find it anywhere now. If anybody knows anymore information about it or could point me in the right direction , I would really appreciate it.

So I just watched the Chernobyl show and I know, I know it's not really acurrate but I've been wondering, how did we find out that the reactor rods were the resson the Reactor blew up, I imagine in ussr they tried to hide that fact so how did it got out, did we find out after USSR collapse?

What has happened with Pripyat kids whose mothers were pregnant with during chernobyl diseaster? Does somebody did research about this?

Did they use the two reserve water pumps right after managing to bring the reactor to 200 MW from 30 MW? ANd if yes, why?

Lots of amazing photos and articles