FIREMEN from Billericay and Wickford listened in awe as they heard the heroic story of a man who fought to contain the damage in the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Petr Makarenko, 53, met fellow firefighters at Billericay Fire Station in Laindon Road to recount his experiences.
Mr Makarenko, who lives in Minsk, Belarus, made a moving speech as he recalled the story of his life-changing time working to limit the destruction caused by the disaster in 1986.
He added how radiation still prevails in Belarus where people live in poverty and where their health is in constant danger.
Looking back to 1986, Mr Makarenko said: "I was 26 with a two-year-old son.
"I had been serving in the military navy and after this I returned to my native village, which is 50 km from Chernobyl.
"I had already decided I wanted to be a fireman and in 1981 I started working at Chernobyl nuclear station."
He continued: "On April 26, 1986 I started work at 7 o'clock and the explosion had taken place overnight.
"The fire was from 40 to 80 metres high.
"The reactor looked like a volcano – it was like the sunrise.
"At the beginning the firemen didn't realise that radiation had been released."
Firefighters worked in three shifts, each of which was 18 hours' long, and Mr Makarenko was in the second shift.
He recalled: "On my shift we knew a little more, so we were more protected.
"One firefighter decided to investigate and he went right up to the reactor to get a closer look.
"He died in 20 days – he was not burnt, it was the radiation.
"If someone new came in they would lose us time so the workers stayed at the station for much longer.
"We were on duty 24 hours a day as there were still three reactors left and we were worried that the fire would spread."
He continued: "We wouldn't panic and we kept our heads – we were doing the job we knew what to do.
"We were brought up like this and had to be responsible."
Mr Makarenko said he remembers wrapping his son Vitaly up and sending him and his wife Nina away to protect them from the radiation.
"We were told that under no circumstances the reactor would explode – we were not coached on how to deal with this, just normal fires," he said.
"The government knew what happened but didn't come up with a decision how to save people.
"Only when the radiation had reached Switzerland was it that they decided to inform the world at large what had happened.
"Some of the firemen received the highest dose of radiation that a man can have."
All the firefighters who were on Mr Makarenko's shift were sent to the hospital and were told they only had one month to live.
He said: "The picture was very frightening.
"Our colleagues were melting before our eyes – of the 30 people who first went out, only two survived.
"I now understand the value of life and understand how beautiful it is.
"God saved me."
After the explosion, Mr Makarenko was transferred to the Ukraine because of his health.
He suffers from psoriasis, diabetes, kidney problems, high blood pressure and he has trouble walking, but he is thankful to be alive.
Mr Makarenko was accompanied by translator Tania Vaskovskaia and Anthony Woodman, who is the chairman of the charity Chernobyl Children's Life Line.
Mr Woodman said: "We bring children to the UK every summer from Chernobyl to give them a break from radiation and to educate them.
"We hope to re-educate people with this trip with Mr Makarenko and remind them of the disaster so these children and their families can get help."
Mr Makarenko will be making a presentation tonight (Wednesday) at Emmanuel Church at 7.30pm.
Entry is free.
