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Was Russia really angry about HBO’s Chernobyl?
There was a real public dispute, but “Russia hates” overstates what the available reporting shows. ABC News reported criticism in Russian tabloids and pro-Kremlin media, including complaints that HBO downplayed Soviet emergency workers’ heroism or emphasized official failures. Those reactions are not a measure of national opinion; the reporting cited here offers no representative poll.
Responses were mixed even among prominent Russians. ABC reported that then-culture minister Vladimir Medinsky said he liked HBO’s series after watching it with his father, a cleanup worker, who found it close to what had happened. Director Alexey Muradov, whose Russian production is discussed below, praised HBO’s visuals and sound design while criticizing its meaning and its portrayal of the local perspective. Those are individual views, not a consensus.
Was the Russian series made because of HBO?
Not according to the reported timeline. Muradov told Meduza that production had begun in 2014, five years before HBO’s Chernobyl aired. Meduza reported in June 2019 that filming had wrapped in late May and that the 12-episode Russian miniseries was expected that fall on NTV. Its eventual release came later: Rostelecom announced that its Wink service would premiere it as a Wink Original beginning April 19, 2022, with two episodes released each Tuesday.
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The timeline makes a simple “Russia copied HBO” or “Russia made its show in retaliation” explanation unsupported. The Russian production may have been discussed in 2019 amid reaction to HBO, but its reported development began earlier.
How the two Chernobyl series differ
| Production | Episodes | Release and distribution | Story emphasis |
|---|---|---|---|
| HBO/Sky Chernobyl | Five parts, according to Sky’s announcement | HBO/Sky announced the miniseries in 2017; it was released in 2019 | Sky described a miniseries about the April 1986 disaster in Ukraine, with Jared Harris as Valery Legasov |
| Russian Chernobyl drama | 12 episodes | Wink announced a 2022 premiere, with two episodes each Tuesday | A spy drama layering fictional CIA and Soviet counterintelligence characters into the disaster story |
Sky’s description focuses on the catastrophe and Legasov. The Russian series adds a fictional espionage plot: CIA agent Albert Lentz enters Pripyat, while Soviet counterintelligence officer Andrey Nikolaev pursues him. Rostelecom’s synopsis places Lentz near the plant on April 25, 1986, before the accident the following night, and sets the characters’ investigation alongside rescue efforts.
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What is fictional in the Russian spy plot?
The CIA agent and counterintelligence pursuit are story elements, not evidence that sabotage caused the reactor accident. Muradov told Meduza that he wanted a fictional drama, not a documentary. He said the espionage thread was not the center of the series and described it as drama rather than a whodunit. On the possibility of foreign involvement, he said: “But as it turned out in the end, thank God, America had nothing to do with this, and the same goes for any other country.” That is Muradov’s characterization in an interview, not an independent technical finding.
Rostelecom’s content-policy director Alexander Kosarim described the production as offering “their version of events — in the genre of a spy detective” (translated from the Russian-language announcement). That framing is useful: the series is a fictionalized historical drama, not a factual correction to HBO or an account establishing CIA responsibility.
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What did Muradov say about HBO?
In Meduza’s June 2019 interview, Muradov said he had seen only HBO’s first episode. He praised its craft, saying, “As for the HBO series — it’s wonderful, without a doubt. But it falls short on meaning, though it undeniably has great visuals.” He also argued that it did not fully capture the local perspective and said his production emphasized a different side of the story. These comments reflect the director’s judgment, not an agreed verdict on either series.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Release context and what remains unknown
ABC News reported in June 2019 that the Russian production was shot in Belarus and had received reported support from Russia’s Ministry of Culture. It gave the funding figure as 30 million rubles, then approximately $463,000; that is a contemporaneous secondary report, not a current currency conversion. The funding detail does not establish why the series was made.
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Rostelecom’s announcement documents Wink’s April 2022 premiere, not the series’ current streaming availability. The sources cited here also do not establish current stock or pricing for a DVD or Blu-ray edition of HBO’s miniseries.
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Sources
- Meduza interview with director Alexey Muradov, June 18, 2019
- Rostelecom announcement of the Wink premiere, April 18, 2022
- ABC News report on Russian reactions and the production, June 8, 2019
- Sky announcement of HBO/Sky’s five-part Chernobyl, July 27, 2017
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
