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Mention "nuclear disaster" to anyone below 40 years of age and most folks will say, "Fukushima". After all, the most recent nuclear power plant meltdown was 15 years ago, following the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011. However, the nuclear disaster I'm more familiar with is the one that took place 40 years ago in Ukraine. Back then, it was still part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, better known as the USSR or Soviet Union. The Chernobyl power plant in 2009. (Image: Mads Eneqvist, Unsplash) What happened? On April 26, 1986, reactor number 4 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, ironically during a safety test. The failure was caused by multiple factors, including the flawed design of the RBMK reactor. The explosion blew the reactor and building open, sending tons of radioactive waste into the atmosphere and scattering contaminated materials around the surrounding area. As you can imagine, the fallout was fatal to plant workers and first-responders – the latter were unaware that the incident they responded to was no ordinary fire. Supposedly, the only indicator that something was very wrong was a "metallic taste". The entire city of Pripyat was evacuated and the surrounding 30km was declared an exclusion zone. Human liquidators were sent to clean up the site and surrounding areas. Pets, along with wildlife, were hunted and euthanised. The exclusion zone will remain uninhabitable for 20,000 years. One can also imagine the aftermath. An untold number died from radioactive exposure. Cancer rates in affected children soared. There are medical and human issues that persist till today. The iconic and eerie ferris wheel in Pripyat, as seen in 2021. (Image: Mads Eneqvist, Unsplash) Learnings Because this disaster occurred when I was a child, I only learnt about it after coming across a magazine article much later. As detailed as the article was, it could never fully encapsulate the tragedy. But the more I read, the larger and clearer the picture grew. And despite some parts being fictionalised, the HBO series did help to underscore the severity of the event. What shocked me, though, was how the Soviet government tried at every turn to save face. No government is ever totally transparent, but given the unfolding humanitarian tragedy, and the fact that this was a nuclear disaster that could have ended the world, this need to save face was appalling. The incident was treated as a minor accident at first. The Soviets initially kept mum, but two days later, when a nuclear power station over 1,000km away in Sweden suddenly detected abnormally high radiation readings, the jig was up. Denying the incident was like trying to block the sun. Still, they persisted. Pripyat, a city located three kilometres from the power plant, was not evacuated till 36 hours later. Even then, residents were told to only pack enough for three days. It was only after the evacuation that they were told they would never return to the city. Also, though the accident was mentioned during a news broadcast, it wasn't even the lead story, but the last item mentioned. In a display of utter depravity, the unfolding disaster was reported as nothing more than a fire, plus something along the lines of "the victims are getting the help they need." I thought only the Chinese were obsessed with "saving face". This abandoned building in Pripyat is one of many silent witnesses that are frozen in time. (Image: Viktor Hesse, Unsplash) Delusions and denials The Soviet government had to play down the incident because it didn't want to cause panic. But the main reason was so that it wouldn't look incompetent, which would lead to questions of legitimacy. After all, during the Cold War, they touted their technological supremacy over the West. Admitting to mistakes was a non-starter. If they could, they would have claimed "fake news" and deny that a meltdown and explosion ever occurred. But the truth kept emerging. In another instance, due to the higher-than-claimed radiation levels, the robots provided by western nations (to help clean up the site) broke down almost immediately. The evidence was irrefutable. Yet despite the deaths and damage wrought by a flawed reactor design, a lack of safety culture, and prioritising face-saving over human lives, the truth will never be admitted. I doubt we will ever have a full account of just how many perished and how many continue to be afflicted due to radiation. The New Safe Confinement Structure. (Image: Roman Chollet, Unsplash) Today A massive effort to contain the radiation resulted in a building of a sarcophagus, which was completed in December 1986 – a mere eight months following the explosion. Over time, climate and other factors caused wear and tear to the sarcophagus and a new solution was needed. In 2010, construction of the massive New Safe Confinement structure began. Six years later, it was moved into place over the sarcophagus. Its purpose is twofold: To prevent radiation leaks, while facilitating the work to decommission/disassemble the reactor. The suppression of facts, the cover-ups, and the attempts to save face despite the enormous evidence – it was too much. Many say Chernobyl is what led to the USSR's demise and the end of the Cold War. The Chernobyl disaster and the events that took place following it continue to haunt the world. It brought to the fore questions about nuclear safety, energy security, sustainability, and most of all, responsibility. Have we answered these questions? Are we even trying to address them? Those involved could kick the proverbial can down the road, but they'll only encounter it again. – Jeremy (Main image: Mads Eneqvist, Unsplash) (Image: Ilja Nedilko, Unsplash)

The Cold War – the political, ideological, economic, and military rivalry between the US and USSR – is a topic that fascinates me. Most historians agree that it started in 1945 after World War II and ended in 1991 after the dissolution of the USSR. While the US and USSR were allies during the War, the two nations had divergent political systems. One represented democracy, while the other championed communism. In ideological terms, the conflict was framed as freedom versus repression. Broadly speaking, the West offered freedom and choices; the communist bloc countered that capitalism was evil and that trading freedom for order would lead to happiness. The Cold War encompassed some of the most famous events and conflicts around the world. In Europe, Berlin was a flashpoint. During the 15-month Berlin Blockade (from June 1948 to May 1949), Soviet Union restricted all land and canal access to the portions of the city under Western control. The Allies responded by airlifting supplies to keep residents from starving until the blockade ended. The Berlin Wall, circa 1974. Image: Immo Wegmann, Unsplash Later, the split between East and West in Europe resulted in the partitioning of Germany into East Germany (ironically called the German Democratic Republic or GDR) and West Germany. And during this period, one of the most enduring symbols of the Cold War, the Berlin Wall, was constructed. The Berlin Wall did not divide East and West Germany. It encircled West Berlin to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Germany. And here's an interesting fact: Although Berlin was divided into East and West, the city itself was in East Germany. Why the interest? These are just several significant events that took place between 1945 and 1991. But the Cold War remains interesting because it occurred while I was a child, and learning about what happened and why is fascinating. As a kid, I remember my late grandparents going to Europe for a holiday. When they returned to Singapore, my grandmother told me about how strict the East German border guards were. "Our bus was stopped, and we had to present our passports. From the window, I could see guards using mirrors attached to poles to check under the bus." I didn't realise till much later that this was how they checked for escapees! Closer to home The Cold War shaped modern Asia, too. This struggle between East and West erupted into open conflicts. There was the Korean War, and just a few years later, the Vietnam War. Although an armistice was signed, the Korean War never officially ended since there is no peace treaty between both countries. Today, there are still two Koreas divided along the 38th parallel. But more significantly, East Asia remains a potential flashpoint despite the war ending in 1953. Complex geopolitical tensions still abound between China, North Korea, South Korea, and Japan. China and Russia continue to support North Korea, because without backers, there is a risk of regime collapse. And it's not hard to imagine that neither China nor Russia want to deal with the ramifications of a failed state. The Vietnam War ended not in division, but unification. But this chapter is interesting when you compare how the conflict was viewed. The US saw their involvement as a way of preventing domino theory - the belief that if one state became communist, neighbouring countries would fall to communism as well. In Vietnam, the conflict is viewed as a war against American aggression. North Vietnam fought to bring South Vietnam under its control, unify the country and liberate it from imperialists. But 50 years since the conflict ended, its effects still linger. 'Vietnam' became another name for an un-winnable war. Questions about why the US got involved in the first place continue to be asked. There are other events and open conflicts that occurred during the Cold War, many of which I still haven't learned of. But that's what makes this topic so fascinating. The Cold War supposedly ended in 1991, but much of what happened continues to shape our world today. Main image: Pei Peng, Unsplash – Jeremy

[extract] Russian automaker Zavod Imeni Likhachova (commonly known as Zil) was once known as the Rolls Royce of the Soviet Union and is also known for making armoured limousines and up-scale sedans for the influential in Russia and also for former Soviet officials. Although the company does not mass produce such cars anymore, but that does not mean that they won