Leningrad Nuclear Disaster

Delta Force

Banned
The Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant uses the same nuclear reactor type that was involved in the Chernobyl incident, and is located 70 kilometers to the west of St. Petersburg (named Leningrad during Soviet times). Apart from being a major population and cultural center of the USSR, Leningrad also was home to major shipyards, port facilities, and machinery plants (including one of the world's largest turbine factories). What happens to the USSR economically and politically if the Chernobyl disaster occurred at Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant instead of Chernobyl, and what happens to Leningrad?
 
ASB-class impossible. What idiot would conduct the same kind of experiment done at Chernobyl?

The same people that conducted the Chernobyl power plant experiments in Pripyat plant reactor number 1 1982 and again in Pripyat plant reactor number 4 1986. The OP postulate that the experiment is conducted in Leningrad power plant instead of in Chernobyl power plant. Something entirely possible and likely before 1986 as experiments to raise the reactor effects were priorities all over Soviet Union.
 
It is unlikely that Leningrad would form part of an exclusion zone, at least assuming a similar fallout spread compard to Chernobyl. The operators in the Leningrad plant were also likely more experienced than in Chernobyl (the plant came online ten years ealier), which will be a huge help in case something happens.
 

Hnau

Banned
The Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant isn't just close to Leningrad... what about Helsinki and Tallinn just down the Gulf of Finland? This would be a much bigger disaster than Chernobyl if it had happened. I just have no idea how radiation would be distributed in the aftermath. So much depends on topology and weather... and how would it react with all of that open water nearby? I have no idea how it would.

If the Chernobyl disaster had anything to do with the fall of the Soviet Union, even slightly pushing it closer to dissolution, then a Leningrad disaster could easily be four, five times worse, maybe more so. It all depends on how much radiation there is and where it goes.
 
The Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant isn't just close to Leningrad... what about Helsinki and Tallinn just down the Gulf of Finland? This would be a much bigger disaster than Chernobyl if it had happened. I just have no idea how radiation would be distributed in the aftermath. So much depends on topology and weather... and how would it react with all of that open water nearby? I have no idea how it would.

If the Chernobyl disaster had anything to do with the fall of the Soviet Union, even slightly pushing it closer to dissolution, then a Leningrad disaster could easily be four, five times worse, maybe more so. It all depends on how much radiation there is and where it goes.

OTL the Chernobyl disaster was discovered when alarms rang around one of the Swedish power plants nearest(Oscarshamn iirc) saw a rise in radioactive in the air. In this scenario both Swedish and Finnish plants would send out alarms within a day and there will be massive panics in both countries.
 
Earlier fall of communism triggered by the evacuation of Leningrad?
Actually I almost wonder if the enormous amount of effort that would have to be put into relocation and recovery in such a scenario it wouldn't delay the fall of communism. In a crisis like this people might put reform on hold and pull together in the effort to house the refugees. (Which alone would be a collosal job). But iI think nucleur power would be very discredited.
 
In most likelihood, the wind would push the radioactive fallout south to west.

So Finland isn't going to suffer as much as anything down-wind.

Germany and Sweden suffers more. Not to mention the other Baltic countries.
 
Top