[ClumsyPilot]

The handling, as in, the reaction once the top officials actually understood the magnitude of the situation, was nothing short of spectacular.

No expence was spared cleaning up the mess, removing top layer of soil at a massive scale and enclosing the failed reactor in sarcofagus. This expence and reputation damage contributed considerably to bringing the end of USSR.

You've got to keep in mind how little was known about lethality and handling of radiation back then, compared to today. In fact good chunk of today's knowledge comes from Chernobyl.

[bluGill]

While we learned a lot from Chernobly, the culture back then was already very fearful of nuclear.

[ClumsyPilot]

I mean more like having tools and equipment to handle the situation that previously simply didn't exist.

From hazmat suits to robots, what was avaliable was extremely basic.