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Historical accuracy

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The series was exhaustively researched,[1] but some liberties were taken for dramatic purposes, such as Legasov being present at the trial.[2][3] The epilogue acknowledges that the character of Ulana Khomyuk is fictional, a composite of multiple Soviet scientists. Chernobyl expert Adam Higginbotham points out in an interview that there was no need for scientists to "uncover the truth"; that "many nuclear scientists knew all along that there were problems with this reactor—the problems that led ultimately to an explosion and disaster".[4] Artistic license was also used in the depiction of the "Bridge of Death," from which spectators in Pripyat watched the immediate aftermath of the explosion; the miniseries asserts that all of the spectators subsequently died, a claim which is now generally held to be an urban legend.[5][6][7]

The series' production design, such as the choice of sets, props, and costumes, has received high praise for its accuracy. Several sources have commended the attention to even minor setting details, such as the usage of actual Kyiv-region license plate numbers, and a New Yorker review states that "the material culture of the Soviet Union is reproduced with an accuracy that has never before been seen" from either Western or Russian filmmakers.[8][4][9][10] Oleksiy Breus, a Chernobyl engineer, commends the portrayal of the symptoms of radiation poisoning;[11] however, Robert Gale, a doctor who treated Chernobyl victims, asserts that the miniseries overstated the symptoms by suggesting that the patients were actively radioactive.[12] In a more critical judgment, a review from the Moscow Times highlights some small design errors: for instance, Soviet soldiers are inaccurately shown as holding their weapons in Western style, and Legasov's apartment was too "dingy" for a scientist of his status.[13]

The portrayal of Soviet officials, including both plant management and central government figures, has received more criticism. Breus argues that the characters of Viktor Bryukhanov, Nikolai Fomin, and Anatoly Dyatlov were "distorted and misrepresented, as if they were villains."[11] Similarly, multiple reviews criticize the series for creating a stark moral dichotomy, in which the scientists are depicted as overly heroic while the government and plant officials are uniformly villainous.[8][14][15][16] The occasional threats of violence and execution from government officials were also seen as anachronistic: Masha Gessen of the New Yorker argues that the threats depicted "were not a feature of Soviet life after the nineteen-thirties."[8][13] Higginbotham takes a more positive view of the portrayal of the authorities, however, arguing that the unconcerned attitude of the central government was accurately depicted.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Perigard, Mark (May 5, 2019). "HBO's 'Chernobyl' captures horror of nuclear disaster". The Boston Herald. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  2. ^ Longridge, Chris (June 6, 2019). "The only two things in Chernobyl that *didn't* happen in real life". Digital Spy. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  3. ^ Liptak, Andrew (June 23, 2019). "The Chernobyl Podcast is a compelling behind-the-scenes look at the HBO series". The Verge. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c "Chernobyl disaster: How accurate is the HBO series?". CBS News. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  5. ^ Stover, Dawn (May 5, 2019). "The human drama of Chernobyl". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  6. ^ Nicholson, Tom (June 7, 2019). "How Much Of 'Chernobyl' Is Actually True? An Investigation". Esquire. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  7. ^ McDowall, Julie (May 31, 2019). "How accurate is the Chernobyl TV show? Our expert sorts fact from fiction". The Times. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  8. ^ a b c Gessen, Masha (June 4, 2019). "What HBO's "Chernobyl" Got Right, and What It Got Terribly Wrong". The New Yorker. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  9. ^ "Belarusian Nobel Laureate Says HBO Series Has 'Completely Changed Perception' Of Chernobyl". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
  10. ^ "Russia to make its own show about Chernobyl that implicates the US". BBC News. 2019-06-07. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
  11. ^ a b Shramovych, Viacheslav; Chornous, Hanna (June 12, 2019). "'I saw the damage': Chernobyl workers assess TV series". BBC News. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  12. ^ Gale, Robert Peter (May 24, 2019). "Chernobyl, the HBO miniseries: Fact and fiction (Part II)". The Cancer Letter. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  13. ^ a b Bershidsky, Leonid (May 31, 2019). "Russia Should Have Made HBO's 'Chernobyl'". The Moscow Times. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  14. ^ Weir, Fred (May 28, 2019). "'Chernobyl' TV miniseries: the reviews from ground zero". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  15. ^ Hale, Mike (May 3, 2019). "Review: 'Chernobyl,' the Disaster Movie". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  16. ^ Gale, Robert Peter (June 21, 2019). "Chernobyl, the HBO miniseries: Fact and fiction (Part IV)". The Cancer Letter. Retrieved September 17, 2021.