60 Laura Sembritzki
accident, he, as the head of the toxicological laboratory, organized the first
research surveys in the contaminated area. In the 1970s, he was a radiologist at the Institute of Biophysics in Moscow and Vice-Chairman and then
Chairman of the Soviet National Commission of Radiological Protection. 59
I.K. Dibobes, a member of the Party office of the ChLenNIIRG and
then the FIB-4 became in 1959, with the age of 28 years, Director of the
ChLenNIIRG and later Director of the newly founded branch of the Institute
of Biophysics. After 1967, he left Chelyabinsk for Moscow to become Deputy
Head of the 3rd Main Directorate of the USSR Ministry of Public Health. In
1989, he became the head of the Expert Commission of the State Committee
for the Environment to assess the risks of the planned construction of the
South-Ural Nuclear Power Plant. 60
As these short biographies show, radiation knowledge was closely linked
to the personal experience of individual physicians and scientists. This close
link between radiation knowledge and experience was then translated into
a knowledge advantage and special career opportunities. The experience in
disaster relief management was thus for many young aspiring scientists and
physicians the starting point for their career opportunities in the field of radiation protection, both in administration and research.
However, according to Kate Brown, satisfactory results also played a
significant role in making a career. As Brown has pointed out, the career
of Gus’kova arose along the popularity of her research results among the
political elite. 61 Furthermore, a party affiliation seemed to be helpful. 62 If one
has a closer look at the members of the party office of the FIB-4 in the early
1960s, it occurs that leading scientists were also members of the communist
party and vividly engaged in institutes’ party activities. To put it in numbers, in 1962, from 21 Party members within the Institute, 13 had a higher
level education (4 kandidat nauk) – and most importantly hold scientific key
posts – 5 members had a secondary education and just 4 members had not yet
completed their secondary education. 63
Due to the linkage of radiation knowledge to personal experience, scientific knowledge and data stemming from the Chelyabinsk region became
important beyond the nuclear landscapes. With its carriers, the radiation
knowledge produced in the Southern Urals entered the scientific discussion of biological and genetic effects of exposure on the national (Soviet)
and international level. It became crucial for the establishment of permissible doses and the assessment of the effects of low-dose exposure. Dibobes,
Gus’kova, and Moskalev participated in the formulation of the union-wide
Radiation Safety Standards (NRB-69) from 1969 to 1976 (NRB-76). 64
However, it seems that experts who had obtained their knowledge due to
service within the secret city of Chelyabinsk-40 were not allowed to engage
in an international scientific discourse about radiation effects before the mid1960s. In 1954, Gus’kova and Grigorii D. Baisogolov were invited to submit
an article for the International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic
Energy that was to be held in Geneva in 1955. 65 Baisogolov was at that time
accident, he, as the head of the toxicological laboratory, organized the first
research surveys in the contaminated area. In the 1970s, he was a radiologist at the Institute of Biophysics in Moscow and Vice-Chairman and then
Chairman of the Soviet National Commission of Radiological Protection. 59
I.K. Dibobes, a member of the Party office of the ChLenNIIRG and
then the FIB-4 became in 1959, with the age of 28 years, Director of the
ChLenNIIRG and later Director of the newly founded branch of the Institute
of Biophysics. After 1967, he left Chelyabinsk for Moscow to become Deputy
Head of the 3rd Main Directorate of the USSR Ministry of Public Health. In
1989, he became the head of the Expert Commission of the State Committee
for the Environment to assess the risks of the planned construction of the
South-Ural Nuclear Power Plant. 60
As these short biographies show, radiation knowledge was closely linked
to the personal experience of individual physicians and scientists. This close
link between radiation knowledge and experience was then translated into
a knowledge advantage and special career opportunities. The experience in
disaster relief management was thus for many young aspiring scientists and
physicians the starting point for their career opportunities in the field of radiation protection, both in administration and research.
However, according to Kate Brown, satisfactory results also played a
significant role in making a career. As Brown has pointed out, the career
of Gus’kova arose along the popularity of her research results among the
political elite. 61 Furthermore, a party affiliation seemed to be helpful. 62 If one
has a closer look at the members of the party office of the FIB-4 in the early
1960s, it occurs that leading scientists were also members of the communist
party and vividly engaged in institutes’ party activities. To put it in numbers, in 1962, from 21 Party members within the Institute, 13 had a higher
level education (4 kandidat nauk) – and most importantly hold scientific key
posts – 5 members had a secondary education and just 4 members had not yet
completed their secondary education. 63
Due to the linkage of radiation knowledge to personal experience, scientific knowledge and data stemming from the Chelyabinsk region became
important beyond the nuclear landscapes. With its carriers, the radiation
knowledge produced in the Southern Urals entered the scientific discussion of biological and genetic effects of exposure on the national (Soviet)
and international level. It became crucial for the establishment of permissible doses and the assessment of the effects of low-dose exposure. Dibobes,
Gus’kova, and Moskalev participated in the formulation of the union-wide
Radiation Safety Standards (NRB-69) from 1969 to 1976 (NRB-76). 64
However, it seems that experts who had obtained their knowledge due to
service within the secret city of Chelyabinsk-40 were not allowed to engage
in an international scientific discourse about radiation effects before the mid1960s. In 1954, Gus’kova and Grigorii D. Baisogolov were invited to submit
an article for the International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic
Energy that was to be held in Geneva in 1955. 65 Baisogolov was at that time