I find this paragraph in particular to be very powerful:
"The time had come to reward the heroes. There were many of them in Chernobyl, as in every war. Helicopter pilots, chemists, firefighters, nuclear scientists, workers, scientists. I do not know what will become of our orders and medals, whether it will be honorable or shameful to bear the title of Hero of Socialist Labor tomorrow and whether the authorities will replace it with the title of Hero of Capitalist Labor. And with the Order of the October Revolution, everything is clear: It will become the Order of the August or December Counter-Revolution, or even the Devil’s October. I am sure that someday such awards will not be a sign of honor and heroism, but a symbol of betrayal and shame."