Journey Through Time 71. Chernobyl: Three Men Who Saved Europe (Ep 4)
Feb 5, 2026
A tense retelling of two nightmare scenarios that could have made much of Europe uninhabitable. The story of three men wading into radioactive water to prevent a catastrophic steam explosion. How miners tunneled beneath the reactor and reservists were mobilized in what was called the Battle of Chernobyl. The scale of decontamination, evacuations, and the heartbreaking animal cull are described.
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Risk Of A Far Bigger Explosion
- A second explosion could have scattered fuel and graphite from all four reactors across Europe, making vast areas uninhabitable for centuries.
- David Olusoga highlights that the disaster might have become four times worse if reactors 1–3 had also been blown apart.
Meltdown Threat To Water Supplies
- Melting core material could burn through the reactor base and contaminate groundwater and major rivers supplying millions of people.
- Sarah Churchwell and David Olusoga stress the China syndrome threat to the Dnieper and Kiev's water supply.
Three Men Who Opened The Valves
- Three men — Alexei Ananenko, Valery Bespalov, and Boris Baranov — waded into radioactive water to open valves and drain steam suppression tanks.
- Their action reduced the steam-explosion risk and all three astonishingly survived and were later honored by Ukraine.
