Inside Chornobyl Sarcophagus | 1991 Reactor 4 Footage

In this episode, we examine rare 1991 footage from inside the Chornobyl Sarcophagus, showing a Radium Institute research team delivering a motorized cart with radiation detectors toward Shield E — the massive upper biological shield of Reactor Unit 4, also known as “Elena.” At that time, one of the major unanswered questions was how much nuclear fuel actually remained inside the destroyed reactor. The cart was equipped with a remote-controlled radiation scanner and a video camera. Its task was to scan the wreckage of reactor channels still attached to Shield E — and estimate how many tons of fuel remained inside. The route had been surveyed in advance, because in some areas radiation levels were extreme. Most of the way, the heavy cart had to be carried by hand across debris, damaged structures, and barely passable “terrain” inside Unit 4. The operator controlled the system from a relatively safe room through a 150-meter cable. Based on the data obtained during this research, which remains unique to this day, it was possible to estimate the amount of remaining fuel deposits. 00:00 – Preparations in the operator’s room 01:53 – A small test of the cart 03:17 – Checking the route 04:11 – Laying the cable 06:36 – Moving the cart inside the Sarcophagus 09:26 – Lifting the cart up the staircase 11:47 – A walk through reactor debris 12:59 – The return trip 13:29 – Taking readings in the operator’s room 15:34 – Footage from the cart’s video camera Pictured in the footage are physicists Boris Petrov, Leonid Pleskachevsky, Georgy Boykov, and Alexander Prusakov. The footage was recorded by Sergey Dzhilovyan. Published with permission of Leonid Pleskachevsky. This video preserves the original sound of the recording, with commentary given only as text overlays and minor noise removal. Next, we will release a detailed documentary about this research operation, the device, and what it revealed inside Reactor 4. Subscribe if you do not want to miss it. #Chernobyl #ChernobylExclusionZone #Chornobyl Your support helps our research:   / thechernobylfamily   https://buymeacoffee.com/chernobylfamily