Nikolay Solovyov was on shift the night of April 26, 1986 when the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded. Instead of fleeing, he chose to fight his "first war" against radiation.
Four decades later, a second war -- Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- has taken his son.
kAm$@=@GJ@G[ ef[ 2 92C5 C@4< 72?[ DE:== H62CD 9:D 92:C =@?8[ E9@F89 :E 92D EFC?65 8C6J]k^Am
kAm~? E96 ?:89E @7 E96 H@C=5VD H@CDE ?F4=62C 244:56?E[ 96 H2D H@C<:?8 2D 2 EFC3:?6 >6492?:4 :? F?:E ?F>36C EH@[ 2 76H 9F?5C65 >6EC6D 7C@> C624E@C ?F>36C 7@FC[ H9:49 6IA=@565 5FC:?8 2 D276EJ E6DE]k^Am
kAmQxE 76=E =:<6 2? 62CE9BF2<6] x 5:5?VE 962C E96 6IA=@D:@? \\ E96 EFC3:?6D H6C6 DE:== CF??:?8[ H:E9 2 G6CJ =@F5 ?@:D6[Q 96 C642==65[ 9:D G@:46 BF:6E 2?5 86?E=6]k^Am
kAm%96 2=2C>D H6?E @77] pD 96 CFD965 E@H2C5D E96 6IA=@565 C624E@C[ 96 D2H @?6 4@==628F6 325=J :CC25:2E65 2?5 G@>:E:?8[ 2?@E96C 36:?8 42CC:65 @FE @? 2 DEC6E496C] %96 E9:C5 @?6 H2D D=F>A65 :? 9:D 492:C[ 9625 :? 9:D 2C>D] p== @7 E96> 5:65 D@@? 27E6C]Â k^Am
kAm~?=J E96? 5:5 E96 7F== 6IE6?E @7 E96 5:D2DE6C 364@>6 4=62C] %9C@F89 E96 >2DD:G6 9@=6 C:AA65 @A6? 3J E96 6IA=@D:@?[ 96 4@F=5 D66 QE96 D<J]Q x? E96 4@CC:5@CD[ E@CC6?ED @7 H2E6C A@FC65 7C@> 3C@<6? A:A6D]k^Am
kAmu:C67:89E6CD BF:4<=J 3682? 9@D:?8 5@H? E96 D>@<:?8 C624E@C \\ QE96J 5:5?VE =6E E96 7:C6 DAC625[Q $@=@GJ@G D2:5] p=>@DE 2== E9@D6 7:C67:89E6CD =2E6C 5:65 7C@> C25:2E:@? 6IA@DFC6]k^Am
kAmpE 52H?[ 96 2?5 9:D 4@==628F6D 5:D4FDD65 9@H =@?8 E96J 925 =67E E@ =:G6] Q(6V== =2DE EH@ H66<D[Q D2:5 @?6 @7 E96>]Â k^Am
kAmp7E6C 962C:?8 E9:D[ $@=@GJ@G[ H9@ BF:E D>@<:?8 7:G6 >@?E9D 62C=:6C[ =:E FA 2 4:82C6EE6] Q(6==[ :7 xV> 8@:?8 E@ 5:6[ 2E =62DE xV== 5:6 J@F?8 2?5 92?5D@>6[Q 96 C64@F?E65 9:D E9@F89E :? E96 >@>6?E]Â k^Am
k9am\ $66<:?8 AC2:D6 \Â k^9am
kAmw:D ?:89E D9:7E 6?565 :? E96 >@C?:?8] %96 52J E62> E@@< @G6C 2?5 E96 3FD 5C@G6 9:> 324< E@ !C:AJ2E[ E96 H@C<6CDV E@H? E9C66 <:=@>6EC6D WEH@ >:=6DX 7C@> E96 A=2?E]k^Am
kAmxE H2D 2== BF:6E 2?5 3FD:?6DD 2D FDF2=[ 6I46AE 7@C E96 C@2C:?8 ECF4<D E92E H6C6 DAC2J:?8 7@2>J Q56E6C86?EQ @? E96 A2G6>6?E] ~?46 9@>6[ 96 E@=5 9:D H:76 E@ D62= E96 H:?5@HD]k^Am
kAmu@C 52JD[ $@G:6E 2FE9@C:E:6D 9:5 E96 42E2DEC@A96 7C@> E96 H@C=5 \\ 2 5:D2DE6C E92E 7FCE96C H62<6?65 E96 2=C625J 4CF>3=:?8 &$$#[ H9:49 4@==2AD65 :? `hh`]k^Am
kAm$@=@GJ@G DE2J65 2E E96 A=2?E E9C@F89@FE E96 Q=:BF:52E:@?Q \\ 2 >2DD:G6 4=62?\FA @A6C2E:@? :? E96 27E6C>2E9] w6 =2E6C 96=A65 3F:=5 E96 7:CDE D2C4@A928FD 4@G6C:?8 E96 C624E@C[ 2D H6== 2D E96 D64@?5 @?6[ H9:49 H2D 52>2865 3J 2 #FDD:2? 5C@?6 DEC:<6 :? a_ad]k^Am
kAm%96 A=2?E 4@?E:?F65 AC@5F4:?8 6=64EC:4:EJ F?E:= a___ 2?5 E62>D DE:== H@C< E96C6 E@ 6?DFC6 :ED D276EJ]k^Am
kAmp>@?8 E96 C62D@?D 7@C 9:D 564:D:@? E@ DE2J[ $@=@GJ@G =:DED 8@@5 A2J[ Q86?6C@FD 9@=:52JDQ 2?5 2? Q:?E6C6DE:?8Q ?2EFC6 @7 H@C<]Â k^Am
kAm%96 >2?[ H9@ =2E6C 3642>6 2? 6?8:?66C[ 36=:6G6D E92E E96 Q52?86C@FDQ `hge E6DE H2D AFD965 29625 3J E96 A=2?E >2?286CD 7@C E96 D2<6 @7 H:??:?8 AC2:D6 7C@> $@G:6E =6256CD9:A]k^Am
kAmwF?5C65D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 A6@A=6 H6C6 :?G@=G65 :? E96 >2DD:G6 =:BF:52E:@? @A6C2E:@?[ H9:49 D2H 9F?5C65D @7 E9@FD2?5D >@C6 6G24F2E65 7C@> ?6:893@FC:?8 D6EE=6>6?ED] Q~?=J E96 &$$#Q 925 E96 C6D@FC46D E@ 42CCJ @FE DF49 2? 677@CE[ $@=@GJ@G 36=:6G6D]k^Am
kAms@K6?D @7 9:D 24BF2:?E2?46D =2E6C 5:65 @7 42?46C] ~7 E96 aa >6? @? 9:D ?:89E D9:7E[ @?=J 7@FC 2C6 DE:== 2=:G6]k^Am
kAmp a__d &} C6A@CE AFE E96 ?F>36C @7 4@?7:C>65 2?5 AC@;64E65 562E9D 2E c[___ :? #FDD:2[ q6=2CFD 2?5 &<C2:?6] vC66?A6246 :? a__e 6DE:>2E65 E92E E96 5:D2DE6C 925 42FD65 4=@D6 E@ `__[___ 562E9D]k^Am
k9am\ V%96 @E96C H2CV \k^9am
kAm$@=@GJ@G[ H9@ C646:G65 9:89 5@D6D @7 C25:2E:@? 2?5 92D F?56C8@?6 4@F?E=6DD >65:42= 4964<D[ 2EEC:3FE6D 9:D =@?86G:EJ E@ 8@@5 962=E9[ C68F=2C DA@CE[ 2 42=> E6>A6C2>6?E 2?5 86?6E:4D]k^Am
kAmQx 92G6 E@ E92?< v@5 2?5 >J A2C6?ED 7@C 8:G:?8 >6 8@@5 86?6D[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6 ?@H =:G6D :? 2 4@F?ECJ 9@FD6 ?62C $=2GFEJ49[ 2 E@H? `a_ <:=@>6EC6D Wf_ >:=6DX ?@CE9 @7 zJ:G[ 3F:=E :? `hge E@ 9@FD6 A6@A=6 5:DA=2465 3J E96 5:D2DE6C]k^Am
kAmx? E96 =@42= r96C?@3J= >FD6F>[ HC64<286 7C@> 5@H?65 #FDD:2? 5C@?6D :D 5:DA=2J65 :? E96 >2:? 92==] Q%92EVD E96 @E96C H2C[Q $@=@GJ@G D2:5 BF:6E=J]k^Am
kAm$E2?5:?8 @? E96 H:?5DH6AE 46?EC2= DBF2C6 @7 $=2GFEJ49[ 96 D2:5 E92E 9:D 7:CDE[ Q?F4=62CQ H2C H2D 282:?DE 2? :?G:D:3=6[ @5@FC=6DD A@:D@?]k^Am
kAmQ(96? A6@A=6 96C6 D2J V367@C6 E96 H2CV @C V27E6C E96 H2C[V E96J >62? pAC:= ae[ `hge[Q 96 D2:5] Qp?5 ?@H[ 2D A6@A=6 AFE :E[ E9:D :D 2=C625J E96 D64@?5 H2C @7 @FC 86?6C2E:@?]Qk^Am
kAm~? E96 ?:89E @7 u63CF2CJ ab\ac[ a_aa[ $@=@GJ@G D6E @FE 7@C E96 A=2?E 2D FDF2=] qFE 96 ?6G6C C624965 :Ei E96 EH@ 3C:586D =625:?8 E96C6 925 366? 56DEC@J65] #FDD:2? 7@C46D D6:K65 r96C?@3J= 2?5 @44FA:65 E96 D:E6 7@C 2 >@?E9]k^Am
kAmw:D J@F?86DE D@? ;@:?65 E96 &<C2:?:2? 2C>J] x? $6AE6>36C a_ab 96 H2D C6A@CE65 >:DD:?8 :? 24E:@?]k^Am
kAms6G2DE2E65[ $@=@GJ@G 4@F=5 ?@ =@?86C 7:?5 E96 DEC6?8E9 E@ H@C< 2?5 E@@< 62C=J C6E:C6>6?E]k^Am
kAmC4@^2DJ^8:G^249Â k^Am
