Valery Legasov (character)

Lore & Background

The series opens with Legasov recording his memoirs in secret two years after the disaster and then taking his own life. In the story he deduces that the core is exposed, persuades Gorbachev to send him to the site with Shcherbina, and directs the effort to smother the fire with sand and boron. He tells Shcherbina that they have both received a lethal dose and convinces him to evacuate Pripyat.

Later episodes show him expanding the Exclusion Zone, conscripting liquidators and clearing the roof. At the trial in the final episode he explains the design flaw of the emergency shutdown button and admits that his testimony in Vienna was a lie, for which the KGB strips him of his titles.

Reader's Guide

Several of these scenes depart from the record. The first episode times his suicide to the second anniversary of the explosion, whereas he actually died a day later. Commentators have also noted that he is shown at the trial, which is one of the liberties taken for dramatic purposes. A review in a Moscow newspaper judged his apartment in the series too dingy for a scientist of his status.

Harris won Best Actor at the 2020 BAFTA TV Awards for the role and received an acting nomination at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards.

Did You Know?

• Jared Harris was confirmed for the series at the same time as the initial series announcement.
• The character appears in the opening scene of the first episode.