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Who were the bio-robots, the 3,000 young reservists drafted in to fight the radiation? Why was an absurdly inadequate, yet enormous, structure built at pace to contain the fallout? Could trust be restored between the US and the USSR after the latter lied about the explosion?

Sarah Churchwell and David Olusoga look at how the nuclear fallout ate away at the very core of the Soviet Union.

Email: journeythroughtime@goalhanger.com

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Assistant Producers: Alfie Rowe, Alfie Norris

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Head of History: Dom Johnson

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72. Chernobyl: Soviet Secrets Are Still Coming Out (Ep 5)