On the evening of 2 May, 1986, six days after a massive explosion devastated the Lenin nuclear power station at Chernobyl, the damaged reactor was sinking and burning through its strengthened floor and was in danger of collapsing into rooms flooded with water. This would trigger a nuclear explosion that would spread radiation across half of Europe and kill millions. Three men volunteered to dive into what they knew were lethally radioactive waters to open a release valve to prevent this from happening.
They were the shift supervisor Boris Baranov, senior engineer of the control unit of the turbine shop two Valeri Bespalov and Senior Mechanical Engineer of the reactor department Alexey Ananenko . On the photo: Ananenko and Bespalov.
A group of three men were required to suit up in scuba-gear and swim through the flooded chambers of the basement to the gate valve, twist it open and so allow the trapped water to drain out. It was a "suicide mission". Radiation was at lethal levels. On the photo: Boris Baranov.
All three returned to the surface suffering severe radiation poisoning, but were pleased to see their colleagues jump with joy at the news that the valves were now open. They all died within days and were buried in lead coffins. The monuments to "Those who saved the world" was created in Chenobyl.
