After HBO’s massive success with its mini-series Chernobyl, Netflix’s Chernobyl 1986 has some big shoes to fill. The movie has just arrived on the streaming platform, and history buffs are curious to know more about the actors in this romance drama-meets disaster flick release. Meet the cast of Netflix’s 1986 Chernobyl.
What is Netflix’s Chernobyl 1986 about?
Chernobyl 1986 is a Russian tragedy drama set amidst the infamous nuclear disaster that took place in the small Soviet town of Pripyat (present-day Ukraine).
The movie arrived on Netflix yesterday, Wednesday, 21 July.
The plot follows Alexey, a firefighter who’s struggling with his personal life and suddenly finds himself in the chaos of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
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The film opens in the town of Pripyat in Soviet-era Ukraine, where hairdresser Olga meets her old lover, Alexey, from a decade ago.
According to The Cinemaholic, Alexey eventually convinces Olga to go on a date with him, where he finds out that she has a 10-year-old child who is very likely his.
After reuniting with his lost love, Alexey thinks of retiring to begin a new life – but the Chernobyl disaster suddenly plunges him back into danger.
Chernobyl 1986 follows HBO’s massively successful mini-series, Chernobyl.
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Meet the cast of Chernobyl 1986
Taking on the role of firefighter Alexey Karpushin is Danila Kozlovskiy, a Russian stage and screen actor.
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The 36-year-old actor graduated from the Military Academy Of The Ministry Of Foreign Affairs in 2002, but eventually acting won him over.
That same year he entered the St. Petersburg Academy Of Theatrical Arts.
According to his IMDb page, Kozlovskiy has appeared in Dukhless (2012), Vampire Academy (2014), and Hardcore Henry (2015).
Most recently Kozlovskiy joined the cast of the hit series Vikings (2019-20).
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Joining Kozlovskiy on the cast of Chernobyl 1986 is actress Oksana Akinshina, who portrays hairdresser Olga Savostina.
Akinshina was born on 19 April 1987 in Leningrad, USSR (now Saint Petersburg, Russia).
The actress is known for her roles in Lilja 4-ever (2002), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), and Sputnik (2020).
Chernobyl 1986 also features Filipp Avdeev, Ravshana Kurkova, Igor Chernevich, and Artur Beschastnyy.
Is Chernobyl 1986 a true story?
Chernobyl 1986 is partly based on a true story.
The film takes inspiration from the Chernobyl disaster of 1986 but contains fictional characters.
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The film, written by Elena Ivanova and Aleksey Kazakov, is accurate in some details of the actual disaster, which occurred on 26 April 1986.
The town of Pripyat, where the characters live, is the name of the actual town established in the 1970s to support the nearby Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Additionally, as seen in the movie, it was in fact reactor no. 4 that exploded, after which the town of Pripyat had to be evacuated and remains abandoned to this day.
According to The Cinemaholic, the film’s director Danila Kozlovskiy attempted to bring the pain and tenderness of human emotions to the forefront and make viewers feel connected to the characters living through the nuclear disaster.
Despite its talented cast, Chernobyl 1986 has been getting mixed reviews since its Netflix debut yesterday. While some critics seemed to have gotten lost in the film’s intricate portrayal of tragedy, others praise it for its introspection into the human psyche under siege.