The result is a useful book for any reader interested in this problem. Including for specialists who can try on their understanding and attitude to various issues – to what they will read in the book. Of course, every specialist in his question can find interpretations that differ from his ideas and facts known to him, but, apparently, this does not take the text of the book beyond a positive assessment.

V.I. Larin’s book can be considered as a kind of «reference book». It doesn’t have to be read all at once and in a row. You can refer to different sections devoted to different sides of the problem. Someone will be interested in the genetic consequences of radiation exposure, someone will be interested in the professional details of a spontaneous chain reaction, etc.

The author has done a lot of work. I would like it to be useful.

Sidorenko V.A., Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences,

Director for Scientific Development of the RSC «Kurchatov Institute»,

1992—1996 – Deputy Minister of the «Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation»,

1990—1991 – First Deputy Minister of the «Ministry of Atomic Energy of the USSR»,

1984—1990 – First Deputy Chairman of the «State Atomic Energy Supervision of the USSR»;

***

…Vladislav Larin’s book seems to me very useful for the employees of the «Mayak» plant. It reflects both the consequences of the company’s activities from the very beginning of its existence, as well as future problems related to the environment, with the production, use and effect on people of tritium, with the processing of spent nuclear fuel, long-term storage of radioactive waste and plutonium. All these problems require large economic costs – for research, for monitoring the storage of radiation sources, for their processing.

It seems to me that we can agree with most of the conclusions made by the author of the book «The „Mayak“ Combine is a problem for the ages».

Saprykina E.I., Veteran of the «Mayak» Combine;

***

…I would like to note the very thorough work of the author in collecting and processing extensive and diverse information about the largest enterprise of the nuclear complex of our country. Recently, there have been a lot of rumours and unverified information around the «Mayak» plant, so the careful selection of verified and reliable information by the author should be especially noted. The author not only analysed the available information, but also paid great attention to meetings with veterans of the «Mayak», which made it possible to supplement the literary data with valuable memories. This made it possible to look at the problem not only from a dry scientific point of view, but also to feel the breath of the time in which the veterans of the nuclear industry and all the people of our country lived and worked. The author correctly assesses the long-term problems associated with radioactive contamination of the territories around the «Mayak».

Dibobes I.K., Doctor of Medical Sciences (MD),

Director of the Chelyabinsk branch of the «Institute of Radiation Hygiene», Deputy Head of Third Department (Glavk) at the «Ministry of Health of the USSR»;

***

…Reading Vladislav Larin’s book, you can’t to decide – what genre can it belong to? Along with an almost professional description and analysis of the environmental aspects of radiation accidents and radiation-hazardous, very specific nuclear technologies, the book contains excursions into the field of ensuring state secrets, into the sociological problems of the nuclear defence complex, and into medical problems.