April 26, 1986
From the Diary of Vitaly I. Vorotnikov

Dolgikh told me that during the night of April 26 he got a call from Frolyshev, deputyhead of the CC CPSU Department of Heavy Industry, and told him that according to the report from the director of NPS [Nuclear Power Station] Bryukhanov, at approximately 2:00 a.m., an accident occurred during some testing that was being conducted at the fourth block. There was an explosion and a fire. Parts of the fourthblock are destroyed. There are victims. The fire has been extinguished. Apparentlythe reactor was not damaged, it had been shut down. He (Dolgikh) immediately informed Gorbachev and Ryzhkov. They decided to establish a commission headed by Shcherbina, deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers. The first group of experts flew to Chernobyl (via Kiev) at 9:00 a.m., the second group—the commission members—left at 16:00, and Shcherbina, who was in Siberia at the time, got to Chernobyl only late that night. [Among the experts] are also Majorets, academician Legasov, representatives of the Ministry of Medium Machine Building and design institutes, and others.

Source: Vorotnikov, V.I. A eto bylo tak: Iz dnevnika chlena PB TsK KPSS (Moscow, Soyuz Veteranov Knigoizdaniya: SIMAR, 1995), p. 95Translated by Svetlana Savranskaya for the National Security Archive.

Member of the Politburo Vitaly Vorotnikov writes in his diary about the first information Politburo members received regarding the accident at the Chernobyl NPS (Nuclear Power Station). According to Vladimir Dolgikh, the Central Committee Secretary in charge of heavy industry and energy production who received information from Station Director Viktor Bryukhanov, the fire was extinguished and the reactor was not damaged. In the morning the leadership formed a State Commission headed by Boris Shcherbina, which departed for Chernobyl later in the day.

Dal diario di Vitaly I. Vorotnikov

Dolgikh mi ha detto che durante la notte del 26 aprile ha ricevuto una telefonata da Frolyshev, vicecapo del Dipartimento dell'industria pesante del PCUS del CC, e gli ha riferito che secondo il rapporto del direttore della NPS [Centrale nucleare] Bryukhanov, verso le 2 :00 am, si è verificato un incidente durante alcuni test in corso al quarto blocco.
C'è stata un'esplosione e un incendio. Parti del quarto blocco sono andate  distrutte. Ci sono vittime. L'incendio è stato estinto. Apparentemente il reattore non risulterebbe danneggiato, era stato spento. Lui (Dolgikh) informò immediatamente Gorbaciov e Ryzhkov. Decisero di istituire una commissione guidata da Shcherbina, vicepresidente del Consiglio dei ministri. Il primo gruppo di esperti è volato a Chernobyl (via Kiev) alle 9:00, il secondo gruppo, i membri della commissione, è partito alle 16:00 e Shcherbina, che all'epoca era in Siberia, è arrivata a Chernobyl solo quella notte. . [Tra gli esperti] ci sono anche Majorets, l'accademico Legasov, rappresentanti del Ministero della costruzione di macchine medie e degli istituti di progettazione e altri.

Chernobyl 04.26.86: «L'adozione di misure speciali, compresa l'evacuazione della popolazione dalla città, non è necessaria.»
Chernobyl 04.26.86: «The adoption of special measures, including evacuating the population from the city, is unnecessary.»

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