Yes, they were dumping in boron and lead. It didn’t work out as well as I think the Japanese situation will work. The #1 failure of the Chernobyl reactor was a cheap-assed design without a containment vessel. Follow that with using a graphic moderation.
Then again, the Soviets never were one for redundant systems. Build ‘em big, cheap and fast was their motto.
The Japanese are supposedly injecting boric acid solution in with the seawater as well.
Yep, that's the cheap stuff. We use more expensive stuff than that in oil wells and radiology.
Let's don't piss off the Russians, they may make us climb a rope to get to the ISS.