# List of Heroes of Ukraine — liquidators of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster

On the night of April 26, 1986 at 1:23 an explosion occurred at the fourth power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. A large fire broke out on the roof of the reactor. To extinguish this fire, the guards of the 2nd paramilitary fire department for the protection of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant under the command of Volodymyr Pravyk and the 6th independent paramilitary fire department for the protection of the city of Pripyat under the command of Lieutenant Viktor Kibenok were alerted. Leonid Telyatnikov a major of the internal service took full control over the situation and extinguishing the fire. About forty firefighters took part in extinguishing. After the explosion, a large amount of cesium-137 isotopes rose into the air together with the smoke, with an increase in the radiation background. All firefighters who participated in extinguishing received large doses of radiation. Many firefighters died of Acute radiation syndrome and radiation burns in a fairly short period of time, but there were survivors. For their heroic actions and courage, were presented with state awards of the Soviet Union, and some received the highest title of Heroes of the Soviet Union, among them Viktor Kibenok (posthumously), Volodymyr Pravyk (posthumously) and Leonid Telyatnikov, who survived and after treatment continued his service in the Soviet, and then in the Ukrainian fire brigade. In 1995, he retired with the rank of major general, and in 2004 he died of cancer in the city of Kyiv. In addition to firefighters, station employees took part in the extinguishing, they were engaged in turning off equipment, clearing debris, extinguishing fires on equipment and other work, as well as police officers who helped with the organization of the initial and subsequent liquidation, and doctors who were the first to treat the injured from the explosion and radiation.
The exploits of the liquidators were noted in Ukraine at the state level. Many of them were posthumously awarded state honors of Ukraine, in particular the highest - Hero of Ukraine with the award of the "Golden Star" order. In 2006, Mykola Vashchuk, Vasily Ignatenko, Tytenko Mykola, Volodymyr Tyshur, Volodymyr Pravyk and station worker Oleksandr Lelechenko were posthumously awarded this title.
On June 24, 2019, the title of Hero of Ukraine with the awarding of the "Golden Star" order was awarded to: Ananenka Oleksiy, Bespalova Valery and Boris Baranov (posthumously). They were three volunteers who, a few days after the explosion, descended into the bubble pool and emptied it. This was done so that the spewed nuclear material of the destroyed reactor did not reach the water. In this way, the three engineers prevented a steam explosion, thereby saving the world from an even greater disaster.

## Commemoration

In many cities of Ukraine, monuments have been erected, memorials and plaques have been opened to heroes, and various objects have been named after them. In the memorial complex of victims of the Chernobyl disaster in Kyiv, busts of Chernobyl firefighters Heroes of Ukraine have been installed. Oleksandr Lelechenko's name is engraved on one of the Commemorative plaque to the Heroes of Chernobyl in Kyiv at the intersection of Verkhovna Rada Boulevard and Myru Avenue.
* Busts of four Chernobyl firefighters who were awarded the title of Heroes of Ukraine
* Mykola Vashchuk
* Vasily Ignatenko
* Mykola Tyshchenko
* Volodymyr Pravyk
* Memorial signs to the victims and liquidators of the consequences of the accident at the Chornobyl NPP
* Monument to the victims of the Chernobyl disaster, Kyiv, built in 1994
* "Black pain" monument in Zhytomyr