supervisor of the project of RBMK reactor plants. Described by colleagues as a brilliant scientist and organizer, he was deeply affected by the Chernobyl disaster, the worst nuclear accident in history. According to him: "To manage such an institute as the IAE, the largest institute and the most difficult work, and at the same time take care of the Academy - I must say, it was extremely difficult. In the end it ended sadly. And when the Chernobyl accident happened, I believe that from that time both my life began to end, and my creative life." The accident subsequently prompted the Soviet Government to review and suspend the ambitious nuclear power program. As principal designer of the RBMK reactor that exploded at Chernobyl, Alexandrov refused to concede that a design flaw contributed to the disaster. Alexandrov died of cardiac arrest on 3 February 1994 in Moscow. He is buried at the city's Mitinskoe Cemetery. Personal life Alexandrov was first married to Antonina Mikhailovna Zolotareva, with whom he had a son Yuri, a physicist. Antonina died in 1947. Alexandrov later remarried to Marianna Alexandrovna Balashov. They had a daughter Maria, who became a biologist, and two sons Peter and Alexander. Peter became a physicist and Alexander became a biologist. Marianna died in 1986. His nephew is Eugene Alexandrov, a Russian physicist and member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (since 1992). Honours and awards Army of Wrangel Soviet Union Foreign Other awards Lenin Prize (1959) Stalin Prize (1942, 1949, 1951, 1953) Diploma of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation (1993) Kurchatov Medal (1968) Lomonosov Gold Medal (1978) Vavilov Gold Medal (1978) XXXVIII Mendeleev Reader (4 February 1982) References External links 1903 births 1994 deaths People from Tarashcha People from Tarashchansky Uyezd Russians in Ukraine Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Fifth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Sixth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Tenth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Eleventh convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Heroes of Socialist Labour Stalin Prize winners Lenin Prize winners Commanders with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland Recipients of the Cross of St. George Recipients of the Lomonosov Gold Medal Recipients of the Medal "For Distinction in Guarding the State Border of the USSR" Recipients of the Order of Lenin