Nikolai Fomin

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Nikolai Fomin was born in Novoekonomichne, Donetsk Oblast, in the year 1937. He was a member of the central CPSU, but was expelled after the Chernobyl disaster. He started his career at the Zaporizhzhia thermal power station. In 1972 he began working at the Chernobyl plant. As chief engineer, he approved the turbine safety test that led to the explosion of the reactor. The deputy chief engineer, Anatoly Dyatlov, was responsible for the test. Fomin learned of the accident at about 4 am on April 26, 1986, and participated in cleaning up during the aftermath. He was subsequently arrested together with plant director Viktor Bryukhanov. The start of the trial, originally scheduled for March 24, 1987, had to be postponed several times due to Fomin's suicide attempt. During the trial, Fomin blamed the operators for deviating from the test plan. Eventually, he and Bryukhanov were found guilty and were each sentenced to 10 years in prison. While in prison, Fomin received psychiatric treatment several times. For health reasons, he was released from prison early and transferred to a psychiatric hospital. After his release from the hospital, he worked at the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant. Since his retirement in 2000, he has lived with his wife, children and grandchildren in Udomlya.

In Their Own Story

Fomin learned of the accident at about 4 am on April 26, 1986. He participated in cleaning up during the aftermath of the disaster. He was subsequently arrested together with plant director Viktor Bryukhanov. The start of the trial, originally scheduled for March 24, 1987, had to be postponed several times due to Fomin's suicide attempt. During the trial, Fomin blamed the operators for deviating from the test plan. Eventually, he and Bryukhanov were found guilty and were each sentenced to 10 years in prison. While in prison, Fomin received psychiatric treatment several times. For health reasons, he was released from prison early and transferred to a psychiatric hospital. After his release from the hospital, he worked at the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant. Since his retirement in 2000, he has lived with his wife, children and grandchildren in Udomlya.

Reader's Guide

In the HBO television series Chernobyl, Nikolai Fomin is portrayed by Adrian Rawlins. The real Fomin was chief engineer of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant from 1981 until the disaster in 1986. He approved the turbine safety test that led to the explosion, though deputy chief engineer Anatoly Dyatlov was responsible for the test. Fomin was arrested with plant director Viktor Bryukhanov, and their trial—originally set for March 24, 1987—was delayed by Fomin's suicide attempt. Both were sentenced to 10 years in prison. Fomin received psychiatric treatment while incarcerated and was released early for health reasons to a psychiatric hospital. Afterward, he worked at the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant until retiring in 2000, and now lives in Udomlya with his family.

Did You Know?

• Nikolai Fomin was born in 1937 in Novoekonomichne, Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR.
• He started his career at the Zaporizhzhia thermal power station before moving to Chernobyl in 1972.
• Fomin's trial, originally scheduled for March 24, 1987, was postponed several times due to his suicide attempt.
• He was sentenced to 10 years in prison alongside plant director Viktor Bryukhanov.
• After his release from a psychiatric hospital, Fomin worked at the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant until his retirement in 2000.