Historical Accuracy

Lore & Background

Some of the changes concern Legasov. The first episode times his death to the second anniversary of the explosion, whereas he actually died a day later, and he is shown at the trial. The character of Ulana Khomyuk is fictional, a composite of Soviet scientists, as the epilogue acknowledges.

Other changes concern the physics and the legends of the disaster. The series speaks of a possible further explosion in the range of two to four megatons, which would have been physically impossible, since exploding reactors do not work like thermonuclear bombs. It also suggests that spectators who watched from the so-called Bridge of Death later died, a claim now generally held to be an urban legend.

Reader's Guide

The material world of the series has drawn the most praise. Reviewers noted details as small as licence plates from the Kyiv region, and one review said that the material culture of the Soviet Union had never before been reproduced so accurately. A review in a Moscow newspaper found small errors, such as soldiers holding their weapons in a Western style.

The medical scenes divided experts. A former engineer of the plant commended the portrayal of radiation poisoning, while a doctor who treated victims said the series overstated the symptoms by suggesting that patients were radioactive.

The creators addressed such choices themselves. Each episode was accompanied by a podcast in which Craig Mazin discussed where artistic license had been used and why.

Did You Know?

• The claim about a megaton explosion came from a physicist, and the physicists hired for the show could not confirm it.
• The author of Midnight in Chernobyl spent a decade researching the disaster.