On April 26, 1986, one of the four reactors at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine suffered a meltdown and exploded. It is one of only two Level Seven (the most serious) nuclear accidents in history, resulting in more than seven hundred billion dollars worth of damage and loss over the subsequent years. By December, the impacted reactor was entombed in a steel-and-concrete sarcophagus to contain further nuclear fallout. More recently, a new structure was placed on top of the original one to confine the radioactive remains for another hundred years. This poster was created two years after the meltdown at a time when many surrounding European countries were still concerned about its impact. It shows a cobweb-laden robot hesitating to press a button marked “only in case of danger.” Meanwhile, the text announces a rally within Switzerland to protest a nuclear conference in Geneva.
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