Council of Ministers of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

COMMITTEE INTRODUCTION

“[It] is like the war of all wars. There’s nowhere to hide. Not underground, not underwater, not in the air.” – Svetlana Alexievich.

It was April 26th, 1986. The world did not yet know: Civilians located near Pripyat went on their days, completely unaware of an upcoming outbreak of a catastrophe.

Then, suddenly, an explosion happened, and the news wended their way out across the area. Firefighters, government agents, and reporters soon arrived at the destination in an attempt to rescue as well as collect data. Yet the damage of the blast was beyond their comprehension; some of them encountered severe sickness, and the skins of some were red and started to melt. A normal blast wouldn’t yield those casualties, and the turnout was a nuclear meltdown.

The Council of Ministers (SOVMIN) stands strong as the most prominent executive and administrative authority in the now-former USSR. Now is the precise moment for the Ministers at the forefront of the disaster to act. Any single decision made in these halls shall determine not only the fate of millions or the credibility of the Soviet state, but the future of nuclear power itself as well. The Council of Ministers is now tasked with a baffling series of challenges: navigating through trials of logistical containment, public messaging, and political systemic reform. Beyond proper response to the radioactive wasteland, there lies another conundrum to be addressed: Ministers must not fail to remember to safeguard their very own political status and survival.

Will nuclear policies in the USSR be redefined? Will the Soviet Union ever reclaim its strength as a superpower during the Cold War? As the world witnesses the nation's every move, each decision made by the Minister in that room shall shape the future of the USSR and possibly that of the world.

 

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