in the accident zone of the troops necessary for the most urgent work to eliminate the accident. He headed all the Ministry of Defence work to eliminate the disaster at the Chernobyl site until Army General Ivan Gerasymov, Commander-in-Chief of the Troops of the Southwestern Direction, relieved him. He died on 29 March 2003. He was buried with his family in the columbarium of the Donskoye Cemetery. Recognition In December 1986, he was awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union, for his role in the containment of the fallout from the Chernobyl catastrophe. Cultural depictions Pikalov is portrayed by actor Mark Lewis Jones in Chernobyl. See also Individual involvement in the Chernobyl disaster References 1924 births 2003 deaths Chernobyl liquidators Heroes of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Recipients of the Order of the Red Star Soviet colonel generals NBC Protection Military Academy alumni Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni Soviet military personnel of World War II Recipients of the USSR State Prize