Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Nuclear Power Plant

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was once a symbol of modern Soviet engineering and progress. Formally known as the Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Plant, it became the site of the world’s most famous nuclear accident in 1986. Discover how this massive facility was built and what happened to the reactors that survived the blast.

Engineers began looking for a place to build the plant in 1965. They chose a spot in the Chernobyl region near the village of Kopachi. The site sat on the right bank of the Pripyat River and was close to a railway station. Work moved very fast once construction started.

The first reactor started working in 1977. Over the next six years, three more reactors joined the grid. By 1983, all four units were generating a massive amount of electricity for the region. Two more reactors, units 5 and 6, were also being built when the disaster happened.

The Disaster at Reactor 4
On April 26, 1986, everything changed for the plant and the world. A sudden power surge caused a series of explosions inside Reactor No. 4. These blasts blew the heavy lid off the reactor and started a massive fire. Radioactive dust and gas shot high into the sky and spread across Europe.

Workers quickly built a concrete sarcophagus to cover the ruins. This structure was meant to stop more radiation from leaking out. Later, engineers placed a giant steel arch over the site to provide better protection. This new shelter is one of the largest movable metal structures ever built.

Life After the Blast
Many people think the whole plant closed immediately after the explosion. This is not true. The Soviet Union needed the electricity, so the other three reactors kept running. Reactor 2 stayed online until a fire shut it down in 1991. Reactor 1 stopped working in 1996 after other countries asked for its closure.

The 3rd reactor was the last one to stay active. It finally stopped generating power in December 2000. Workers also had to stop building reactors 5 and 6, which were nearly finished. Today, crews are working to take the plant apart safely and protect the environment. The plant no longer makes power, but it remains a busy place for scientists and cleanup crews.