The effect of the irradiation on the lead tungstate ( PWO) scintillator properties has been studied at different irradiation facilities. Lead tungstate crystals grown with the tuning of oxides content in the melt to the stoichiometry of pure sheelite or sheelite-like type crystals and doped with heterovalent, trivalent and pentavalent impurities have been studied in order to optimize their resistance to irradiation. A combination of a selective cleaning of raw materials, a tuning of the melt from crystallization to crystallisation, and a destruction or compensation of the point structure defects has been used to minimize the short-term instability of PWO parameters under irradiation