the ultimate "dirty job": chernobyl sarcophagus workers video

I'm a fan of the television show Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel .. and this is a dirty job that beats all. 

A couple weeks ago I posted about the crumbling Chernobyl sarcophagus, and new efforts to contain it before it collapses and causes the next disaster.  We send volunteers to work with communities in Chernobyl regions, and I am sure you are not surprised to hear that this issue of the rickety sarcophagus is at top of mind for virtually all comers.  (I personally just try not to think about it.)

All of this work -- building the new sarcophagus, dismantling the old one, disposing of radioactive waste --  requires manpower.  And believe it or not,  in a region with limited opportunities, there is competition for this very dirty job.  This video, reposted from YouTube, shows the screening, selection and testing process for Chernobyl sarcophagus workers, and the lengths that they will go to to nab this job.  It is both surreal and moving.  The video was made by a student who calls himself Chernobyldoc, but since I don't know his name I can only credit him by pointing you to his blog. I really like his honesty, lack of irony, and disengagement to the political issues that surround Chernobyl.

There's a glibness that I enjoy in the Dirty Jobs television show that is absent from this very straightforward video.  These guys are heroes in many ways they would probably not think of, because they are really guys who just  need a job. Containing Chernobyl is going to be a lucrative endeavor for a number of companies, but the men in the field are offering the sacrifice in cleaning up a mess not of their making.