During four days Р from April 18 to 21, 2011 - press-tours with the participation of representatives of foreign Mass Media were held at Kalinin NPP (Tver region). About 30 journalists of Austrian, Bulgarian, Turkish, Polish and Chinese national TV-companies and periodicals and newspapers took part in the meetings with Kalinin NPP management, visited operating power units and the site of power unit No. 4 under construction.

The press-tours, organized at Rosatom State Corporation initiative, became a part of the program of public inspections at Russian NPPs.

During the excursion to KNPP Public Information Centre the representatives of foreign Mass Media got acquainted with the models of turbine house and reactor compartment, received complete information concerning the principles of operation of the nuclear plant with VVER-1000 units, about the systems of active and passive safety. The automated system of radiation control in the areas of NPPs location (ASKRO), the information of which is available at the website www.russianatom.ru on-line, stirred a special interest.

During their visit to the nuclear plant, the journalists got the opportunity of watching the operation of turbine equipment and unit control rooms. Besides, they visited the site of power unit No.4, where mounting and commissioning were being held at the moment, and saw the arrangement and mounting process of the reactor compartment equipment.

When answering foreign journalistsХ questions concerning the nuclear plant and its safety systems technologies, Chief Engineer of Kalinin NPP Mikhail Kanyshev underlined that the priorities of safety are the most important ones in nuclear objects construction and operation. ТThe production of electric and heat power is performed on the basis of the priority of nuclear and radiation safety guarantee, - Mikhail Kanyshev said. Р These are the main and the most important priorities indeed, and commercial interests never prevail over them. At second, a nuclear plant safety is founded at all the stages of its construction and is provided during the operation process within all the service life. At third, the safety is provided by reactor unitsХ structure, the nuclear fuel reliability and the highly qualified personnelУ.

According to Bulgarian journalist Vesela Vaneva, the large construction site of the forth power unit produced the greatest impression on her. Speaking about the nuclear branch development, among the other she noted: ТWe are aware that economic growth is followed by the growth of electric consummation. And if we want to take care of the environment, it is necessary to speak of nuclear power. There are two power units under operation at Bulgarian NPP in Kozloduy, just like we have seen at Kalinin NPP. The technology familiar to us initially possesses the safety guarantees expected from modern nuclear branch by the worldУ.

ТI would like to show Polish audience the way a nuclear plant works, the means of safety existing here ant the attitude to it of the people living in the areaУ, Arleta Boike, Polish television reporter said. ТWhat impressed me? The reactors which have been under operation for a long time already, since the 80s, and have not affected anything: the nature exists, people fish in the lakes used by the nuclear plant. To my mind, this creates an image of safety. Nuclear power is necessary for the entire world, and it is safer for the environment than other power sourcesУ.

To tell the people about the nuclear plant safety Р this aim is supposed to be the main one for a reporter of Cihan, Turkish information agency, Yasharbek Niyazbaev. In his opinion, this question is important because of Akkuyu NPP which is going to be constructed in Turkey: ТI will do my best to tell them of Kalinin NPP as of some archetype and of its safety. The demonstrative example is that we shoot the plant and the specialistsХ work in the control rooms. I have got an impression of calm and stable workУ.