Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster

How does Viktor Brukhanov’s identity evolve over the course of the book? In what ways does he become a product of the Soviet state and an unthinking tool of the Communist Party? And how does this effect his decision-making before and after the Chernobyl explosion?

What role does the Soviet Union’s worship of their nuclear scientists play in causing the Chernobyl incident? And what factors unique to Soviet society cause this worship to exist in the first place?

In the immediate wake of the explosion, why are individuals like Brukhanov and Dyatlov so incredulous that such an explosion could occur? And how does this attitude relate to broader trends in Soviet society and Communist ideology?

In what ways do the Soviet nuclear industry’s military roots affect its evolution over the 20th century? And how do broader militaristic attitudes around bravery and following orders affect those involved in the Chernobyl incident before and after the explosion?

Why do some Soviet officials and scientists insist on performing various acts as part of containment and relief efforts despite the fact that they suspect those efforts to be futile? What does Legasov mean when he says, “We have to be seen as doing something?” (190).

Do you agree with various individuals—and Higginbotham himself—who argue that the Chernobyl explosion was inevitable? That if it hadn’t happened there, it would’ve happened at another Soviet power facility?

How does Gorbachev’s approach toward glasnost evolve as a result of the Chernobyl accident? If not for the incident, do you believe glasnost would have remained nothing more than an empty political slogan?

To what extent is the Chernobyl accident a significant factor in the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union? How did the incident accelerate Gorbachev’s twin initiatives of glasnost and perestroika?