"Measures are being taken to eliminate the consequences of the accident": Ideology and the Soviet Response to the Chornobyl Accident

Authors

  • Angeles Espinaco-Virseda

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21971/P75C79

Abstract

Although Soviet ideology has been identified as a factor leading to the Chornbyl disaster, there has previously been no discussion of its role in the official response to the accident or to its aftermath. Yet, as seen in the Soviet media, this nuclear catastrophe triggered an ideological crisis which authorities struggled to respond to within a traditional dialectical framework. Paradoxically, their appeal to ideology in the management of this crisis contributed to growing disillusionment with the Soviet state and a reconsideration of Communism, leading, ultimately, to the collapse of the USSR.

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Author Biography

Angeles Espinaco-Virseda

Angeles Espinaco-Virseda is a graduate student at the University of Alberta. She is pursuing a Master of Arts in Modern German History. Her current research is on sexuality and identity formation.

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Published

2008-02-21

How to Cite

Espinaco-Virseda, A. (2008). "Measures are being taken to eliminate the consequences of the accident": Ideology and the Soviet Response to the Chornobyl Accident. Past Imperfect, 8. https://doi.org/10.21971/P75C79

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Section

Articles