Aleksandrov on Chernobyl and Nuclear Energy

Summary

This document contains an interview with Academician Anatoliy Petrovich Aleksandrov, former director of the Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy and former president of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Aleksandrov speaks honestly and emotionally about the Chernobyl disaster, which he considers a personal tragedy. He explains that the accident was not caused by flaws in the reactor design, but by a poorly planned experiment and a serious violation of safety protocols. He blames the company Donenergo, which designed the experiment, and the lack of proper oversight. Aleksandrov strongly defends nuclear energy, stating it is safer and more environmentally friendly than thermal or hydroelectric power plants, and warns against abandoning its development. He also discusses other near-accidents at nuclear plants that were averted thanks to the vigilance of technicians, and criticizes political and social opposition to nuclear energy, which he sees as counterproductive and dangerous.