Valery Legasov

Soviet nuclear chemist, chief of the commission investigating the Chernobyl disaster (1936-1988)

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Key facts

Born: ( 1936-09-01 ) 1 September 1936, Tula , Russian SFSR , Soviet Union
Died: 27 April 1988 (1988-04-27) (aged 51) , Moscow , Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Cause of death: Suicide by hanging
Resting place: Novodevichy Cemetery , Moscow, Russia
Alma mater: Moscow D. Mendeleev Institute of Chemical Technology
Known for: Efforts to contain the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and presenting the findings of the investigative commission as chief scientific advisor
Spouse: Margarita Mikhailovna

Article

Valery Alekseyevich Legasov (Russian: Валерий Алексеевич Легасов; 1 September 1936 – 27 April 1988) was a Soviet inorganic chemist, professor at Moscow State University, first deputy director of the Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy, and a member of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union.

He is best known for his efforts to contain the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. In August 1986, Legasov presented the findings of an investigation to the International Atomic Energy Agency at the United Nations Office at Vienna, detailing the actions and circumstances that led to the explosion in Chernobyl but neglecting to mention some of the RBMK reactor's design flaws.