The ‘Norwegian chapter’ in the book of aviation history is a peculiar and interesting one. Similarly to virtually every Country in the western world, in the early age of aviation small manufacturing companies appeared also in Norway. Despite meeting with little success in the long run, they contributed in creating momentum around those ‘novel flying machines’. Norway, with a sinuous coastline stretching for some thousands miles from the latitude of England up north to where the European continent ends, and with a land largely covered in snow for many months per year, has been an ideal place for the development of a local air network since the early days of aviation. This created an alternative link between smaller communities and industry centers. As a matter of fact, similarly to Greece, Norway is among the top employers of smaller aircraft for commercial routes in Europe still today.
To the same early era belong the now almost mythological arctic expeditions, carried out also by air – by plane or airship – and almost invariably departing from Norway. The well-known Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was an advocate of air explorations, and his primary contributions to geographical explorations have constituted in some cases milestones in aviation history.
Despite a significant down-scaling of its Armed Forces in the post-Cold War scenario causing a strong reduction of the military presence in the Country, Norway has been in the focus of massive military operations since the 1930s.
In particular, both its geographical position and natural resources met the appetite of the Third Reich, which successfully invaded Norway in a blitzkrieg campaign in late spring 1940. Through an action based strongly on airlift capacity, German cargo planes relocated personnel and material very effectively to Norway. The crown and government were forced into exile in Britain, and with it also the military chain of command. Actually, the air force academy was moved to Toronto area, Ontario, where the military facilities of Norway got the name of ‘Little Norway’. New Norwegian pilots were relentlessly trained there, preparing them to repel the enemy from their Scandinavian motherland.
The Third Reich managed to keep a grip on southern Norway until its collapse and the end of WWII in Europe. Having witnessed the failure of neutrality as a foreign policy, in the rapidly deteriorating post-WWII scenario and the beginning of the Cold War between the Soviet-led eastern bloc and the free democracies of the western world, Norway joined NATO as a founding member.
Since then and for more than four decades, Norway was on one of the ‘hot’ fronts of the war, with a border-crossing point with the USSR, and a privileged position to patrol the skies over the shipping routes leading from the highly-militarized Kola peninsula into the Atlantic Ocean (see this post). Keeping a constant watch on the air, surface and submarine movements of the USSR was a task brilliantly covered by the Norwegian Air Force and Navy for the entire duration of the Cold War.
Today, western world issues like climate-related hysteria and hardly shareable, deeply ideological so-called ‘carbon neutrality’ policies promise to definitively clip the wings to sport, private and commercial aviation especially in this Country, through an unprecedented technological leap back. Similarly, the (today, so evidently) short-sighted post-Cold War dismantlement of military power in Europe has impacted military forces also in Norway.
However, the memory of the glorious years when this proud Scandinavian Nation has been on the forefront of aviation technology and in the focus of military action are duly relived in two wonderful aviation collections, celebrating what can be achieved through technical skill, courage and good national ideals.
One of these collections is the Norwegian Aviation Museum, located east of the airport of Bodø, a coastal town on the Norwegian Sea, not far north of the Polar Circle. The other is the Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection, located just west of Oslo-Gardermoen Airport, in the south of the Country and close to the capital city. Both museums host world-class collections, really worth a detour for aviation-minded people from whatever continent, and for the general public as well, as can be possibly perceived from the pictures in this post.
Photographs in this post were taken during a visit to both destinations in August 2022.
The Norwegian Aviation Museum in Bodø is located on the northeastern corner of the airport, dominating this coastal town north of the Polar Circle. The airport was founded back in the 1920s, strongly potentiated by the Germans in WWII, and extensively used over the Cold War decades for mixed military and civil use. Today, it is mainly a commercial airport, with some residual military activity. However, the Air Station at Bodø shows evident traces of a military past – aircraft shelters, bunkers and large antenna arrays point the hilly panorama south of the runway.
The museum covers many aspects of the history of aeronautics in Norway. Both civil and military aviation are well represented, the respective collections being hosted in two adjoining large halls, merging into the central atrium – featuring a Northrop F-5 in the colors of the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF). This type has been the backbone of the RNoAF in the latter decades of the Cold War years.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Civil aviation hall
The proposed path in the civil aviation hall follows a chronological order, and starts with a display of memorabilia from the early aviation years and from the age of the adventurous polar explorations. The items on display include flags, historical pictures, personal belongings taken by explorers on polar exploration trips and many interesting explanatory panels.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Aircraft on display include rare early seaplanes, employed to establish transport services. These are put side by side with more modern aircraft of the company Widerøe, which today is responsible for most of the short-range high-frequency services linking the scattered settlements in the northern part of Norway – up to North Cape.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Nice advertisement posters are displayed to retrace the history of some classic airlines, including the all-private Braathens, once a major airline from Norway, and telling about the foundation of SAS – which incorporated also Braathens at the turn of the century – which stands for ‘Scandinavian Airlines System’. It is still today a big carrier linking Northern Europe and the world. These companies were among the world first massively flying polar routes, thanks to on-board instrumentation specifically made to tackle the navigation issues showing up when flying close to the poles.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
A turning point in the history of Braathens has been the introduction of jets, in the form of the Fokker F.28, for which this airline has been a launch customer. An exemplar of the F.28 is partly preserved in the museum, allowing to check out the fully analog cockpit.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Helicopters, including one with a special pod hosting an entire berth for SAR operations, are also well represented. The Police is clearly using the latest models of rotary wing technology.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
A rare aircraft on display is a British-made Britten-Norman Islander, once operating in the colors of the local company Norving. Very evocative pictures show the unusual scenarios often faced by airlines operating in near-polar regions!
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Another peculiar mission covered by aircraft in Norway has been that of territory imaging and survey, including for archaeology in the search for ancient viking remains, typically hard to see from ground level. A Cessna 337 Skymaster push-pull originally tasked with this mission is on display. This type is pretty hard to see in Europe, but has enjoyed even a significant military career in the US (see this post).
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
A big bird on display is a beautiful original Junkers Ju-52 three-props seaplane. This is one of four originally in the fleet of the Norwegian flag carrier ‘Det Norske Luftfartselskap’, established in the 1930s, and operating with a mixed fleet of British, German and American models.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
The cockpit of the Junkers has been put in a display case to be admired more easily.
Among the many other items on display in the civil aviation hall, you can find an original wind tunnel model of the Concorde, aircraft remains from an accident, and some unusual or one-off aircraft models.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Civil aviation gallery
Military aviation hall
The hall dedicated to military aviation starts again following the timeline of aviation history. The early-age manufacturers appearing in Norway when aircraft were still a totally new technological novelty are represented with dioramas of technical shops, scale models and historical pictures. Some aircraft dating to the pre-WWII years are also on display.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
However, a major subject covered in the display is that of WWII. Norway was conquered by the invading German forces in a short and aggressive campaign in Spring 1940. Well planned from a strategic viewpoint, this operation included the capture of the airport of Oslo – the old field of Oslo-Fornebu – on the 9th of April, which was then used as a major base for landing transport aircraft, unloading military staff and material in the most populated area of the Country.
The landslide Third Reich invasion forced the government and the military chain of command to withdraw to Britain. An agreement was then settled to establish a military flight academy near Toronto, Ontario, to supply the Norwegian armed forces with new pilots, to carry out offensive operations from Britain.
The collection features many interesting items from WWII period. From a balcony you are offered a view of the collection, and a vantage view on the relic of a Luftwaffe Junkers Ju-88, transported to the museum after recovery.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
The air operations in the invasion of Spring 1940 are documented with interesting scale models and dioramas, as well as much technical material retrieved from the days of German occupation. This includes cameras for photo reconnaissance, Third Reich military maps of the region, flags, aircraft engines, and many historical pictures.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
From the same era, the cockpit of a Soviet Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik, documents of the air actions against the Third Reich occupants, and others concerning the history of ‘Little Norway’ – the Norwegian military training facilities in Canada – are also on display.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Aircraft displayed in this area include restored or partly reconstructed examples of a De Havilland Mosquito, a Supermarine Spitfire, as well as a Focke-Wulf FW190 and a Messerschmitt BF-109 on the German side.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
All these birds together make for a really unusual and evocative sight today! Especially the German fighters are really rare to find, and their condition and presentation is really eye-catching.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Further aircraft from the time include a North American Harvard trainer, and a big Consolidated PBY Catalina seaplane used for patrol. The latter looks really massive hosted indoor, compared to smaller fighter aircraft!
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Anti-aircraft guns and a pretty unusual radio emitter/transmission station, employed as beacons for helping instrumental navigation in the war years, are also part of this interesting display.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Next to the WWII area is the Cold War section of the display. Following the bad WWII experience with a policy of international neutrality, resulting in an invasion by a powerful enemy force, following the escalating divergence between the western Allies and the USSR, Norway opted for joining NATO as a founding member.
The alliance with the US and Britain, similar to other NATO Countries, meant a substantial supply of American and (at least in the beginning) British military supply. A North American F-86 Sabre and a Republic F-84 Thunderjet are two beautiful representatives from the early Cold War era. Similarly, a De Havilland Vampire is hanging from the ceiling.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
A slightly more modern item is a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. Not much employed in the US, it covered the interceptor role along the border with the Eastern Bloc in Norway, Federal Germany and Italy for many years.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Historical pictures tell – among many interesting subjects – about other aircraft, like the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, as well as the F-104 and the F-5 involved in interception and escort flights, shadowing Tupolev Tu-95, Antonov An-12 and other USSR machines flying over international waters or scraping the border of Scandinavian airspaces – quintessential Cold War memories!
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Possibly a reason for Bodø having grown to further fame in the aviation community of Western Countries is the presence here of a real Lockheed U-2 spy plane. This aircraft can be found in Europe only at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, Britain, and here. Actually, a curious fact about Bodø is that it was a designated destination or an alternate (emergency) airfield for the perilous overflights of the USSR, carried out with the Lockheed U-2, and later with the Mach 3+ Lockheed SR-71. Actually, the latter landed here in one occasion, whereas the ill-fated mission of Francis Gary Powers, downed by Soviet SAMs while en-route north of Kazakhstan from Peshawar, Pakistan, had Bodø as a destination (see this post for pictures of the relic in Moscow).
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
The U-2 is displayed so that it is possible to both appreciate its slim shape and large wing span, and also get near to its cockpit. However, its installation and lighting inside the hall – and the fact that it is black… – make it a rather difficult target for photographs. Next to the aircraft, historical pictures and schemes tell about the mission of Francis Gary Powers. Interesting tables for the interpretation of photo intelligence are also on display.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Still in the Cold War part of the museum, a very unusual and interesting section is centered on the facilities and technical gear for the detection and monitoring of airspace intrusion, for early warning and for alerting the air defenses of the National airspace.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
This secretive and little publicized branch of the military kept its ears and eyes constantly pointed on the moves of the colossal Soviet neighbor, recording every single movement – look for the super-interesting registry of USSR aircraft movements! – and constantly updating the situation, in order to be ready to counter a sudden ‘turn for the worst’, in case of an actual attack.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Interestingly, much of the electronics here is US made, as can be seen looking at the product tags.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
The arsenal that could be employed to counter an air attack included the Nike-Ajax and later Nike-Hercules surface to air missiles, deployed along the border with the Eastern Bloc also in Denmark, Germany and Italy (see here and here).
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Just to complete this incredible Cold War exhibition, an interesting and pretty unique air-dropped WE-177 nuclear bomb case is on display!
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
More modern addition to the aircraft collection include a General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and some helicopters.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
A latter interesting part of the military exhibition showcases an array of aircraft-mounted cannons from various ages, showing their precision and their effect on the same target. You can appreciate the effects of the technical evolution of these weapons.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Examples of air-launched missiles and sonobuoys, and a fine array of flight suits showing the evolution of their design, conclude this exceptional museum.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
As a plus, the old control tower of the military air station has been turned into a panorama point, where you can watch air operation on the actual airport, and also listen to air traffic frequencies!
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
The gate guardians include a Bell helicopter and an old glorious Hawker Hurricane from WWII.
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Norwegian Aviation Museum Bodø – Norsk Luftfartsmuseum – Military aviation gallery – WWII and Cold War
Visiting
The museum is located at Bodø airport, and can be spotted pretty easily when entering the town. Bodø can be included – or considered as a starting point – in many tours of Northern Norway. The museum offers a large and convenient parking. It can be toured in not less than 2 hours for aviation-minded people. The website is here.
Coherently with its name, this wonderful collection is focused on military aviation in Norway. Most aircraft having served in the RNoAF at some point in history are represented, as well as some from WWII – not only from the Allied side, but most notably some rare exemplars from the Third Reich.
A great feature of this museum is also the architecture of the display. Put in a U-shaped building to the southwest of Oslo-Gardermoen airport, the aircraft are in most cases sufficiently far from one another to allow moving around freely, getting an unobstructed view from different angles. Furthermore, the natural lighting from the top windows is ideal for pictures (similar to the solution adopted in the Estonian Aviation Museum, see here).
Late 20th century
The display starts with the Northrop F-5, which is represented by three exemplars, interspersed with a single example of a General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon – currently in use with the RNoAF, to be replaced by the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. The Freedom Fighter has been the backbone of the RNoAF for the latter years of the Cold War, being flanked and substituted by the Fighting Falcon, and now by the Lightning II.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The aircraft on display are two F-5 Freedom Fighter, i.e. the light fighter version – one in a distinctive tiger painting – and one RF-5 Tigereye, which has been developed from the original design into a capable photo reconnaissance aircraft.
Walking beneath the F-5 reveals many details, for instance the landing gear mechanism, the missile pylons and anchoring system, and JATO bottles for reducing the take-off distance.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
A J85 jet engine – there were two for each F-5 – is on display, with the afterburner pipe mounted past the turbine exhaust. A choice of missiles and pods can be seen close to the ‘tiger painted’ exemplar. The latter can be boarded. The fully analog cockpit shows much standard instrumentation for flight control, navigation and engine management, but also an armament panel with weapons selection and activation switches. Also interesting are the parachute deployment lever, for the arresting parachute, or the underwing load jettison system.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The RF-4 reconnaissance aircraft features a nose camera, with a prominent lens which can be easily checked out. Similarly, the hatch of the port 20-mm cannon has been left open, showing the cannon body, barrel and the very neat ammo supply system.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
Next to these aircraft are a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter in a two-seats trainer configuration, and the front section of another exemplar with the original cockpit, which can be boarded. The J79 engine of the Starfighter, apparently originally from Canada judging from the Orenda labels on some components, has been taken out of the fuselage and can be appreciated in all its length (with the afterburner pipe to the back).
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The cockpit of the Starfighter is cramped, with little legroom and a very limited front visibility. It is fully analog, similar to the F-5.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
In a corner of the hall, an original simulator – apparently for an F-16 – has found a new collocation, possibly from a military aviation academy.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
Early Cold War
The next part of the display offers the sight of a full array of fascinating, well-preserved aircraft from the early Cold War period. The first is a North American F-86 Sabre, with an attractive golden front intake decoration. Walking around and looking closely, many particular features can be spotted, including the leading edge slats. A ‘used’ Martin Baker ejection seat shows the little damage resulting from actual employment in case of emergency.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
Next is an improved version of the Sabre (F-86K), which features a very different intake, such to accommodate in the bulbous nose a powerful radar antenna. The latter could work in conjunction with a computer, and offered a substantial help in increasing the offensive capability of this fighter, which could also be operated in all weather conditions.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
A nice gem of the collection is an original portable cabinet for testing the General Electric J47 engine. This cabinet looks like a suitcase, but it could be positioned standing on its legs, linked with connectors to the on-board systems, and could show the working condition of the engine in a mounted configuration. The monitoring instrumentation is fully analog. It would make for a great item for collectors of Cold War technical gear!
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
Then follows an Republic F-84 Thunderjet early jet fighter, with its neat lines, wing tip tanks, and an under-fuselage spoiler in a deflected position.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
Nearby, the rather different – despite the similar code – Republic RF-84F Thunderflash photo reconnaissance aircraft prominently displays its big-diameter optics in the nose.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The really elegant design of a Lockheed T-33 can be appreciated next. The air intakes are really works of art, and the bare metal color just adds to the vintage line of this early design.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
Similarly graceful is the iconic De Havilland Vampire, the only British addition to this US-dominated aircraft display from the Cold War era. With its distinctive twin-boom tail, the typical De Havilland vertical fins dating back to the pre-WWII propeller-driven examples, the shrouded jet engine totally disappearing in the body of the aircraft, with small, fenced intakes on the leading edges of the wing, this aircraft looks like a really good balance between engineering-driven design choices and pure elegance.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
WWII aircraft
A central section of the exhibition is centered on WWII-era aircraft, starting with two Supermarine Spitfire, one hanging from the ceiling, and one sitting on its wheels, in a greenish color and RNoAF emblems.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
What follows is a pretty unique US-made aircraft, a Northrop N-3PB seaplane, ordered as a sea patrolling aircraft by Norway, but not reaching Scandinavia in time before the German invasion. It was then employed as a sea patrol from Iceland by the Norwegian forces in exile. Possibly looking not so conspicuous in pictures, it is a rather massive bird. It shows an interesting floatplane design, where floats are anchored to the wings through aerodynamically profiled struts, so as to reduce drag as much as possible.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
Walking around it, you can notice the relatively light weaponry hanging from the fuselage bottom, the down-firing back cannon for defense, and the detachable wheels to pull the aircraft ashore.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
Then a very rare bird follows – a German Heinkel He-111 bomber from WWII! Restored in a mint-looking condition, this aircraft makes for a unique sight in the panorama of aviation collections.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
This iconic aircraft from the Third Reich, much known to aviation-minded people especially in connection with the early landslide campaigns of the Third Reich in Europe and for the Battle of Britain, can be examined from very close and beneath, unveiling some interesting peculiar features. For example, the bomb bay features vertical square-section separated ‘blisters’, a totally different solution with respect to larger US bombers from the age.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The underbelly shooting pod allowed the cannon operator to ‘rest’ in a laid down position. The front cannon is clearly asymmetrically placed with respect to the aircraft centerline, following a side curvature of the nose cone such to increase pilot’s visibility.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
Close by is another incredibly well-preserved addition from the Third Reich’s Luftwaffe, a Junkers Ju-52 transport in fashionable military colors.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Ju-52 and He-111 were the main characters involved in the blitzkrieg attack to Oslo-Fornebu, the now bygone airport of central Oslo, which was the stage of a massive air-launched German attack in April 1940, a substantial contribution and a prelude to the complete invasion of Norway. Both aircraft are surrounded by a set of accessories from the time, including searchlights, fuel tanks, spare parts, anti-aircraft guns and even service trolleys with skis to be used on snowy aprons! The ensemble is really quite a sight.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
From roughly the same age is also a perfectly preserved Douglas C-47 Skytrain – a true war veteran! Preserved in the colors of the RNoAF, it was originally incorporated in the USAAF and employed in action in Europe since mid-1944. It flew during the Berlin Airlift, operating in and out West Berlin transporting goods during Stalin’s blockade of the town in 1948-49 (see this chapter). It later joined the RNoAF and was employed for radar tuning and for transport until the mid-1970s.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The color scheme of the RNoAF looks great on this C-47, and the presentation among some airport service vehicles from the time adds to the display.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
Further recent aircraft
Approaching the extremity of the U-shaped building, you can find a De Havilland Twin Otter with skis, some classic helicopters, some aircraft undergoing restoration – including substantial remains of a Junkers Ju-88 bomber from the Third Reich! – and a massive Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The latter is possibly the aircraft in the collection having been retired most recently. It has been deprived of its vertical fin, which simply couldn’t fit inside the building, but the rest is almost complete. The engine pods are opened, so that you can see inside. An array of JATO bottles to enhance take-off performance has been anchored to the side of the fuselage.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The aircraft is on display with the back and side doors opened, so that boarding its preserved interior and cockpit is indeed possible.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
Inside the cockpit, chance is you meet a living legend, the flight engineer of the RNoAF Mons Nygård, who will explain you the features and operations of his aircraft! The man joined the Armed Forces in the late 1950s until the 1990s, with a military career spanning a big part of the Cold War. He flew extensively the Hercules, as well as other aircraft including the Lockheed P-3 Orion, logging a staggering more-than-17’000 hours in flight!
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
We could interview him about his career, which unfolded several nice anecdotes and memories from the Cold War years, and a real passion for his super-reliable aircraft and for his job. It’s no wonder the Hercules, being designed in the 1950s, is still in service with many Armed Forces of the world.
Anti-aircraft defense system
Finally, the exhibition includes Nike-Ajax and Nike-Hercules anti-aircraft missiles (SAM). Installed in batteries against an attack from the USSR also in Norway (see for instance this preserved battery in Italy, this in Denmark, or this ghost one in former Federal Germany), these nuclear-capable massive missiles were in service typically between the 1950s and the early 1980s, becoming by then obsolete.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
Of great interest for technically-minded people are some of the inside components of these missiles, including components of the guidance system and some electronics, which can be seen in display cases, as well as technical vehicles for launch control, radar operation etc.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
Other lighter anti-aircraft weapons from the Cold War era are displayed nearby, thus covering also this interesting subject in good detail.
Balcony
The visit may be concluded with a walk along the inside balcony, from which a good view of all the aircraft just mentioned is obtained.
On the same balcony, you can find also many trainers once used for teaching young pilots the basics of flight. Some are classic models belonging to the era of Little Norway and WWII, when training for freshly recruited pilots was carried out in Ontario, Canada.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The gate guardians for this beautiful collection are an F-5 and an F-104, the latter in the greenish colorway seen also in the collection in Bodø.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
The Norwegian Armed Forces Collection – Flysamlingen Forsvaret Museer – Military aviation collection, Oslo-Gardermoen
Visiting
This fantastic collection can be found in the southwestern corner of the premises of Oslo-Gardermoen airport, the main airport serving the Norwegian capital city.
The museum is administrated by the Armed Forces.
Visiting for the aircraft enthusiast may be very rewarding and may take more than 2 hours, since the exceptional state of preservation of the artifacts and the many details you can explore through a walk around very close to the aircraft invite to spend time inside. You have also chance to speak with former military crew, which adds much to the experience. Very good photo opportunities for an indoor collection.
Large free parking ahead of the entrance, with picnic facilities. Nice model shop by the ticket office.
The museum is normally open on weekends, but further visits may be scheduled out of these opening slot. Please check the info on their website here.
War actions in Scandinavia constitute a crucial stage in the unfolding of WWII events in Europe. The strategic position of the Scandinavian peninsula was not overlooked by strategists in the Third Reich and the USSR, and by the Western Allies. As a matter of fact, the German invasion of Denmark and Norway took place as early as the Spring of 1940, starting just weeks before the invasion of Holland, Belgium and France.
History & Remains – A Quick Summary
For Germany in WWII, the long and impervious coast of Norway constituted an ideal strong point to carry out raids over the North Sea, Norwegian Sea, the northern Atlantic and the Barents Sea, interfering with resupply convoys from Britain and the US. Especially after the start of the war against the USSR in 1941, the polar routes going to Murmansk – the only non-freezing port on the northern coast of the USSR – were within range of German warships and aircraft operating from the north of Norway. Control over Norway and Denmark meant total control on the access to the Baltic Sea, thus protecting the northern coast of Germany from direct attack by the Western Allies, allowing unimpeded action against the Soviet Union on that sea. Of the greatest importance in the northern European territory was also the abundance of raw materials – mainly metals for industrial production – so desperately needed by the Third Reich.
For the Allies, keeping Scandinavia was an objective of great relevance in the early stages of the war, since this territory could be a convenient springboard to launch attacks against the flat and easy coast of Germany. In the rapidly changing complex alliances and diplomatic relationships of the early stage of WWII (1939-40), Norway and Sweden tried to keep out of the war. Finland fought the Winter War against the USSR (itself one of the results of the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact, albeit not to the knowledge of the Finns), loosing part of its territory and strengthening its link with Germany for some years to come (see this post). The Third Reich attacked Norway by air and sea in April 1940, and help was sought especially in Britain. King Haakon VII of Norway left for exile in England, and the initial battles of WWII between the Reich and the UK were fought – mainly at sea – in proximity of Norwegian ports.
The Atlantic Wall
Possibly the most impressive military trace of WWII in Europe, the Atlantic Wall – a defense line stretching from France to northern Norway – was designed and built in Denmark and Germany, immediately following the successful push of the Third Reich into these Countries. Actually, those are the Countries where the most relevant remains of this interesting trace of war can be found today. A very ambitious project both in purpose and required resources, the Atlantic Wall never reached completion. Despite that, the geography of Norway, with a coastline featuring only limited access to the inland area, allowed to create an effective barrier against a potential enemy landing. Hundreds of gun batteries, complemented with anti-aircraft artillery and radars, constituted a powerful deterrent against any invasion. As a matter of fact, after the unique episode of the Battle of Narvik in the early stages of WWII, no Allied forces ever landed in Norway from the sea for the rest of the war.
A complete visit to all sites of the Atlantic Wall in Norway is a really immense task, due to the number of installations and their geographical remoteness. However, a few impressive highlights can be found in convenient locations, and can be easily visited by everybody. In this post some of them are presented – the colossal battery ‘Vara’, the southern fortified area of Lista, the forts of Fjell and Tellevik near Bergen, and the massive cannons of Austratt.
War Museums
But other fragments of the rich legacy of WWII in Norway can be retraced also away from the preserved installations of the Atlantic Wall. An interesting page is that of naval warfare deployed by the Navy of the Third Reich – the Kriegsmarine – to counter Allied shipping activities. Names like Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau are frequently found in history books as well as in movies or scale model shops, and they are just a few of the mighty vessels linked to the Scandinavian war theater. Dedicated exhibitions can be found in little but impressively rich museums on these topics. In this post, the Tirpitz Museum in Alta, the War Museum of Narvik and the exhibition in the visitor center of North Cape are covered.
Special interest sites
Heroic actions involving the Norwegian resistance organization are proudly remembered all over the Nation. A particularly interesting location being the Rjukan hydroelectric power-plant, which produced heavy water, a key-component in the research leading to the preparation of fissile material. This strategic asset was highly needed by the German nuclear program. On the other hand, its possession by the Third Reich was seen as a clear and present danger by the Allies, who tried to have the plant destroyed in several instances. The Norwegian resistance was clearly much involved in sabotage missions, due to the difficulty in targeting the place through air bombing raids. The power-plant is today a nice museum, covered in this post.
Photographs in this chapter were collected on a visit in August 2022.
Sights
The map below shows the location of the sites mentioned in this chapter. Their listing in the descriptions roughly follows a clockwise sense, starting from the southernmost point of Kristiansand (Vara battery). Red items are in disrepair, whereas blue ones are official tourist destinations.
The Vara battery was built as the core of the strongly fortified area around Kristiansand. Thanks to its position close to the southernmost tip of the Norwegian territory, this port town is still today very busy with passenger and freight traffic from nearby Denmark.
The Third Reich military started to lay sea mines as soon as it gained control of both sides of the Skagerrak strait. The coast around Kristiansand was reinforced with several coastal artillery pieces, and production of a set of special 38 cm caliber guns – called Siegfried -was started by the Krupp ironworks in Essen in 1940. The aim was that of controlling access to the Baltic sea by means of two batteries of long-range naval guns, one to the south in Denmark (Hanstholm, see here), and one to the north in Kristiansand.
The cannons should be capable of revolving by 360 degrees, and special concrete rotundas were prepared for the scope in a location called Møvik, on the southwestern end of the gulf of Kristiansand. The complex morphology of the terrain in this site led to a smaller than desirable area for the battery, where all technical buildings – including ammo storages – had to be built relatively close to one another. These massive constructions alone, built by the same ‘Organisation Todt’ responsible for the implementation of the coastal defense positions all over Europe, make for a remarkable work of engineering, carried out with the help of local builders, working relentlessly around the clock to have these emplacements ready as soon as possible.
In the event, only three of the four Siegfried cannons made their way to the battery in Kristiansand, one being apparently lost when the transport ship carrying it was sunk on the Baltic Sea. Transporting these 110 ton, around 60 ft long barrels by rail from Germany into the narrow valleys of Scandinavia was not an easy task. However, two cannons were test-fired in May 1942, and the third in November the same year.
The battery received the name ‘Vara’, after a high-ranking official killed in Guernsey in 1941.
Battery Vara went through the war without seeing an involvement in any major war action, and was mainly test-fired only. The whole installation, comprising target detection points, analog computers for target aiming, ammo storages – including more than 1.400 shells! – and many other service buildings, was inherited intact by the Norwegian Armed Forces in 1945, similar to many other installations along the coast of the Skagerrak and the North Sea. It was incorporated in the Norwegian coastal artillery between 1946 and 1954, being later placed in reserve having by then become obsolete for Cold War warfare standards. Two cannons were scrapped, whereas one – the only entirely surviving battery Nr. 2 – was luckily kept. The site survived subsequent stages of demolition works over the next decades, but in the early 1990s it was finally re-opened as a museum.
Cannon Nr. 2
Today, the centerpiece of the visit is constituted by a walk around the perfectly preserved building of cannon Nr.2. This bunkerized building is composed of a set of technical rooms, for ammo assembly and storage, as well as for services like Diesel power generators, and an adjoining rotunda, where the big cannon revolved around a pinion, and could be pointed to its target, following instructions from the battery control center. The latter elaborated target data from detection, identification, measuring and range-finding positions scattered around the battery perimeter.
Access to the back of the concrete building is via the original hatch, closed by iron doors. You can see the narrow-gauge railway track leading in. This linked the cannon buildings with the ammo storages around, and allowed to supply the cannon with ammo parts (the explosive cartridge and the shell are not assembled in a single unity for larger cannons, unlike for lighter weapons). The hatch drives you into a long corridor, the backbone of the bunkerized quarters behind the cannon rotunda. Here some shells have been put on the original railway trolley for display.
The cannon building hosted a permanent watch of a few men, which manned it permanently in shifts. A living room with some berths is the only one offering some comfort in the building.
A number of rooms in the bunker are dedicated to the power generator plant. A primary and a back-up generator share the same room. Of special interest are the labels on all machines and mechanisms, proudly made in Germany – in some cases, by brands still existing today.
Electric power was required for the motion of the cannon, besides for smaller appliances like lights and radios. The cannons could make use of the regional grid, but since an unstable supply might have damaged the cannon motors, aiming operations were often carried out on the controlled internal power grid, fed by the generators, and producing an optimal output.
Beside the generator room, the air conditioning plant (not for comfort, but to slightly pressurize the bunker in order to repel and pump-out poisonous or exhaust gas), the Diesel tank and the water tank for cooling the generator can be seen in adjoining rooms.
To the far end of the corridor, a radio room was used to maintain a link with the battery command post, located more than 1 mile away from Vara battery. Actually, by design the electric signals to orient the cannon could be given by the control post, and the radio communication system was there for backup.
On the other side of the corridor with respect to the generator rooms – i.e. towards the cannon rotunda – are four adjoining rooms, used to store the components of the explosive cartridges and shells. The shells and cartridges prepared for firing were moved via a crane to a tray, and from there sent side-wards to the rotunda, where they were loaded on a trolley. The cranes, trays and slots linking these rooms to the rotunda can be found around the area of the bunker closer to the rotunda.
The cranes moved along tracks hanging from the ceiling. These tracks had some switch points, allowing to allow the crane to move across different rooms in the bunker.
Inside these rooms, today you can find much original material of special interest. Specimens of high-explosive (yellow) and armor-piercing (blue) shells are displayed. The weight of the shells was around 800 kg, where the cartridge could feature different weights, roughly from 100 to 200 kg.
The top range of these cannons and shells was around 43 km. Smaller 500 kg shells could alternatively be fired by Siegfried cannons, with a longer range of 55 km. Furthermore, the cannon could be test-fired during drills with smaller caliber shots, by reducing the bore of the cannon. This was a very useful feature, since the estimated loss of barrel metal due to attrition was a staggering 0.25 kg per shot, implying a life of the barrel of only around 250-300 shots, firing with sufficient accuracy. Shooting smaller shells allowed to spare barrel wear and extend the time between overhauls of the cannon.
The sealed canisters for the explosive cartridges, with original markings in German, can still be seen piled in a room!
More material on display includes a rare example of fire direction computer. Actually, that on display is smaller than the one originally used for the long-range cannons of Vara battery, but it provides a good idea of the level of sophistication of this mechanism. Data like target distance, velocity, orientation, wind speed and direction, etc. were set as input to this analog computer, producing fire direction variables to point the cannon. An incredible masterpiece of engineering and craftsmanship, this type of computer is difficult to find in museums, and allows to appreciate the level of development of warfare back in the 1940s.
Data including range of the target was found with the help of special instrumentation. A stereoscopic range-finder was installed in the battery command post, with an arm of 12 m, which allowed good accuracy for very distant targets – required for the long range of the cannons of Vara battery. Smaller instruments with the same principle are displayed in one of the rooms.
Among the special features of this bunkerized building are the restored, original writings from German times, as well as a one-of-a-kind painting made by a Soviet prisoner of war.
From the bunkerized room, you can get access to the rotunda. Cartridges put on trolleys moved along a circular railway track all around the rotunda. This way, cartridges could be taken to the cannon whatever the direction it was pointing. Once to the base of the cannon turret, the explosive charge and the shell were lifted separately by means of two special elevators, up to the level of the gun shutter.
An impressive feature of the rotunda is the ring cover for the circular railway. In order to protect the railway passage from above, while allowing the cannon to rotate, a roof made of thick metal scales was implemented. When revolving around the pinion, the cannon turret would automatically lift the scales on its passage. The sound of the scales being lifted and released while the cannon body was revolving must have been really an experience!
Here the back of the barrel dominates the relatively large firing chamber. The shutter has been left open, so you can see the sunlight through the barrel.
The shell and explosive charge were received from the two elevators on a special tray, and here they were finally aligned one before the other. Somewhat in contrast to the top-notch technology level of the installation, the cartridge had to be pushed from the back into the barrel by hand. A long wooden stick was used for the task. Actually, it was so long that it protruded from the back of the cannon turret, thus requiring a small hatch to be pierced in the metal armor correspondingly. On one side of the barrel, instrumentation for measuring the pointing direction is still in place.
The position of cannon Nr.1 was prepared unusually close to that of Nr.2. As said, this was due to the limited available area on the uneven coast section where the battery was put in place. However, Nr.1 never received a cannon. Conversely, it was modified later in the war, when experimenting with cannon protection from air-dropped high-yield bombs. The rotunda was capped with a very thick concrete roof, sustained by sidewalls which limited the side-wards rotation of the cannon to 120 degrees.
The rotunda can be walked freely. The central pinion is still in place. Inside, the ceiling is covered in original metal panels. The round corridor for the trolleys can still be seen, but there is no access left to the bunkerized part.
Following the railway around the site is a great way to find what remains today of the original installation. There are two bulky ammo storages. These were reportedly more thickly armored than usual, in view of a higher risk of getting hit, due to the unusual proximity with the cannons – designated targets for the enemy.
Furthermore, other smaller buildings are scattered around, which may have served as storage for lighter weapons.
The positions of cannons Nr. 3 and Nr. 4 have been largely demolished, and access is permanently shut to the bunkerized part. However, you can easily climb to the top level, to get a nice view of the rotunda.
Vara is in the top-five list of the most famous surviving installations of the Atlantic Wall in Europe, and a visit to this destination is in itself a good reason for a detour to Norway for war historians and like-minded people. Due to its proximity to the port of Kristiansand, just minutes apart by car, and the relatively easy-to-reach location in the most populated part of Norway, it is also a top destination for any tourist in the area. As a matter of fact, the place is run as a top-level museum, with great reception capability, and is visited by thousands of visitors per year.
Visiting can be performed on a self-guided basis, with an explanation leaflet which allows to get much from your visit, especially if you are not new to installations of the Atlantic Wall (which are mostly standardized, despite Vara having really oversized guns!). A tour of the main features – cannon Nr.2 and the building of Nr.1 – may take 1 hour at least, for an averagely interested person. For an in-depth visit and a quick tour of the premises including other remains, more than 2 hours are needed. Thanks to the exceptional level of conservation and the explanation of whatever is on display, the visit is not boring and may be very rewarding even for younger people.
Large parking on site, picnic tables and warm reception are available – as usual in Norway! Website with full information here.
Nordberg & Marka Batteries – Farsund
Located in the southwestern corner of the Norwegian territory, about 100 miles south of the port of Stavanger, the municipality of Farsund encompasses a number of small coastal villages, around the landmark represented by the lighthouse of Lista.
Two batteries were set up by the German occupation forces as part of the Atlantic wall, both fully operative by 1942. The northern one is called Nordberg fort, where the southern one, very close to the shore line, is known as Marka fort. Between the two, the Germans installed a full-scale airbase, with a runway of roughly 1.5 km, complemented by hangars and shelters largely standing today. Following the end of WWII and the withdrawal of the German military, all these installations were converted for military use by the Norwegian armed forces, which also developed the original airfield into a more modern airbase by stretching the runway.
Today, Nordberg fort is a museum. The German Navy was in charge of the station, which had as centerpieces three 150 mm cannons, with a range of around 23 km. The cannons have been scrapped (with the exception of a lighter piece of Russian make). However, the firing positions are still there, linked by a semi-interred trench.
You can see also the original control point for the battery, developed by the Norwegians more recently, and the concrete base for a radar antenna originally on site.
Several original buildings for services – canteen, hospital,… – are still there, making for a an interesting opportunity to see how this installation looked like back in the 1940s.
The Marka fort was assembled around six 150 mm guns, located very close to the sea, grouped in two batteries of three firing positions each. A huge bunkerized command post was built in the premises of the fort. Today, after the Norwegian military left at the end of the Cold War, the Marka battery is basically a ghost site, despite being still in a relatively good shape.
The control bunker is especially interesting, since you can access the top level and watch the sea from the very same room and windows originally used by the German Navy troops! The general arrangement of the bunker is similar to other command posts you can find on the Atlantic Wall – especially in Denmark (see here).
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
The positions for the coastal guns can be reached close to the control bunker. They are uncovered round areas, slightly below the level of the ground, framed by a circular reinforced sidewall.
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
More Atlantic Wall remains, like bunkers, foundations for radar stations, or emplacements for lighter guns, can be be found scattered in the area of Farsund – which kept its military site status well after the Germans had left.
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Marka Battery Lista Farsund – Atlantic Wall – WWII – Norway
Visiting
The museum of Nordberg keeps some of the buildings on the respective site open. However, the majority of the site is open 24 hours, and can be walked freely. A visit may take about 1 hour. A convenient parking can be found right ahead of the modern and welcoming visitor center, from where you can effortlessly reach most of the points of interest in this installation. Website with full information here.
The site of Marka – not part of any museum – can be approached at any time with some walking in the rural area along the coast line. A good starting point for an exploration is here, where you can leave your car and move along an easy trail to the command bunker and the gun rotundas about 0.5 miles west.
Fjell Fortress – Bergen
Bergen was a strategic base of the German Navy, which received a fortified submarine deck among the largest, most active and longest lasting in the history of WWII. The complex morphology of the territory around this port town allowed to effectively protect the access by means of a network of nine firing emplacements. One of them – Fjell – was of exceptional power and range.
It was built between 1942-43 diverting one of the batteries of battleship Gneisenau, which had been damaged beyond repair by an air raid while in port at Kiel (Germany). The battery was composed of three 28 cm guns in a single turret. The latter was very compact in design, a real masterpiece of naval engineering, but nonetheless it featured a rather tall substructure, with all that was needed to operate the guns – protruding from the relatively sleek top of the turret, surfacing on the ground.
Placing this special battery in Fjell required carving the rocky coast, creating a cylindrical underground pit, inside coated with concrete, to host the turret. The turret, an assembly of around 1.000 tonnes with the guns on top, was then transported up to this elevated site, and lowered into the pit. The battery was test fired in the mid of 1943. It acted as an effective deterrent, and reportedly never used in combat.
The battery was incorporated in the Norwegian coastal defense after WWII, and sadly scrapped in 1968, since by then obsolete, but not yet considered an historical landmark.
Clearly, the battery was in the middle of an off-limits military area in wartime, where bunkers for several services and for the the troops, at least two radar antennas and many emplacements for lighter defensive weapons were installed to protect the battery from ground and air attacks.
Today, the bunker-pit where the turret used to rest is the centerpiece of a visit to the site. Starting from the visitor center on top, where the guns used to be, you can descend to the base of the cylindrical pit – roughly 30 ft in diameter and 75 in depth! Here you can see the rooms originally employed for storing the explosive cartridges and the shells for the cannons. These were supplied on trolleys and slides, and sent inside the metal turret, to be lifted up to the level of the cannons for firing.
Most of the original German mechanical and electrical systems is still there to see, including wiring, phones, cranes, trolleys, and examples of shells and cartridges.
Back then, you got access to these storage areas from an entrance on the same level (i.e. not from the top of the turret, but from the base). You can see this entrance, as well as the curved corridor leading from the gate to the ammo storage area. Here, examples of sea mines and other war material can be found. The corridor has narrow-gauge railway track, which was used for resupplying the ammo storage from outside.
The corridor is curved, and firing positions are strategically placed to cover it, in order to counter enemy intrusion.
The bunker gives access to the living quarters for the troops. These are well preserved, and feature brick walls to help insulating the inside from the wet rock of the walls and ceilings.
Services, like toilets, sauna, washing machines and more, are original from the German tenancy. Especially the water basins appear very stylish, a good example of German design from the era.
Besides the main turret bunker, as said the Fjell site offers other constructions on a vast area, which can be checked out from the outside – also since the premises are at least formally military grounds still today.
The road reaching the site from the parking, gently climbing uphill, is reportedly the original main access to the Third Reich site. An interesting tank-stopping device can be seen to the lower end of the road – heavy stones on top of light pillars on the sides of the road. The pillars could be blown, and the stones would fall cutting the road, in case of a potential intrusion.
The fort of Fjell, about 15 miles west of central Bergen, is professionally run as a museum. Parking is only possible to the base of the cliff where the turret used to stand. From there, a 0.8 miles road climbs to the entrance. The scenic location and the nice rural area around make for an enjoyable walk. Visiting inside is only possibly on guided tours, offered also in English (an possibly other languages). A small restaurant can be found on top, where an observation deck has been built in place of the battery.
The location of the parking is here. A visit may take around 45 minutes, excluding the time needed to climb uphill and descend to the parking. Website with full information here.
Tellevik Fort – Bergen
The coastal fort of Tellevik, on the eastern head of the Norhordland Bridge, 15 miles north of Bergen, was part of the lighter defense artillery put in place by the German military to defend any access by water to Bergen. The battery was built by order of the Third Reich, profiting from the forced labor of Soviet prisoners of war.
Lighter howitzers were enough to cover the narrow water passages in proximity of the town. The elevation of the emplacement is low, slightly above the water surface.
The battery of Tellevik was centered on two such howitzers, placed on open-top positions. The two guns can be seen still today, on round concrete firing positions. The giant bridge today largely obstructing the field of sight was not there at the time of the German occupation.
A monument to Norwegian seamen victims to sea mines laid by the German to protect the access to Bergen is concurrently located on the site of the Tellevik battery.
Tellevik is an open air memorial, which can be walked freely 24/7. It can be reached by inputting these coordinates to a GPS navigation app.
A visit may take about 15 minutes, a nice detour from exceptionally crowded downtown Bergen.
Austrått Fortress – Austrått
Similar to Bergen, the major port of Trondheim was a strategic base for the German Navy. Protected by a long firth, the port was an ideal base for submarines and warships, to intercept convoys in the North Sea, Norwegian Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea. Correspondingly, a number of coastal forts was prepared by the German occupation forces to counter any unauthorized access to the waterways leading to Trondheim.
The most powerful and impressive of these batteries is the Austratt Fort. Similar to the fortress of Fjell near Bergen (see above), Austratt received one of the turrets of the ill-fated battleship Gneisenau, damaged while moored in Kiel, in February 1942. A control and aiming position was put in place a few miles apart along the coast, whereas the battery was surrounded by an off-limits area, stuffed with bunkers for the troops, ammo storage bunkers, and lighter guns for protection against an attack by land.
A major difference between the two ‘sister sites’ of Fjell and Austratt is that in the latter the cannons are still there!
Following the installation of the turret, test fired in September 1943, the fort saw little action, acting as a deterrent, and effectively preventing any serious intrusion by the Allies towards Trondheim from the sea. After the demise of the Third Reich, the fort was taken over by the Norwegian coastal defense, stricken off in 1968, and restored as a museum in the early 1990s.
The cannons are on top of a hill. From the outside, the massive three-barreled turret is really impressive in size!
The barrels can be seen besides the original range-finder – with its impressive arm, granting good measuring accuracy even at a large distance from the target. This item, with its bell-shaped cover, was originally part of the control point, located southwest of the battery, in a location currently very close to an active base of the Norwegian Air Force (Orland).
Despite access to the the firing chamber being possible through a hatch to the back of the turret, the tour follows the way a shell would travel from storage to firing. Hence you start your tour from an entrance to the side of the hill, at the same level of the bottom of the cylindrical tower supporting the guns. This metal tower was taken from the Gneisenau together with the cannons, and put in a pit carved in the rock for the purpose in Austratt.
Access through the side of the hill is protected by a smaller gun. Once inside, you find yourself in a curvy corridor, with a narrow-gauge railway track for the trolleys needed to carry the shells and cartridges inside. A firing position behind an embrassure points against the entrance, for further protection of the site against an intrusion.
The bunker in Austratt – but the same happened to many installations of the Atlantic Wall in Norway – was plagued with severe humidity problems. Immediately besides the entrance, a room with a water basin is fed by natural water dripping from the ceiling and from the rocky walls around.
Original machines for tooling, put in place for maintenance purposes back in the Third Reich years, are still there and working. Similarly, a primary and a backup Diesel generators supplying the fort are still in place, with all ancillary plants, like big Diesel and water tanks for cooling. This is original machinery too, as witnessed by the tags of the mechanical components, all made in Germany.
Living quarters were at the bottom level too. Trying to supply some comfort, the rocky walls were covered with bricks and wood, especially against humidity. These rooms have been partly refurbished with a good resemblance to the original ones. They include the kitchen and some of the sleeping quarters for the troops. However, since humidity was really extreme, troops spent limited time here especially for sleeping, and provisional barracks were built outside of the installation instead.
Hygienic services were reportedly extremely advanced compared to Norwegian standards of the time. Fully working toilets, lavatories and showers were taken as a blueprint by the Norwegian Army after the war. The electric water heater put in place in the Austratt battery was apparently among the first installed in the whole Country – it can still be seen.
Explosive cartridges, fuses and shells arriving from the bunker entry you have walked through at the beginning of your tour would be eventually lifted upstairs. Shells, either high-yield explosive or armor-piercing, would be stored in a chamber featuring cranes hanging from the ceiling, used to put the shells on trolleys. These trolleys transported the shells to the lower level of the turret. The chamber where the shells were stored is physically separated by the turret by means of a concrete wall.
Tight compartments are often found in war bunkers of the Atlantic Wall, and this can be explained by the fact that the deadliest effect of an enemy shot (either a cannon shell from a warship, or an air-dropped bomb) would be that of an overpressure wave (shockwave), capable of killing many in just moments. Overpressure effects can be effectively reduced by putting physical obstacles on the way the shockwave would travel – walls, tight doors, etc. – or by forcing it into smaller passages, like hatches or smaller doors and windows. Therefore, bunkers like Austratt are built in rather small rooms, connected only through narrow hatches and doors.
Again in the storage chamber for the shells, extensive writing in German can be found on many of the mechanisms and electric plants. Everything is original and exceptionally well conserved, just like the Germans had just left!
The lowest level of the turret, where the shells would arrive from the storage chamber to be loaded on elevators going to the upper levels, is a masterpiece of engineering. The technical problem here was that of connecting the slides from the storage chamber, which are anchored to the ground, to the receiving slides on the turret, which could pivot around 360 degrees. The designer of the turret solved the issue by placing an intermediate ring, revolving independently, and capable of connecting the fixed slides from the storage chamber to the revolving platform on the turret. The extremely compact size of the overall design, originally prepared for fitting into a warship, and the elegance and precision of the mechanism resemble those of a pocket watch from the 1920s more than a cannon!
On the turret, you can see three elevators for the three barrels, which were therefore fed independently.
Going upstairs, you meet the storage room for the explosive cartridges. These used to be stored in sealed canisters on display, original from the time. This storage room is placed to the side of the corresponding level in the turret, in a similar fashion to the shells storage below.
Climbing up one more level inside the turret, you reach a platform with the motors for moving the battery around its vertical axis, and for lifting or lowering the three monster barrels. The motion involved high-pressure mechanisms, rather complex and requiring many valves and extensive piping.
To the back of each of the barrels, you can see a large empty volume for recoil. The battery rested on a ball bearing – one of the pretty sizable metal balls is on display.
Finally, the firing chamber can be found on the top level in the turret. Here the shells and cartridges were received, aligned and loaded from the back into the barrels by a pushing mechanical arm. Three independent mechanisms were put in place for the scope in the firing chamber.
You can exit the turret from the hatch to the back of the turret, concluding your tour. In the video below you can see a portrait of the battery from the air, made with a drone.
All in all, similar to the Vara battery (see above), Austratt is in an exceptional state of conservation in the Norwegian and European panorama of artillery engineering from WWII, and a visit may be super-interesting for any public.
Visiting
Despite being relatively close to Trondheim on a map, as usual in Norway, Austratt is a more than two hours drive from the town, and reaching requires taking at least one ferry. However, as noted, this location is a pinnacle in the Atlantic Wall, and surely deserves a visit for technicians and non-technical public as well, and of course for the kids.
Access to the exterior is possible at any time, but visiting inside is only possible on guided tours. The guide is very knowledgeable and makes the visit interesting also for a technically-minded public. The visit inside may take around 1 hour, more if you make questions and show some interest. Convenient parking by the gate of the fort, easy access to the area around the battery. Moving inside can be requiring for non-fit people.
As pointed out in the introduction to this chapter, Norway is rich of memorials from WWII. Even close to some of the attractions in this wonderful Country which are must-see stops for other reasons, features recalling memories from war actions are offered to a curious eye.
Two notable examples are the visitor center of the Arctic Circle along the E6, as well as that of North Cape.
Scandinavia has been a bloody and extremely active theater of war all along WWII, and Norway was directly involved in significant war actions since the first year of the conflict. As a matter of fact, most of the impressive line of fortifications constituting the Atlantic Wall was erected by deploying forced laborers, typically prisoners of war from the Eastern Front, primarily including Russians, other people from the USSR, and Balkan prisoners.
Soviet troops attacked the northernmost German-occupied region from the North, together with the Finns, after the latter negotiated a separate peace with the USSR in late 1944. The retreating Germans opposed a fierce resistance, and it was in this latest stage of the war that most physical damage to towns and installations was caused in Norway, since German troops were ordered to burn up all positions they had to leave.
These facts explain the many Soviet monuments and war cemeteries scattered especially in the northern part of Norway still today – commemorating Soviet soldiers fallen either in war actions or as prisoners of war in the harsh conditions of northern Norway.
One such monument, albeit overlooked, is prominently placed besides the visitor center of the Arctic Circle.
Soviet Memorial – Arctic Circle Visitor Center – WWII – Norway
Soviet Memorial – Arctic Circle Visitor Center – WWII – Norway
Soviet Memorial – Arctic Circle Visitor Center – WWII – Norway
The interest of Germany for Norway was primarily for its strategic position, which became an asset of special value after the start of the war against the USSR in mid-1941. The convoys feeding vital material to the USSR from Britain and the US had to go to Murmansk (see here) and the Kola Peninsula, i.e. over the Barents Sea. This was conveniently controlled by the German occupants, operating from the Norwegian coast.
In the visitor center of North Cape some panels are dedicated to this topic, showing an impression of the structure and routes followed by Allied convoys going to the USSR.
Polar Convoys to the USSR & Scharnhorst Exhibition – North Cape – Nordkapp – WWII – Norway
Polar Convoys to the USSR & Scharnhorst Exhibition – North Cape – Nordkapp – WWII – Norway
Polar Convoys to the USSR & Scharnhorst Exhibition – North Cape – Nordkapp – WWII – Norway
Polar Convoys to the USSR & Scharnhorst Exhibition – North Cape – Nordkapp – WWII – Norway
Polar Convoys to the USSR & Scharnhorst Exhibition – North Cape – Nordkapp – WWII – Norway
Polar Convoys to the USSR & Scharnhorst Exhibition – North Cape – Nordkapp – WWII – Norway
Polar Convoys to the USSR & Scharnhorst Exhibition – North Cape – Nordkapp – WWII – Norway
Detailed panels with maps and pictures recall the last battle of the German battleship Scharnhorst, which was confronted by the group of the British battleship HMS Duke of York, in an epic battle relatively close to North Cape. The massive German battleship, deployed to Norway with Tirpitz (a sister ship of the famous Bismarck) to block the resupply traffic to the USSR, was hit several times and finally sunk in the freezing last days of 1943. The battle was posthumously named ‘Battle of North Cape’. A detailed scaled model of the German battleship is similarly on display in the visitor center.
Polar Convoys to the USSR & Scharnhorst Exhibition – North Cape – Nordkapp – WWII – Norway
Polar Convoys to the USSR & Scharnhorst Exhibition – North Cape – Nordkapp – WWII – Norway
Polar Convoys to the USSR & Scharnhorst Exhibition – North Cape – Nordkapp – WWII – Norway
Polar Convoys to the USSR & Scharnhorst Exhibition – North Cape – Nordkapp – WWII – Norway
Polar Convoys to the USSR & Scharnhorst Exhibition – North Cape – Nordkapp – WWII – Norway
Visiting
The visitor center of the Arctic Circle on the road E6, with a small Soviet monument, can be found here. The monument is open 24/7.
The visitor center of North Cape is… at North Cape! The inside can be accessed during opening times, and the tables with information on WWII convoys and battles are on an underground mezzanine. Website with full information here.
War Museum – Narvik
The port town of Narvik was founded in the 19th century as a commercial base for exporting iron ore from Sweden. A small town by the sea, surrounded by steep-climbing mountains, and in a remote location well north of the Arctic Circle, Narvik was turned for about two months into a though theater of war for the Germans, following their occupation of Norway.
It was here that the British started a battle to stop the German push to the north, as soon as the 10th of April 1940, basically at the same time as the Germans had reached the town during their conquering campaign.
What resulted was a complex, multi-stage operation, lasting until early June 1940.
At first, the British fleet mounted a naval attack, carried out with a flotilla of five destroyers. This force clashed with the local German complement of ten destroyers. The British operation met with mixed success, and was finally repelled by the German navy operating in the narrow waters around Narvik, at the price of two destroyers on each side – plus several cargo ships destroyed in the battle. Three days later, on the 13th of April, a new force, composed of the British battleship HMS Warspite and 9 destroyers, launched another assault, resulting in the complete loss of the German destroyers fleet in the region – German warships were either sunk or scuttled.
The Germans however kept control of the town. A mixed force of British, Polish and French troops, together with the Norwegians, started an operation to conquer the town by land. The operation was successful, and the German troops had to retreat along the coast, away from Narvik. However, the start of the Battle of France – the invasion of France by the Third Reich – on the 10th of May, 1940, resulted in a rapid loss of priority of Narvik as a strategic target for the Allies. It was decided in Britain to withdraw from Norway, and to evacuate all previously landed military forces from Narvik. The town fell under German control on June 8th, basically concluding the conquer of Norway by the Third Reich.
The Allied landings around Narvik in 1940 where the first on the European continent in WWII, carried out without the participation of the US, more than three years before operations in southern Italy or Normandy.
The town of Narvik is still today an active commercial port of primary relevance in the region. The heritage of war actions is preserved in a purpose-installed museum, modernly designed and easy to visit.
On a first floor, the naval operations around Narvik are described by means of technological 3D board with virtual projections – very nice and lively. Around the board, memorabilia from the British and German warships taking part to the operations back in the Spring of 1940 have been put on display.
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
They include an original Nazi eagle from one of the ships. Since the campaign around Narvik included also air and land operations, war traces including parts of aircraft, guns, mortars, machine guns, first-aid kits and many uniforms are also on display.
Uniforms are from the many corps which took part to those actions – they are British, German, Polish and even French.
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
On a second floor, you are offered displays of artifacts retracing other aspects of WWII in Norway. These include land mines – put in place by the Germans along the coast, similar to Denmark, to impede Allied landings – an Enigma coding machine, Third Reich memorabilia, a section of the Tirpitz armored hull, radio machinery supplied to the resistance, as well as personal items belonging to former prisoners of war.
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
Finally, on the last floor heavier weapons are put on display, including torpedoes, light armored vehicles and more, even for post-WWII times.
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
War Museum Narvik – WWII – Norway
Visiting
The battle of Narvik is one of the best known from WWII in Norway, and the little museum in the town center duly retraces its timeline, through an elegant exhibition, sufficiently rich to satisfy even the most exigent experts, but not so extensive to be boring for the general public. A really well designed museum, surely worth a visit, which may last from 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on your level of interest.
The location is right besides the town hall, and can be found here. Parking opportunities on the street nearby. Website with information here.
Tirpitz Museum – Alta
The German battleship Tirpitz was laid down as the only sister ship to the well-known Bismark. Eventually, she underwent developments which made her the heaviest battleship built in Europe. Her actions were concentrated along a limited time frame, between January 1942 and November 1944, when she was finally sunk by British Lancaster bombers, making use of Tallboy high-yield bombs.
She spent her operative life along the coasts of Norway, where she constituted an effective deterrent against a sea-launched Allied invasion, and was employed tactically against resupply convoys going to the USSR.
Tirpitz was a strategic target for the Allies, which tried to get rid of her by no less than seven war operations, meeting with limited success until the last one.
With an armor more than 30 cm thick, Tirpitz was marginally maneuverable especially at lower speed, but the hull was very difficult to penetrate, and the four turrets and eight 38 cm barrels, plus twelve side-shooting 15 cm barrels, complemented by many more defensive weapons, made it a dangerous asset against land and sea targets.
The ship capsized and sunk in shallow water in the bay of Tromso, and following the end of the war, she was largely dismantled. Original pieces of the ship could be collected, as well as some personal belongings from the crew. Some more were taken out from the water over the years.
The museum in Alta is dedicated to the memory of the ship, and offers an extremely rich collection of items connected with Tirpitz. Furthermore, by means of memorabilia items, it retraces the history of the war years in the northernmost region of Norway – Finnmark. The reason for installing the Tirpitz Museum in Kåfjord, near Alta, is bound to the fact that the battleship was based here for a period, as witnessed by some historical pictures. The museum has a rich guestbook, which includes top-ranking military staff from several Countries.
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
The small museum is home to some of the finest and largest scales models portraying Tirpitz. The level of detail and the accuracy of the reconstruction is really stunning.
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Some smaller diorama models portray scenes from the life onboard, or details of special interest. An unusual one portrays the capsized hull of the ship, following the sinking!
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Besides the scale models, original instrumentation, shells, wooden slabs from the deck, and more parts of the ship are put on display.
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
A room is dedicated to the operations carried out against the battleship. The ship was reportedly attacked several times without substantial damage. One of the attacks was carried out by the British, recurring to mini-submarines. Among the artifacts on display are the decorations to the men involved in these operations.
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Extremely interesting artifacts in the museum include material from the crew, taken away after the sinking over the years – sometimes found in the area as recently as the year 2000.
These include typewriters, cutlery with swastika emblems, musical instruments, sport suits with prominent Third Reich insignia, and many personal belongings.
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
In one case, the cabinet or wallet of a crewman revealed cash and stamps from the time.
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Among the countless items in this exhibition are original material – including radio stations – employed by the resistance movements in Norway, as well as light weapons, uniforms and decorations of the Soviet troops who operated in the Finnmark region, helping in repelling the Germans in the last stages of WWII.
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
On the outside, the anchor and parts of the armor of Tirpitz can be seen, together with an official memorial stone.
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Tirpitz Battleship Museum Alta – WWII – Norway
Visiting
The museum is located some five miles from Alta, in the small settlement of Kåfjord. It is hosted in a single, small wooden building – possibly a former canteen – to be found here, with a small parking nearby. A website with full visiting information is here.
Visiting the museum may take from 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on your level of interest.
Vemork Hydroelectric Power Plant & Heavy Water Facility – Rjukan
The nuclear program of the Third Reich is still today a matter for researchers, since – mysteriously enough – most documentation disappeared by the end of the war. Among the ascertained facts were the excellence of nuclear scientist in Germany at the time on the one hand, and the total lack of adequate quantities of raw material, or plants for processing it, to actually build real nuclear weapons on the other.
The latter is witnessed by the great strategic value attributed to the plant in Rjukan, hidden in a scenic deep valley in the region of Telemark, in southern Norway, about three hours by car from Oslo. A hydroelectric plant there – the exact name is Vemork power-plant – was employed to produce heavy water through a dedicated electrolysis separation process, which requires huge amounts of energy. Heavy water is a key component for the production of Plutonium – in turn required for atomic weapons – in heavy-water reactors.
Also the Norwegians understood the value of the plant. As soon as the winds of war started blowing from Germany in early 1940, heavy water then in storage was taken away to France, and later to Britain following the invasion of France by the Third Reich.
After Norway had been occupied by the Reich, the plant was at the center of three sabotage operations. Extremely risky and partly ending in disaster, these operations were carried out both by Norwegian and British staff, parachuted from Britain.
It took until 1944 to mortally hit the plant, well protected by its own natural setting. Two dedicated bombing raids carried out by US bombers damaged the plant beyond repair – at least in the late war scenario, when the Third Reich reaction capacity was weakening every day. The final act in the Norwegian heavy water saga was the sinking of the small boat – named Hydro – loaded with the reserve of heavy water from Vemork, having just started its trip to Germany on Lake Tinn.
The plant was again in business in the years after the war, and remained operative until the early 1990s, involved in production of various chemicals.
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Today, it is a much visited museum. Actually, the most impressive part of the plant is that of the hydroelectric turbines. Aligned in a single immense hangar, these now silent giant machinery send glimpses of the original, fashionable early-1900 industrial style.
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Some of the turbines and generator assemblies – manufactured by AEG, as witnessed by the labels – are really huge.
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
A suspended platform allows to capture with a bird’s eye the entire hall. Here you can see also completely analog control panels, again in a very elegant style from the era.
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Vemork Power Plant Heavy Water Rjukan – WWII – Norway
Visiting
The museum in Vemork can be reached in less than 3 hours driving from central Oslo. The power-plant can be approached walking from the parking (here) over a suspended bridge crossing the deep valley. The area is very scenic. The highlight of the show is the hall with the power turbines. A visit may take from a few minutes to more than 1 hour for more interested subjects.
A website with full information can be found here.
After the end of WWII and the collapse of the Third Reich, the territory now belonging to the Czech Republic fell on the Soviet side of the Iron Curtain. Together with today’s Slovakia, it formed the now disappeared unitary state of Czechoslovakia. Despite laying right on the border with the West – including Bavaria, which was part of West Germany and NATO – communist Czechoslovakia enjoyed a relative autonomy from the USSR, until the announced liberally-oriented reforms of the local communist leader Dubcek in the spring of 1968 triggered a violent reaction by the Soviet leader of the time, Leonid Brezhnev (see here). About 250’000 troops from the Warsaw Pact, including the USSR, landed in the Country. As a result, the Soviets established a more hardcore and USSR-compliant local communist regime, and largely increased their military presence.
Similar to the German Democratic Republic (see here for instance), Hungary (see here) or Poland (see here), since then also in Czechoslovakia the local national Army was flanked by a significant contingent of Soviet troops, who left only after the entire Soviet-fueled communist empire started to crumble, at the beginning of the 1990s.
Consequently, for the last two decades of the Cold War, Czechoslovakia was a highly militarized country similar to other ones in the Warsaw Pact (see here). Its geographical position on the border with the West meant it received supply for a high-technology anti-aircraft barrier (see here). Two major airbases in Czechoslovakia were taken over for use by the Soviets and strongly potentiated (see here).
Soviet Nuclear Depots in Czechoslovakia
Beside conventional forces, also nuclear warheads were part of the arsenal deployed in this Country. Where in the late 1960s Soviet strategic nuclear forces were already mostly based on submarine-launched missiles and ICBMs ground-launched from within the USSR’s borders, tactical forces were forward-deployed to satellite countries, to be readily operative in case of war in Europe. Missile systems like the SCUD, Luna (NATO: Frog) and Tochka (NATO: Scarab) were deployed to the Warsaw Pact, supplying either the local Armies or the Soviet forces on site. Typically armed with conventional warheads, these systems were compatible with nuclear warheads too, making them more versatile, and of great use in case of a war against NATO forces in central and western Europe (see here).
Irrespective of their employment by a local national Army or a Soviet missile force, nuclear warheads were kept separated from the rest of the missile system for security, and invariably under strict and exclusive Soviet control. Bunker sites were purpose built in all components of the Warsaw Pact for storing nuclear warheads – see page 46 of this CIA document, showing with some accuracy the location of the corresponding bases.
Granit– and Basalt-type bunkers were typically prepared on airfields or artillery bases, for short-term storage of soon-to-be-launched nuclear weapons. Instead, top-security Monolith-type bunkers (the triangles on the map in the CIA document) were intended for long-term storage of nuclear ordnance.
Monolith-type bunkers were built by local companies on a standard design in the Soviet military inventory, and were implemented in satellite Countries in the late 1960s. Czechoslovakia received three such sites, which took the names Javor 50, by the town of Bílina, Javor 51, close to Míšov, and Javor 52, close to the town of Bělá pod Bezdězem. All three locations are in the north-western regions of today’s Czech Republic.
The Soviet military started withdrawing the nuclear warheads from satellite Countries in 1989, months before the collapse of the wall in Berlin. As for Czechoslovakia, by 1990 all nuclear forces had been moved back to the USSR. Following the end of the Cold War, Monolith-bunkers – similar to most of the colossal inventory of forward-deployed military installations formerly set up by the Soviet Union – were declared surplus by the Countries where they had been implemented.
These primary relics of the Cold War have known since then different destinies. Some of them have been hastily demolished, and together with their associated fragments of recent history, they have almost completely disappeared into oblivion. Luckily, a few are currently still in private hands, and still in existence (see here and here) – specimens of recent military technology, and a vivid memento from recent history, when the map of Europe looked very different from now. Two can be visited, of which one is Javor 51, in the Czech Republic, the main topic of this post. This has been turned into the ‘Atom Museum’, which has the distinction of being the only Monolith-type site in the world offering visits on a regular schedule (the other open site is Podborsko, in Poland, covered here, which is open by appointment).
Also displayed in the following are some pictures of the now inaccessible site Javor 52 in former Czechoslovakia. Photographs were taken in 2020 (Javor 52) and 2022 (Javor 51).
Sights
Javor 51 – The Atom Museum, Míšov
An exceptionally well preserved and high-profile witness of the Cold War, the nuclear depot Javor 51 is a good example of a Monolith-type installation. These bases were centered around two identical semi-interred bunkers for nuclear warheads.
When starting a visit, you will soon make your way to the unloading platform of bunker Nr.1. The shape of the metal canopy, and the small control booth with glass windows overlooking the platform are pretty unique to this site. The metal wall fencing the unloading area is still in its camo coat outside, and greenish paint inside. Caution writings in Russian are still clearly visible. Concrete slabs clearly bear the date of manufacture – 1968. This site was reportedly activated on the 26th of December, 1968.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Even the lamps look original. Some of the – likely – tons of material left by the Soviets on the premises of this site has been put on display ahead of the massive bunker door.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
The opening mechanism of the latter is a nice work of mechanics. Four plugs actually lock or unlock the door. They can be moved by means of a manual crank, or likely in the past via an electric mechanism (some wiring is still visible). The thickness of the doors is really impressive (look for the cap of my wide lens on the ground in a picture below for comparison!).
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Each bunker had two ground-level entrances to the opposite ends, each with two blast-proof doors in a sequence. Warheads were transported by truck, unloaded beside the entrance of one of the two bunkers, and carried inside through the two doors, which constituted an air-tight airlock.
Today, you can see the inside main hall of the bunkers from the outside during a visit. This was likely not the case in the days of operation. The opening procedure required a request signal to travel all the way to Moscow, and a trigger signal traveling in the opposite direction. Once past the first (external) door with the warhead trolley, that door was shut, and the procedure was repeated for the second door, giving access to the inside of the bunker.
A security trigger told Moscow when the door was open. It can still be seen hanging from top of the door frame.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Once inside, you find yourself on a suspended concrete platform. The warhead trolley had to be lowered via a crane – still in place – to the bottom of the cellar ahead, i.e. to the underground level. The stairs now greatly facilitating visitor’s motion around the bunker were not in place back then, and descending to the underground level for the technicians was via a hatch in the floor of the suspended platform, and a ladder close to the side wall.
On the platform, an original Soviet-made air conditioning system can be seen – with original labeling – and signs in Russian are on display on the walls.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
The platform is also a vantage point to see the extensive array of heat-exchangers put along a sidewall of the central hall – atmosphere control was of primary importance for the relatively delicate nuclear warheads. Each of them traveled and was kept in a pressurized canister. However, also the storage site was under careful atmospheric control.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
To the opposite end of the bunker, the inner tight door of the second entrance can be clearly seen, ahead of another suspended platform. The warheads left the bunker for maintenance (they might have left also for use, but this never happened, except possibly on drills) from that entrance, which had a loading platform outside for putting the warheads on trucks (this can be better seen in other Monolith sites, like Urkut in Hungary, or Stolzenhain in Germany).
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Down on the lower level, the main bunker hall gives access to one side to four big cellars, where the warheads spent their time in storage, and to the other sides to technical rooms. The pavement in the storage cellars features the original metal strongpoints, used to anchor the trolleys for the warheads to the ground. This was in case of a shockwave investing the site in an attack, to avoid the trolleys moving and crashing against one another. The original hooks with spherical joints to link the trolley to the strongpoints are also on display.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
The storage cellars today have been used to display informative panels, with many interesting pictures and schemes. These include some from major sites connected with the history of nuclear weaponry in the Soviet Union (like from the test site of Semipalatinsk) and the US (like the Titan Museum near Tucson, AZ, covered in this post).
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
A few former technical rooms are used to store much original technical gear. This ranges from spare parts, tools and personal gear like working suits left by the Soviets (most with signs in Russian), to items ‘Made in Czechoslovakia’ or even radiation detectors from Britain and the West, gathered here for display and comparison.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Some of these spare parts are wrapped and sealed in Russian, looking like they were cataloged back in the time of operations.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
In the main hall, many rare vintage pictures retrace the presence of Soviet military forces on this site as well as others in Czechoslovakia. Magnified copies of rare pictures portray the trucks, canisters and the very warheads likely involved in transport and storage in Javor 51. Actually, much mystery exists around the deployment of nuclear ordnance by the USSR outside its borders (not only to Czechoslovakia). Historical and technical information today made available, even to a dedicated public, is very limited, making this chapter of Cold War history even more intriguing.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Again in the central hall, cabinets for monitoring the nuclear warheads can be seen hanging from the walls, painted in blue. Each warhead used to be stored in a canister, which was periodically linked to these cabinets to check the inner atmosphere, temperature, etc., in order to monitor the health of its very sensitive content.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
A large part of the technical/living rooms has been preserved in its original appearance. You can see parts of an air conditioning system, a big water tank, a toilet, a now empty bedroom for the troops. The bunker was constantly manned inside by typically six people, who operated in shifts. They did not sleep there, nor used the toilet much due to poor drainage. However, these facilities were used in drills, and were intended for the case of real war operations, when the bunker might have been sealed from the outside.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
The electric cabinets take a dedicated room, like the huge air filters and pumps (Soviet made), installed to grant survival of the people inside the bunker in case of an attack with nuclear weapons or other special warfare. Clearly, the level of safety in the design of the bunker stemmed from the fact that it was considered by the Soviet as a a strategic target for NATO forces.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
The last technical rooms host a big Diesel generator, supplied with air from the outside, and a big fuel tank in an adjoining room. Many labels bear writings in Russian, but the generator appears to be made in Czechoslovakia. The bunker was linked to the usual electric power grid of the region, and the generator was intended for emergency operations, in case the grid was lost or the bunker was isolated.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
From the technical area, it was possible to access or exit the bunker, via a human-size airlock. The innermost tight door can be seen painted in yellow, with a locking mechanism resembling that of the major tight doors for the missile warheads. Outside the airlock, climbing three levels of ladders was required to get to the surface. This was the normal access to the bunker for the military technical staff, except when warheads arrived or left the storage (this was made via the major entrances, as explained).
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Back outside, the second bunker, Nr.2, can be found at a short distance from the former. Nr.2 is being prepared for an exhibition on technology. At the time of writing, it can be toured except for the technical/living rooms. It is in a very good condition, and allows to get similar details as the previous Nr.1 on the construction of this type of facility – including the heating/air conditioning system.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
The blue cabinets for plugging the canister for routine status checking and maintenance can be found also in Nr.2 in good shape.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Clearly visible here are the doors closing the technical areas and the warhead cellars. The latter were monitored for security just like the external airtight doors of the bunker, each with a sensor telling controllers whether the cellar was locked or not.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
The airlock is covered in soot, possibly the result of a fire. Ahead of the entrance, the unloading platform is very interesting, having a unique set of light doors which had to be opened to allow trucks to come in. The concrete part of the platform appears slightly off-standard, with a short lateral concrete ramp, giving access to the main platform from one side. Parts of missiles – original – are being gathered in this area for display.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Monolith sites include two bunkers, which are the core of a strongly defended fenced area. In Javor 51, fences except the external one have been removed for the safety of visitors (rusty barbed wire can be very dangerous). These can still be found in other similar installations (see here). Similarly, the troops and technicians working on site lived in purpose-built housing, segregated from local communities. In Javor 51, this housing still exists, but cannot be visited.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Leaving the place, you can visit the nice visitor/gathering center, and even find some interesting souvenirs!
Getting there and visiting
All in all, the Atom Museum prepared at Javor 51 is a top destination for everybody interested in the history of the Cold War, nuclear warfare, Soviet history, military history, etc.
Credit goes to the owner of the place, Dr. Vaclav Vitovec, who is leading this remarkable preservation effort, and is a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide to the site for those visiting. Dr. Vitovec is also the owner of the border museum in Rozvadov, covered in this post.
The Javor 51 site is actually fairly well known at least to a dedicated public, having been visited by historians, scientists and notable figures – including Francis Gary Powers, Jr., who is very active in preserving the history of the Cold War.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
The commitment of the museum’s managers is witnessed also by the nice website (also in English), where you can sign-up for a visit on pre-arranged days – as of 2022, all Saturdays in the warm season – or contact the staff for setting up a personalized visit. It is nice to see a good involvement by the local population (the great majority of visitors on regular visits are Czech), including many from younger generations. The exhibits tell much on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and this is a major topic in the guided tour in Czech. Actually, the Czech Republic has a strong nuclear tradition, with many power plants in use, and a commitment for the development of nuclear energy in the future.
Soviet Nuclear Bunker Czech Republic – Javor 51 – Atom Museum
The location is around 25 miles southeast of Plzen, or 60 miles southwest of Prague. Easy to reach by car. The exact address is Míšov 51, 33563 Míšov, Czechia. Full info on their website. Visiting on a normal scheduled visit is on a partly-guided basis, meaning that you will get an intro (in Czech) of around 40 minutes, than you will be allowed to access the bunkers and visit on your own, for all the time you like. You might end up spending more than 2 hours checking out the site and everything is in it, if you have a special interest for the topic. Dr. Vitovec is fluent in English, and can provide much information upon request.
Javor 52 – Bělá pod Bezdězem
The Monolith-type site Javor 52 has been willingly demolished, likely by the Government of the Czech Republic, as it was the case for most other similar (or more in general, Soviet-related) sites in Poland and Germany.
However, it was hard to get completely rid of any trace of an installation so bulky and reinforced. Therefore, some remains can still be found and explored.
Some technical buildings still in use close to the bunkers may have been there from the days of operation.
Getting close to the bunker area, traces of the multiple fences originally around the site can be found, either in the trees or in the vicinity of unmaintained roads. Wooden or concrete posts with fragments of barbed wire are clearly visible. Also reinforced concrete shooting points can be spotted in the wild vegetation.
As typical, two bunkers were erected on site, and similarly to Javor 51 (see above), in Javor 52 they are aligned, with the entrances all along the same ideal orientation.
The bunkers in Javor 52 have been interred, so that they are now hardly noticeable from the outside, except to a careful eye. Looking inside the eastern one, it is possible to get a view of the open doors of the main airlock, providing a distant view of the inner main hall.
The western bunker is in a better general condition, and the main hall still retains a pretty unique writing in Russian. The ladder descending from the suspended platform has been substituted with a posthumous, regular ladder. Much metalwork has disappeared though, including the heat exchangers, the crane, and the tight doors.
Between the bunkers, a concrete pool can be found – still watertight! – with a function which is hard to guess. A pool for civil use was installed in Stolzenhain (and reportedly also in Javor 52, but I had not the time to watch out for it), but this was in the low-security of the site, far from the bunkers.
Access to this place is possible without violating any property sign, but is clearly not encouraged. Going unnoticed is made tricky by the presence of a public facility nearby – a shelter for foreigners and some education activity. Parking out of sight is possible along the road 27235, north of the complex and to the west of the road – trailheads and corresponding parking areas can be found there. Check out some satellite map to find a way to the exact location of the bunkers – their respective entrances are approximately here (eastern bunker) and here (western bunker).
I visited the site in 2020, and the entrances appeared very dangerous and easy to seal in a permanent way. I do not have any further update, but would suggest to go prepared to find definitively interred and totally inaccessible bunkers.
Javor 50 – Bílina – Quick note
As of 2020, the site of Javor 50 is in a peculiar state of ‘conservation’. The place is closed to the public, but entering would be basically unimpeded, since the external fence to the former military base is mostly collapsed and interrupted. The Soviet quarters insider still have much to offer – including writing in Russian, a scheme of the base, and much more. Likely, the bunkers are also still in a relatively good shape.
Much surprisingly though, somebody is living there with watchdogs, in miserable conditions, keeping visitors out. It is likely that an official visit may be booked by getting in touch with the municipality, since it appears that the site is not used for anything. However I was not successful in connecting with anybody there, therefore I have no suggestion on this point. The of the main entrance is here.
Many traces of the communist dictatorship can be found in today’s modern and thriving Hungary. The most visited ones, like Memento Park or Terror Haza in capital city Budapest, tell about the inhumane and pervasive aspect of propaganda and political repression. However, the history of this country in the second half of the 20th century is closely bound to the Soviet-backed communist seizure of power, and this has left traces also elsewhere, especially in terms of military leftovers. As a matter of fact, the Soviet Red Army was directly present in Hungary, to keep the status quo and to to be closer to the border with the West in case of an attack – and this of course left traces.
You can find a significant deal of material concerning more urbex-connected destinations in Hungary in another post.
In this one, you will find a mainly pictorial portrait of some of the best known attractions related to the Cold War period in Hungary, as well as some well accessible but less known ones, especially considering the general public visiting from abroad. As usual on this website, a good share of these sites is aviation-themed!
The Iron Curtain Museum has been created soon after the collapse of the Iron Curtain in 1989 on the sight of a former small sector of the state border between communist Hungary and free Austria.
The site is mainly the result of the effort of a man, Sandor Gojak, a former border guard in the 1960s, who dedicated this permanent exhibition to those who attempted escaping the repressive communist regime in Hungary towards Austria and the West – both those who succeeded and those who did not, hence facing arrest or losing their lives due to the minefields prepared along the border line.
The site features three examples of the border line placed in the area over the years. They are look less impenetrable than those created between Eastern and Western Germany (see this post), yet they were similarly deadly in scope and facts.
The first is basically a simple line of barbed wire with wooden poles, and it was put in place soon after WWII. Mines were placed in close vicinity to the line. After wooden poles started to rot around the mid-1950s, mines were removed, a dangerous job which cost the health of some border guards, who were severely injured due to accidental explosions.
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
For a short while at that time, the border was free of mines, and about 300’000 people managed to leave the ‘paradise of workers’!
Soon after the anti-communist uprising in 1956, suffocated with violence by the Soviets, the border was further fortified with concrete poles, and the mine strip was increased in width.
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Only at the end of the 1960s the mines were removed, after multiple accidents involving Austrian citizens, when the mines slipped into a creek near the border due to a flood, injuring many who touched them incautiously. This time the border security system was strongly potentiated, with the adoption of an electrified system for the immediate detection of proximity, linked to signal collection centers dislocated along the line. This system had been implemented by the USSR on the Pakistani border. Something similar can be found also on the border between Czechoslovakia and West Germany (see here).
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
The exhibition is completed by an example of a wooden turret, as well as a more modern fence – a specimen of the one put in place in 2015 between today’s Hungary and neighbor Serbia and Croatia, when a wave of migrants from the Middle East swept the Balkans.
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
The museum is full of vivid testimonies, thanks to the many historical pictures and artifacts on display, and to the fact that the founder is actually the man who runs the museum! – he is totally available to answer your questions.
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Iron Curtain Museum Vasfuggony Felsocsatar Szombathely Hungary Austria Border
Getting there and visiting
The museum can be reached here: 47.20376801287036, 16.429799972912328, on the border between Hungary and Austria, not far from Szombathely. The coordinates point to a convenient parking. The site is operated as an open-air museum, with opening times and an entrance fee. Moderate climbing is required, as the museum area is on the slope of a nice hill. Only cash accepted. Visiting may take about 45 minutes. Website here.
Military Park, Zanka
This small military park is a nice and cared for exhibition of Soviet-made weapons, located ahead of a resort which used to be an exclusive destination for vacation on the coast of Lake Balaton.
You can find here a couple of Mil helicopters – including the legendary Mil-24 in all its ‘beauty’! – in the colors of the Hungarian Air Force.
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
There is a MiG-21, also formerly of the Hungarian Air Force, a T-64 tank, a howitzer, a military snow blower, an amphibious truck and more light trailers.
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Perhaps the most striking sight in this collection is the surface-to-air missile (SAM) SA-2, aka S-75 Dvina in the Soviet codification. A rather basic but powerful – and successful – missile from the 1950s, sold by the Soviets to many satellite Countries and clients over the world.
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
Military Park Soviet Weapons Zanka Balaton Haditechnikai Hungary
A revolving antenna can be seen on top of a truck. This is an example of the target acquisition antenna for the SA-2 system, code-named Spoon Rest by NATO, and known as P18 in Soviet codification. This radar system had a range of approximately 170 miles, and was an improvement of the previous P12 design. The launch site of SA-2 SAMs was always complemented by a set of antennas, including a Spoon Rest system. Actually, P18 could be coupled with the launch system of more advanced SAMs too.
All items in the collection here are pretty well preserved, making the visit an enjoyable stop along the exploration of the Balaton coastline.
Getting there and moving around
The park can be found here: 46.881838498667996, 17.7098619193198. The site can be visited in 10-30 minutes depending on your level of interest. This is an open-air museum, with ticket and opening times. Website (referral) with some information here.
Komarom Monostor Fort & Soviet Weapons Collection
An incredible, perfectly preserved military fort from the years of the Austrian Empire, Monostor Fort in Komarom can be found on the Danube, marking the border with Slovakia. At the time of construction, the two nations were united in the Austrian Empire, and the fort was erected between 1850-71 as a part of a defense line extending also north in today’s Slovakia.
Despite being extremely interesting for its articulated and complex construction – a brilliant example of military engineering from the time – the fort saw no action in its intended purpose. It was used for training for most of its life, then briefly as a prisoner’s camp in the years of Hitler’s administration, and finally as an immense weapons storage during the Cold War years, when it saw tenancy by the Soviets.
Today, the fort is open as a museum, duly centered on the interesting original construction from the 19th century.
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
One cellar has been left as it was in Soviet times, when weapons of all sorts were stored here, moved by means of a dedicated short-gauge railway.
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
In a corner of the immense apron, you can find a small collection of Soviet weapons, mainly anti-tank and anti-aircraft cannons. There are also a couple of truck-transported antennas, including a very effective early warning Flat Face radar, aka P19 Danube according to the soviet classification, as well as a PRW-9 Thin Skin target altitude detection radar. Similar platforms are still in use today, and can be coupled with modern SAM launching systems.
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Komarom Fort Soviet Weapons Hungary
Getting there and moving around
The fort is a major attraction in the area. It features a large parking ahead of the entrance, address: 2900 Komárom Duna-part 1. Visiting is on a self-guided basis, with a short paper guide in English distributed at the entrance, and the visit will be extremely interesting for anybody interested in history, military engineering, etc. – not only Cold-War-minded subjects.
Visiting may take 1.5 hours, due to the size of the fort. The place is also used as a venue for theater performances and concerts, so timetables may vary. Some info in English can be found on this website.
Papa Airbase
Papa is today an active base of the Air Force, hence it cannot be accessed. However, with a short adventure drive along an unpaved road, you may reach a part of the former premises of the base – from Soviet times – now lying outside the perimeter.
There you can find a pretty unique array of old abandoned aircraft of Soviet make, in the colors of the Hungarian Air Force.
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
They are MiG-21 of many types, and also massive Sukhoi Su-22.
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
The state of conservation is not so bad – you can find airframes in worse condition in some museums – but some aircraft are missing some parts, possibly due to spare recycling, or vandalism, even though the place is really secluded, and the proximity with privately owned land and a military base is not ideal for vandals and idiot spoilers.
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
Of course, a few more years without any attention to these birds and little will remain of this improvised fleet. Hopefully, at least a share of this mighty force will find a due place in some museum or collection over the next years.
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Sukhoi Su-22 MiG-21
By the way, the former military area where these planes are sitting was perhaps a place for SAMs, put for protection of the base in the Cold War years.
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Blast Deflector Weapons Shelter
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Blast Deflector Weapons Shelter
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Blast Deflector Weapons Shelter
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Blast Deflector Weapons Shelter
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Blast Deflector Weapons Shelter
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Blast Deflector Weapons Shelter
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Blast Deflector Weapons Shelter
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Blast Deflector Weapons Shelter
Papa Airbase Hungary Soviet Abandoned Airplanes Blast Deflector Weapons Shelter
Getting there and moving around
This is the only item on this post which is not a museum. It’s hard to tell whether these aircraft are lying on private land or not. However, to reach this strange flock of aircraft, you can move with a standard city car to this crossroads: 47.33966571405878, 17.550239693088113.
From here, you need to take north, until you reach this other waypoint: 47.35812676567956, 17.530436267329513. At some point along this path, the road turns unpaved, but the condition is generally manageable. On the latter waypoint you need to turn sharp left. You may notice old concrete posts, from the original soviet fence of the base.
You will finally land here: 47.35812676567956, 17.530436267329513, where you find an asphalted road, in the middle of a former peripheral area of the base. Driving towards the base along this road, you will find the aircraft here: 47.3541655146187, 17.514827811942904.
Visiting is not a long business, cause you should not move around the aircraft, as they are likely on the border of a private lot (fenced). Totally recommended for Cold War aircraft enthusiasts however.
Komo-Sky 51 Air Museum, Dunavarsany
This wonderful military exhibition is the based on the collection of a Hungarian military pilot, Zoltán Néhai Komócsi, nicknamed ‘Komo’, from which came the name of the museum. Unfortunately, the man passed away years ago in a crash. The collection was publicly put on display only more recently.
Items on display include military aircraft and helicopters, military trucks, trucks from the firefighting squad, engines, and more! Some of the exhibit can be boarded, and reportedly some vehicles are still operative.
Most of the exhibits are in very good condition, a few are still awaiting light refurbishment. An old Mil-2 helicopter can be boarded, revealing an old-fashioned cockpit, made more exotic by the Russian inscriptions.
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Also an attack Mil-8 helicopter in Hungarian colors can be checked inside. A Mil-24 is undergoing restoration (as of 2020).
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
The ‘MiG alley’ includes MiG-15, 21 – in various versions – and 23, all in very good condition, refurbished for display.
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Also some trucks can be boarded, revealing once more the excellent state of preservation, as well as abundant Russian signs.
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
To the far end of the collection, an Antonov An-2 utility biplane, an ubiquitous workhorse of the Soviet empire, can be boarded up to the cockpit.
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
You can sit in the pilot’s seat, getting a nice view from the cockpit of this bird.
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Three deployable radar antennas can be seen on their trailers – apparently a not complete P80 Back Net system from the 1960s is the largest one.
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Finally, a MiG-21 in the colors of the Hungarian national flag can be boarded. This is extremely interesting, as it provides a look in the cockpit of this high-performance and successful fighter/interceptor from the Cold War years, when ‘high-performance’ implied ‘high-complexity’ analog cockpits!
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Komo-Sky 51 Base – Aviation Collection Budapest – Soviet Aircraft – Hungary
Getting there and moving around
The museum can be found at these coordinates, 47.292057190313706, 19.029565655926707, corresponding to a convenient parking. The site is about 30 minutes driving south of central Budapest. It is an open-air museum, with timetables and ticket. Information on their website (in Hungarian). Time required for visiting may range between 30 minutes to 1.5 hours for an interested subject, taking all the pictures.
Komo-Sky Bunker, Dunavarsany
A recent addition by the current managers of the Komo-Sky 51 Air Museum is this fully refurbished Soviet bunker, once used for air traffic control. The place is actually in the vicinity of the former Soviet airbase of Tokol, one of the largest in Hungary in its heyday (see this post).
Today the bunker has been partly restored in look, with some rooms changed into ambiances for interactive experiences, including shooting!
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Some rooms host interesting collections of artifacts from the everyday life of communist Hungary.
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Military memorabilia from the Red Army, with conspicuous Russian writings, are scattered everywhere.
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
A room of special interest hosts a collection of militaria from the Eastern Bloc, with artifacts ranging from weapons to flight suits, military decorations to aircraft parts. Really something for everybody!
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Komo-Sky Air Control Cold War Soviet Bunker Tokol Budapest Hungary
Getting there and moving around
The bunker is a recent (as of 2020) addition to the Komo-Sky 51 Air Museum. No dedicated website available at the time of writing. The place can be reached at the coordinates 47.297663350792774, 19.0351554512774, about 3 minutes driving north of the Air Museum. I visited by invitation of the owner, hence I don’t know about the actual timetable. A website of a hotel nearby – actually on the very same lot of the bunker – is here, with some information on the bunker in Hungarian.
Museum of Military History, House of Terror, Memento Park, Houses of Parliament – Budapest
Budapest is rightly famous for a history spanning many centuries, for its art collections, incredible architectures, thermal baths and many other enjoyable features. However, having been the capital of a communist country in the Eastern Bloc, it also hosted a ‘state security service’, i.e. an agency of the government attempting to control the minds of Hungarian citizens, and keeping everybody’s behavior under strict surveillance. The palace chosen as the seat for this service is named ‘House of Terror’ (‘Terror Haza’ in the local idiom). Here many were kept under arrest, interrogated, and in some instances secretly murdered in the basement.
Terror Haza KGB Headquarters Budapest Hungary
Terror Haza KGB Headquarters Budapest Hungary
Terror Haza KGB Headquarters Budapest Hungary
Terror Haza KGB Headquarters Budapest Hungary
Terror Haza KGB Headquarters Budapest Hungary
Terror Haza KGB Headquarters Budapest Hungary
Terror Haza KGB Headquarters Budapest Hungary
Terror Haza KGB Headquarters Budapest Hungary
The place is among the most visited museums in Hungary, and can be found right in the city center. Comprehensibly, no photo is allowed in the most sensitive areas of this sad building. Website here.
Another place of Cold War interest, making for a rather popular touristic attraction, is Memento Park. In this small park about 15 minutes driving south of the city center most of the statues and monuments once adorning the capital’s downtown have been collected and put on display.
Some from older times, celebrating the friendship of the Soviet and Hungarian peoples, are unbearably rhetoric.
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Others are more artistically interesting, in the context of official artistic currents authorized by the Communist Party.
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Lenin is of course a favorite subject.
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
By the entrance, Marx, Engels and Lenin are kind of ‘gate guardians’.
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
In front of the entrance, you can find a reproduction of the base of a statue of Stalin put in place at some point and surviving in pictures, and later dismantled after the death of Stalin. In the basement of the same construction, you can find a weird set of official busts of Lenin and Stalin, as well as a once popular image of Lenin as a child.
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Memento Park Communist Statues and Monuments Budapest Hungary
Close by, a small deposit of statues still waiting to be put on display can be found. Website here.
A less visited museum covering the military history of Hungary over the ages, but especially the 19th and 20th centuries, can be found right in the old district of Buda. The display is rather classical and didactic, but for more military-minded people, or those interested in the recent history of Hungary, it is for sure worth a stop when visiting uptown. Website here.
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Museum of Military History Budapest Hungary
Finally, in the gorgeous building of the Houses of Parliament, you can find interesting info about the changes implemented to the architecture of the building during the communist period.
Parliament Budapest Hungary
Parliament Budapest Hungary
Parliament Budapest Hungary
A unique artifact is the big red star once standing on top of the building, emulating the famous ruby stars placed on top of the towers of the Kremlin in Moscow. Website here.
Secrets of a Soviet Airbase, Berekfurdo
This museum is located in the small town of Berekfurdo, in the eastern region of Hungary, just a few minutes from the former airbase of Kunmadaras, which used to be operated by the Soviets in the Cold War era (see this post for the nuclear storage bunker to be found there).
Unfortunately, I could not visit the museum – it is open only rarely, on a very limited timetable. However, in the courtyard you can easily spot a Mil-24 attack helicopter, as well as a MiG-21. Both have been vividly and freshly refurbished – ready for take-off!
Secret of a Soviet Airbase Kunmadaras Berekfurdo Hungary
Secret of a Soviet Airbase Kunmadaras Berekfurdo Hungary
Secret of a Soviet Airbase Kunmadaras Berekfurdo Hungary
Secret of a Soviet Airbase Kunmadaras Berekfurdo Hungary
Secret of a Soviet Airbase Kunmadaras Berekfurdo Hungary
Getting there and moving around
The website of the museum provides good information, and the folks there appear pretty reactive in case you are writing to get more info. It is really a pity they have a timetable so limited. The place can be reached at these coordinates: 47.38366735314769, 20.84155882970934. The museum is made of a small hangar and an outside apron. Considering the size, I guess visiting might take about 1 hour.
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum, Szolnok
This is probably the ‘official’ aviation museum in Hungary, at least concerning the military field. It is clearly a well-financed endeavor, with a remarkable collection of aircraft from various ages, helicopters, engines and missiles. Most of the aircraft are preserved outside in an open-air exhibition, the oldest ones having found a place inside a modern and well-designed building. Everything on display has been recently refurbished, hence the collection looks fresh and well cared for.
Two aircraft will likely capture your attention in the main hall, namely a Spitfire in the colors of a Polish squadron fighting with the RAF, facing a Bf 109 in German Luftwaffe colors. The two opponents are displayed besides one another, allowing also for a configuration and size comparison.
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
Not far is the wreck of an Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik, built in huge numbers by the USSR over the years of the Great Patriotic War.
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
Interesting specimens in the inside hangar include a Messerschmitt Me-108 trainer, some Soviet trainers, classic Kamov and Mil helicopters.
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
A Soviet H-29L semi-active laser homing air-to-ground missile for the Sukhoi Su-22, which the Hungarian Air Force owned and operated, is on display.
A very interesting old analog approach simulator is also presented. It is made of a cabin mock-up and a large model of an airport, with cameras mounted on moving trolleys, likely projecting a magnified image of the ‘terrain’ in the cabin.
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
You can board a MiG-21, and see the mysterious content of the noses of some fighter aircraft – typically radar antennas of various levels of sophistication.
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
An array of engines, from WWII up to our days, are on display on the first floor.
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
Outside you can find a sample list of virtually all popular MiG models, from MiG-15 to MiG-29.
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
A colorful example of a MiG-21 will sure capture your eye, similarly to a set of Mil-24 attack helicopters, wrapped in incredible liveries!
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
A MiG-21 has been placed in an enclave resembling an aircraft shelter, an example of the care adopted in designing this top-tier museum. An SA-2 Guideline is on display by the entrance, visible also from the parking.
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
To the far end of the external apron, you can find a ‘MiG alley’ with several fighters from that design bureau. Also there is a massive Sukhoi Su-22, and two Lockheed F-104 Starfighter – from Turkey and Germany respectively.
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
The SAM part is rather interesting. You can see at least two SA-2 (aka S-75 Dvina, according to Soviet nomenclature), on trolleys or on the launch pad, with a distinctive flame deflector.
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
A P37 Bar Lock early warning and target acquisition radar has been put on top of a mound. This type of radar constituted the first line of border defense of many countries of the Eastern Bloc, against intrusion from the West. It featured a range of approximately 250 miles.
Another radar antenna is the P15 Flat Face low-altitude target acquisition radar. With a range of about 75 miles, this scanner operated typically with the SA-3 Goa anti-aircraft system (aka S-125 Pechora in Soviet nomenclature).
The latter is on display on a movable launcher as well as on a four missile rack, prominently placed on top of a rampart, somehow resembling its typical launching position. A battery of more missiles on the same launching rack is typical of this highly successful missile, sold to many Countries, and easier to operate than its older cousin, the SA-2.
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
Inside another smaller hangar – apparently a former railway depot – you can find the console for the control of the SA-2 system, together with another example of this SAM.
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
RepTar Szolnok Aviation Museum Hungary
Getting there and moving around
Really an unmissable sight for aviation enthusiasts, military-minded people or the whole family as well! This very nice collection can be found in Szolnok. Address: Szolnok, Indóház u. 4-6, 5000 Hungary. Large parking ahead, restaurant and gift shop. Website here. You may easily spend a whole morning here, but if you are in a hurry, you can have a quick look in about 1 hour.
Emlekpont, Hódmezővásárhely
A rather unusual collection of soviet ‘authorized’ art can be found in this recently renovated building, which also hosts temporary exhibitions. The central part of the display is basically a single room on two floors, with paintings from the Cold War era.
Emlekpont Communist Soviet Art Gallery Hungary
Emlekpont Communist Soviet Art Gallery Hungary
Emlekpont Communist Soviet Art Gallery Hungary
Emlekpont Communist Soviet Art Gallery Hungary
Emlekpont Communist Soviet Art Gallery Hungary
A huge statue of a Soviet soldier takes the full height of the room! Some paintings refer to the 1956 uprising, clearly on the side of the rebels, hence they might be from a post-1989 time.
Emlekpont Communist Soviet Art Gallery Hungary
Emlekpont Communist Soviet Art Gallery Hungary
Emlekpont Communist Soviet Art Gallery Hungary
Emlekpont Communist Soviet Art Gallery Hungary
Emlekpont Communist Soviet Art Gallery Hungary
Emlekpont Communist Soviet Art Gallery Hungary
Emlekpont Communist Soviet Art Gallery Hungary
Surely worth a stop for those with an interest in Soviet art, like you can find only in Tretjakowsky Gallery in Moscow!
Getting there and moving around
This little museum can be found in Hódmezővásárhely, Andrássy út 34, 6800 Hungary, a few minutes driving from university town Szeged, close to the border with Serbia and Romania. Visiting may take about 30 minutes, more if you know Hungarian. Website here.
Pinter Works Military Park, Kecel
A one-of-a-kind exhibition, this place is hidden deep in the countryside between Balaton and the Serbian border, but it is really worth a detour for anybody interested in Soviet weapons from the Cold War era. It is likely one of the largest displays of heavy military gear you may find in Europe!
The sample list covers anti-aircraft guns, anti-tank guns, field artillery, self-propelled cannons and tanks.
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
But you also get special function trucks, moving bridges, transport, trailers, portable radar equipment.
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Also SAMs are represented, including the SA-2 Guideline (S-75 Dvina), SA-4 Ganef (2K11 Krug) and the more conspicuous SA-5 Gammon (S-200 Vega). Some of the SAMs feature also transport cartridges on purpose-assembled trucks – some of them on tracks! – which are displayed side by side with field rocket launchers.
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
The huge Square Pair radar, used in conjunction with the modern SA-5 Gammon, makes for a really rare and impressive sight – it is tall like a multi-storey building, but it is on a trailer, implying it can be moved. There are two on display!
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Also rather rare is the ST-68U Tin Shield early warning border patrolling radar, still in use today, with its movable trailer.
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Even SCUDs surface-to-surface theater missiles can be found. One is located on board its movable launch-pad, similar to what you can see in Bucharest (see here).
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Some of the trailers are open, so you can get a view of the inside – with all equipment apparently in place, including radar scopes and huge consoles, resembling an old-fashioned science fiction!
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Finally, a series of fighter aircraft, including several MiG and Sukhoi models, are on display.
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Curiously enough, a SAAB 35 Draken from Sweden found its way to here, whereas a T-72 and a T-34 make for gate guardians, together with an Antonov An-24.
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Finally, what looks like a monster-size ballistic missile encapsulated in a canister completes the show…
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
Soviet Military Gear Weapons Huge Collection Pinter Works Kecel Hungary
All in all, as said this is really an impressive collection, both as an ensemble, and for some of the pieces in it. The origin of the collection is rather mysterious – nobody spoke anything except Hungarian there, but if I got it right through much gesticulation, the place is owned by somebody residing in Dallas area, TX. The military park sits in the premises of a metal-recycling company, so maybe there is some connection between the two, even though it does not look like they are fueling recycling with the items on display. Actually, the military park is well maintained and presented as a very nice open-air museum.
Getting there and moving around
The museum is located at the address Kecel, Rákóczi Ferenc u. 177, 6237 Hungary. The website is here, with accurate visiting info. Please note they accept only cash. Visiting may easily take 2 hours for an interested subject, taking all the pictures. For a quick overview, you may spend 30-40 minutes on site.
Taszar Airbase Museum, Taszar
Another unique museum, somewhat far from the major touristic paths in Hungary, can be found on the premises of the currently (as of 2020) inactive military airbase of Taszar, in southwest Hungary. This airbase was operated by the Hungarian Air Force over the years of the Cold War, with training and fighter units flying MiGs of many sorts over the years. Curiously, the base was lent to the US in the 1990s, and was used for attacks over Serbia and more support functions during the Balkan crisis in the late 1990s, and up to the early 2000s. After the American troops left, the base was shut down, and is now waiting for a novel use.
The museum is located in the building of the US chapel, itself in the middle of the now deserted living area of the base.
This museum is the display of a collection of artifacts, put together over many years by a former officer of the Hungarian Air Force, Sandor Kontsagh, who is the owner and who personally runs the place – you are likely to meet him, if you are going to pay a visit! An extremely kind and knowledgeable person, more than available to spend his time showing his collection in detail.
The most massive items on display include several aircraft parts, ranging from canopies, to entire cockpit panels, to parts of the innermost plants onboard Soviet-made fighters, including their electronics. What multiplies the value of this assortment is the fact that every single piece has its own history, as you will be told by Mr. Kontsagh.
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
The original survival kit from an early MiG, similar to a soviet flight suit from the 1950s, are among the many invaluable collection items.
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Also the machine guns and cannon of a MiG-15 can be found – compare the size to the cap of my wide lens!
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
The panel of a MiG-15 has been refurbished, linking it to electric power to light the electro-optical gunsight – hi-tec from the early Cold War.
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Photography is of special relevance to the owner of the museum – he was tasked with technical photography functions during his career, and he has a real thing for this activity. Cameras usually mounted on the gunsight of fighter jets are part of the collection – for the first time, I could carefully look inside what always appears as a bulky black box impeding the pilot’s view on most aircraft from the Cold War period!
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Some of the cameras are accompanied by the their original technical registry, showing annotations from the 1950s – incredible.
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Of special interest are also the cathode ray tubes to be found for instance on MiG-21. You would not suspect they are so long, looking at their flat appearance, besides other goggles on the panel of that fighter.
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Interesting historical pictures are many. Among them, some are from decoy aircraft – inflatables – to fool enemy analysts watching satellite pictures taken above military bases. Others are from visits of president Clinton and princess Diana to Taszar. You can also find an aerial view of the base from Cold War times.
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
In an adjoining room you can find a collection of radio equipment, with very interesting pieces made in the USSR. These include an original wire recorder.
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Maps, trophies and models complete this room, together with a unique collection of cameras, from different countries and makes.
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Another room hosts mainly uniforms – including the one belonging to Mr. Kontsagh – and flight suits. Also arresting parachute canister of a MiG-21 is on display.
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
A corner of the main hall is dedicated to memorabilia from the US tenancy period. These include original uniforms, pictures, papers and even meals, proudly prepared in SC for American troops. By comparison, Hungarian packed meals, also on display, are much heavier!
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
More memorabilia include training progress registries from pilot’s training – in Russian – as well as textbooks from the training group operating on the base.
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
All in all, I would say this museum alone is a good reason for a trip to this area!
On the outside, you find yourself in the setting of the old Taszar base, with some gate guardians of Soviet make, and an incredible mural on what was likely an academy building.
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Access to the airport is interdicted, as the base is inactive but not abandoned.
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
Getting there and moving around
When I visited in August 2020, the place was not even pinpointed on Google Maps, but later things have rapidly changed, so you can spot this as an attraction on Google Maps to the west of the airport in Taszar (‘Katonai repulo muzeum’ is the name you find). However, here are the coordinates 46.377887110631455, 17.89899149846632, which take you to a former living area of Taszar airbase, where you can enter with your car. The place is not abandoned, even though most buildings are now unused. The aura is a bit strange, for you have the sensation of intruding into a governmental property – but soon you realize this part of the base is not any more off-limits.
When I visited there was no info about opening timetables whatsoever available in advance, so we just popped up there, finding a closed door with a telephone number. We called and the man – Mr. Kontsagh – told us to wait a few minutes, and came in by foot, opening the place just for us.
I attach the phone number, in case you want to call in advance.
Taszar Airbase Museum Katonai Repulo Hungary
There is no website as of 2020, but the place is totally worth the effort of planning a visit anyway! You might spend a time ranging from 30 minutes to some hours, especially if you are interested in the topic of the museum, or you are simply into military aviation with a technical mind, and also have questions for the knowledgeable owner, who will answer in detail. In case you don’t know Hungarian, understanding a little German and a technical preparation will allow you to take much out of your visit (little English spoken, unfortunately, but this is not strange in this part of the world).
Since the beginning caught in the storm of WWII, Poland saw its border changed again in 1945 by the Western Allies and the USSR – the lack of natural borders meant that fate for this Country several times over the centuries. Furthermore, as a massive flow of Soviet forces had been pivotal in repelling Hitler’s forces, similar to other nations sharing a border with the USSR, Poland found itself deep in the sphere of influence of Stalin’s Soviet Union. A communist dictatorship was installed starting 1945, due to last until the end of communism in Europe in 1989.
As a matter of fact, Poland turned out to be by far the most populated and largest of Eastern Bloc countries. Strategically placed in the middle between the USSR and free Western Europe, with a wide section of the Baltic shoreline and a huge, mostly flat territory, similar to the German Democratic Republic nearby, Poland was the theater of a significant militarization effort by the Soviets. Not only the Polish army received Soviet war material in large stocks over the full span of the Cold War, but the Red Army also actually had significant assets scattered over Polish territory – its huge Northern Group of Forces being stationed there, with tanks, aircraft, dedicated bases, firing ranges, as well as several tens of thousand troops and their families, making for a kind of military colony of the USSR.
What is possibly less known is that also Soviet nuclear weapons were stationed in some satellites of the USSR, like the GDR (see this and this chapters, for instance), Hungary (see this chapter), and of course Poland.
Some elements of the global picture have been introduced in another chapter, dealing among other things with a Basalt-type bunker built for storing air-launched nuclear systems, on the premises of the Soviet airbase of Wiechlice (Szprotawa). Yet as can be argued from the general map of of nuclear depots known to Western intelligence, dating from 1979 (‘Warsaw Pact Forces Opposite NATO’, Vol.I-II, CREST record number 0005517771, declassified and released in 2010, here), there were also three major depots of the Monolith-type in Poland. Similar to Stolzenhain and Lychen in the former GDR (see this post), these depots were larger, multi-chamber storage facilities, intended to store primarily missile warheads for longer periods, for instance to complement the SCUD launch system for theater missiles.
The uniqueness of Poland in the panorama of Cold War archaeology lies in a generally positive attitude towards preserving some traces of this dramatic piece of recent history, when the map of Europe was markedly different from now, and the western world found itself multiple times on the verge of a nuclear confrontation, to be fought on the very territory of now wealthy Core Europe. As a result, an impressive number of war museums putting on display military stuff from all the 20th century can be found scattered over the broad territory of today’s Poland.
Even more important, a certain number of former Soviet military installations are being either actively preserved, or at least not condemned through demolition works or re-assignment to improbable new uses. This is despite a totally justified negative attitude towards the Soviet occupation forces and communist dictatorship. This attitude marks an unusual difference between the cultural attitude of the fierce Polish people towards recent military history and Soviet occupation, with respect for instance to Germany or Hungary, where the comprehensible dislike for the Soviets has taken a shape in leaving behind – i.e. more or less demolishing – every trace of a Soviet military presence, and especially in the former, reducing military museums to a minimum.
Among the most prominent Cold War relics you can find in Poland are the three Monolith-type nuclear warhead bunkers mentioned above. One of them – the Podborsko site – has been restored with 90% original material, and makes for a world-class, top-tier museum in the panorama of Cold War military history. The other two, Brzeznica-Kolonia and Templewo, have been left to nature and have now become ‘Soviet ghosts’, but they are advertised with panels, providing some info, and while access is not encouraged, a quick look inside the bunkers, as well as freely walking in the former premises of these bases, is of course possible.
This post covers these three Monolith-type sites, with a focus on the unique preserved Podborsko site, which needs to be on the shortlist of everyone with an interest in Cold War technology, as well as in the history of the nuclear stockpile. All sites were visited, and all photographs taken, on a trip to western Poland in summer 2020.
All three sites are in northwestern Poland. GPS coordinates are provided in the respective sections. Despite being not too much afar from each other, due the relatively slow connection roads in the area, visiting all three places in one day is not possible. Furthermore, the area is quite dense in both general interest and Cold War related destinations, so I would advise planning a trip to this region of Poland and listing these sites among other destinations.
Podborsko Site – Objekt 3001
A good specimen of a Monolith site, Podborsko – or Objekt 3001, as per the official military listing of the Cold War years – was centered on two large half-interred bunker, each with two big side-wards opening tight doors at ground level, providing access to the interior with the trolleys used to move the nuclear warheads from the transport trucks to the cellars.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
For an increased protection in case of an attack to the site – likely listed among targets of strategic value by Western Countries – a second tight door was put immediately next to the external one, creating a tight, blast resisting and insulated airlock between the interior of the bunker and the outside world.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Both doors to the two ends of the airlock can be – and are – opened via a manual crank system. Two men are needed to actually move the doors however – they are really heavy! A servo-assisted system was in place originally.
An interesting detail is the original sensor for the door status, part of a security system of the base.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Similar to their US counterparts, the Soviets took the problem of security of the nuclear arsenal pretty seriously. Each door on the path followed by the warhead from the outside to the cellar, including the airlock doors as well as the cellar doors inside the bunker, were associated to a trigger. When the corresponding door was opened, the trigger sent a signal via a dedicated cable link to the headquarters of a dedicated branch of the Red Army offices in Moscow, Russia, which was kept constantly updated on the status of each critical door in the depot. The link was via purpose-designed vacuum-protected cables – the actual wiring ran along a vacuum manifold, so that in case of the cable was bitten and the vacuum manifold collapsed, an emergency signal was immediately sent to the nearest nodes of the network, allowing surveillance staff to intervene promptly.
The opening of and closing procedure of the airlock doors involved communication with a post in Moscow too, which started with the local guards communicating their intention to open the doors via a system housed in a blue cabinet besides the tight door. As the signal traveled from the bunker to the headquarters and back, the opening of an airlock was not a quick operation! Original writings in pencil can still be found in the cabinet.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Past the airlock, you land on an elevated concrete platform. From here the warheads were moved to the underground floor via a mechanical crane. This is still standing today, with limit indications in Russian.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
From the platform you get an excellent lookout of the bunker structure. You can see a twin suspended platform to the opposite end of the underground floor, with a tight door shut closed. Along the long sides of the main hall, on the underground level you see several doors. On the right hand side, big sliding doors painted in white give access to the cellars, where the warheads spent most of their time in rest. On the opposite side are smaller man-sized doors, giving access to the technical area, with provision for the men of the permanent bunker watch.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
The stairs leading downstairs are among the few complements to the original structure – they have been put in place to ease visiting. Originally, the underground floor could be reached from the suspended platform only via a lateral manhole with a vertical metal latter.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
The warheads are long gone today – the site was built in the late 1960s, and was emptied of its strategically relevant content in the late 1980s, to be finally ceded back to the Polish government after the withdrawal of all Russian forces from Europe. The cellars today are mainly empty, and used to showcase interesting items related to the site.
First, you can see a scale model of the entire site. In Soviet times, the place was a full scale military base. It included a separated area with living facilities for the troops and their families, who ran the base with both technical and surveillance tasks. Today, this area has been taken over by the government, and used as a prison – Podborsko is rather secluded and far from populated areas on the Baltic coast. Furthermore, as said there used to be two twin bunkers. Today only one has been restored, whereas the other is sealed and waiting for reuse. Between the sectors of the base multiple fences with barbed wire, concrete walls, foxholes and other deterring/defense devices and systems were in place, making the innermost part of the base with the bunkers rather inaccessible.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
An original armored cabinet from the time of operation is still in the corner of a cellar, its original use is uncertain.
In another cellar you can find everyday items and relics from Soviet presence in the area. These range from toothpaste to children’s toys. Also more military-related items, like cartridge boxes and even original Soviet military dog tags have been found scattered over the area!
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
You can also find weapons, a scheme of the base in Russian, anti-radiation suits, and parts of the body, control and guidance systems of a Soviet SCUD theater missile – the corresponding warheads being the main business in Podborsko. There is also a copy of the plan of an attack scenario for Western Europe, showing some targets on the respective sides of the Iron Curtain.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
One of the cellars has been left empty, with a mock-up of a warhead, resting on one of the original trolleys. This is particularly evoking, despite being just one out of the high number of warheads usually stored in a cellar. The actual number of warheads residing in each Soviet storage over the years is still today not totally clear. However, reportedly former Soviet staff support there was in a single Monolith bunker in Poland enough nuclear material for the whole attack plan over Europe, meaning a number of several tens warheads per site.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
The trolley is original as said, and it shows the function of the slots on the ground of each cellar, which allowed anchoring the trolley firmly in position. This was possibly needed also in the extreme case of a blast hitting the bunker, so as to avoid any unwanted displacement of the trolleys.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
A fourth cellar displays a set of panels, outlining the history of the Cold War.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
As said, the security triggers telling the status of the door can be found close also to each of the sliding doors of the cellars.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Before moving to the technical area on the other side of the bunker, a look to the central hall reveals a number of original material. In particular, you can find an interesting set of instruments, handles and gauges packed together in a metal cabinet. Their function was that of monitoring the state of each warhead. Nuclear material needs to be stored in precise conservation conditions, so warheads were kept in dedicated cases. These were inspected regularly by connecting them to the monitoring system and recording the corresponding gauge readings. Traces of the positioning markers for an inspected trolley can be found close to the cabinet, painted on the ground.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Another conspicuous sight in the main hall is the heating system, needed to keep the inside atmosphere at a constant assigned temperature and humidity level, to guarantee the health of nuclear material. A big array of heat exchangers takes the top part of a side wall in the main hall.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
The technical part is made of two main parts, and is accessible on the long side of the hall opposite to the cellars. One part is made of a blind sequence of three narrow compartments. Here you can find a case for manipulating dangerous chemicals, with protection gloves once protruding inside. Nearby, a sink and some cabinets recall a medical room.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
This area was designed to manipulate and check the triggers of nuclear weapons in use at the time of construction of the Monolith bunkers (late 1960s). These made use of reactive materials, thus requiring some precautions and a complex maintenance procedure. They were phased out soon after the construction of the site though, so this part of the bunker was basically unused since that time. A tight door connects this area to the main hall.
The second part of the technical area is arranged along a U-shaped corridor, starting and ending in the main hall. Similar to the previous technical part, a small sealed door connects the corridor to the main hall.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
The first technical rooms you meet are related to climate control.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Next you find a big water tank. Close by there is a single toilet. This was reportedly seldom used, as drainage did not work properly due to the underground placement. Watchmen during their shifts in the bunker went out for their physiological needs.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Going in and out for pedestrians was made possible through a man-sized airlock. This is perfectly preserved in Podborsko, similar to the passage leading up, by means of very steep metal ladders.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Another interesting sight in the technical area is the air filtering room, which is close to the small living area for the watch staff. In case of an attack to the facility, making the area poisonous possibly also due to fallout, this huge filtering system allowed the troops inside to survive for some time.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
The electric control room is in almost mint condition. Only the major connections to the external power lines – not there any more – have been cut. Same electric connections still bear their original hand written identifiers!
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
An original – and rare – handbook with some illustration of standard trolleys is among the artifacts to be found in this incredible exhibition.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Concluding the technical part, a massive Diesel power generator, with its ancillary air pumping and exhaust expulsion systems, is still there in a rather good state.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Back outside, the Podborsko site features also a Granit-type bunker, perfectly preserved with its metal doors – seldom found elsewhere. Granit bunkers were much softer in construction than the Monolith-type, and they might be used for storing assembled missiles, command posts and more. The one in Podborsko is another Soviet mystery – it is hard to tell to what purpose it was built, probably in the late 1970s-early 1980s.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
The second bunker, very similar inside to the main one, is sealed and waiting for restoration. You can walk the exterior, where some remains of the truck loading/unloading platforms can be found. Traces of a fence line can be seen to the back.
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Getting there and moving around
The Podborsko site is a branch of the ‘Muzeum Oreza Polskiego w Kolobrzegu’, called ‘Cold War Museum Podborsko 3001’ (‘Muzeum Zimnej Wojny Podborsko 3001’ in Polish). The town of Kolobrzeg is on the Baltic coast, roughly a one hour drive from this bunker, and hosts other branches of this nice museum (a tank and artillery collection, a marine branch,…). The dedicated website of Podborsko is here, to be Google-translated from Polish. The Podborsko site is open on a regular basis at least in summer, and also by appointment. I guess the visit may take about 1 hour once on site.
My visit was a special one though, as I had the chance to join in for a special thorough visit of the site, prepared for Dr. Reiner Helling, a nuclear scientist from Germany, and one of the most knowledgeable historians in the field of Soviet military presence and nuclear assets in Europe. Dr. Helling extended the invitation to me, so I had the unique chance to take a private, tour with the local curators of the branch, Mr. Mieczysław Żuk and Mr. Pawel Urbaniak. We spent some hours touring the site inside and out – special thanks to all three for an unforgettable experience!
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Podborsko Soviet Nuclear Bunker Warhead WMD Monolith Depot Poland Cold War Museum
Getting to the bunker is easy by car. Driving will be along an original Soviet service road, which can be faced with a regular city car. You may park once on the spot once there.
Brzeznica Kolonia – Objekt 3002
The site in Brzeznica Kolonia can be found close to the former Soviet village of Klomino – pretty famous in its heyday among the urbex community – and in the vicinity of the airport of Nadarzyce, still active today.
The site has been largely wiped out, but the bunkers and a little more hardware survive, in a ghost condition. However, the site is advertised with some explanatory panels, and it is also quite popular among the locals, which come here to take a couple of pics in a weird scenery.
One of the most portrayed items on the premises of this site is the Granit bunker, which is today lacking its original metal door. Similar to Podborsko, this ‘soft’ bunker was added at a later stage, and its function is to be guessed. Interestingly, some painted stripes can be found on the pavement, possibly marking the position of some trailer or gear.
Similar to Podborsko, the two major Monolith bunkers are arranged with their respective axes crossed. The eastern one can be accessed from its southern door pretty easily. Inside, it reveals its similarity with Podborsko, except for having being spoiled of any metal part – from the doors to the heat exchangers – and having hosted a wildfire or similar, as can be guessed from the sooth on the walls and ceiling.
Getting to the underground level from the suspended platform is not safe if you are going alone, like me, as the original metal ladders have been taken away. However, hard spoiling has to be expected also in the technical rooms.
Walking on top of the bunker, you find traces of the man-sized side entrance, completely interred.
The westernmost bunker is easy to access from the eastern gate. Inside, it has been spoiled of any metal, similar to its twin brother. It is in a generally better shape though, without sooth on the inside walls.
Also, more than in Podborsko you can appreciate a network of foxholes, which despite fading in nature, can be clearly noticed departing from the main roads once crossing this military installation.
Back to Nadarzyce nearby, you can get access to the former ghost town of Klomino. The majority of the original Soviet blocks have been wiped out, but most incredibly some of them have been restored and are today inhabited. This, and the very bad access road, make this place worth a visit only for completing the tour of this once big Soviet installation, without adding much. There is really not much left to see in Klomino.
As said, the bunkers are pretty popular among the locals, who go there by mountain bike or car. The site can be accessed via an unpaved service road, totally safe also for a standard car, taking south from Nadarzyce. The parking point is here 53°25’51.0″N 16°34’43.6″E. There are also some picnic tables, an explanatory panel and some warning signs.
Similar to Brzeznica Kolonia, the Templewo site has been largely reclaimed, and is now partly preserved as an unusual spot in the wilderness. The base has completely gone, but the the monolith bunkers are still there.
They can be found following an original Soviet paved road.
With respect to the latter, they appear in a generally better shape, albeit stripped of any metal hardware. Again, going down to the underground level is not recommendable if you are exploring alone, as there are no ladders from the suspended platform.
Taking a detour from the Monolith bunker area reveals an extensive network of trenches and foxholes, with abundant traces of – dangerous – barbed wire.
Finally, a single Granit-type bunker, added to the site at some point similarly to Podborsko and Brzeznica Kolonia, has been completely taken away. Only the side embankments can be seen today, wet and with a slimy puddle in between.
The site can be reached by car, shortly north of the road connecting Trzemeszno Lubuskie to Wielowies. A parking area, part of the former base, is here 52°25’16.2″N 15°19’10.6″E. No special car needed, you can drive the original Soviet service road with a standard city car. From the parking, you may move north for a very short walk. You will soon find mild warning signs concerning the bunkers.
The area is located next to a huge military proving ground, so loud bangs might be heard quite easily, and you will see signs telling not to go south with respect to the access road to the former nuclear installation. However, the bunkers themselves are out of the danger area, and totally open and accessible.
Belgrade, the capital city of today’s Serbia, with a population of 1.3 millions, boasts traces of dating back to the Roman Empire. Strategically located on the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers, through the ages it grew to become a major military and trading post.
A city at war – brief historical perspective
In the 19th century, with the foundation of a Kingdom of Serbia free from the Ottoman rule, Belgrade became a capital city of an independent power, right at the geographical center of the Balkan region.
In 1914, tense relations with the better established and more powerful Austrian Empire triggered WWI, where Serbia fought on the side of the winners, gaining territories extending to the Adriatic Sea from the dismembered Austrian empire. These regions were encapsulated in an unprecedented entity, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, where Belgrade played again as capital city.
Soon after, WWII saw a bloody and rather unsung front opening in the Balkans, conquered from the north by Hitler’s Wehrmacht, and from the south by fascist Italy. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ceased to exist, and Belgrade – initially the target of massive air attacks by Germany – was made for a while the capital of a kind of German protectorate. It was in the final years of WWII that communist-led resistance para-military corps led by Marshal Tito, secretly supported by the Western Allies, started operating massively against the Axis. Tito was backed especially by the British, who provided war materiel, staff for tactical decisions and political support.
When Serbia was liberated, with the help of the Red Army attacking from southern Ukraine through today’s Romania on Serbia’s eastern border, Tito raised to power, re-founding Yugoslavia as a communist country extending from Greece to Austria and Italy, and with borders with Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria – all the latter three being communist countries, deeply entangled with the Soviet Union. Belgrade was again the capital city of a powerful and strategically relevant state.
Quite oddly from Stalin’s perspective, Tito did not capitulate the sovereignty of Yugoslavia to the USSR – unlike most states in Eastern Europe. This again was possible likely through the support of the West, in the quickly evolving geo-political situation soon after WWII leading to the Cold War, where former allies split on the two sides of the Iron Curtain. As a matter of fact, no Soviet military bases were ever placed in Yugoslavia, a communist country which until the Fifties even obtained war material from the West!
Tito managed to keep his post on the international scene and internally until his death in 1980. Soon after, the artificial ties between the many nations united in Yugoslavia began to crack, and almost at the same time of the end of communism in Eastern Europe, the country literally fell apart. As of now the bloodiest conflicts in post-WWII Europe, the Yugoslavian Wars saw the secession of several new national entities from one another and from Serbia. Belgrade is now the capital city of the Republic of Serbia.
War heritage in Belgrade – What is covered in this chapter
The troubled history of Belgrade as a capital city has left permanent traces in the fort, one of the oldest and most prominent highlights in town. The foundations bear traces of the ancient Roman fort, but a defense bunker dug underground within its premises is a witness of the role of this old part of the town in more recent years.
An ideal setting for a weapons display, the fort is also where the museum of military history can be found. Dating from Tito’s era, this place boasts a remarkable collection of war material from all ages, including WWII, the Cold War and the 1990s. It stands as a perfect counterpart for the air museum, covered in this chapter. Further items of interest include one-of-a-kind memorabilia items belonging to Marshal Tito.
Being Tito’s Yugoslavia capital city, it is no surprise the founder of postwar Yugoslavia was buried here. An extremely interesting purpose-built museum – a major relic of the Cold War era – surrounds the mausoleum. There you can find a massive documentation on the dictator, including signed photographs and gifts from prominent western political leaders – including virtually every US President in office during Tito’s many decades in charge! This witnesses the special status of Marshal Tito in the eyes of western powers.
Another characteristic sight is the ‘Genex Tower’, a unique skyscraper of American size, with a style resembling ‘Blade Runner’ motion picture’s set. A real punch in the eye in the landscape, this is tower is of course another witness of how private enterprises – this time, the Yugoslavian tourism group Genex – could get a prominent status in communist Yugoslavia, differently from Soviet-style fully centralized economies. It is also an example of an original architectural style from the Cold War era, showing the great care given to art and architecture by the communist party of Yugoslavia – another prominent example being ‘spomeniks’, monuments scattered over the entire former territory of the country (see this dedicated chapter).
Similarly interesting is ‘Avala Tower’, a TV tower with an elevated panorama platform from the 1960s. Besides the architectural interest, it is worth mentioning this tower was targeted by NATO air raids in 1999, and completely demolished. It was rebuilt in an identical shape and re-opened only recently.
The oddest among war-connected items in town is the former building of the ministry of defense, close to today’s capital directional center. Having being targeted by NATO bombing raids in 1999 and severely damaged, it was left for years damaged and derelict, a memento for the attack by NATO forces, and the focus of much controversy.
Photographs of these sites are from a visit in Spring 2019.
Map
The sites covered in this chapter can be found on the map below.
When getting access to the beautiful historical fort of Belgrade, a vantage point to watch the oldest districts and the rivers, you will hardly miss an impressive array of cannons, howitzers, tanks and missile batteries from earlier than Napoleon to the Cold War.
This rich collection is the outside part of the Military Museum of Belgrade. Founded back in Tito’s era, this museums offers an overview of the war history of this war-battered part of the world, since ancient times to the latest Yugoslavian Wars of the 1990s.
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
The collection features interesting items especially from WWII, including pieces of German make, as well as from the Cold War period, like Soviet-made ‘Katyusha’ launchers and SAM batteries.
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Despite the initial struggle with Stalin, after the latter’s death, relations with the USSR improved. Since then, military supply for Yugoslavia mainly came from the USSR, flanked by a non-negligible domestic production.
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
The indoor collection starts from much back in time, with weapons dating from the centuries of the struggle against the Ottoman rule. A major section is dedicated to the 19th century, when the Kingdom of Serbia was founded. As known, the spark for WWI came from the Balkans. Serbia took part to the war on the side of the Entente. As a result, after WWI the Kingdom of Serbia increased its territory and became known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia since the late 1920s.
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Resulting from the political union of peoples of diverse ethnicity, religion, language and commercial vocation, this kingdom never experienced much stability. As a matter of fact, king Alexander I was murdered on a visit to France by Macedonian fighters for independence. The blood stained shirt of the king following the assassination – notably the first such event to be video recorded, albeit in 1934 quality – is preserved in the museum.
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Like elsewhere in Europe, WWII years saw the suppression of the existing institutions. In 1941 Yugoslavia was invaded by neighboring Hitler’s Germany (which at that time was a single entity with Austria). The Nazi rule was implemented in the region of today’s Serbia, administrated by a German-backed local government. Items from this era are abundant, and include maps, weaponry and uniforms.
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Of special interest are also the double-language notices – in German and Serbian – produced by Nazi Germany, with the distinctive eagle and swastika (similar to what you can find in the occupied territories of the USSR, see for instance here).
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Also interesting are the bounty signs about Tito and other ‘comrades’ – the resistance movements were well organized and supplied, with the backing of Western Allies operating from Greece and southern Italy in the latter years of the war, thus creating real troubles to the invading powers.
Despite that, also improvised weapons were used, presented in the museum. Being an installation from Tito’s time, the operations of the communist-led resistance para-military units is showcased with flags, banners, uniforms and weapons.
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
A true relic in the museum is made of a small collection of Marshal Tito’s own uniforms and everyday items. These include some field items – torchlight, map magnifier – as well as more personal belongings – glasses, a USSR souvenir, apparently a pencil case, and more.
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Some interesting photographs include portraits of US staff and aircraft operating from Yugoslavia, as well as a copy of the declaration of support to Tito’s army from the participants to the Tehran conference – Churchill, Stalin and president Roosevelt.
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
A very Soviet-style part of the museum is a kind of memorial, with a statue of Tito and a myriad of banners from various military groups – a kind of homage – completed by a massive engraved metal map of communist Yugoslavia.
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
A significant part of the museum deals with the 1990s wars. These include the early secession war mainly opposing Croatia, but deeply involving Bosnia-Herzegovina. Weapons of the Croatian army are on display.
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
A latter part is devoted to the war with Kosovo, which resulted in an open, mainly air-fought conflict against overwhelming NATO forces. From the fierce and polemical titles of the display cases in this latest part of the museum, it is clear that this fragment of history is still an open wound in the collective memory of Serbia. Maps of NATO bombing incursions have been created, and curiously translated into English, for the eyes of western visitors.
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
Military Museum Belgrade Serbia
More substantial remains from this relatively recent struggle can be found at the air museum of Belgrade, covered in this post, in the form of wrecks of downed aircraft and western missile bodies.
Visiting
The museum is a major attraction among those scattered over the premises of the fort. Access to the outdoor part, surely deserving a walk-through also for those not particularly interested in history, is free of charge, and may be very appealing for the kids. The indoor collection is extremely interesting for war historians or history-minded people, but the exhibition may be hard for children. Most items are labeled also in English, making the visit interesting. Visiting the inside part may take from .5 to more than 1 hour, depending on your level of interest. A photo permit is required to take pictures inside. Website with info here.
Mystery Bunker in the Fort of Belgrade
This bunker is poorly advertised, and only scarce on-site descriptions are provided. It is basically made of a tunnel built close to a the most panoramic corner of the fortress. Access is via a narrow stair, giving access to a U-shaped corridor, connecting two double-floor underground circular towers.
Blegrade WWII Bunker Fort Serbia
Blegrade WWII Bunker Fort Serbia
On the lower floor of the towers, sleeping rooms for troops can be found, together with water tanks. On the upper floor what appears as an unfinished or lately interred firing position for high-caliber artillery can be found.
Blegrade WWII Bunker Fort Serbia
Blegrade WWII Bunker Fort Serbia
Blegrade WWII Bunker Fort Serbia
Blegrade WWII Bunker Fort Serbia
Blegrade WWII Bunker Fort Serbia
Blegrade WWII Bunker Fort Serbia
Blegrade WWII Bunker Fort Serbia
Construction is similar to some installations of the Atlantic Wall (see for instance here and here), hence it may date from WWII or soon after.
Due to the (strangely) scant description, it is hard to tell the history of this mystery bunker, and I am only guessing its function.
Visiting
The site can be visited with an inexpensive ticket, to be purchased (cash only) by the entrance to the helical pit, a much more advertised attraction nearby. To be honest, nobody checked my ticket once by the entrance to the bunker, which at a first glance can be confused with a backyard deposit (it is really not much celebrated as an attraction). Anyway, I came across a Serbian-speaking small guided group on my visit, so there must be chance of getting inside like that, enjoying some better explanation. Visiting alone may take 15 minutes. A little info on the site of the Fortress, here.
Marshal Tito’s Mausoleum and Memorabilia Museum
This installation lies to the back of the older building of the Museum of Yugoslavia, dating from Tito’s era and currently closed for renovation (2020). The neighborhood is very nice, with buildings of many embassies. The mausoleum and the annexed museum are part of a nice ensemble, surrounded by a garden. A very modern entrance hall with shop and services has been prepared at the entrance.
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
The burial place of Marshal Tito is in a greenhouse-like building, pretty nice and peaceful. The tomb is definitely plain and not bombastic, nothing you would expect from a dictator. Tito’s wife is buried nearby.
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
To the sides of the building you can find a well designed exhibition including personal belongings of Tito, parts of his office furniture, as well as pictures – including a magnified one with dignitaries attending his funeral ceremony in 1980.
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
A small excerpt of the huge collection of scepters, a traditional gift offered to Tito by every group or local society on his domestic visits, can be visioned here. Some of these are really nicely crafted, some are funny – some are really kitschy and caricatural.
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
A second part of the installation is hosted in a small, separate building. Here an incredible collection of gifts, personal belongings, photographs, authentic papers from the fund of the Museum of History about momentous events in Yugoslavian history, autographs and scepters can be found.
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Of special interest are the official portraits – often signed – of presidents, dignitaries, kings and queens from various ages and from all over the world. This collection witnesses the relative popularity of Marshal Tito in the West, even though NATO forces never trusted him fully – the missile defense system placed in northeastern Italy in the 1960s and 1970s is a clear memory of that (see this post).
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Similar to Ceausescu’s house in Bucharest (see here), the items on display make for a very vivid memory of Marshal Tito life and actions, and really bring back the man from history. Really an evoking place those interested in the Cold War can’t miss out!
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Tito Museum and Mausoleum Belgrade Serbia
Visiting
This attraction can be easily reached by car, a few minutes from central Belgrade, in a nice and safe neighborhood (see map). The local name is ‘Kuca Cveca’. As a branch of the Museum of Yugoslavia, it is modernly managed and has been recently revamped, making the visit enjoyable and interesting. For those with an interest in the Cold War era or Tito’s life and legacy, a visit to this site may easily take 1-1.5 hours on a self-guided basis, despite the place being relatively small and easy to tour. Guided tours are possible as well, info on the official website (in English) here.
Genex Tower
An internationally known piece of contemporary architecture, this strange looking massive skyscraper can be clearly spotted from the fortressof Belgrade, looking west towards ‘Nikola Tesla’ airport. It was built between 1977 and 1980, and is made of two bodies connected at the top through an elevated platform.
The name Genex Tower comes from the legacy Genex company, a large tour operator from the Yugoslavian era, operating even an independent airline, Aviogenex, flying mainly touristic routes conveying visitors from western Europe to the beautiful coast of Dalmatia. This openness of Yugoslavia to western tourism has been an uncommon characteristic in the panorama of communist-led countries. Overt trade relations with the West contributed to a higher standard of living of Yugoslav population, compared to the USSR-controlled Eastern Bloc neighbors.
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
The tower is today partly a relic. The half once hosting the offices of Genex and its subsidiaries is mostly empty, even though not abandoned – there is a porter apparently living there, and willing to answer your questions on the history of the place! Going beyond the entry hall is not possible, but the hall itself deserves a glance – built with style, it is much more pleasant than the outside of the building!
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
The atmosphere is really evocative of the Cold War era. Like other buildings – mainly hotels – in former Yugoslavia, the style of the interior somehow recalls the old-fashioned luxury of some older James Bond movie setting!
The residential part is still inhabited as a high-rise condominium. The entrance is via a small door, but despite the derelict appearance of the small square ahead of the building, it looks normally cared for.
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
The circular platform on top of the tower used to host a panorama restaurant, today long gone.
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
Genex Tower Communist Skyscraper Belgrade Serbia
The view of the platform from between the two main bodies from the base makes for a peculiar photographic set – as a matter of fact, professional photographers were taking pictures from that spot for a fashion review!
Visiting
The tower can be reached by car, a few minutes north of the city center. This is basically a non-public building, so while visiting is not possible, the open, unfenced premises at the base of the tower allow walking freely around the tower. The neighborhood is densely populated and safe, despite the base of the tower not looking good, due to disrepair. Parking opportunities all around. A walk around the base may take 15 minutes. If you like to get inside the hall of the largely unused (as of 2020) commercial building, you may also have a chat with the porter about the history of the place. The visit won’t be much longer, anyway.
Avala Tower
This tower is located south of Belgrade, and is a vantage point for observing the town and the countryside around. The original tower was completed between 1961 and 1964, entering the world’s top-ten list of tallest buildings at the height of the Cold War era. That tower was targeted by NATO bombing in 1999 and destroyed. It was rebuilt between 2007 and 2009, mostly identical to the original design.
It is today a renowned tourist attraction. A remarkable engineering and design masterpiece, the tower boasts an uncommon three-leg base, giving a shape well fitting in the years of the space age when it was designed – despite the inspiration being reportedly from a three-legged Serbian traditional chair.
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
The platform on top can be reached via a fast elevator. Strange massive condominiums in the southern outskirts of Belgrade can be clearly spotted from here, but the most striking feature is the wild countryside surrounding Belgrade, really a spot in the green.
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Not far from the tower, the interesting Monument to the Unknown Soldier from the 1930s is a remarkable national shrine from the years of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Avala Tower and Unknown Soldier Monument Belgrade Serbia
Visiting
The Avala Tower can be reached by car in about 45 minutes from central Belgrade – mainly due to traffic, since it is not geographically far (see map). Parking on site. The place is managed as a modern large scale attraction, website here.
The Monument to the Unknown Soldier is open 24/7, a quick and interesting detour from the tower, with a dedicated small parking close to a fashionable ‘old-Europe’ vintage hotel. Explanatory panels nearby.
Ruins of the Ministry of Defense
The building of the ministry of defense was targeted during a bombing raid in April 1999, and severely damaged. An administrative building right in today’s administrative district of downtown Belgrade, it has been left mostly untouched for years now, as a memento of the war against the NATO alliance.
Damaged bombarded buildings central Belgrade Serbia
Damaged bombarded buildings central Belgrade Serbia
Damaged bombarded buildings central Belgrade Serbia
Damaged bombarded buildings central Belgrade Serbia
Damaged bombarded buildings central Belgrade Serbia
Damaged bombarded buildings central Belgrade Serbia
Damaged bombarded buildings central Belgrade Serbia
Two buildings can be seen cross the street. Part of the corresponding blocks are still in use, and for safety reasons portions of the damaged buildings have been finally demolished in recent years. More and more plans to convert this very central area to something else have been elaborated, as memory of the troubled 1990s is slowly fading.
Visiting
The place can be reached easily with a walk from the historical and shopping districts of Belgrade (see map). The buildings are inaccessible, and can be seen from the outside. A 5 minutes stop along your walk may suffice to check this item.
Among all oddities populating the extensive area of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone – the immense cordoned area surrounding the ill-fated nuclear power-plant – Pripyat does not need any further presentation.
Pripyat was founded anew in 1970, and mainly intended for workers of the immense ‘Lenin’ power-plant, where the nuclear reactors started operations in the mid 1970s, and which went on being continuously expanded over the years. When tragedy struck on April 26th, 1986, four reactors were active, two were under construction – what remains of the ‘ghost construction works’ can still be seen (have a look to this chapter) – but about as many reactor cores were on the drawing board as the number of those already running.
Such a big and relevant industrial asset was managed and operated by a massive workforce of technicians. As a matter of fact, with a population of slightly less than 50’000 at the time of the accident, Pripyat turned out to be the largest village in an extensive and otherwise eminently rural region around the power-plant. An area with an extension comparable to the metro area of Chicago, IL, was cordoned out and totally evacuated in the days following the accident, forming the ‘Chernobyl Exclusion Zone’, which is still today off-limits without a guide, and where people carrying out technical work around the former power-plant, and related labs and businesses, live under a special regulation. Besides Pripyat, this extensive region includes also the nuclear power-plant, the town of Chernobyl, dozens of smaller villages (see Chapter 2), as well as a one-of-a-kind soviet military installation (see Chapter 1).
Being intended mainly for highly-skilled workers – like engineers and physicists in charge of the power-plant processes – Pripyat was built according to relatively high-level soviet standards. The town had five so-called residential ‘microdistricts’, made of high-rise apartment buildings, and each with a school and some other public services, like a small market, a library, sporting facilities, possibly a small theater, etc.
The geographic center of the town was another multi-functional district, with a kind of community center with a community hall for social meetings, a big hotel, a central market, a post office, a travel agency, a sporting center with a stadium, an amusement park – with the now iconic Ferris wheel… – a green urban park, and of course the local presidium of the Communist Party.
The town also featured a large hospital – ‘Medical Center 126’ – covering alone the size of another microdistrict.
All these services, the above-standard quality of the buildings and urban decor, and the setting in the nice countryside of northern Ukraine, in an area rich of rivers and creeks – Pripyat was built close to the right bank of the homonym and nice ‘river Pripyat’ – and not far from Kiev, made Pripyat a nice place to live. Even the workplace of many, the ‘Lenin’ nuclear power-plant, could be conveniently reached less than 3 miles away… The perfect worker’s life in this prototypical socialist village went on for some thousands workers and their families day by day without any major event for about 15 years.
Suddenly, Pripyat was evacuated in a few hours in the early afternoon of April 27th, 1986, about 36 hours after the explosion of reactor N.4, which had taken place in the first hours of April 26th. Notice of the evacuation was given to the citizens about three hours before the operation started. They were told they would have been taken away for precaution for just three days. The combined effect of the hurry and of the presumed short term of the quarantine was that basically everything was left behind by those leaving the town. As an effect of the cordoning-off and the spread of nuclear radiation, contaminating everything in the area, and making any items unattractive except for the most brave metal-looters, the mid-1980s life of Pripyat soviet citizens was crystallized like in a magic life-size 3D picture that you can even walk in! – the incredible ghost town that today everybody knows.
All villages and installations in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone were evacuated too (more than 100’000 were relocated in total), creating as many incredible time capsules from the Cold War era (see Chapter 1 and Chapter 2). What is unique to Pripyat is the overall size of the town, of the buildings in it, and the ensuing concentration of soviet relics around. Furthermore, being directly struck by radiation, due to the direction of the wind on the night of the explosion, together with the power-plant Pripyat is in the innermost, highly contaminated zone where nobody is allowed to live – unlike Chernobyl town, to the south of the power-plant, where some form of business is still going on this day, and where you are likely to spend the night on a multi-day tour. As a result, it is totally uninhabited – at least at night…
Actually, the successful HBO series of 2019 has increased the interest of the western public for this place even further, making Pripyat a de-facto tourist attraction, with tens of thousands visitors per year. Most of them take the ‘typical’ one-day trip from Kiev, where you spend a few hours in the Exclusion Zone, mostly in Pripyat. The ‘Soviet ghost aura’ around this town is so intense you will surely get impressed even by a visit so short. However, the ‘highlights’ in town may turn crowded to an almost paradoxical extent for a ghost town, so that enjoying the unreal silence and loneliness you would expect in a creepy soviet village contaminated by radiation may turn possible only in less known spots, where you will be taken only by private guides, on tours typically lasting two days or more, and purpose-designed to allow you also to take good pictures.
The latter was my option. You can see in this chapter several unusual photographs of Pripyat, taken during a stay of many hours in this ghost town, during a visit to the Exclusion Zone lasting two (freezing) days in late autumn 2019. Practical info about the visit are provided in a section at the end of another chapter (and links therein).
Sights
Photographs will follow the course of our visit. We started early in the morning from nearby Chernobyl, where we had spent the night. We were in Pripyat before one-day visitors from Kiev came in – possibly the most impressive part of the visit in terms of ‘ghost aura’, thanks to the silence and loneliness of the place at that time.
You may see the light changing over the day, until we finally left in the afternoon for another part of the Zone. You won’t see people in my pics, but this is the result of the ability of our guide, as well as of some effort on my side especially in the central hours of the day and around the central district.
Red Forest, Bridge of Death and Pripyat Access
One of the most severely contaminated areas in the zone, the ‘red forest’ used to cover the area between the power-plant and the town of Pripyat. Exposed to an unprecedented level of radiation, the trees in the forest changed color to an unnatural red soon after the explosion. As a matter of fact, all those trees have been wiped out and buried underground. A completely new blanket of younger trees now covers the area.
The route coming from the power-plant and going north to Pripyat, only less than 3 miles away, is usually covered by car/bus on visits to this sector – a route likely covered every day by workers living in town and working at the nuclear plant. The road goes through the former area of the red forest, where many radiation danger and warning signals can be seen, and where you are unlikely to stop.
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Red Forest Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
The same road finally points straight into Pripyat, and goes over a railway track. The bridge is a vantage point from where the power-plant could be observed, especially the ill-fated reactor N.4, which lies next to it. On the day of the accident people from nearby Pripyat came to this bridge out of curiosity, to check out the emergency operations taking place around the reactor. Similar to the red forest just ahead of it, the bridge was invested by a massive flow of invisible radioactive debris, also due to the wind direction on the day of the accident. The name ‘Bridge of Death’ given afterwards to this site suggests the epilogue of the story for the most unlucky among those who ventured on the bridge on that fateful day.
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
From the bridge you can spot the tall buildings of Pripyat, and soon reach the entry checkpoint.
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
‘Azure’ Swimming Pool and School (Microdistrict 3)
Accessing in the early morning, despite the very cold temperature, we could enjoy a few hours of a really evoking, silent and lonely visit. Venturing in Pripyat, you soon meet an array of many bulky multi-storey apartment buildings close by each other.
Leaving the car close to a major crossing, and walking between microdistrict 3 and 4 to the first highlight on our visit – the sporting center called ‘Lazurnyy’ – or ‘Azure’ in English – we could appreciate the size of some of these builidings. The silence was really striking! Old road signs can be seen along the road.
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
From the outside, the sporting center must have looked really nice in its heyday. A decorated metal fence can be seen around the complex, which lies in front off School N.3. A giant clock hangs on top of the building. Some soviet decoration can be found in the entrance hall of the complex.
Ghost Town Pool Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pool Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pool Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pool Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Upstairs, a first hall hosts a gym, with a basketball court. The pool is in an adjoining hall. It is modernly designed, with a large window looking on to the next buildings, some hundreds feet away. The roof is inclined, making this hall look somewhat roomier than it actually is.
Ghost Town Pool Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pool Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pool Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pool Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pool Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pool Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
A clock and a ‘coat of arms’ of a swimming team (?) adorn the wall. The springboard is also still in place.
Ghost Town Pool Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pool Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pool Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pool Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pool Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Unfortunately, some total idiot writer felt and urge to add his signature on the side of the pool. Luckily, similar accidents are not typical to Pripyat, which is still today heavily guarded.
Next door, you can find School N.3. A rather big building with an inner courtyard, you can find here many interesting sights, including tons of science-themed posters, a full physics lab with experiments – and items looking like models of heat-exchangers of a power-plant… – and more usual classrooms.
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
There is also a room where the floor is covered with gas masks. This is an example of a staged post-apocalyptic scenery, which have been prepared for tourists, and is actually not totally original – sure the masks were already stored there for civil protection, but they have been apocryphally scattered on the ground only for photographers.
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Panoramic View from Rooftop (Microdistrict 5)
Walking from microdistrict 3 to the northwestern corner of microdistrict 5, you get past entire blocks of multi-storey buildings. The tallest in Pripyat are a couple of 16-storeys ‘twin towers’ on two sides of a street on the northern edge of the town – i.e. the farthest from the power-plant.
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Climbing to the roof terrace on top of one of the twins – a nice workout with a heavy full complement of photographic gear, especially useful to warm up on a freezing autumn morning! – you get the chance to enjoy a great panorama view over the entire town of Pripyat. From there you may better appreciate the concentration of high-rise buildings in town, as well as the sharp border between the settlement and the wilderness all around – like many industrial towns in the USSR, Pripyat was built basically in the middle of nowhere!
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
The proximity to the power-plant – with the colossal hangar-like sarcophagus containing what remains of reactor N.4 – is really striking. While convenient for commuting workers, in the event it turned deadly for Pripyat. See Chapter 2 for more on the power-plant.
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
The colossal Duga anti-ICBM early-warning over-the-horizon detection antennas can be clearly spotted from here too, despite being some 7 miles away – they are really big! See Chapter 1 for more on this incredible, one-of-a-kind Cold War relic.
Ghost Town Rooftop Panorama Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Considering the buildings have been in total disrepair from some decades now, they are pretty well conserved, testifying about the overall not-so-bad quality – better than expected especially for soviet standard. Traces of architectural decorations are also to be found on the balconies, definitely unusual for industrial towns (see for instance the depressing northern suburbs of the large port of Murmansk in this post).
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Amusement Park
Likely the most photographed spot in Pripyat, the Ferris wheel is to be found in an amusement park in the central district of the town, close by administrative and service buildings.
Ghost Town Amusement Park Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Amusement Park Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Amusement Park Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Considering its age and disrepair, it is not in so bad a shape. The Ferris wheel is not the only item in this small amusement park. There are a bumper car track, a big swing, what appears to be the skeleton of a chairoplane, and a smaller indoor shooting range.
Ghost Town Amusement Park Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Amusement Park Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Amusement Park Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Amusement Park Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Amusement Park Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Amusement Park Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Amusement Park Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Amusement Park Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Amusement Park Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
The deer painted on the wall of the shooting range appear very well preserved, and it is hard to tell whether they are from the time.
Ghost Town Amusement Park Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Amusement Park Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Amusement Park Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Post Office
Again part of the central district, the central post office is home to one of the finest murals in the whole Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. A true protagonist in the iconography of the USSR, a cosmonaut occupies the central scene of the mural, which is centered on the idea of writing, language and communication in history.
Ghost Town Post Office Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Post Office Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Post Office Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
While often kitschy and of poor artistic value, in some cases Soviet murals are more interesting, featuring a unique mix of ingenuity, rhetoric and design skill which most suitably adorn public offices, military halls or front facades.
Ghost Town Post Office Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Post Office Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Post Office Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Post Office Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Post Office Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
This is also the case for the external ceramic frieze on the side the southern side of the same post office. Traces of public phone booths, an original mailbox and the opening timetable of the post office are still there to see!
Central Square
The central square of Pripyat is one of the most crowded places in the whole Exclusion Zone. Not only tourists can be found everywhere in the adjoining buildings, but buses of every size are parked ahead of it, making it look possibly more jammed than in the years before 1986.
Despite that, some highlights of Pripyat are to be found around the square, so it is of course worth a stop. To the west of the square you can find a large restaurant, with its big banner still on top of the building. In an adjoining building, the central shopping mall is an impressive sight, with indications like ‘Fruit’, ‘Vegetables’ and so on still there.
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town City Center Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town City Center Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town City Center Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
One block away still to the west, a big, tall building has the coat of arms of the USSR on top.
To the north of the square, a massive civic center (‘Palace of Culture’) can be found, once hosting a hall for social events, and an adjoining indoor sporting facility.
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town City Center Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
The hall features another interesting soviet fresco, and what appears to be a large ballroom.
The sporting facility includes a very big basketball/soccer court, a very small pool, and a boxing ring.
Ghost Town Gym Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Gym Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Gym Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Gym Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Gym Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Gym Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Gym Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Gym Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Gym Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Gym Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
To the east, the square is completed by the Hotel ‘Polissia’, which is joined to the Palace of Culture via a long curved patio.
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Hospital – Medical Center 126
As said, the hospital occupies a large area, equivalent in size to a microdistrict. This large medical center is composed of many buildings, and on the day of the accident it found itself on the front line, trying to give assistance to the death-bound firefighters, hit by acute radiation syndrome, as well as to many inhabitants of Pripyat, who were exposed to extreme – albeit not immediately lethal – doses of radiation, experiencing physical symptoms in the hours following the accident and preceding evacuation.
For some reason, this area is one of the most contaminated in Pripyat today, and venturing is usually a matter of a few minutes for safety reasons. Adding to the unhealthy aura of this place, rumors support that the uniforms of the firefighters, hastily thrown in the basement when they were given medical assistance, are still there, somewhere beyond a bricked-up door…
We walked inside the largest building in the complex, and kept on the floor of the gynecology and pediatric department. Here you can find baby cots, delivery rooms, medical cabinets and more standard hospital bedrooms as well.
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Empty cradles, abandoned registers, medical posters and hardware make for a really spooky sight.
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
To the far end of the building, you can find a kind of conference room, with traces of decoration on the wall.
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Leaving the main building of the hospital, walking past a water reservoir, we reached the morgue and dissection room. Already pretty horrible in normal life, this is one of the spookiest sights in Pripyat’s post-apocalyptic setting!
Ghost Town Hospital Morgue Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Morgue Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Morgue Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Morgue Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Hospital Gynecology Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Chemical reactants and a smoky incinerator for medical waste complete the picture – who knows whether they incinerated some used clothes and gauze after the accident… better to avoid touching the soot-covered walls here!
Ghost Town Hospital Morgue Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Cafe Pripyat, Passenger Port and Floating Pier
Cross the road on the northwestern corner of the hospital district, you find a very peculiar building, appearing like the set for some James Bond movie scene. The assembly is made of two small buildings with large windows, connected by a covered passage.
The eastern end of the complex is Cafe Pripyat.
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Besides some sculptures on the outside, the main hall of the cafe features a very nice – and well preserved – example of artistic stained glass windows. The incredible light of the day added to the ensemble – making it for sure the most pleasant sight in Pripyat.
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
The covered passages features triangular concrete posts.
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
The complex is on top of a low cliff, on the bank of a backwater of river Pripyat, and a descending stair takes you to a former pier.
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Floating Pier Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
The geography of waterways here is not very clear. Today, it appears that the water you access from this complex is basically an isolated pond. However, this may be an artificial result. As a matter of fact, the area around the power-plant, and down to Chernobyl some miles away, used to be served by hydrofoils. It appears unlikely that a pier this big was built without this type of service in mind, so maybe what is now a reservoir, used to be a receptacle of river Pripyat, and a stop in the water transport lines.
An interesting element to be sighted somewhat downstream with respect to the pier is a floating part of the pier, which got detached from the fixed part and got stranded after floating abandoned for a while.
Ghost Town Floating Pier Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Floating Pier Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Floating Pier Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Floating Pier Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Floating Pier Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Floating Pier Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Floating Pier Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Floating Pier Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Floating Pier Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Floating Pier Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Floating Pier Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Floating Pier Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Floating Pier Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Floating Pier Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Floating Pier Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
This can be boarded today, a rather sad sight – also giving you a sense of nausea, as it is lying in a somewhat banked attitude which makes you loose the sense of the horizon.
KBO Service Center
Not far from Cafe Pripyat you can spot the original fence put in place immediately after evacuating the village. This old fence is today totally rusty, and largely cut through.
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Cafe Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Pointing to the central square, you meet an interesting mall named ‘KBO’, where services offered included a barber shop and other small shops. The barber shop is especially interesting. Despite being in a relatively bad shape, gear including combs, razors, mirrors, soap trays and so on are still there.
Ghost Town Barber Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Barber Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Barber Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Barber Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Barber Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Barber Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Barber Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Barber Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Barber Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Barber Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Barber Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Barber Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Barber Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Barber Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
In its early life, the mirror could never imagine he would reflect the image of so many westerners one day – some would even be excited to take pictures of their reflection!
Ghost Town Barber Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
The building features some decorated glass windows. Timetables and announcements are still painted ahead of some of the shops.
Prometheus Movie Theater and Music School
What makes these two adjoining buildings unique is the elaborate mosaic decoration on the curved facades. Again, an example of architecture from the Cold War era.
Ghost Town Music Academy Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Music Academy Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Music Academy Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Music Academy Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Music Academy Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Inside the music school a small theater hall still features a piano on the stage!
Furniture Shop and Home Appliance Shop (AGD)
Not far from the central square in microdistrict 2, you can find a small single-storey building made to host shops. Two shops are particularly interesting.
One is a furniture shop, where you can see several vertical pianos! Most of them bear a ‘Made in the USSR’ sign.
Ghost Town Piano Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Piano Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Piano Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Piano Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Piano Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
There are also some signs, including some ‘dos and don’ts’ for safety.
Ghost Town TV Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town TV Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town TV Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town TV Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town TV Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town TV Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town TV Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Piano Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Piano Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Piano Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
An adjoining shop used to sell home appliances, and on the scaffolds you can still find a set of cathode ray tube old TV sets!
Ghost Town TV Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town TV Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town TV Shop Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ahead of this shops, you can find a disturbing abandoned playground and an outdoor basketball court, possibly once part of the nearby School N.2.
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
School N.2 (Microdistrict 2)
This big multi-storey school building offers an incredible quantity of memorabilia to be photographed, and even taken alone it would already make for a valid reason to come to Pripyat, for a committed hunter of Soviet relics!
Entering the hall, you soon meet interesting posters, based on standard soviet iconography.
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Everything is in total disorder, so you literally walk on books sometimes, and you may find notebooks, school reports, diplomas and other handwritten stuff scattered over any flat surface!
The common areas and corridors are decorated with murals, some of them really nice.
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
A geography classroom features folded maps, textbooks on the geography of the USSR, and even models of some mountains.
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
An intriguing room is a linguistic lab – where they apparently taught English. As observed (see this chapter), this sounds strange, considering the poor level of English penetration even in today’s former USSR Countries, and the fact that English was the idiom of the ‘western enemy’. Maybe the relatively privileged status of the inhabitants of Pripyat included a special level of education.
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
The chemistry lab is very ‘lively’, with complicate molecular models and bottles of reactants on the desks.
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
There are archive rooms packed with diplomas and hand written paperworks.
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Some posters in the corridors are really funny, including some related to sport, some explaining good practices for preserving your teeth, and others displaying encouraging numbers related to Soviet industrial production – they are updated to 1985, and the trends do not appear to show any indication of what would happen to the USSR and the whole communist bloc in less than 6 years…
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
The biology lab is packed with models describing the anatomy of fishes, birds, and humans as well!
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
More and more classrooms are full of interesting items to check out!
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
An example of a rather interesting iconography style, not far from some Japanese manga, can be found on a few posters close to the main entrance, with lyrics including the anthem of the USSR.
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
In the library on the ground floor you can find interesting textbooks on many subjects. On a particular book left open by chance, we could see a portrait of the massive monument to the Soviet Army in Treptower Park, Berlin (see this post).
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
The school building used to feature a canteen, which can be easily recognized – with a menu board still hanging on a wall!
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
In another wing you can find a music room, and the unmissable gym!
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Ghost Town Abandoned School Pripyat Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone
Visiting
Together with a friend, we arranged a two-days visit to the zone with the very competent guide Mikhailo Teslenko (website here). For a curious visitor, one-day trips are really just a quick starter. I could notice the difference between that options and ours when visiting School N.2. We spent 45 minutes there, and despite collecting hundreds of good pics and exploring all the floors, we left with the sensation of having left behind millions of photo opportunities and unchecked items. A group of around ten people on a day trip spent there – literally – 5 minutes. They could not venture beyond the ground floor.
So, if you need to multiply photo opportunities, you will need to go on a private tour. Furthermore, do not underestimate the problem of crowds, which may obstruct your camera scope and spoil your pics of any mystery aura. A small party and a guide with a knowledge of peak hours and crowded hot-spots may help much in avoiding disappointment.
Choose the season accurately, for in summer it gets very warm and humid, and you are not allowed to wear sleeveless shirts, plus the trees obstruct the view more than in winter. Winter of course can be extremely cold. Despite the freezing temperature, we got two perfect days for pictures in late November.
Pripyat is big, and the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is immense, so simply forget to see everything even on a multi-day trip. Yet most highlights will be covered decently on a two-days tour – three chapters on this website are from photographic material collected on such a trip!
The nuclear power-plant of Chernobyl took its name from an early medieval village – actually one of the oldest settlements in the Ukrainian region – not far from the right bank of river Dnepr. Following the construction of the plant in the early 1970s, the village of Chernobyl changed appearance, turning into a modern town (for the soviet standard of the 1970s…) for workers of the plant.
Actually, an entire new village was eventually built anew closer to the power station, the ill-famed Pripyat. The proximity to the place of the accident, as well as the north-bound air stream on that fateful day on April 1986, meant that Chernobyl town was hit much less by contamination than more modern and populated Pripyat.
As a matter of fact, today Pripyat is included in the inner ‘high-contamination’ sector of the exclusion zone, whereas Chernobyl town to the south has been spared a contamination so severe, and albeit to a much more limited extent than before the accident, it is still partly inhabited today. You are even likely to spend the night there, if you elect to embark on a multi-day tour of the zone!
Maybe less known to the general public is how large the (relatively) ‘low-contamination’ belt of the exclusion zone is. Considering only the Ukrainian part of the cordoned territory, the limited-access area extends roughly as Greater London, i.e. the whole area inside the Orbital! Clearly, on a territory so big – basically an entire province! – there used to be many villages, in most cases rural settlements, existing before the power-plant was erected. Unlike Chernobyl town, some of these smaller villages had retained their early-soviet, or even pre-soviet appearance.
Another relevant item in the area was the huge military plant centered around the ‘Duga’-type early warning system, installed in the 1970s together with a small secluded military village, Chernobyl-2 – see this dedicated post.
When tragedy struck in 1986, the government of the USSR had the area evacuated very fast, in some cases almost overnight. Where Chernobyl town and the power-plant area soon turned into a nest of new activities, mainly connected with the sealing, monitoring and recover of the leaking plant, most of the villages in the isolated zone turned into ghost towns.
Due to its large size and to the drama investing the families of the workers of the power-plant living there, Pripyat is for sure the most famous of all ghost towns of the zone, and probably also of the world. Yet scattered over the Chernobyl exclusion zone are many other smaller ghost villages, crystallized in time. Scattered over the Ukrainian countryside, immersed in the overgrown vegetation, these places offer an authentic and unique view of the rural life in the Soviet Union in the decades before the 1980s, deep in the Cold War era. Abandoned schools, kindergartens, private housing, public offices, patriotic monuments, etc. are abundant there, and make for mysterious sights, in some cases more intriguing to relic-hunters and urban explorers than what you may find in Pripyat – where the atmosphere may turn a bit too touristic even in a freezing weekend of late November, due to the hundreds of one-day trippers from Kiev, Ukraine’s capital city.
This post from a multi-day private photographic tour to the zone (see details and suggestion for the organization of the trip here) covers Chernobyl town and power-plant, plus many less-known and highly-mysterious villages and locations scattered over the exclusion zone. Photographs were taken in November 2019.
The town of Chernobyl, originally a settlement in the countryside on the left bank of Pripyat river, about 70 miles north of Kiev, and dating from the 12th century, found itself located roughly six miles south of the ‘Lenin’ nuclear power-plant since the 1970s. This fact changed the shape of the town, which was largely expanded with blocks of typical multi-storey soviet monolithic apartment buildings. The population rose quickly from some hundreds to some thousands. A new welcome sign was erected, with some symbolism recalling the industrial vocation of the town.
Chernobyl Chornobyl Monument Ghost Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
The town was also an administrative center, with an unmissable KGB building, a justice court, a big communication center and many services for the local population.
Following the accident, the population decreased again to some hundreds, as the town is since then basically in the geographical center of the exclusion zone, albeit being by a small distance out of the inner ‘high-contamination’ sector. According to the rules of the exclusion zone, residents are not allowed to spend all the time there, so there is basically no permanent population.
Today, Chernobyl town may be not the most interesting center in the zone for tourists and explorers, but it is still one of the most active administrative and logistic centers in the cordoned area. It is located on the only major road serving the exclusion zone, going from the southern access point of Dytyatky to the power-plant and Pripyat. It is likely in this ill-famed village that you are going to spend the night, if you are on a multi-day trip!
Chernobyl Chornobyl Monument Ghost Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Chernobyl Chornobyl Monument Ghost Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Chernobyl Chornobyl Monument Ghost Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Chernobyl Chornobyl Monument Ghost Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Chernobyl Chornobyl Monument Ghost Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Chernobyl Chornobyl Monument Ghost Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Chernobyl Chornobyl Monument Ghost Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Despite being there for the night, on our visit we could not tour the town extensively – there is a curfew at night, plus you are not allowed to move away from the hotel without a guide, who will likely leave you at the hotel to pick you up the next morning. Here are a few pics of the hotel ’10’ (this is the name of the hotel, probably linked to its address…).
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
One of the highlight of the tour was the visit to the memorial to the victims of the accident, including the deported populations of the villages in the zone. This monument features the names of all the many villages forcibly evacuated following the accident. As said, many of these villages dated from much earlier ages, so people living there for generations were forced to pack up and move away – all of the sudden and forever.
Chernobyl Chornobyl Monument Ghost Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Chernobyl Chornobyl Monument Ghost Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Chernobyl Chornobyl Monument Ghost Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
The names are reported on entrance signs aligned along an alley climbing uphill. On top of the hill, a concrete platform reproduces the profile of the exclusion zone, distinguishing between the innermost and outer parts. Each village is represented here by a metal stud planted in this kind of map. Finally, a modern statue of an angel with a trumpet has been placed in a position overlooking the map.
Chernobyl Chornobyl Monument Ghost Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
The angel is there for a precise reason. As a matter of fact, the name ‘Chernobyl’ in the local idiom corresponds to ‘Wormwood’. From the Book of Revelation, one of the angels of the Apocalypse let a star fall upon the Earth, causing the extinction of a portion of mankind. The name of the star was – guess – ‘Wormwood’! The cold weather, the fading evening light, the dark silhouette of the angel and the ghost appearance of the nearby housing created an ideal setting for listening to this story from our guide – you too would have been deeply impressed!
Not far from the monument, you can find the local courthouse, where the technicians found responsible for the disaster were trialed. Just cross the road from that building, you can find a statue of Lenin, and close by a big communication center from soviet times, still featuring its huge metal antenna.
Chernobyl Chornobyl Monument Ghost Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Chernobyl Chornobyl Monument Ghost Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Chernobyl Chornobyl Monument Ghost Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Cooling Towers of the Nuclear Power-Plant
Moving north from Chernobyl town, you soon get into the innermost part of the zone, centered around the former nuclear power-plant. You realize you are getting closer as you start seeing a huge funnel emerging from the top of the trees in the distance.
Road Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
This funnel is one of a couple, and they were never finished. This is actually one of the parts of the power-plant which is easier to visit. Access is cross an artificial channel for the cooling of the plant. You will need to walk along a modern and active railway track, leading to the power-plant some miles further. It is only when you are close to the funnels that you realize how monster-size they are. One of the funnels is largely unfinished, whereas the second one is much higher, and close to completion. We also accessed the latter.
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
For me, this was the first time ever I walked close to such a plant, and the appearance – a mix of its actual size and shape – made this item really impressive! Furthermore, it may look surprising but the walls of the funnels are suspended on a tubular structure all around the base, so that the walls are not planted in the ground. This is in accordance with the working principle of the funnel, which is basically a heat exchanging surface. The wind blowing through the tubular structure at the base increases air circulation.
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Walking past the concrete tubes supporting the funnel, you can even better appreciate its size.
The inner surface of the funnel should have been covered with heat-exchangers. As a matter of fact, at the time of the accident work on this highly contaminated part of the plant was immediately suspended, and never resumed. Only a little part of the heat-exchangers is in place – the scaffolds for masons and plumbers working at the construction of the funnel and of the exchangers are still in place close to the top rim!
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
An oversized pipe emerges from the ground inside the funnel, likely the primary duct of hot cooling water coming from the plant. It is surrounded by a complex concrete structure. An artistic mural from a famous photograph, portraying a doctor assisting the victims of the nuclear emergency, has been authorized on the base of this concrete structure.
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactor Funnel Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
A particular making this part of the visit especially disturbing is that this is one of the radiation hot-spots of the exclusion zone! The guide will let you go in for a limited time, while waiting for you at a distance – going there more frequently, it would turn dangerous for him on the long run. Your guide’s Geiger counter will emit a worrying whistle close to the funnel, which despite other visited places in the zone, was never seriously decontaminated. On top of the cake, the ground at the center of the funnel is covered in moss, reportedly a natural collector of radiation contaminated powder! Our guide recommended not to step over moss, something we took very seriously – as you see, there are no pictures from the center of the funnel…
The freezing wind blowing through the slot at the base made the visit of the funnel particularly uncomfortable – where in most places of the zone we would have liked to stay days instead of hours, here we were glad our guide gave us only ten minutes!
Nuclear Power-Plant
The centerpiece of the exclusion zone is clearly the plant, officially named after Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, but known to the general public through the name of the ancient village nearby – Chernobyl.
Construction of the plant was started in 1970, and the first reactor (N.1) was commissioned in 1977, followed by N.2 in 1978. A second couple of a slightly modified model were commissioned in 1981 (N.3) and 1983 (N.4) respectively. The latter – the youngest – was the one that failed on April 26th, 1986.
The four running reactors at the time of the accident constituted the first unit of the overall design for the power-plant. They physically shared room in a single, enormously long building, where they were arranged in a row, with N.4 at the western end.
The catastrophic failure of N.4 did not mean the immediate cease of operations for the power-plant, as the other reactors went on producing power until they were gradually deactivated (N.2 in 1991, N.1 in 1996 and finally N.3 in 2000). Following the 1986 accident, N.4 was encapsulated by the Soviets in an emergency containment structure, which despite generally doing its job was affected by significant leaking problems. Only in 2016-17 the so-called ‘New Safe Containment’, a huge hangar-like structure capable of more effectively containing radiation, was placed over N.4, immediately showing its effectiveness through a stark reduction of the measured emission, now at much more acceptable levels even in the close vicinity of the plant.
The size of the building can be better appreciated from the distance.
Road Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Power Plant View Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Reactors N.1 and N.2 can be spotted beneath the cubic domes to the end of the building opposite to the New Safe Containment.
Contaminated Power Plant View Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Power Plant View Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Close by the plant, a large node of the Ukrainian distribution grid, with cables, capacitors and connectors, is still active today.
Contaminated Power Plant View Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Road Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
For some reason, the plant cannot be photographed – there are clear signs all around its perimeter. This may be due to the fact this is still an active plant – the power-plant is off, but decommissioning activities are making this area one of the busiest and ‘lively’ in the exclusion zone. There is only one position where you can take a picture, and which is actually very close to the place of the disaster. This observation point is close to the containment structure of reactor N.4, where you can find also a monument to the heroes of the accident.
Contaminated Power Plant View Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Power Plant View Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Power Plant View Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Power Plant View Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Power Plant View Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
From here you can appreciate the top-ranking size of this structure. Besides the immense financial cost, this item will need replacement in less than a century, due to natural loss of its containment function.
As said, this first block of four reactors was just part of the intended design. A second block of two further reactors (N.5 & 6) was already under construction at the time of the accident. This was cross an artificial channel, and closer to the cooling funnels portrayed above. Similar to the funnels, construction work on the new reactors ended abruptly on the very day of the accident.
Today, you can spot the concrete casing of N.5 & 6, with many cranes and scaffolds still suspended around, just like construction of the new building was still going on! A rather strange sight…
Contaminated Power Plant View Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Power Plant View Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Road Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Road Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Road Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Further six reactors had been envisaged on the drawing board, but they never materialized.
Kopachi Village Kindergarten
Less than two miles south of the funnels, deep into the ‘highly-contaminated’ sector, you meet what remains of the former village of Kopachi, one of the many pre-existent settlements totally abandoned due to the accident. Kopachi used to be a village of wooden houses. Wooden houses close to the plant had adsorbed much radioactive powder soon after the accident. With the passing of time, the naturally disintegrating wood had started to spread radiation in the air, so the administration of the exclusion zone had the village literally wiped out and buried. Only a few non-wooden buildings are still standing.
Among them is listed most notably a kindergarten. Despite being close to the main road and much visited, this place is rather eerie. Despite the relatively high level of radiation especially close to the ground, you can get access for a few minutes.
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Inside the classrooms, music sheets, dolls and children’s toys can be seen everywhere. Hangers with funny symbols for the children’s small coats make for a disturbing sight, similar to the sleeping room with small beds aligned in rows, and even some blanket still there. There is also a ‘Menu’ board still hanging on the wall…
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Ahead of the kindergarten, a Soviet war memorial has been inherited by the Ukrainian government, and adorned with the national blue and yellow flag.
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Contaminated Kindergarten Monument Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Village
The abandoned village of Zalissya is located about 1.5 miles southwest of Chernobyl town, and is conveniently reachable along the main road from there to the Dytyatky entry point.
Likely dating from the years of the Tzar, this village is a prototypical example of a rural settlement in pre-Soviet and early-Soviet times. The only noticeable construction from the main road is a Soviet war memorial, pretty plain in design, yet not small.
Chernobyl Chornobyl Monument Ghost Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
To the left side of the monument you can take an unpaved alley leading into the trees. You soon meet an array of small buildings, once hosting public services – a post office, a market. Soon after, you come across the most conspicuous of the buildings in the village – a meeting hall. This is rather disproportionate to the size of the private houses you will see later. The front facade of the building carries a huge communist emblem, and the construction year, 1959.
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Similar meeting halls were not uncommon in Soviet villages, and were intended for meetings of cultural-political kind, where local people got brainwashed by communist politicians. There are at least three adjoining halls in the building. The larger of the three features a stage with a soviet slogan still hanging from the ceiling!
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
The decor of the halls is in stark contrast to the simple make of the houses nearby. As you proceed further into the trees, you finally find the village of Zalissya – a group of old wooden chalets. Similar – maybe more – than in Pripyat, you find much hardware left behind by the evacuated population – bottles, pans, pots, cans, baskets, cutlery, clothes, candles, toys,…
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Among the strange items to be found here, you will see an abandoned car – cars were left behind during the evacuation, which was carried out by public transport. As a result, the personnel in charge of the decontamination and survey operations after the accident had at their disposal plenty of abandoned cars! When one broke, it was simply left for another, and used for spare parts. This apparently was the fate of the one you see here…
Zalissya Abandoned Village Town Contaminated Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Accessing the houses maybe tricky, as some are badly damaged due to the years spent in disrepair. Nonetheless, this village provokes an incredible time-capsule effect, offering a hands-on glimpse into the everyday life of common soviet people from a rural setting in the years of the Cold War!
Isolated School & Kindergarten
As previously said, the exclusion zone features a quantity of larger and smaller villages. All of them have been abandoned, and some, originally close to the roads once forming a network in the countryside, are today hard to reach except with a walk in the trees – they are not accessible by car.
An inconvenient location has spared some of the spots in the exclusion zone from being battered by day-trippers. You can reach them only with a guide. As a result, these places are especially exciting to visit, as they feature an intense ghost aura – just like inhabitants had just left!
Over our trip, we visited one such village, and in particular we were directed by our guide to spend some time in the school and kindergarten, put on the side of a former small sporting ground, now invaded by vegetation. The evening light and the loneliness played a part in making this one of the eeriest parts of the overall visit to the exclusion zone!
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Starting from the school, by the entrance hall you soon meet tons of posters and notice-boards, with quotes from Lenin speeches, flags and emblems.
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Adjacent to the hall are two smaller rooms, with literally thousands of letters, copybooks, books, boards, postcards,… most of them hand written! You could easily spend one day taking an inventory of what is in there!
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
The long building features only one floor, and the classrooms are organized mostly based on themes like geography, biology, language, physics,…
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Especially interesting is the language classroom. Most apparently, they used to teach English there! Considering the very low penetration of English in today’s ex-USSR countries – except maybe in the most touristic towns – and the fact that this was the language of the ‘western enemies’, it is surprising to find this level of commitment in teaching this idiom, especially in this small peripheral school.
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
A very intriguing lab is that devoted to chemistry and biology. Here you can find models of molecules, microscope specimens, collections of plants and seeds, minerals, etc. The silence, the evening light filtering through the windows on a cold autumn day completed the picture at the time of our visit..
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Similarly interesting are the geography classroom, stacked with boards, similar to the main corridor of the building.
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
To the far end of the school, you can find what appears to be a kind of ‘propaganda lab’ – a relatively large room with tons of purely-Soviet items – history books, portraits of heroes, bombastic propaganda posters, and so on. It is apparent that teachers started pouring in some ideas in the minds of soviet children already from an early age…
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Close by, the physics lab makes for another interesting sight, with kinematics and thermodynamics small-scale experiments bolted to the desks.
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Compared to the school, the kindergarten is somewhat more morbid.
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Puppets, toy trucks, dolls and even baby-size slippers make for a few sights that speak by themselves.
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Isolated School Kindergarten Abandoned Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Children’s Camp ‘Emerald’
Not far north of Chernobyl town and close to the main road going to the plant, you can find another unique sight – a summer camp made for children from the large area around Chernobyl, before the nuclear disaster changed everything forever.
The location is not far from river Pripyat. It is today immersed in a tall forest, which makes contributes to the dim and shady aura of this place. Of course, some trees used to be there also before the accident, but today some have grown also in unusual places. The summer camp is made of pretty log cabins, placed on the side of a hill, gently descending towards the river. Nice place, except for a nuclear plant a few miles apart.
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
The cabins are basic and today generally empty, but they feature original wall paintings with animals and some popular characters from fairy tales.
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
In between some of the cabins, grouped in small clusters, you can find a playground, as well as some notice-boards and water fountains.
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
There are also some service buildings – a small market and an administration cabin.
Abandoned Ghost Summer Camp Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Abandoned Barges on Pripyat River
The famous ghost town of Pripyat took its name from a nice river, a tributary of the majestic Dnepr, which flows from Russia all across Ukraine (via Kiev) and to the Black Sea. The Pripyat river features a meandering path, and thanks to its slow stream, it is ideal for water transportation of people and goods. As a matter of fact, hydrofoils were used by the locals for commuting before the accident, and barges were used for supplies of any kind, both for the local companies and people. Hydrofoils were especially characteristic of the area – you can find an image of a hydrofoil in the welcome sign entering Chernobyl town (see above).
Following the accident to the power-plant, most barges in the vicinity were contaminated, and also lost any use due to the escape of the population from the badly contaminated area. As a result, most of these ships turned into floating wrecks, slowly descending downstream and finally stranding somewhere on the banks of the river and its smaller tributaries.
A concentration of these relics can be found very close to Chernobyl town, descending to the bank of a receptacle of river Pripyat from the town.
Drifting Barges Stranded Boats Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Drifting Barges Stranded Boats Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Drifting Barges Stranded Boats Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Drifting Barges Stranded Boats Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Drifting Barges Stranded Boats Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Drifting Barges Stranded Boats Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
The rusty, partly sunken barges make for a rather dramatic sight. The evening light of a freezing late-November day made this visit even more impressive.
Drifting Barges Stranded Boats Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Drifting Barges Stranded Boats Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Drifting Barges Stranded Boats Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Drifting Barges Stranded Boats Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Drifting Barges Stranded Boats Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Drifting Barges Stranded Boats Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Visiting
The sites you see portrayed in this and other chapters (see here) were visited on a personalized two-days photographic tour to the Chernobyl exclusion zone with a guide. To make the most of your time in the zone, and especially if you are looking for good photo sets (including the correct timing over the day accounting for sunlight), I suggest considering this type of tour instead of more common and cheaper day-trips from Kiev. The exclusion zone is simply too extensive and rich of photo opportunities for a one-day visit, plus some places might get (somewhat surprisingly) very crowded at some point during the day, spoiling most scenes of their mystery aura.
We visited in a party of two, with the very competent guide Mikhailo Teslenko. Find in this dedicated section from another post rather complete indications for a visit, and the link to Mr. Teslenko’s website here.
Especially after the acclaimed HBO series of 2019, the events of the Chernobyl accident, as well as the drama of the local population and emergency staff, are at least basically known to the general public.
Since the nuclear disaster, a large area, comparing well in size with Greater London (but somewhat larger), has been severed from the rest of the world by means of a security cordon, forming the so-called ‘exclusion zone’, on the border between Ukraine and Belarus.
Access to the zone is strictly regulated. You have to carry a radiation dosimeter. Nobody can spend more than some days in a month in it, and no more than four days in a row. Some areas should not be accessed at all, and inside the exclusion zone are two sub-regions, an outer one where also Chernobyl town is, and an inner one, more severely contaminated. The latter is closer around the power-plant, and includes world-famous Pripyat – the mother of all ghost towns. To access this inner zone you are checked further, and stricter permanence restrictions apply.
Despite that, and the obvious – but not so dramatic – unhealthiness of the area, there are many businesses still going on, mainly around the power-plant – decommissioning the whole plant and monitoring the ill-fated reactor 4 is still producing a constant flow of work man-hours – but also in the agencies devoted to studying and monitoring the natural reaction to a never otherwise reached level of scattered radiation. As a matter of fact, huge parts in and around the exclusion zone have been turned into a special natural preserve. There are also services in several centers scattered over the zone, like canteens, hotels, transport companies, ranger stations, etc.
Not least, the Ukrainian Government is somewhat promoting visits to the area by the general public, and following the 30 years anniversary of the accident in 2016, touristic flows have literally exploded, with tens of thousands visitors per year. Clearly, you are not allowed to enter or move around on your own. There are two basic philosophies for visiting.
For those who just like the thrill of being in a contaminated place, an eerie ghost town or in proximity to a damaged nuclear plant for a while, there are quite a few options to get to the zone from Kiev on a one-day guided trip. You won’t see much more than the very basic highlights of the show, but you will be entitled to say ‘I’ve been there’. For those with an interest in taking great pictures, urban explorers, Soviet fans (?) or people with an interest in the history of the accident, private custom-designed multiple-day tours are available, managed by competent authorized guides. Considering the size of the exclusion zone, it is going to be a rush anyway, and you will leave with the sensation of having missed at least as much as what you have seen, but you will definitely see more than on a one-day trip, and not only the most obvious highlights. This was my option when I visited in November 2019 (more practical info at the end of the chapter – scroll down for this), and photographs in this post and related posts on this site (see here for chapter two) cover this incredible experience.
Soviet Over-the-Horizon Anti-ICBM Early Warning System ‘Duga’
Among the highlights most typically overlooked on a short visit to the zone is a one-of-a-kind relic of the Cold War. The Soviet early-warning radar Duga-3, aka ‘the Russian Woodpecker’ (or the ‘Steel Works’ or ‘Steel Yards’ to Western intelligence), started the testing phase in 1976, well into the electronic age. This system was intended to counteract the American intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) threat, by detecting a single or more missiles soon after launch from the continental US. This implied detection beyond the line of the horizon, hence the name of this class of defense system – OTH, ‘over the horizon’ back-scatter radar. The physical effect exploited by this device was an alteration of the ionosphere by missile exhaust plumes, studied since the late 1940s, and such to be detectable by the back scatter of a purpose-designed radar beam.
The radar was made of a couple of two gigantic receiver antennas, one a little bigger than the other, and of a set of emitters. The couple of receivers make for a staggering total length of about 2’200 ft! The two antennas worked on two different frequency ranges. The bigger one was the low-frequency antenna, about 450 ft tall, whereas the smaller high frequency one was ‘only’ about 270 ft tall! As a matter of fact, they can be spotted from quite a distance, for example from the taller buildings of Pripyat.
The receivers were built about 7 miles in a straight line northwest of Chernobyl town – and they found themselves about the same distance southwest of the power-plant, today in the inner, highly contaminated circle within the exclusion zone. A segregated residential area for military technical staff and their families, known as Chernobyl-2, was built nearby. A large and sophisticated control center, as well as a training academy for the technical staff, was installed on site too.
The emitter antenna was located some tens of miles to the northeast of the receiver, closer to the village of Rozsudiv (aka Rasudovo), out of the exclusion zone. Nothing of the original antenna remains there today.
Building this radar system close to a Gigawatt-size nuclear power-plant might have been done in purpose, for the system needed an outraging electric power supply to work (in the order of some tens of Megawatts). By the way, the system reportedly cost to the USSR about twice the money needed for building the nuclear power-plant…
Historical Overview
The Duga system was built in only two operational examples. A set of smaller-scale prototype installations had been originally completed as Duga-N and Duga-2, both located in the village of Kalynivka, near Mykolaiv (aka Nikolayev), southern Ukraine. These systems were successfully tested in the early 1970s, detecting simultaneous launches of four missiles from Baikonur, some 1’600 miles away. As a result of the success, it was decided to deploy two full-scale Duga-3 installations, capable of covering the North American sector. The two selected locations were Chernobyl, Ukraine, and Bolshaya Kartel, in the easternmost part of Russia. As said, these were completed around 1976.
In the event, the whole OTH detection system never went fully operative. Major technical issues related to the instability of the ionosphere in the polar region – an effect that inland-looking testing with the experimental small-scale Duga systems had not highlighted – made the north-pointed Duga-3 largely unreliable. The Soviets military finally accepted the Bolshaya Kartel installation in 1980, whereas testing went on for years in the Chernobyl installation, until it was hastily shut off following the power-plant accident in 1986. Parts of the Chernobyl system were transferred to the twin site in Bolshaya Kartel. The latter ceased operations in 1989, even before the end of the USSR, without having been fully commissioned ever.
The contamination of the plant in Chernobyl-2 made its disassembly economically disadvantageous. As a result, this humongous witness of the Cold War is still standing today, notably the last of the group of OTH early warning radars deployed by the USSR in the years of the confrontation with the West, now totally or partly demolished – for sure, this is the only surviving ‘Steel Works’ antenna.
Similar to all villages in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, the military town of Chernobyl-2 was evacuated and abandoned following the nuclear accident in 1986. It had been built anew for the 1’500 staff of the Duga classified radar station and their families, and as such it was a segregated, secret military town, sufficiently small and far from larger Chernobyl and Pripyat to attract little attention. The local firefighters station was reportedly the only one from the area not taking part in the emergency operations connected with the 1986 accident – it had to devote itself completely to the local military installation and village. This illustrates how serious the concepts of ‘secret’ and ‘segregated’ were for the Soviet military staff!
There are three main focuses in the exploration of this site – the monster antennas, the radar control center & training academy, and the Chernobyl-2 village. In my view, the mixture of a secret Cold War military past, unique Star-Wars-like vintage hi-tech, a history of forced abandonment and nuclear contamination, together with the general ‘something wrong’ atmosphere of the exclusion zone, makes this area one of the most intriguing on the ‘Chernobyl-menu’ of weird sights!
Access and Radar Antennas
You get access to the area after leaving the main road connecting Chernobyl town to the power-plant soon after the inner-zone checkpoint. You drive some miles deep in the trees along a typical Soviet military road, made of prefabricated concrete slabs. The evergreen trees effectively hide the giant antennas, which you spot only when basically at a walking distance from the target.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
You may stop immediately ahead of the original fence of the segregated area – the gate still bolsters the Red Star Soviet military markings! A likely apocryphal huge head of Lenin has been placed besides the entrance. From there on, you must go by foot. By the way, there are a few guards living (at least on shifts, in accordance with contamination limiting regulations) in the original checkpoint by the gate!
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Walking to the bigger low-frequency antenna – the taller one, located closer to the site entrance – you pass by a nice Soviet military-themed mural.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Walking closer to the antenna, and going past an abandoned inner control booth, you start to realize the abnormal size of this item – as well as its rather complicated make.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
The overall shape is roughly rectangular. To the far ends you can find two pylons, as tall as the central part of the antenna, and holding an array of horizontal cables.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
The most visible part of the antenna is composed of an incredible tubular structure, apparently made of several pod-like substructures. Seen together in the pics, these pods may deceive their actual size – their diameter compares to the height of an adult man!
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
The pods are connected by cables and pipes. The arrangement make for impressive pattern geometries – almost a nice design object!
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Walking along the base of this thing, you will notice it changes shape depending on your point of view. Taking the whole larger antenna in a single photo frame is not an easy task, even with a wide lens – it is really big!
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Right besides the taller and longer low-frequency antenna, you find another cable-holding pylon, as well as the ‘smaller twin’, i.e. the high-frequency antenna.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Our visit was rather early in the morning of a very cold late November day, and the sight of this monster antennas was made even weirder by the unreal silence of the area, broken only by the low metallic clacking sound of this mega-structure, dilating after catching the first beams of the morning light… Visiting later in the day would have not been the same – when we left, some other small groups of visitors could be seen around, somewhat breaking the mystery atmosphere.
Past the antenna, you find a concrete technical building running all along it, with a very long corridor.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Control Center and Technical Buildings
The major building in the technical area to the back of the antenna hosts the radar operation and control center. Originally, this sheltered arrays of signal-conditioning electronics, computers and related technical stuff, as well as control rooms much similar to NASA space mission control centers you can see in Houston, TX or Cape Canaveral, FL.
Accessing the building, you will be overwhelmed by the number of photo opportunities. A pinnacle for Soviet vintage fanatics is a couple of fine murals – despite most of Soviet military-related artistic works are really naive, there exist exceptions, and these two murals are among them. One of the paintings is fancy-space themed, whereas the other is science-themed.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
A highlight is of course the huge control room. Original control stations for the subsystems can still be seen, with plenty of vintage cathode tubes. The main report panel, once occupying the entire end wall of the room, has been largely dismantled, but traces of electronics can clearly be seen.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
In the same building, you can find dark rooms with arrays of cabinets once holding electronic boards or electric material.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Another highlight is a kind of propaganda room – not uncommon in Soviet military towns, see this post. Here you can find quotes of Lenin, articles from the Soviet law, as well as photographs and descriptions of US and NATO military assets. A stained glass board portrays the might of the Red Army, whereas another poster denigrates the ‘Yankees’…
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
From the top of the control building, you can enjoy a nice mid-height view of the antennas.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Back inside, you find another interesting room, with a scale model of the Darth, the Duga radar system and its function. In the same room you can find many control panels. Also interesting are the decorated glass windows, with military-themed stained glasses.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Training Center
Walking back to where you had started your exploration of the antennas, you find a flat building, originally hosting a training center for the technical staff operating the Duga. A training room is a major highlight of the show. Here you can find descriptions of the working principles of the OTH antennas, as well as a sample list of the US/NATO strategic missile and anti-missile assets! This is really interesting, also because portraits are made by hand and complemented by basic technical data.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
There are also technical schemes, and some further purely decorative portraits in naive style.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Military buffs – like myself – would easily loose track of time in this ‘didactic area’! Among the interesting things carelessly left on ground, tons of original Soviet radio and signal conditioning material!
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Chernobyl-2 – Firefighters Station and Village
Leaving the innermost technical area, you may then walk to Chernobyl-2, the segregated military village. A rather interesting place here is the firefighters station. Very well preserved, you can find in it an incredible scale model of the Duga and of the village, i.e. the area in the range covered by this station. In the same room, you can find tons of technical posters, and a nice epic mural dedicated to firefighters.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Chernobyl-2 is a ghost town in its own respect. Made of large prefabricated blocks, it is not even one-tenth of Pripyat in size, but it resembles similar military towns in former Soviet-occupied areas of Europe (see for instance this post). Not much visited and very quiet, it makes for a really mysterious sight.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Moving around the deserted blocks, you come across a small playground – basically intact, as if children had left the day before, a really impressive time-capsule effect!
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Chernobyl-2 – School
But the time-machine effect reaches its top in a visit of the local school. Similar to other schools in villages of the exclusion zone, this is really in good shape, and offers tons of interesting sights for explorers. In the music room you can see portraits of Russian and European composers – strangely enough, including Stravinsky and Rachmaninoff, which left the USSR for the West… – a vertical piano, and tons of didactic stuff in the cabinets.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
A very Soviet room features a kind of celebration of youth service.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
There is also a math/science room, with books, models, portraits.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Most surprisingly to Westerners, you can find a language teaching room, where apparently English was taught. Considering the limited penetration of English in today’s Russia, and the fact that this was the language of enemy propaganda from the Soviet standpoint, this room makes for a rather puzzling sight!
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Other rooms include a biology lab – with some botanical specimens still in place! – and much more.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
There is also the unmissable school gym, rather well preserved.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Chernobyl-2 – Entertainment Center
A final highlight of the village of Chernobyl-2 is the entertainment center. This offered a theater and a large gym, together in the same building. Both are still in a relatively good shape. A nostalgic quote on a red banner is still hanging from the ceiling in the large theater.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
The gym is decorated with naive sport-themed paintings, as well as Russian bears on stained glasses.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Going back to the entrance, you meet more service buildings, which have been converted to deposits of scrap material.
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Radar Duga Woodpecker Early Warning Soviet Military Red Army Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
All in all, the Duga radar and Chernobyl-2 military village are for sure an unmissable sight for technically-minded people and Cold War historians!
Visiting
As said in the introduction, this site is often overlooked on one-day trips. However, if you are interested in something more than just being in the exclusion zone, and especially if you want to take good pictures, you will definitely need to take a longer tour. The Duga radar and annexed village are often a part of multiple-day tours.
Depending on the type of tour, you may customize the experience, and ask for a bit longer time here. If you are a technically-minded person, a Cold War historian, or interested in military history, this is among the most most interesting sites you will find in the exclusion zone – and by chance, in the world, since the majority of the BMEW (ballistic missiles early warning) system of the USSR have been demolished today (see for instance Skrunda, Latvia, in this post).
Personally I chose to take a private custom two-days tour to the zone in a party of two (me and a friend of mine, plus the guide). We spent a full morning in the area of the Duga. For serious explorers, I totally suggest to choose at least this option, or better a longer tour, as so long a stay in the Duga (or other similarly interesting) area, while still barely sufficient to satisfy your appetite, is simply not possible on a short and pre-programmed 1-day trip.
General Data and Advice for a Trip to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
Type of Trip
You can see this advice in any serious travel account from Chernobyl area, and I can confirm it – just forget to see everything on a single (even multi-day) trip to the exclusion zone, it is simply too extensive and dense of interesting sights. Yet a private two-days tour is surely already ok for a satisfying photographic trip. Of course, personally I am planning to go back for checking out other places in the zone.
Generally speaking, my first two-days visiting experience was extremely positive, largely thanks to two factors – a great travel-mate, my friend Paolo, sharing my passions and most of my crazy exploration ideas, and a great guide, Misha, who owns and operates a guided tour service in Kiev, now totally dedicated to the exclusion zone. Together with Paolo we arranged this trip two and a half months in advance, with a focus on taking pics of some specific highlights of the exclusion zone. We agreed on a schedule with Misha before being there, specifying the Duga among the highlights. Misha totally understood the spirit of our visit, and drove us to unique places, including some not often included in most trips, concentrating on photo opportunities. He took extraordinary care of avoiding the crowds. We felt safe at every time, and I must say the organization of the visit prepared by our guide was virtually flawless – no wasted time, only interesting sights, millions of photo opportunities. The only thing I regret is not having had more time!
Albeit you will be driven in a comfortable sedan around the zone, be prepared to walk a lot and quick even on bad terrain – in many instances there is no way to avoid that. If you want to take good pictures inside, you will need to take a tripod and/or a powerful flash. On top of this, go there with a very good familiarity of your photographic gear. It is essential you can take pictures reasonably fast even with a tripod, or you will not be able to get much of your time in the zone. As I work with a massive Canon reflex camera, I have multiple lenses and gear. I suggest having them in pods around your belt, to be able to switch lenses fast. Let us add that in the freezing air of late November (about 14°F in sunlight during our stay), you will need warm clothes and suitable gloves to both protect your hands from cold air and allowing operation of your camera. So, it maybe obvious to professionals, but a trip to the exclusion zone should not be your first experience with urban exploration or with your camera either, otherwise you will get disappointed very easily.
Time of the Visit
Something you may not think necessary if this is your first time to the zone – arrange your schedule to take countermeasures against the crowds! Listen to your guide’s advice in this respect, and get prepared to start your day out early, have lunch late and finish at sunset, especially if you want to get good pictures without somebody in the frame. This may not be the case in less visited Chernobyl-2 and Duga area, but the central square of Pripyat may turn as busy as in its pre-1986 heyday around noon, with several tourist buses parked side by side, and flocks of 1-day visitors everywhere with their guides – ok, it is not like Venice in the summer, but enough to strip the place of its mysterious aura, and such to severely disturb many potential photographic sets. This was in late November, our guide reported in summer is by far worse.
The best time of the year for the climate is the mid-season. Summer can be very hot and humid, winter can be really cold (well below freezing). In the cold season, the trees hide the buildings to a less extend, and this may be and advantage for pictures. Abandoned places are often invaded by vegetation, to the point you get disoriented, and perspectives tend to be obstructed.
Radiation/Safety
Concerning the radiation/safety aspect, you can be sure you will not be driven by any guide in any dangerous places. Everybody is given a personal dosimeter when entering the zone. This item works in principle like a gas meter – its internal reading runs up every time you are exposed to radiation. The more intense the radiation, the faster it runs up. It will be checked by the local Authority when you leave, and based on the time frame of your stay, the final reading must stay under an assigned threshold. If it is over, your guide will be questioned. For this simple reason, guides are very careful and arrange the visit so that the total dose is below the threshold.
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Dress Code
I went with military surplus clothes and undergarments for thermal protection. The only item I did not take back home was a pair of boots, purchased from a made in China shop for 18 dollars just for this trip. As I had imagined, they got covered in dust, and considering their value, I elected not to risk carrying them home. By the law, you should not go around with exposed legs or arms, but visiting in winter will make this rule not difficult to comply with…
Souvenirs
As obvious, you will not be leaving with any unauthorized token, for two reasons – 1) you are checked in dedicated booths when leaving the zone or when accessing the canteen (there is only one central canteen for all tourists), hence if you have sources of radioactive emission with you, you will be stopped, and 2) you need to be a real idiot to dare to take away with you and installing at home something contaminated by radiation! Of course, you will be tempted, but of course you need to resist. This is what make the exclusion zone the world’s best time-capsule from the Soviet era – more than anywhere else, everything is, and is destined to remain, largely as it used to be in 1986.
There are of course souvenir shops, at the entrance of the exclusion zone – where you will stop anyway – in the canteen and in the hotel ’10’.
Canteen
Services include the central canteen and at least a hotel. The canteen is close to the power-plant, inside the highly contaminated area but far from hot-spots. It is modern, clean, and you are given good Ukrainian food. This was included in the guided tour, so I can’t say what instrument of payment they are accepting (cash, credit, …).
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Except for the canteen and hotel, we were shown a convenience shop in Chernobyl town, but of course you are not to find much in terms of food services around. You may better carry something with you from the ‘outside world’ (water, snacks,…) if needed.
Hotel
The hotel where we stayed is located in Chernobyl town, and is called ’10’ (‘Desyat’, meaning ‘ten’ in Russian). Facilities are totally ok. We got a twin room with shared toilet services (showers and service are separated from each other, very clean and ensuring privacy – totally ok, just not one for each room). The atmosphere is friendly despite not much English spoken, and they serve dinner and breakfast at pre-determined times with a fixed menu (tasty Ukrainian food), plus there is a bar service running all the evening. Free fully working WiFi. The hotel was reserved and payed for by the guide, we only paid for bar service (water, tea, beer, …).
Our guide left us there after dark, and picked us early the next morning.
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
There is a curfew after dark, and you are locked in the building during the night – but you are never allowed to move around without a guide, so the only difference when the curfew is active is you can’t move around in the hotel parking… That said, the sight of Chernobyl at night would easily fit in a post-apocalyptic video-game or horror movie, especially in the cold season – silence, big dark Soviet-style apartment buildings with a couple of lighted windows, nobody around, a chilling wind and some dog barking in the distance… you will definitely better appreciate a cup of tea in the bar than being free to move around!
Food Visit Canteen Hotel 10 Ten Cold War Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone Pripyat
Guided Tour Suggestion
From the website of our guide Mikhailo Teslenko you will get practical info for setting up your trip to the zone. I can definitely suggest to come in contact with this guide, who is always friendly and answers professionally, very fast and with detailed info.
The republic of Georgia, located on the Caucasian isthmus between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, was founded in the turmoil following the collapse of the Czarist Empire during WWI. Located on the border with Turkey, at that time this region tried to untie from neighbor Russia, and proclaimed a libertarian socialist state.
Following the seizure of power by Lenin and the Bolsheviks, producing a devastating civil war which would go on raging all over the former Russian-controlled territory well into the 1920s, Georgia lost its independence, being sucked into the Soviet Union, similar to many other nations sharing a border with Russia – like Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Latvia, etc.
A country with a remarkable wealth of history, inhabited since when traces of mankind started to appear on earth, with a deeply rooted Christian culture since centuries, a strong independence movement started to show in Georgia already in the 1980s, when the Soviet system was still destined to last for long in the eyes of many western observers. This independence feeling would culminate in the republic of Georgia leaving the USSR months before its actual end, already in early 1991. Since then, the country is openly hostile to Russia, and the formation in the early 2000s of two de facto Russian-backed independent states – South Ossetia and Abkhazia – over the sovereign territory of Georgia witnesses a mutual state of tension between Tbilisi and Moscow, still lasting today.
Despite this, and almost paradoxically, the Georgian individual possibly best known to the general public and to the world is an eminent communist character, a one-of-a-kind contributor to the history of the USSR and of the world – and someone would say, the most authentic incarnation of a communist leader – Stalin.
While Georgia, most comprehensibly, is striving to delete every tangible trace of the Soviet era – from statues to symbols and pieces of architecture – a few notable exceptions include some of Stalin-related relics in the country. In Gori, Stalin’s hometown, the house where Stalin was born is preserved under a bombastic Soviet-era canopy. Nearby, a unique museum dedicated to the Soviet leader, opened back in the late 1950s with a display of incredible memorabilia, is reportedly the most successful attraction in town, with crowds of visitors still today.
In an old district in Tbilisi you can find another unique point of interest – the so-called Stalin Printing House Museum. It was in this unapparent house that young Stalin operated as a pro-communist clandestine agitator in the early 20th century, well before the Bolshevik revolution in Russia.
This post covers these Stalin-related remains in the man’s home country, with photographs taken in summer 2019.
Sights
Joseph Stalin Museum – Gori
Stalin’s hometown, where he was born in 1878, is dominated by a scenic ancient fortress, sitting on top of an isolated mound. At the time of Stalin’s birth, that was also the geographic center of the town. When Stalin became… Stalin, his birthplace was turned into a place of pilgrimage, and a new purely-Soviet master plan was implemented in the city, creating a new gravitational center around the modest house of his parents.
The long axis which drives you from the major access road and the railway station south of the city to the house follows an almost north-south direction. A typically Soviet alley – straight, too wide and with mostly sad-looking buildings to the sides – links a bridge over the local river to to the house, going through a square with the town hall, built in a Soviet classicist style. A tall statue of Stalin used to stand on the side of the square, and it was torn down only in the 2000s.
Joseph Stalin Birthplace Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Birthplace Georgia Soviet Relic
Closer to the house, the alley bifurcates into a ‘Y’. Between the arms of the ‘Y’ you can find a garden with fountains and flowers.
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
To the far end of the garden, the small half-timbered house where Stalin’s parents used to live is preserved under a Soviet-style canopy.
Stalin’s parents were not well-to-do, and they actually rent the house, where they occupied only one room. Back in the 19th century, it was just one in a row of similar buildings. Following the radical reshaping of the area for celebrating the Soviet leader, the whole neighborhood was completely demolished, and only this block was left.
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
On the side and front facade of the house are marble signs in Russian and Georgian. The ceiling of the canopy features a stained glass light, with hammer and sickle signs by the corners.
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
To the back of the birthplace you can find a smaller statue of Stalin. Considering his generally acknowledged status as a bloody communist dictator, similar open air statues have been removed almost everywhere in the world – this is one of the few remaining exceptions (another being in Belarus, but most likely apocryphal – look for Stalin’s line museum here).
Joseph Stalin Birthplace Georgia Soviet Relic
The most conspicuous building in this celebratory installation is the actual Joseph Stalin Museum, which occupies a pretty large palace in Stalinist style. The master plan dates back to the final years of Stalin, and its realization was carried out during the 1950s.
The building is interesting from an architectural viewpoint, and features a colonnaded porch giving access to a main entrance hall.
Joseph Stalin Birthplace Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Birthplace Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
The latter is rather formal, with another colonnade and a perspective leading through a staircase to a mezzanine. In the focus of the perspective you can see another statue of Stalin. Every particular in the architecture here is extremely Soviet – grim, menacing, heavy.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
The ticket and toilets can be accessed to the sides of the hall on the ground floor, which acts also as a meeting point for groups – but guided visits are not compulsory, you can tour the museum on your own.
Upon reaching the first floor, you meet two busts of Stalin, and a couple of interesting paintings, portraying the young Josip Vissarionovich Dzugansvili – Stalin’s its real name – as a student talking to his class mates at the seminary of Tbilisi, and later as grown-up, well-established Stalin talking to his collaborators.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
The museum is composed of a few big halls. The first rooms retrace Stalin’s personal story, and are based on a mix of documents, original or reproduced, newspapers, paintings and photographs. The latter are often reproductions, often magnified – since when he was not yet famous he mostly appeared in group photographs.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Here you learn about his humble origins, and you can see the photographs of his parents, his early school reports and the first known photographs of Josip as a young boy.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
A rather brilliant pupil, he was granted access to the Orthodox seminary in Tbilisi – which back then was called Tiflis – where he moved to attend lectures and to grow to become a priest. Some works of poetry from the time, published on local newspapers in Georgian, are part of the exhibition.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Something went wrong at that time, as he got excessively fascinated with the leftmost socialist theories, spread by several authors including Lenin. A rare naive portrait of his meeting with the principal of the seminary, when he was expelled for his unacceptable and dangerous views, is part of the collection.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
This was the beginning of a militancy period, when he became known to the department of internal affairs of the Czar due to open subversive propaganda activities. He worked irregularly, publishing clandestine works in Tbilisi (see about his printing house below), holding open-air meetings in port town Batumi, and so on.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Finally, he was arrested and deported by the Czar to inland Russia. As his fame grew, he was tasked with some role in the apparatus of the clandestine political formations headed by Lenin – the factions against the Czar and even in the socialist area were many, and the intricate civil war that followed the 1917 revolution was also the result of the struggle for power of these opposing forces.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Between internment periods, he started traveling to the capital – St. Petersburg. He also met Lenin in Tampere, Finland, a country politically bound to the Russian empire until 1917. Photographs and documents from the time, a suitcase and models of the houses where Stalin resided can be found in this part. Busts including one of Stalin as a young agitator, pretty rare and likely taken from the few portraits from the time, are also parts of the collection.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Again following a historical timeline, you can find more documents and portraits of a grown-up yet young man of the apparatus. It is well known that Lenin, after the 1917 revolution, saw Stalin as a potential problem for the future of the Party. A copy of Lenin’s ‘testament’, telling his comrades to get rid of Stalin, is on display in the exhibition. As a matter of fact, Lenin’s illness and demise in 1924 started a period of transition.
Stalin, by 1922 general secretary of the communist party of the USSR, fought and won against all other members of the communist party, making his appointment in the government the most powerful. He managed to maintain his role until his death in 1953, reigning as an unopposed tyrant at least since the end of the 1920s, when he prevailed over his most strenuous opponent, Trotzkij.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
As he started to gain power, official portraits started to appear, both paintings and photographs. These pieces of the collection are also interesting, for not many portraits of Stalin have survived in official displays, after he was condemned by his political heirs.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Also books from his speeches and prints from his personal history, to be distributed to the general public, are displayed here.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Prominence in the communist party of the USSR gained a special status also to Stalin’s family. His mother had a decent place to live, and his son payed a visit more than once – this is the subject of some portraits. A porcelain set from Stalin’s mother household is on display.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Curious artifacts in this part of the museum include a desk from some communist office of the time of Stalin’s purges.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
As a marshal in WWII – the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 as it was known in the USSR – Stalin reached international recognition and world fame. His ability as a general is open to critics, for he managed to kill most of the most experienced staff in the purges of the 1930s, and appointed generals – mostly like Hitler – based on their political attitude. It is questionable whether without substantial help from the then-allies of the Soviet Union (Britain and the US) a victory against Germany could have been reached, despite a disproportionate number of casualties in the rows of the Red Army. However, the final march to Berlin, which gained him control over half of Europe, raised him to the level of a world leader. The exhibition reflects this recognition, with books by Stalin translated in several languages, gifts from generals of the Red Army – including an authentic monstrosity donated to the museum by WWII hero General Zhukov in the 1960s – and many pictures from the war years.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
A showcase is dedicated to Stalin’s sons and heirs. He had five sons, from two wives and other women, and his descent is still existent today.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
A corner hall hosts a kind of monumental installation, a small Soviet monument not among the best of the kind. Made of lighted reproductions of photographs, it is a kind of recap of Stalin’s triumphs and special moments.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
The next hall concludes the climax, and is really unique. It is a circular room padded with black leather panels. At the center of a circular colonnade you can see at the level of the ground one of the few – apparently 12 – original reproductions of Stalin’s head from his death mask.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Thanks to the special installation featuring a strong symmetry and a special lighting, the head is really magnetic.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Stalin died at 75 in March 1953 in undisclosed circumstances, possibly to the hand of somebody in his entourage. Some paintings from his funeral can be seen around the room, together with a model of the mausoleum of Lenin on the Red Square in Moscow, where Stalin was interred for a few years, until removed when finally condemned by his party – note the writing in Cyrillic ‘Lenin – Stalin’ on the mausoleum, later reverted to ‘Lenin’ only.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
The next hall is dedicated to international relationships, displayed through photographs, memorabilia and the plenty of gifts Stalin received in his years as a communist dictator.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
There are presents from Georgia and other Soviet republics, and from international delegations. The latter were from both the eastern bloc – Eastern Germany, Poland, China – and most strikingly from the West, and even from NATO countries like France and Italy!
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Back to the top of the staircase, you get access to one of the highlights of the exhibition. In a final room you find on display the original furniture of Stalin’s office at the Kremlin. There is a desk with an armchair, a sofa, and a set of smaller chairs. Stylistically not very appealing, this furniture is of course of great historical relevance.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Close by, more unique items are on display in two showcases – Stalin’s personal belongings. There are a few cigars – now decomposing to age – some cigarettes, a cigarette box, a ruler, two pipes, a pen, a chessboard, a hand-written message to a friend, and some other trinkets. Finally, there is a military uniform, with boots and coat.
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
When you have got intoxicated by the Soviet aura of this place, you can finally get out and visit the last item in the park, Stalin’s personal railway car. This was actually used by Stalin, who did not like flying, to travel around the Union and abroad. He went to Teheran and Jalta conferences during WWII in this car.
Joseph Stalin Museum Railway Car Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Railway Car Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Railway Car Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Railway Car Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Railway Car Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Railway Car Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
The car is special in having a bullet-proof armor all around – which produces a weight comparable to that of a Diesel railway engine… – and some special services, like a bathtub, a personal studio and a meeting room.
Joseph Stalin Museum Railway Car Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Railway Car Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Railway Car Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Railway Car Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Railway Car Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Railway Car Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Railway Car Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Joseph Stalin Museum Railway Car Gori Georgia Soviet Relic
Stalin’s ‘memorial park’ in Gori is really a one-of-a-kind museum, of exceptional interest for people interested to his period and his historical figure. You may be surprised by the very existence of this place, primarily because of the well-known and heavy responsibility of this man in mass-murders and misconduct as a head of state, and also because it is located in Georgia, a country openly hostile to Russia and its hard political domination, implemented through the institution of the Soviet Union. It is one of the expressions of the contradictory attitude of most peoples touched by the USSR – including Russians – towards that era. It remains a thought-provoking collection of historical value though – gifts from international delegation from the West are a vivid memory of the recognition obtained by this mass-murderer during his lifetime. They are particularly instructive about how propaganda can draw international consensus to the most unthinkable subjects.
Getting there and moving around
Getting to Georgia from the West will be hardly for Gori alone. Despite the nice, well-kept town center, with the castle and several refurbished churches and alleys, and of course the Stalin-related part, there are far more significant places to visit in Georgia, at least if you are coming from far away to this relatively hard-to-reach angle of the world. Yet Gori is located in a convenient position along the major road and railway connecting Tbilisi to Kutaisi and the coast of the Black Sea, which makes for an ideal one-day or even half-day stop.
The town is a good place to sleep, for there are a number of guesthouses and restaurants, and it does not look derelict or unsafe, differently for instance from more prominent Kutaisi. The whole Stalin-themed park, with the birthplace, museum and railway car, is rather compact, and not big, so visiting may take from 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on your level of interest. This is the main attraction in town. Strangely, I could not find an official website – this is strange for most labels are translated also in English, and there is even some merchandise, so the place is run as a modern museum. However, Google or TripAdvisor timetables were correct at least when I visited.
Plenty of public parking space around the museum.
In town there is also a war museum dedicated to the Great Patriotic War (covered here), as well as other non-communist themed attractions.
Joseph Stalin’s Underground Printing House Museum – Tbilisi
This museum was opened in Soviet times in the place of a house where young Stalin spent some time as a political agitator. His main activity related to this place was printing clandestine material.
Access it through modern Soviet buildings, with a hall which unfortunately cannot be visited.
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
The house is presented inside a small garden. There are two light buildings, a half-timbered house and a smaller hut.
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
The two are connected by a deep underground passage. This double access to the underground was of great help to evade controls by Czarist authorities. The main underground hall is original.
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Possibly intended as a food cellar, it was used to store a 19th century printing machine – made in Augsburg, Germany, as witnessed by the rusty but still readable factory label!
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
The half-timbered house is apparently a Soviet-era reproduction of the building originally in place. It is a two-rooms house, very similar to Stalin’s birth house in Gori (see above). The two rooms have been furnished with a few berths and tables, to provide an idea of the original look, and with tons of artifacts from Stalin’s and Soviet times.
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
These include portraits, photographs, books and emblems. There is also a model of a similar clandestine print house in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
Tbilisi Stalin Underground Printing House Soviet Era Communism Museum
All in all, this place has a historical significance as Stalin’s early headquarter, and as a Soviet place of pilgrimage. Differently from Stalin-themed park in Gori, it has been basically forgotten – it is kept open by aged volunteers.
Getting there and moving around
The museum is located at the following GPS coordinates – 41.690454, 44.829999. It is located west of Tbilisi city center, at a walking distance from it, but the walk is not recommended for the neighborhood is nothing special. Going by car or taxi is more time-efficient. Public parking on the street available around the block.
There is no official website to my knowledge. Entrance is by cash only, free offer. See Google for opening times, which are mainly in the central hours of the day. You can visit on your own, but one of the local enthusiasts running the museum will likely provide some information, and there is also a basic leaflet in English. Visiting may take about .5 hours.