Alexander Akimov

Aleksandr Fyodorovich Akimov (Russian: Александр Фёдорович Акимов; 6 May 1953 – 11 May 1986) was the shift supervisor of the night crew that worked at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Unit #4 on the night of the Chernobyl disaster, April 26, 1986.

Chernobyl disaster

The turbine was shut down as planned, and the power surged. Akimov pressed the AZ-5 (Class Five Emergency) to shut down the poisoned reactor. The control rods seized around 2-2.5 meters into the reactor (the reactor goes down to a depth of seven meters), but the boron bars had a graphite cover that caused an increase in power. The reactor then exploded, and the communications networks were suddenly flooded with calls and information - Akimov heard reports of massive reactor damage, but would not believe it and therefore relayed false information about the state of the reactor for a few hours.[1] Once he knew the full extent of the accident, he worked with his crew in the reactor building until early morning, trying to pump water into the exposed reactor. None of the men who stayed behind to save the reactor wore any protective gear.

Akimov died two weeks after the accident due to acute radiation syndrome, also known as radiation poisoning, at the age of 33. In the inquiry, he and his co-workers were blamed. Later the blame was put on the plant's director and manager. The crew and directors did not adhere to the plant's safety guidelines and ignored repeated warnings of the control system.[2][3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Felicity Barringer: Life After Death. The New York Times, April 22, 2001
  2. ↑ "U.S. doctor indicates Chernobyl toll now at 13". The Telegraph, Nashua. 1986-05-16.
  3. ↑ Medvedev G. (1991):247-48



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