26th of April is a day of Chernobyl tragedy. This date is particularly tragic for Ukrainians, Byelorussians, Russians and the population all over the world.
30 years after explosion on Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant all the civilized society still remembers the events that occurred there and those who spared no effort in fighting radiation.
Kremenchug Automobile Plant was on the forefront of Chernobyl nuclear disaster response. Then, in 1986, over 300 KrAZ workers went to radiation contaminated area. They were sure they were going to military training. Instead, they had been carried to Chernobyl, into the thick of disaster, for carrying out response operations. About 10 000 various vehicles including a large number of different models of KrAZ trucks were brought in there. The KrAZ-255B trucks carrying floating bridge in service with Kiev military district were the first vehicles used for launching bridge across PripyatRiver for population evacuation. The bridge was launched in seven hours and evacuation started on 30th of April.
However, the most important task set before Kremenchug Automobile Plant by the country’s government was development of special vehicles suitable for operation in high radiation area. They had to haul radioactive demolition debris and deliver construction materials for entombment of 4th nuclear unit.
The task was set before the plant on the evening Sunday 22nd of June 1986. Engineers decided to base this vehicle on the KrAZ-256B1 dump truck. These vehicles featured special 1-seat 3-tonnes lead cab offering maximum protection for driver.
Early July seven special vehicles went to Chernobyl power plant, by the end of the month another 11 vehicles were delivered there. The KrAZ-256B1 provided with lead can had to do the most dangerous job in high-radiation area. Contaminated debris was loaded on them by robot-aided devices when clearing up 4th nuclear unit. These dump trucks were used for carrying concrete delivered by their mass produced counterparts into the thick of disaster. On completion all the 18 lead dump trucks were placed in special burial site in Buryakovaka village not far from Chernobyl power plant.
Workers of Kremenchug Automobile Plant who built KrAZ trucks for Chernobyl disaster response received government awards.
And today, 30 years after disaster, all the workers who participated in Chernobyl disaster response operations are in the spotlight of “AutoKrAZ” management. On the eve of tragic date decision was taken to pay award to 63 participants of disaster response operations working at the company.
