How Hot was it?

A week ago I received a phone call from a PCV in the oblast to the south. "Uh, I heard that a nuclear reactor went off in N-- [my site]. Do you know anything about that? Is there a fire in the sky?" I glanced up and scanned the visible sky. "Nope. Just a beautiful sunny day in N--. People are out and about without any cares or worries."

"Besides, I added, "my city does not have a nuclear power plant. The facility is located in another city further to the north." While it seemed preposterous to me, I did inquire a few other PCVs about it, but surprisingly none of the volunteers around me had heard about a nuclear meltdown or witnessed a fire in the sky.

Thankfully, I was going to Kyiv the next day to meet with Administration, who would know more about any possible situation. It was brought up immediately by our safety and security fella, who said that he had received numerous calls from other PCVs worried about it, but that all his sources (both national and international) told him radiation levels in the area are normal (whatever that means). Again, this was not a surprise since we have all been informed about the Ukranian rumor mill, and the lack of facts on which it operates.

What did surprise me though was the explaination for the rumor our S & S advisor provided. He claimed that the recent heat wave in Ukraine had people speculate that there was more radition in the air, which lead to paranoia and rampant gossip. So, I suppose there is yet another cultural difference: in the US or Western Europe, a rise in temperature is always blamed on global warming, but here in Ukraine, when the thermometer goes up, a nuclear explosion is the culprit. Perhaps the difference is because neither the US nor Western Europe have experienced such a catastrophic event as Chernobyl, only then to have their government lie about it.

Anyway, it's still hot as a nuclear meltdown here...