Use a Russian search engine, such as google.ru, rambler.ru, or yandex.ru, and look up Чернобыль or Чернобыльская атомная электростанция (АЭС). Learn some facts about this place such as:

– where is it? what is the largest city nearby? how far is it from these cities: Kiev, Moscow, Krakow, Vienna, Budapest, L’wiw (also L’vov), Stockholm, and St. Petersburg?
– when did the Chernobyl АЭС first go on line?
– describe the reactions to the tragedy at Chernobyl in 1986 in the Soviet Union and abroad;
– what is the current situation in the Chernobyl region? are there any social organizations in Ukraine or Russia that work to help victims of the Chernobyl tragedy and to preserve the memory of this tragic event?

1. What were the most important challenges faced by Soviet society in the period immediately following the death of L. I. Brezhnev?
2. Why were older leaders, such as Andropov and Chernenko, appointed to the position of General Secretary, rather than younger and more dynamic individuals, such as Gorbachev?
3. What were Andropov’s goals? Were they achieved? Why or why not?
   
4. What were Chernenko’s goals? Did he achieve them? Why or why not?
   
5. What were Gorbachev’s goals? Did he achieve them? Why or why not?
   
6. What major events took place during the Gorbachev administration that had a profound impact on the course of Soviet history?
   
7. Go back to section 31–2 and review the chronology. Find the events in the chronology that are referenced in the text.

• What is the author’s attitude toward the events and individuals described in the text? Identify words and phrases that convey implicitly or explicitly the author’s attitude or ideological perspective, bringing evidence from the text to support your argument.
• Did the information in the text depart from what you had previously read or thought about the period discussed in this chapter?