"What is the cost of lies?"
Chernobyl - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
What is the cost of lies? It's not that we'll mistake them for the truth. The real danger is that if we hear enough lies, then we no longer recognize the truth at all.
— Valery Legasov
Context:
This is part of the narration from the cassette tapes Legasov records on the second anniversary of the explosion, just before his suicide. It frames the entire story as a cautionary tale about the corrosive nature of institutional lies. It appears in Episode 1, "1:23:45," and is revisited in the finale, Episode 5, "Vichnaya Pamyat."
Meaning:
This quote, from the opening and closing scenes of the series, serves as its central thesis. It encapsulates the idea that the Chernobyl disaster was the ultimate consequence of a political system built on deceit, where the constant distortion of reality rotted the state from within and made such a catastrophe inevitable.
Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid.
— Valery Legasov
Context:
Legasov says this on his tapes in the opening scene of Episode 1, "1:23:45." It sets the grim, fatalistic tone of the series and immediately establishes the primary theme.
Meaning:
This is a powerful metaphor that personifies truth as a creditor that will always collect. It suggests that reality cannot be indefinitely suppressed by falsehoods; there will always be a reckoning. In the context of Chernobyl, the 'debt' is paid with human lives, environmental devastation, and the eventual collapse of the system that told the lies.
The truth doesn't care about our needs or wants. It doesn't care about our governments, our ideologies, our religions. It will lie in wait for all time.
— Valery Legasov
Context:
This is spoken by Legasov during his testimony at the trial in the final episode, "Vichnaya Pamyat." It is the culmination of his journey, a direct challenge to the ideological foundations of the Soviet state in a public forum.
Meaning:
This quote articulates the series' view of truth as an objective, almost elemental force of nature, separate from human constructs like politics or belief. It is the core of the scientific worldview that Legasov represents, in stark contrast to the Soviet officials who believe truth is something that can be manufactured and controlled.
To be a scientist is to be naive. We are so focused on our search for truth we fail to consider how few actually want us to find it.
— Valery Legasov
Context:
This line is delivered during Legasov's conversation with KGB Deputy Chairman Charkov after the trial in Episode 5, "Vichnaya Pamyat," as he learns the personal consequences of his testimony.
Meaning:
This is a cynical yet poignant reflection on the conflict between science and power. It speaks to the scientist's idealistic belief that truth is a universal good, and the harsh reality that powerful entities often see truth as a threat to their stability and control. It highlights the political danger inherent in scientific discovery.