«Our Long Way to April»: SSTC NRS to Publish Nikolai Steinberg’s Book on the Root Causes of the Chornobyl Disaster
Marking the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, SSTC NRS is publishing Nikolai Steinberg’s book «Our Long Way to April».
The author’s professional career has been inextricably linked to the Chornobyl NPP – from the earliest stages of its construction to the accident recovery operations and the subsequent investigation to establish the root causes of the tragedy.
Drawing upon official documents, findings from independent investigations conducted in the 1990s, and memoirs of the Soviet atomic project participants, the author debunks the conclusions of the 1986 Soviet report to the IAEA, which placed the entire blame for the explosion solely on the plant operators. Nikolai Steinberg demonstrates that the tragedy was rooted in critical reactor design flaws and provides examples of other accidents that served as precursors to the Chornobyl disaster.
The author provides a detailed account of the systemic crisis within the Soviet nuclear industry and offers a sharp critique of the complete absence of a legislative framework in the USSR that would have clearly delineated the authorities and responsibilities for nuclear safety.
The publication of this book is of profound significance – not only for the sake of historical justice but also for deriving the correct lessons learned for the future to prevent the recurrence of failures in nuclear safety. It offers an opportunity to witness how a totalitarian mindset, an atmosphere of secrecy, and the drive to «protect the honor of the uniform» led humanity to a nuclear catastrophe. It is a chance to uncover an objective history that remained classified for decades under the «Top Secret» label.
You can pre-order the book at the following link or on the website.
Preparations are also underway for the publication of the book’s English-language version.
Nikolai Steinberg’s career trajectory at the Chornobyl NPP spans from Reactor Operator, Unit Shift Supervisor and Head of the Turbine Hall to serving as the plant’s Chief Engineer during the most challenging months following the disaster. He chaired the committee tasked with investigating the causes and circumstances of the accident at Chornobyl Unit 4 on April 26, 1986.
According to SSTC NRS