Profession: Liquidator
Moskovskij Komsomolets - 27 April 2011
by Анна Королева
translated by Phil
Click here for the original article in Russian
"The one wish I had was that this never happen again", recalls a doctor who participated in the rescue of the inhabitants of Chernobyl.
A quarter century has passed since the disaster at Chernobyl. There could have been many more deaths from the events in the radiation zone if not for the bravery of the doctors working back then.
Liquidators in white coats risked their own health and lives unceasingly working behind the barbed wire fences. Moskovskij Komsomolets managed to find one of these doctors, Sergei Didyaeva, who now works in a Rostov [Russia] trauma hospital. But even to this day he clearly remembers the events of 25 years ago.
- In January 1987 they sent me to be a reserve officer in the city's disaster cleanup office, recalls Sergei
MK - So how did you end up in the Chernobyl disaster?
- I had been working in civil defense for 5 months along with doctors from all across Russia. We hardly had an opportunity to get to know each other, it was more like a deployment.
MK - Memoirs of eyewitnesses talk about the unique conditions under which the liquidators operated. How was it really?
- Our regiment was stationed behind barbed wire fences which looked just like the exclusion zone. They put us up in officer's barracks and every day took all the doctors to work. At first our regiment was 25 km from the power plant then we spent 2 months on site.
MK - Was your training enough to get the job done or did you have to learn new skills?
- When we arrived at Chernobyl the first thing our boss told us was, "Forget who you were in the civilian world! Here there is only one job, that of a military doctor!" That's all it took for everyone.
MK - Did you have any kinds of responsibilities working in the exclusion zone?
- I was head of the clinic staff. Our only responsibility was to help those who needed it. I never treated anyone who had radiation sickness but we did treat various other health problems. In the end there were only a few major cases: 2 officers and 2 ambulance drivers.
MK - What do you remember the most? What was the worst thing working there?
- The scariest thing was realizing you're inside a city and there are practically no people anywhere. Birds fly around, cats and dogs wander about but none of them have any idea what has happened... Although there were also people that didn't want to understand what had happened either... I really wanted to stay in my own country, it was scary. I remember the winter in 1987 was harsh, lots of snow and ice and instead of mud there was sand everywhere.
MK - Currently, many see a parallel between the Chernobyl accident and the Japanese tragedy. How do you feel about it?
- Of course I feel sorry for the people and the nation. I wish them courage in their struggle with the elements and hope they don't make any mistakes...
MK - And in the events that happened to us 25 years ago do you think mistakes have been made?
- I don't think it was worth sending so many liquidators into the disaster. We Russians were fortunate in that most Russian liquidators had to be over 28 years old and already have children. Ukraine and Belarus sent anyone who was over 18.
MK - Do you think there is a possibility of this kind of disaster occurring on our land again?
- Unfortunately, I don't think we can exclude any kind of possibility. Personally, I worry about the Volgodonsk power plant. Think back to how it was built... environmentalists claimed it was built on unstable sand. When sand was discovered during construction, piles were driven in to "strengthen" the building and work continued so as not to lose money. In the end the plant was still started up. What consequences could there be from this? I'm afraid to imagine. But this power plant is very close to us.
MK - Do you have any kind of Chernobyl traditions since experiencing it 25 years ago?
- Every year I get together with my friends who worked with me there. We meet near the monument to Chernobyl victims north of the city [Rostov].
MK - Have you received any awards?
- 20 years later I was awarded a medal "For rescue of the wounded". Of course, while I was working there I had no thought of rewards. The one wish I had was that this never happen again, I wanted to get home as quickly as possible.
Click here for the original article in Russian
"The one wish I had was that this never happen again", recalls a doctor who participated in the rescue of the inhabitants of Chernobyl.
A quarter century has passed since the disaster at Chernobyl. There could have been many more deaths from the events in the radiation zone if not for the bravery of the doctors working back then.
Liquidators in white coats risked their own health and lives unceasingly working behind the barbed wire fences. Moskovskij Komsomolets managed to find one of these doctors, Sergei Didyaeva, who now works in a Rostov [Russia] trauma hospital. But even to this day he clearly remembers the events of 25 years ago.
- In January 1987 they sent me to be a reserve officer in the city's disaster cleanup office, recalls Sergei
MK - So how did you end up in the Chernobyl disaster?
- I had been working in civil defense for 5 months along with doctors from all across Russia. We hardly had an opportunity to get to know each other, it was more like a deployment.
MK - Memoirs of eyewitnesses talk about the unique conditions under which the liquidators operated. How was it really?
- Our regiment was stationed behind barbed wire fences which looked just like the exclusion zone. They put us up in officer's barracks and every day took all the doctors to work. At first our regiment was 25 km from the power plant then we spent 2 months on site.
MK - Was your training enough to get the job done or did you have to learn new skills?
- When we arrived at Chernobyl the first thing our boss told us was, "Forget who you were in the civilian world! Here there is only one job, that of a military doctor!" That's all it took for everyone.
MK - Did you have any kinds of responsibilities working in the exclusion zone?
- I was head of the clinic staff. Our only responsibility was to help those who needed it. I never treated anyone who had radiation sickness but we did treat various other health problems. In the end there were only a few major cases: 2 officers and 2 ambulance drivers.
MK - What do you remember the most? What was the worst thing working there?
- The scariest thing was realizing you're inside a city and there are practically no people anywhere. Birds fly around, cats and dogs wander about but none of them have any idea what has happened... Although there were also people that didn't want to understand what had happened either... I really wanted to stay in my own country, it was scary. I remember the winter in 1987 was harsh, lots of snow and ice and instead of mud there was sand everywhere.
MK - Currently, many see a parallel between the Chernobyl accident and the Japanese tragedy. How do you feel about it?
- Of course I feel sorry for the people and the nation. I wish them courage in their struggle with the elements and hope they don't make any mistakes...
MK - And in the events that happened to us 25 years ago do you think mistakes have been made?
- I don't think it was worth sending so many liquidators into the disaster. We Russians were fortunate in that most Russian liquidators had to be over 28 years old and already have children. Ukraine and Belarus sent anyone who was over 18.
MK - Do you think there is a possibility of this kind of disaster occurring on our land again?
- Unfortunately, I don't think we can exclude any kind of possibility. Personally, I worry about the Volgodonsk power plant. Think back to how it was built... environmentalists claimed it was built on unstable sand. When sand was discovered during construction, piles were driven in to "strengthen" the building and work continued so as not to lose money. In the end the plant was still started up. What consequences could there be from this? I'm afraid to imagine. But this power plant is very close to us.
MK - Do you have any kind of Chernobyl traditions since experiencing it 25 years ago?
- Every year I get together with my friends who worked with me there. We meet near the monument to Chernobyl victims north of the city [Rostov].
MK - Have you received any awards?
- 20 years later I was awarded a medal "For rescue of the wounded". Of course, while I was working there I had no thought of rewards. The one wish I had was that this never happen again, I wanted to get home as quickly as possible.
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