On April 26, 1986, we experienced the most terrible nuclear disaster in the history of the world. In the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, tens of people lost their lives instantly and 30 years later, when we look back, we see that tens of thousands of people lost their lives due to this disaster in a very wide geography.

But if there weren't three men, this number would have reached millions. In many lands, life would end forever. If it weren't for these 3 men, maybe we wouldn't be us or we would have been born with serious illnesses. Many people learned the names of these unsung heroes thanks to the recently popular HBO series Chernobyl.

Let's take a brief look at what happened in Chernobyl

10 days after the Chernobyl explosion, engineers realize the real danger. Nuclear steam explosion. The water cooling system of the plant malfunctions and a lake forms right under the reactor. Given the lack of cooling, it was only a matter of time before the sand mixture used to cover the reactor core was seriously heated, turning into lava and the core falling into this lake of water.

So why was this important?

The heat we mentioned would be so high that as soon as it fell into this puddle, all of the water would evaporate instantly. This would unleash the terrible event we call the nuclear steam explosion. This, along with the steam, would cause all the radiation to go into the air and spread as far as Europe, Asia and Africa.

Before the radiation spread, this blast would have been so powerful that the Soviet physicist Vassili Nesterenko puts it this way:

“Our experts have studied this possibility. According to the results, the destructive power that would emerge would be at the level of 3 to 5 megatons. The city of Minsk, 320 kilometers from Chernobyl, would be wiped out from the face of the earth. A large part of the European continent would be damaged for thousands of years, making it unsuitable for any living thing to live. “

When you say 3 to 5 megatons, it may not mean much. So let me explain with an example. 1 megaton equals 1 million kilotons. The force of the atomic bomb, which was dropped on Hiroshima and caused the death of approximately 150,000 people, was 15,000 kilotons. So, 5 megatons means that almost 350 bombs from the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima explode at the same time. Imagine what destruction it would be. This is a terrible scenario.

So, how was this disaster averted?

As I mentioned, a lake had formed under the reactor core and this water had to be drained to prevent this steam explosion. For this too there was a need for people who knew the location of the valves that had to be opened to drain this water. Very few people knew this. In the end, Alexie Ananenko, engineers at the plant, Valeri Bezpalov and shift chief Boris Beranov accepted this suicide mission. In fact, they are openly told that they can refuse the job, but Ananenko says:

“How can I refuse? I'm the only one who knows where the valves are.”

It really was nothing more than a suicide mission. They'll go into a flooded basement, get within a few meters of the nuclear reactor core that could kill them in seconds, and they have to do this in pitch dark. Also, they have very, very limited time to do it. The ceiling can melt at any moment, and the core can fall into the puddle and the steam explosion with the power of dozens of atomic bombs that we are talking about can happen at any time. They may suddenly find themselves in the heart of this explosion. I'm telling you this so you can imagine what a brave decision it was.

At this point I want to ask you. Would you accept this task?

After all, these brave men immediately got to work in tailored suits and managed to open the valves just in time. In just a few days, millions of tons of water were discharged. Many scientific papers have been published on what happens if they fail. The results are terrifying. Of course, we need to mention that the soldiers and firefighters who fought at the cost of their lives also made incredible sacrifices. But these firefighters and soldiers were never told of the danger. They were told it was a simple fire.

As for why these 3 men are so important. These men were told about the risk of death. They knew the seriousness of the matter and that they could die in seconds. Despite this, they accepted this task. We cannot thank them enough.

What happened to these guys?

This is one of the most interesting events in the world, I think. Because no one knows what happened to them. According to some sources, the men died at the scene, others within a few days, but according to another source, one of these men died in 2005 of heart disease. The other two are still alive.