Ulana Khomyuk

Lore & Background

In the series Khomyuk first appears seven hours after the explosion, when she detects a radiation spike in Minsk and works out that it comes from Chernobyl. She warns Legasov that the sand being dropped on the fire could set off a steam explosion in the water tanks beneath the reactor. Legasov later asks her to interview Dyatlov, Akimov and Toptunov, and from the two operators she learns that the emergency shutdown button triggered the explosion.

She is arrested by the KGB after confronting a nurse and released at the demand of Legasov. She goes on to discover the design flaw behind the AZ-5 button and urges Legasov to expose it at the conference in Vienna.

Reader's Guide

The epilogue of the series acknowledges that the character is fictional, a composite of Soviet scientists. Her role has drawn comment from people who know the history. A journalist who spent a decade researching the disaster pointed out that there was no need for scientists to uncover the truth, because many nuclear scientists knew all along that the reactor had problems.

Watson received an acting nomination for the part at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards.

Did You Know?

• She first appears in the second episode.
• Emily Watson and Stellan Skarsgård had worked together before, in Breaking the Waves.