![\"Chernobyl\"](\"https:\/\/dostoevsky-bts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Chernobyl.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWhen you hear the word \u201cChernobyl\u201d, what comes to mind? Before the hit HBO show of 2019, I like many others pictured hazard masks, a bright explosion, a deserted Soviet town, and even the victims of radioactive poisoning. However, before the infamous 1986 disaster, Chernobyl represented a thriving Soviet utopia- full of progress, harmonious communism, advanced technology, and a symbolic future for all of USSR. Of course, with many historical dramas, we know that utopias don\u2019t last and dissolve into a message warning, \u201cDo not make the same mistake as *they* did<\/em>\u201d<\/em>. In a Dostoevsky sense, it’s not that simple.<\/p>\n After watching HBO\u2019s five-part historical drama, I was struck with a realization that Chernobyl<\/a><\/em><\/strong> wasn\u2019t just a cautionary tale to take note from the good and bad guys\u2019 history. Rather, I felt a story so human it was like a Dostoyevsky tale that spoke above tragedy, science, and politics. Not because it happened to take place in a Russian area centering around intellectuals combatting social issues, but because it had the complex Dostoevsky framework that often goes beyond the usual \u201ccitizen-good\/ society-bad\u201d story. The Chernobyl Disaster was an actual event where people were stuck in dealing with political and scientific circumstances beyond their control. In fact, “Chernobyl” didn\u2019t have a hero nor a\u00a0villian. Rather, in a \u201cnation that will not be humiliated\u201d (Episode 2), Soviets struggle to confront their manmade, nuclear disaster and ask, \u201cAre we heroes if we lie to feel safe or if we tell the truth to face danger?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Image via HBO<\/p><\/div>\n I want to point out that this writing is NOT to point out the political flaws of the USSR or guilt the men and women who took part in the \u201cworst nuclear accident in history\u201d. It is my Dostoevsky analysis and response to HBO’s \u201cChernobyl\u201d. I saw factors of a Dostoevsky plot: the disastrous event, the unveiling of the antiheroes\u2019 intentions, the sacrifice of the regular citizens, the suffering shared amongst characters, and a not-so \u201chappily ever after\u201d resolution involving justice (or lack thereof). \u00a0That being said, here is what I have to say:<\/p>\n According to a university study<\/a><\/strong>, Dostoevsky was not a cornerstone to the Soviet ideology unlike most of the classic pieces of Russian literature that were celebrated. Dostoevsky\u2019s theme of human suffering and sacrifice repelled Lenin despite the compelling author\u2019s philosophical work that continues to resonate with the nation\u2019s audience. After Lenin\u2019s death, the works of socialist realism continued to grow while creativity ceased. Under the rule of the Communist Party, the Soviet philosophy was that the way of life which\u00a0was following civic duty.<\/p>\n EP 1- The Disastrous Event (<\/strong>“1:23:45”<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n Image via HBO<\/p><\/div>\n When interviewed, creator and writer, Craig Mazin (Hangover II & III, Identity Thief<\/em>), explained that his curiosity stemmed from the question, \u201cWhy did the Chernobyl power plant explode?\u201d From there we\u2019re introduced to our intellectual protagonist, Valery Legasov, who commits suicide while leaving behind a recorded testimonial accusing the State. Although suicide is a Dostoevsky trope, we don\u2019t see Legasov\u2019s role come into play till the end of this episode nor his death till the end of the series. Instead, we see the\u00a0nuclear explosion and the impending horror befalling first responders and civilians.<\/p>\n EP 2- The Antiheroes<\/strong>\u2019 Intentions <\/strong>(<\/strong>“Please Remain Calm”<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n Image via HBO<\/p><\/div>\n With the State withholding information of the explosion and controlling the public\u2019s knowledge, we get the sense that the higher power values reputation more than life. The fact they believe they \u201cwill be rewarded\u201d means that they\u2019ve been awarded before<\/em>\u00a0for practicing this censorship and will continue to do so. Ulana Khomyuk and Boris Shcherbina come into play as our other protagonists who, in search for truth, travel to the\u00a0exclusion zone. Realizing the colossal size of lethal radioactivity, actions become less about voluntary heroism and more about self-sacrificing obligation.<\/p>\n EP3- The <\/strong>Sacrifice (<\/strong>“Open Wide, O Earth”<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n Image via HBO<\/p><\/div>\n Another Dostoevsky element is the tragic love story where separation is caused by inevitable death. We get a perspective from victims who are trying to cope with\u00a0radiation poisoning\u00a0while grappling what they could have done wrong doing their Soviet civic duties. Even the irony becomes clear when a risqu\u00e9 decontamination plan forms, but the protagonists\u2019 greatest threat is still the\u00a0government who are now surrounding them with spies. At this point, the KGB\u2019s \u201ccircle of accountability\u201d has more control of the situation than the scientific solutions.<\/p>\n EP4- The Suffering (<\/strong>“The Happiness of All Mankind”<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\nDostoevsky in the USSR<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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