When covering the geography or history of Russia/Ukraine/Soviet Union or the Cold War, Chernobyl is important. A nuclear meltdown? A Soviet cover-up? People dying of radiation and subsequently cancer? It’s an important and intriguing event that your students should be aware of. I found a couple of really good videos to help you explain it. The first video was the best, short explanation of the Chernobyl accident that I could find.
This next video is an interview with a Chernobyl survivor. It’s a first-hand account, and it’s fascinating! This man worked at Chernobyl and had to help clean up afterward (be sure to let the kids know that’s why he was called a “liquidator”). Be warned, he speaks Russian, so the video has English subtitles. But his story is so interesting, I think the kids will get past that quickly.
