Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster

by Adam Higginbotham

Sklyarov, the Ukrainian energy minister, had encountered Scherbina often over the years, during the Moscow boss’s tours of inspection at the many power plants under construction in the republic. At sixty-six, Scherbina was intelligent, energetic, and hardworking, tough and self-assured—but also emotional and impulsive and always determined to demonstrate that he knew better than anyone else, even the specialists. Small and wiry, what he lacked in stature he made up for with imperious attitude. Some regarded him with respect and admiration. The energy minister had found him all but impossible to work with. Scherbina introduced himself quietly to each of the gathered experts, until he came to Sklyarov, who, by now, had already driven out to the plant and seen the destruction of the reactor for himself. “So, are you shitting your pants?” Scherbina asked.