Original subtitles

(TICKING)

(APPLAUSE ON TV)

♪ Swan Lake Op.20, Act II: Dance of the Cygnets ♪

(MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(GEIGER COUNTER BUZZING)

(GEIGER COUNTER BUZZING)

It does now seem like that sometime in the last couple of days

there's been perhaps the worst accident in the short history

of the world's nuclear power industry.

In Moscow, Western diplomats have spent the day trying to get

In Moscow, Western diplomats have spent the day trying to get

more information about the accident with no success.

(MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(GEIGER COUNTER BUZZING)

NEWS READER: A zone with a 19 mile radius around Chernobyl remains

NEWS READER: A zone with a 19 mile radius around Chernobyl remains

a poisoned no man's land.

Soviet television tonight accused the western media

Soviet television tonight accused the western media

of spreading slanderous inventions about the Chernobyl accident.

(CROWD APPLAUDING)

(TENSE MUSIC)

(MARCHING BAND PLAYS)

(WOMAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(WOMAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN ON FILM)

(MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN ON FILM)

(SOFT VIOLIN MUSIC)

(SOFT VIOLIN MUSIC)

(MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(MAN IN MARKETING VIDEO)

OLEKSIY:

OLEKSIY:

LYUDMILA:

LYUDMILA:

MAN ON MARKETING VIDEO:

MAN ON MARKETING VIDEO:

(BABIES CRYING)

(BABIES CRYING)

OLEKSIY:

(CHUCKLES)

(CHUCKLES)

MAN IN MARKETING VIDEO:

OLEKSIY:

LYUDMILA:

(TICKING GROWING LOUDER)

(SILENCE)

(KLAXON BLASTS)

(KLAXON BLASTS)

(PHONELINE RINGING)

(WOMAN SPEAKING TO MALE FIREFIGHTER)

LYUDMILA:

(BUILDING STATIC)

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN) OLEKSIY:

MAN IN HELICOPTER:

(GEIGER COUNTER BUZZING)

(GEIGER COUNTER BUZZING)

OLEKSIY:

(GEIGER COUNTER BUZZING)

(GEIGER COUNTER BUZZING)

(BUZZING INTENSIFIES)

(BUZZING INTENSIFIES)

(CONSTANT STATIC)

(CONSTANT STATIC)

(MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(FAINT SIRENS)

(FAINT SIRENS)

(MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(GEIGER COUNTER BUZZING FAINTLY)

(GEIGER COUNTER BUZZING FAINTLY)

MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

LYUDMILA:

MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

OLEKSANDR:

(GEIGER COUNTER BUZZING)

(GEIGER COUNTER BUZZING)

(BUZZING INTENSIFIES)

(CLOCK TICKING)

(PROPELLERS)

(WOMAN SPEAKING OVER PA)

(WOMAN SPEAKING OVER PA)

OLEKSANDR:

(WOMAN ON PA)

MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

GENERAL NIKOLAI:

(DOGS BARKING)

(DOGS BARKING)

MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

MAN SPEAKING IN VIDEO:

MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

ARCHIVE VIDEO:

ARCHIVE VIDEO:

(GEIGER COUNTER BUZZING)

(GEIGER COUNTER BUZZING)

MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

(GEIGER COUNTER BUZZES, INTENSIFIES)

It's now clear that the Soviet Union has suffered one of the worst

It's now clear that the Soviet Union has suffered one of the worst

disasters in the history of nuclear power.

Massive quantities of radiation have apparently been released

in an accident at the Chernobyl Power Station in the Ukraine.

In an accident at the Chernobyl Power Station in the Ukraine.

The Soviet version is this, one of the atomic reactors

at the Chernobyl Atomic Power Plant in the city of Kyiv was damaged

at the Chernobyl Atomic Power Plant in the city of Kyiv was damaged

and there is speculation in Moscow that people were injured

and may have died.

The Soviets may have been fairly quick to acknowledge the accident

The Soviets may have been fairly quick to acknowledge the accident

because evidence in the form of mild and nuclear radiation

have already reached beyond the Soviet borders to Scandinavia.

Have already reached beyond the Soviet borders to Scandinavia.

There are indications the accident could have happened

several days ago,

it would take that long for radiation to drift to Scandinavia

and to make the political decision to announce it.

And to make the political decision to announce it.

You can be sure that the decision to, to disclose was made at

the very highest level, undoubtedly by Gorbachev himself.

The very highest level, undoubtedly by Gorbachev himself.

The Soviet press is paying significantly little attention

to the disaster, newspapers carry only

the brief official announcement inconspicuously placed.

The brief official announcement inconspicuously placed.

People have noticed a small paragraph but seemed unaware

of the potential dangers.

People in the cities, towns and villages of the Ukraine

People in the cities, towns and villages of the Ukraine

just haven't been told what dangers they may face.

MAN ON ARCHIVE VIDEO:

(GEIGER COUNTER BUZZING)

MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

TRANSLATION:

MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

MINER:

MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

(GEIGER COUNTER BUZZES INTENSELY)

On the eve of the 7 Nation Summit in Tokyo both Mrs Thatcher and

On the eve of the 7 Nation Summit in Tokyo both Mrs Thatcher and

President Reagan have urged the Russians to say more about Chernobyl.

Meeting with Italy's Premier Craxi Mr Reagan was demanding answers

Meeting with Italy's Premier Craxi Mr Reagan was demanding answers

from the Russians.

Come forward and tell everybody exactly what happened.

You can hardly call this kind of an accident internal affair

You can hardly call this kind of an accident internal affair

when other countries are threatened with the fall out of ra-

when other countries are threatened with the fall out of ra-

dangerous radioactivity.

A report in this morning's community party newspaper Pravda

indicates that the fire at the power station still may not have been

indicates that the fire at the power station still may not have been

put out 10 days after it started.

The newspaper says there was an explosion followed by two fires

at the plant.

At the plant.

The Pravda pays tribute to the firemen whose efforts it says

limited the scale of the damage considerably.

Brave bold men it calls them, fighting courageously, hardly

Brave bold men it calls them, fighting courageously, hardly

able to breath for soot and smoke, their boots sticking in the asphalt

melted by the high temperatures.

LYUDMILA:

TRANSLATION:

TRANSLATION:

LYUDMILA:

(HEARTBEAT ON ULTRASOUND)

(HEARTBEAT ON ULTRASOUND)

As an American I'm very privileged to be able to represent

As an American I'm very privileged to be able to represent

in the Soviet Union the concern of Americans.

In the Soviet Union the concern of Americans.

LYUDMILA:

We have agreed to a joint Soviet American effort in this regard.

OLEKSIY BREUS:

LYUDMILA:

GORBACHEV:

TRANSLATION:

TRANSLATION:

(GEIGER COUNTERS BUZZING)

(GEIGER COUNTERS BUZZING)

Until the accident there were 50 nuclear reactors operating in

the Soviet Union generating 11% of that nations electricity.

The Soviet Union generating 11% of that nations electricity.

Most of the larger Soviet plants differ in design to US reactors,

the major difference is most Soviet nuclear plants do not have

containment buildings, the thick concrete dome structures

Americans are used to seeing built around US reactors.

When the worst American nuclear accident occurred at

When the worst American nuclear accident occurred at

Three Mile Island most leaking radiation was kept inside

the containment building.

If as seems to be the case there was no containment

If as seems to be the case there was no containment

around the reactor as is the general-

Can we be sure of that? What do you- I do not, I do not know.

Do you think there's a containment building?

I don't think that there is a containment building because

the policy of Soviet atomic er, constructors was that

the reactor's absolutely safe and so there is no need to have

the reactor's absolutely safe and so there is no need to have

this kind of precaution because it indicate possibility of disaster

which Russian always can, considered er, absolutely impossible.

Which Russian always can, considered er, absolutely impossible.

So going to be clear about this, you're, you're going as far

as to say you think it almost certain or just probable

as to say you think it almost certain or just probable

there was no protective shield around this reactor

which appears to have melted down?

No I think that there is no protection, protection shield

No I think that there is no protection, protection shield

around this reactor's certainly the case because the building

as such indicate that there is no shield.

Walter Pattison, if that is so what is the danger to life?

Walter Pattison, if that is so what is the danger to life?

Well obviously if radioactivity got as far as Scandinavia how long,

however long it took to get there, a great deal must have escaped

however long it took to get there, a great deal must have escaped

close to the site.

(MARCHING BAND MUSIC PLAYS)

What has been remarkable is how much the Soviet people

in spite of all the evidence still seem to be believing

the fairy stories the government is still telling them.

The fairy stories the government is still telling them.

It could be argued Martin that only the Soviet Union could have

kept a lid on what might have been a situation of public panic,

kept a lid on what might have been a situation of public panic,

only a totalitarian state could have got away with it.

I'm not sure they have got away with it.

I'm not sure they have got away with it.

MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

YURI:

ARCHIVE:

ARCHIVE:

YURI:

MAN IN FOOTAGE:

YURI:

MAN IN FOOTAGE:

MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

MAN IN FOOTAGE:

MAN IN FOOTAGE:

MAN ON SPEAKER:

MAN ON SPEAKER:

IHOR YATSKIV:

MAN IN FOOTAGE:

MAN IN FOOTAGE:

IHOR:

MAN IN FOOTAGE:

MAN IN FOOTAGE:

NIKOLAI:

NIKOLAI:

(KLAXON SOUNDING)

NIKOLAI:

(KLAXON SOUNDING)

MAN IN FOOTAGE:

(PROLONGED ALARM TONE)

GORBACHEV:

GORBACHEV:

MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

(BABIES CRYING)

(BABIES CRYING)

WOMAN IN FOOTAGE:

WOMAN IN FOOTAGE:

OLEKSIY BREUS:

YEVGENIY CHAZOV:

WOMAN IN FOOTAGE:

OLEKSIY:

OLEKSIY:

MAN IN FOOTAGE:

MAN IN FOOTAGE:

LEONID ILYIN:

OLEKSIY:

WOMAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN:

OLEKSIY:

MAN IN FOOTAGE:

MAN IN FOOTAGE:

OLEKSIY:

MAN IN FOOTAGE:

OLEKSIY:

MAN IN FOOTAGE:

The Russians say the Chernobyl accident was caused by no fewer

than 6 violations of safety procedures by staff,

than 6 violations of safety procedures by staff,

that they say won't happen again.

(GUNFIRE)

Sunday's outbreak of fighting is only the latest in four months

of violence in the tiny Caucasian republic of Georgia.

Spasms of unrest in the Soviet Union were felt in the southern republics

of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The rebellion against communist authority has now spread

and there's almost certainly more trouble to come.

The decision to send in troops was taken by President Gorbachev.

The decision to send in troops was taken by President Gorbachev.

♪ Swan Lake Op.20, Act II: Dance of the Cygnets ♪

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