Without Fear of the Atom

On September 28 in Russia there is a professional holiday — Day of the nuclear industry worker. The domestic nuclear industry since its foundation in 1945 was one of the most important for the country — for defense, for power engineering and for other branches of the economy as well. Of course, behind the industry achievements there is the heroic work of hundreds of thousands of nuclear scientists, of the whole country. But there are some iconic figures, starting with Kurchatov and his colleagues, who guided the solution of grand objectives and added many glorious pages in the Russian and world history. Their personal biographies are largely interlaced with chronology of the nuclear industry development. Among these people there are also “atomic” ministers of different years. Today we are talking to Lev Dmitrievich Ryabev, the Soviet and Russian state and economic figure, Minister of Medium Machine Building of the USSR, deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, winner of the USSR and the RF State Prizes, active participant in the liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and construction at the earliest possible time of the Shelter Object, awarded the highest awards of the country. We will talk about the history of the nuclear industry, its achievements, problems and prospects, as well as about the qualities that allow to solve successfully the key tasks set by the country’s leadership.