Chernobyl: The Forbidden Truth
This is a shocking yet fascinating personal account of the events surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Ukraine. Investigating the incident while working as a journalist, Yaroshinskaya struggled to publish her findings, which exposed the Soviet government's lack of action in relocating citizens to uncontaminated areas or providing "clean" food and milk. After her election to the new parliament in 1989, she was able to access and publish previously classified information regarding the government's early knowledge of the damaging health effects of the accident and prior warnings about the safety of the Chernobyl-type graphite-moderated reactor. Her revelation that the Soviets had deliberately withheld such critical scientific and health information not only from those affected but from the rest of the world as well is horrifying. Yaroshinskaya includes revealing quotes from former Soviet officials and portions of compelling interviews from people who remained or still remain in contaminated areas years after the incident. This work is filled with Russian place and personal names that may be unfamiliar to casual readers. For academic libraries.?Judith L. Lesso, Health Sciences Lib, West Virgina, Univ., MorgantownCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.