Leonid Toptunov
Leonid Toptunov | |
|---|---|
| Леонід Федорович Топтунов | |
| Born | 16 August 1960 |
| Died | 14 May 1986 (aged 25) |
| Cause of death | Acute Radiation Sickness |
| Nationality | Ukrainian |
| Alma mater | National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (at Obninsk) |
| Awards | Order For Courage |
Leonid Fedorovych Toptunov (Ukrainian: Леонід Федорович Топтунов; 16 August 1960 – 14 May 1986) was a Soviet engineer who was the senior reactor control chief engineer at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Reactor Unit 4 on the night of the Chernobyl disaster, 26 April 1986.[1]
Biography[]
Leonid Toptunov was born on 16 August 1960 in Mykolaivka, Buryn Raion, Sumy Oblast.
In 1983, he graduated from the Obninsk Institute for Nuclear Power Engineering, with a specialist degree in nuclear power plant engineering.
In March 1983, Toptunov began his career at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. He worked as a unit control engineer and senior reactor control engineer.
On the night of 26 April 1986, Leonid Toptunov was working in the control room at the reactor control panel, with Aleksandr Akimov. During the accident, he was exposed to a radiation dose of 700 rem.
He died from the acute radiation poisoning on 14 May 1986 and was laid to rest at the Mitinskoe Cemetery in Moscow.
Recognition[]
In 2008, Toptunov was posthumously awarded with the 3rd degree Order For Courage by Viktor Yushchenko, then the President of Ukraine.[2]
He was portrayed by actor Volodya Stepanenko in the 2004 Zero Hour TV series. He was portrayed by Michael Colgan in the 2006 BBC production Surviving Disaster: Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster[3] and by Robert Emms in the 2019 HBO miniseries Chernobyl.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Татьяна, Грива. "Герои-ликвидаторы". chnpp.gov.ua.
- ^ "Presidential Decree No. 1156/2008 of 12 December 2008". zakon.rada.gov.ua.
- ^ "Surviving Disaster" Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster (TV Episode 2006) at IMDb
- 1960 births
- 1986 deaths
- People from Buryn Raion
- Ukrainian engineers
- Soviet engineers
- People associated with the Chernobyl disaster
- Chernobyl liquidators
- Recipients of the Order For Courage, 3rd class
- Victims of radiological poisoning
- Obninsk Institute for Nuclear Power Engineering alumni