Abstract

By Vladislav Larin FIRST VISITED MAYAK, HOME OF THE industrial complex where the for­ I mer Soviet Union pumped out tens of tons of plutonium for nuclear weap­ ons, in 1993. I was working on a book about the human health and environ­ mental effects of the various nuclear disasters that had occurred there. While I was there, I was met with com­ plete openness on the part of various officials and the heads of the nuclear enterprise. I visited most of the plants and the reactors in the Mayak industri­ al complex, and I was permitted to take photos and videotapes. Arrange­ ments were made for me to interview a number of experts and specialists. On the other hand, when I tried to meet with retired workers-many of whom still live in Ozersk (formerly called Chelyabinsk-40, then Chely;­ binsk-65) or in nearby villages-they avoided me. I wanted to hear what they had to say about their problems­ both in the early days, and today. But I understood their reluctance to talk. After five decades of maintaining abso­ lute secrecy about everything to do with the plutonium production pro­ cess, it had never occurred to them to talk about