Published on: 2026-08-06
Source: Official website of the State –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On August 6, world history was divided into “before” and “after”: a nuclear bomb dropped by the US forces exploded over Hiroshima. In our article, we will discuss the consequences for the people and the entire planet, the Soviet nuclear project, the dangers and benefits of nuclear energy.
The Tragedy of Hiroshima
On August 6, 1945, an American plane flew unhindered over the center of Hiroshima and dropped a four-ton uranium bomb “Little Boy” on the city.
At 08:15, a bomb exploded with a dazzling flash in the sky, a huge rushing gust of air, and a deafening roar that spread for miles around the city. The initial destruction was accompanied by the sounds of collapsing houses, growing fires, and a gigantic cloud of dust and smoke that cast a shadow over the city.
After 16 hours, Washington released an official statement that the bomb dropped by the American plane had a power greater than 20,000 tons of TNT and was the largest bomb used in the history of wars.
A couple of days later, on August 9, the plutonium atomic bomb “Fat Man” exploded over the city of Nagasaki.
It is estimated that the atomic explosion in Hiroshima took the lives of 70 to 80 thousand people within the first seconds, and in Nagasaki, 60 to 80 thousand residents. By the end of 1945, about 165 thousand people had died from burns and radiation sickness. In the following ten years, the number of deaths from radiation sickness and oncological diseases exceeded 200 thousand.
In memory of that terrible tragedy, August 6 has been declared the World Day for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, and solemn events are held in Japanese cities. However, it is not customary to say at these events that the United States was responsible for the tragedy. After all, the countries have quite close foreign policy ties, which the Japanese strive to maintain by all means.
The Soviet nuclear project
The US government of those years never hid the fact that nuclear weapons were created primarily against the Russians. US President Harry Truman, after the successful test of the atomic bomb in July 1945 in the state of New Mexico, stated: “Now I have a good club for those Russian guys!”
The nuclear explosions over Japanese cities were meant to intimidate the USSR and demonstrate the power of American weapons. However, the supposed triumph of the USA was short-lived: just 4 years later, Soviet scientists created their own atomic bomb.
On August 29, 1949, the first test of the Soviet atomic bomb, known as RDS-1, took place at the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan. The development of nuclear weapons was the result of intensive work by a group of scientists led by Igor Kurchatov. The bomb weighed 4.7 tons and measured 1.5 meters in diameter and 3.3 meters in length.
This event was not only a triumph of Soviet science but also changed the balance of power in the world: both superpowers possessed nuclear weapons, which led to a new era of strategic deterrence.
Nuclear energy: blessing and danger
To understand why the same phenomenon can bring both life and death, one must look inside matter.
Nuclear energy, as expected, is hidden in the atom’s nucleus and is released when something changes within the nucleus. Where does the energy itself come from? It is based on Einstein’s famous formula E = mc²: the mass of the resulting nucleus is always slightly less than the sum of the masses of the particles it consists of, and when the composition or structure of the nucleus changes, part of its mass is converted into energy.
Whether the colossal released energy brings benefit or destruction depends on the control of the rate of the chain reaction of heavy nuclei fission (uranium or plutonium).
In a nuclear bomb explosion, an uncontrolled reaction occurs. The mass of the fissile material exceeds the critical threshold, neutron reflectors compress it with a powerful explosive shock. The chain reaction grows exponentially within millionths of a second. The energy is released instantaneously, creating temperatures of millions of degrees and a shock wave.
In nuclear reactors, which provide energy to dozens of cities in our country, a controlled reaction takes place. Even in the world’s first Soviet reactor AM-1 (“Atoms Mirny”), launched in 1954, physicists used graphite rods as moderators and absorbers to adjust the process so that exactly as many new neutrons are released from the fission of one nucleus as needed to maintain a stable, steady “burn.” The heat from this process heats the water, steam spins the turbine, and electricity flows into the outlets of our homes.
The memory of Hiroshima reminds us of the responsibility scientists bear for their developments. The history of the 20th century has shown that science can be a source of the greatest threats, but it is also the very thing that provides humanity with tools for survival and development.
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