Closed administrative-territorial entities (CLATEs) began to appear in our country while working on the creation nuclear weapons in 1946-1953. In Soviet times they were strictly classified. They did not exist on the maps, they could not be talked about (residents signed a non-disclosure agreement). Letters for residents of ZATO came to the mailbox. For secrecy, closed cities were considered microdistricts of regional centers (called, for example, Chelyabinsk-40, Sverdlovsk-45). The perimeter of such settlements is surrounded by fences with barbed wire and security; you can only get inside through a checkpoint.
In Soviet times, residents of prohibitions lived quite freely. They did not have such a shortage as in the country as a whole. But if something happened, problems arose with the security forces.
Scroll closed cities became known after the collapse of the USSR, it was approved by a separate law adopted in 1992 and amended several times. At the same time, “mailboxes” got their own names.
Now closed cities have appeared on maps, but you can still get into them only with passes. Most residents of ZATO like to live behind barbed wire and every time they get home through security posts, after an inspection. The advantages include the absence of strangers and low level crime.
Russian ZATOs have different departmental affiliations: some belong to Rosatom, others to the Ministry of Defense, and others to Roscosmos.
There are currently 44 closed cities in Russia.
According to statistics, almost every hundredth resident of Russia lives in ZATO (ZATO does not include ordinary military towns).
Now about each closed city of the Urals in more detail.
Closed cities of the Sverdlovsk region
Lesnoy (Sverdlovsk-45)
Year of foundation: 1947.
The population is 50 thousand people.
Specialization - disposal, assembly of nuclear weapons, production of stable isotopes. Reports to Rosatom.
It was created as plant No. 418 (or base No. 9) for electromagnetic separation of isotopes. Built by Gulag prisoners. Began work in 1950. In 1951, construction began here of the second plant in the USSR for the serial production of atomic bombs with a capacity of 60 units per year (plant No. 418).
It received its modern name (the city of Lesnoy) in 1994. Now the main plant of Lesnoy is called the Elektrokhimpribor plant. The ZATO of the Sverdlovsk region is most strictly guarded: several nearby fences, towers with guards, seriously equipped checkpoints.
Novouralsk (Sverdlovsk-44)
Year of foundation: 1941.
The population is 83 thousand people.
Specialization - separation production of uranium isotopes. Reports to Rosatom.
It began in 1941 with a light alloy plant. In 1946, construction began on “Combine No. 813” for the production of highly enriched uranium. The highly enriched uranium produced here was used to create the first Soviet uranium plant. atomic bomb. Now the leading enterprise closed city and is called the Ural Electrochemical Plant.
Rosatom is considering the issue of opening the city of Novouralsk.
Svobodny settlement (Nizhny Tagil-39)
Year of foundation: 1960.
The population is 8 thousand people.
The 42nd Tagil Missile Division of the Strategic Missile Forces is located here.
Uralsky village (Kosulino-1)
Year of foundation: 1960.
The population is 2.4 thousand people.
The 21st Arsenal is located here. The modern name was given in 1994.
Closed cities of the Chelyabinsk region
Ozersk (Chelyabinsk-65, formerly Chelyabinsk-40)
Year of foundation: 1945.
The population is 80.5 thousand people.
Specialization - storage and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, production and processing of nuclear materials for military purposes. Reports to Rosatom.
Ozersk is considered the firstborn of the country's nuclear industry, since the plutonium charge for the atomic bomb was created here. Created by I.V. Kurchatov. The company is PA Mayak.
On September 29, 1957, a tank containing high-level waste exploded at the Mayak plant. As a result, a large area became contaminated, called the East Ural Radioactive Trace (EURT). The East Ural Radiation Reserve was created at the head of the trail.
The name was given for the abundance of lakes around. Ozersk received city status in 1954. Since 1994, it has been officially listed with a declassified name, which it received in 1954 (protocol of the Presidium of the RSFSR Armed Forces dated March 17, 1954).
Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk-50, Chelyabinsk-70)
Year of foundation: 1957.
The population is 49 thousand people.
Specialization - development of nuclear weapons. Reports to Rosatom.
Of all ten cities of Rosatom, Snezhinsk, thanks to its lakes and picturesque views, is considered the most beautiful. It originated on the shores of Lake Sinara.
The enterprise “Russian Federal Nuclear Center - All-Russian Research Institute of Technical Physics named after Academician E.I.” operates here. Zababakhina"
Trekhgorny (Zlatoust-20, Zlatoust-36)
Year of foundation: 1952.
The population is 33 thousand people.
Specialization - development of devices and systems for nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons. Reports to Rosatom.
It originated in 1952 from Plant No. 933 for the production of atomic bombs. The first aviation atomic bombs were produced here in 1955. Now this enterprise “Instrument-Making Plant” produces instruments for nuclear power plants.
In 1993, Zlatoust-36 was named the city of Trekhgorny.
Settlement Lokomotivny (formerly Solnechny, Kartaly-6)
Year of foundation: 1965.
The population is 8.5 thousand people.
The 59th Karta Division of the Strategic Missile Forces, disbanded in 2005, was located here. The current name of the village was given in 1992.
Closed cities of the Perm region
Village Zvezdny (Perm-76)
Year of foundation: 1961.
The population is 9 thousand people.
The 52nd Tarnopol-Berlin missile division of the Strategic Missile Forces, created on the basis of the Bershet military camp, was located here. Belongs to the Ministry of Defense.
On December 2, 2002, the 52nd Missile Division was reduced, and on its basis a 1328 base for reloading and storing elements of the BZHRK (combat railway) was created missile systems) Strategic Missile Forces. There is a division museum. Now the village has been opened.
Closed cities of the Republic of Bashkortostan
Mezhgorye (Beloretsk-15, Beloretsk-16)
Year of foundation: 1979.
The population is 16 thousand people.
The closed city of Mezhgorye consists of two parts, 20 kilometers apart. The 9th TsUMO, the 129th Directorate of Orders and Logistics for Special Objects (Mezhgorye-1) and the 1110th OUESO (Beloretsk-16) are located here. It is believed that here, on the territory of the South Ural Nature Reserve, in Mount Yamantau, a bunker was built for the state elite.
Closed cities of the Orenburg region
Village Komarovsky (Dombarovsky-3)
The population is 9.6 thousand people.
The 13th Red Banner Missile Division of the Strategic Missile Forces is located in the village. Belongs to the Ministry of Defense.
The village is named after cosmonaut V.M. Komarov, who died tragically in the Orenburg region.
Today on the territory Russian Federation There are more than 40 closed territorial-administrative entities, also called ZATOs. All of them are surrounded by rows of barbed wire and guarded by military patrols. The city data belongs to the Ministry of Defense, Roscosmos and Rosatom. In order to enter the territory of closed cities in Russia, you must obtain a special pass. The easiest way to obtain such a document is for those who have relatives living in the ZATO territory. Those who get a job in such a city or find a soul mate from among the local residents also receive a pass. However, it is worth saying that there are workarounds. For example, in some closed cities of Russia, various sports and cultural competitions are periodically held, to which outside participants may be invited. The most desperate ones simply try to find a hole in the fence to get into the city. Let us warn you right away: illegal entry into the territory of a closed city can lead to administrative liability and immediate expulsion. We have prepared for you a list of closed Russian cities that are definitely worth visiting. Well, or at least try to do it.
Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk region
Other names for this locality are Krasnoyarsk 26, Atomgrad, Sotsgorod. This city received its special status due to the fact that the Mining and Chemical Combine is located on its territory. Previously, weapons-grade plutonium was produced here. Another facility located in this place is Information Satellite Systems OJSC, which produces, as the name implies, satellites. When constructing the city, the specialists who worked on its project adhered to the concept of maximum possible non-interference in the natural landscape, and therefore, if you look at it from a bird's eye view, it may seem that the residential areas of the city are located right in the middle of the forest.
Not far from the settlement in the mountain range there are uranium-graphite reactors for the production of plutonium. By the way, one of them operated until recently. In addition to producing plutonium, it supplied the local population with electricity and heat. These reactors are located in kilometer-long tunnels in the depths of a granite monolith. One of the tunnels was laid from the Mining and Chemical Combine to the opposite bank of the Yenisei.
Plutonium for mother-in-law
During times Soviet Union the status of a closed city attracted foreign intelligence agents to this settlement. However, vigilant local residents figured them out almost instantly. A story about their own fellow countryman is especially popular among the population of Zheleznogorsk. In the eighties of the last century, one of the plant workers managed to smuggle a small amount of plutonium through the entrance. The man kept the radioactive metal at home in an ordinary glass jar. Later, when the thief was “discovered” using special equipment, he began to justify himself by saying that he just wanted to poison his beloved mother-in-law. As a result of a forensic medical examination, the employee of the mining and chemical plant was declared insane and sent for compulsory treatment.
Mirny, Arkhangelsk region
This closed city of Russia is the administrative and residential center of the Plesetsk cosmodrome. By the way, in this place during the times Tsarist Russia there was a road called the sovereign's road, towards White Sea. If you believe the legends, it was along this road that Mikhailo Lomonosov followed the convoy to Moscow. However, there are no memorial signs on this territory; all the sights of the settlement are associated exclusively with space exploration.
In general, the city of Mirny is replete with a variety of monuments, monuments and obelisks. Even the stone from which the construction of the city began was turned into a monument here. In memory of the launch of the first Soviet navigation spacecraft, the Cosmos-1000 obelisk was erected in the city, and when the Cosmos-2000 satellite was launched into orbit, another monument appeared on the territory of the settlement. Local residents, by the way, even called him an alien. The thing is that he is strikingly similar to a representative of an extraterrestrial civilization. Thrill-seekers enter the city along a secret path, starting at the last turn of the neighboring village called Plesetsk. However, those who are here for the first time should check the topography with local residents and, of course, be prepared to meet the military patrolling the area.
Zelenogorsk, Krasnoyarsk region
This closed city of Russia, also called Zaozerny-13 and Krasnoyarsk-45, received its special status due to the fact that an open joint-stock company called the Electrochemical Plant Production Association is located on its territory. Specialists at this plant produce low-enriched uranium.
This city appeared on the banks of the Kan River in the place where the village of Ust-Barga used to be. The local population was involved in the construction, and during the construction the village was razed to the ground. Speaking about the sights of Zelenogorsk, it should be noted that there is a Museum of Military Glory and a Museum and Exhibition Center. Also in the city is the temple of St. Seraphim of Sarov. There is a cadet corps in the city; the fact that not only boys, but also girls are trained here deserves special attention. There is little entertainment in Zelenogorsk: locals can relax on the river bank or go to the only nightclub in the city. Visitors to the city may be surprised by its appearance: the fact is that Zelenogorsk is completely different from typical cities of the Soviet era. There are quite wide avenues, numerous squares, and lawns everywhere. Only monuments to the leader of the revolution remind of the Soviet past.
Sarov, Nizhny Novgorod region
Speaking about the most closed cities in Russia, one cannot fail to mention the city known as Shatki-1, Arzamas-75 and 16, Kremlev, Moscow-300. It is on the territory of Sarov that the Russian federal nuclear center, the All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics, is located. Let's put it simply: Sarov is the place where the atomic bomb was created. It is worth noting that on the territory of this settlement there is one of the most revered Orthodox shrines - the Sarov Hermitage. Below it is a real underground city! It was here that hermit monks used to descend in search of solitude and silence.
How to get to Sarov?
When talking about how to visit this secret closed city in Russia, experts advise using religious motives. In 2006, work began again on the territory of Sarov monastery, which regularly organizes pilgrimage tours. However, atheists also have the opportunity to visit this locality: the fact is that there is a Museum of Nuclear Weapons on its territory. The main exhibit that attracts visitors here is the Tsar Bomba. Yes, yes, this is the same “Kuzka’s mother” that Khrushchev once threatened to show to America!
Znamensk, Astrakhan region
Among the closed military cities of Russia is Znamensk, also known as Kapustin Yar - 1. The reason for the special status of this settlement is that it is the administrative and residential center of a military training ground called Kapustin Yar. This test site was built back in 1946; it was necessary to conduct tests of Soviet ballistic missiles, of course, combat. But its name - quite peaceful - it received from the village of the same name. It is worth noting that in fact Znamensk is not such a closed city: excursions for students and schoolchildren are regularly held here. Therefore, if you really want to visit closed cities on the map of Russia, you should submit a request to be included in the excursion group.
Dezik, Gypsy and Vasily Voznyuk
The first head of the training ground was Major General Vasily Voznyuk. He entered service in 46 of the last century. By the way, local residents still remember him well; his portraits decorate the offices of the local administration and the Museum of Cosmonautics, located in the city. By the way, it was from the city of Znamensk that the very first space dogs took off. And these were far from Belka and Strelka! From here Desik and Gypsy set off into outer space. It is worth noting that next to the Museum of Cosmonautics there is an open area where you can get acquainted with the samples military equipment: there are various rocket launchers and radars.
Lesnoy, Sverdlovsk region
Speaking about closed nuclear cities in Russia, one cannot fail to mention Sverdlovsk-45, known as the city of Lesnoy. On its territory there is the Elektrokhimpribor Plant, which collects and disposes of nuclear bombs. In addition, the Plant’s specialists produce uranium isotopes. The appearance of this city on the map of Russia is the merit of Gulag prisoners. More than twenty thousand prisoners worked on the construction of the secret facility! The best specialists supervised the work, but there were tragic incidents during the construction of Lesnoy. Several dozen people died here during blasting operations. They were not buried properly and their bodies are in mass graves.
As for Lesnoy’s appearance, it is incredibly similar to other ZATOs. Monument to Lenin, square named after Yuri Gagarin, three-story houses built in the fifties, Stalinist buildings, wide bright avenues. A few kilometers from Lesnoy is the town of Nizhnyaya Tura. Here, residents of the closed city can visit historical and environmental museums.
Novouralsk, Sverdlovsk region
The list of closed cities in Russia also includes Sverdlovsk-44, better known to ordinary people as Novouralsk. The Ural Electrochemical Plant, which produces highly enriched uranium, is located on its territory. Particularly desperate ones make their way into the city through the forest, located near a village called Belorechka. However, it is very easy for a person who has never been to these places before to get lost, which is why extreme sports enthusiasts look for guides. In the very heart of Novouralsk there is a local history museum; there is also an operetta theater in the city. By the way, artists for the latter are trained by the local music school.
Natural monuments
What is so interesting about this closed city of Russia? The list of natural monuments that abound in its surroundings is amazing. For example, there is Hanging Stone Rock and Seven Brothers Mountain. By the way, there are many legends about the latter in these places. They say that this mountain is seven stone idols into which the conqueror of Siberia Ermak turned the sorcerers who prevented the conquest of these places. According to another version, the mountain is all that remains of seven gold-mining brothers who guarded their prey throughout the night. Another version says: in Soviet times, when war was declared on the Old Believers, seven of them fled to the mountains. Here they hoped to escape persecution. They became stones not because some supernatural forces intervened, but because of ordinary fear.
Obolensk, Moscow region
Which closed cities in Russia have lost their status? There are several dozen of them on the list. Perhaps, special place Obolensk, located near Moscow, is on the list. During the Soviet Union, it was not indicated on maps; its laboratories, which were disguised as an ordinary sanatorium, were the place where Soviet scientists fought biological weapons. Obolensk was a closed territory until 1994; the city-forming enterprise was the center of applied microbiology. It was here that scouts brought strains of bacteria from secret laboratories in countries such as the United States of America and England.
Today, this former closed city of Russia is a repository of about three and a half thousand strains of bacteria. Anthrax, tuberculosis, glanders, tularemia - all this was inherited by the city from " cold war" It is worth saying that vaccines and viruses were developed not only in the laboratories of Obolensk, another 50 enterprises of the USSR were involved in this. All of them were part of an association called “Biopreparat”; there is evidence that about forty thousand specialists worked in this research and production association.
ZATO, or closed territorial-administrative entities, are located in Russia in the amount of 42 objects. It is impossible to enter their territory without a special pass - it is usually issued to those who have close relatives in the closed city. Also, people who get a job there or marry one of the local residents can get a pass.
The reason for the closed nature of such cities is that on their territory there are objects of secret importance and important industrial enterprises.
You can get into closed cities not only with a pass. In some ZATOs, sports and cultural events are periodically organized, the participants and guests of which are people from the “outside world”. Those who are unlucky enough to be officially invited enter closed cities through holes in fences or bypassing secret paths. However, if a violator of the city border is caught, he will be issued an administrative fine and escorted back to the fence.
In Russia, certain objects are considered the most interesting closed cities. Thus, Zheleznogorsk in the Krasnoyarsk Territory is known for its enterprises for the production of weapons-grade plutonium and satellite systems, as well as for its virtually untouched natural landscape. The city of Zelenogorsk is also located there, where low-enriched uranium is produced. Residents of Zelenogorsk boast green cityscapes, a cadet corps for boys and girls, and a Museum of Military Glory.
Most closed cities are built in the Soviet style of dullness and austerity, but there are still exceptions like Zelenogorsk.
IN Astrakhan region ZATO Znamensk is located - the administrative and residential center of a military training ground where Soviet ballistic missiles were tested. It is often visited by excursions of schoolchildren and students from neighboring settlements. In the Sverdlovsk region you can visit the city of Lesnoy, where there are environmental and historical museums. Arkhangelsk is known for its ZATO Mirny, on whose territory the first state cosmodrome is located. And finally, in Chelyabinsk region is the city of Snezhinsk, famous for its Russian Federal Nuclear Center, ski resort and rumors of giant tunnels beneath the surface of the city.
How to get to the closed city? The task is difficult, but solvable. We will not use espionage methods or look for a hole in the fence, but will only list legal ways.
The first way to get into a closed city is to acquire close relatives there (blood or acquired). In this case, your relatives will write an entry request in your name, and after certain checks (up to two months) you will be able to visit the city. With foreign guests, of course, it is more difficult. The state, for obvious reasons, carefully protects its developments. So in this case it will take at least six months to obtain an entry permit.
The second way is scientific. Scientific conferences are held in closed cities, especially those affiliated with Minatom. For example, the famous Kharitonov readings have been held annually in Sarov for 10 years now, in memory of the outstanding scientist Yu.B. Khariton. There is an adult and children's program. The adult participants are those scientists who deal with problems related to the activities of the Sarov nuclear center. Usually these people also have information of a certain degree of secrecy and “belong to the clan.” Gifted schoolchildren from any Russian city can come to school readings, strictly without parents, but with a supervisor. So most often one leader takes a group of children at once. Children's readings are held in many disciplines: biology, computer science, literature, mathematics, physics, chemistry, etc. Passes to scientific, sports and cultural events (see below) are issued on average two months in advance.
The next path into closed space is cultural. Many closed cities hold various music and theater festivals of different types: from hard rock and teeth-grinding rap to classic folk songs. Most often, competitions are held either between “tired” ones, for example, such as the All-Russian Theater Competition of the Closed Administrative Unit "Territory of Culture of the Nuclear Industry", or competition participants from neighboring cities and towns come to the city. But if I contact the organizers in time and promise to weaken something really worthwhile, I can also let in participants who arrived from distant places.
All closed cities are for healthy image life. Their personnel are irreplaceable and valuable, so they must live long and not get sick. In this regard, children's and adult tournaments and competitions in numerous sports are regularly held, depending on what sports facilities the city or town has. For example, you can come to the city of Seversk in the Tomsk region with a team to play basketball, volleyball and hockey or take part in the Ozyorsk City Cup in racing on radio-controlled yachts. Information about sporting events can usually be found on the ZATO websites, and there will also be contact information for the organizers.
If you are an outstanding singer, musician or actor, you can come to the closed city with a concert. Of course, the organizers here are not very agile and will not attract expensive stars, and they will doubt the commercial success of immature ones. But a strong desire to cultivate boring residents can overcome all obstacles.
Open, that is, closed settlements during the Soviet period were not something surprising for Russia. Back in the 18th-19th centuries, there were closed Cossack settlements, cities built on occupied territories to control the local population and collect taxes, and border fortified cities.
Representatives of the media are also allowed into the ZATO without much desire, but in case of urgent need. Just like that - it’s unlikely. But if there is a serious reason, an event, or major officials have arrived, then they will allow it. Again, you need to order the pass in advance, and no amount of “we’re running out of deadlines” will speed things up.
Recently, middle and high educational institutions ZATO began accepting nonresident applicants. According to teachers, visitors often study much better and harder than local children. Many schools and universities in backwater cities are unique in their kind because they provide specialized education related to the peculiarities of the city, which, with good study, actually guarantees further work in the enterprise. In Seversk you can enter the Seversk State Technological Academy, in Sarov you can conquer the Sarov Physics and Technology Institute, in Ozyorsk you can graduate from the Ozyorsk Technological Institute, as well as branches of the MEPhI and SUSU institutes.
The last option is to be Artemy Lebedev, who has already visited the closed Sarov, Seversk and Zheleznogorsk. How he managed this is still unknown to science...
In order to enter the territory of the ZATO, you need a special pass. The easiest way to get it is for those who have close relatives living in a closed city. The pass is also issued to those who got a job in the closed administrative unit or found a husband or wife from the local residents.
But, of course, there are workarounds. Some ZATOs occasionally host cultural and sporting events to which outside participants are invited. The most desperate ones simply find holes in the fence or sneak into the city along secret paths. However, it must be taken into account that illegal entry into the territory of the closed administrative unit is fraught with administrative punishment in the form of a fine and immediate expulsion from the fence.
10 closed cities in Russia
1. Zheleznogorsk (Krasnoyarsk-26, Sotsgorod, Atomgrad), Krasnoyarsk Territory
Photo: Sergey Filinin
Reason for special status: On the territory of the city there is a Mining and Chemical Combine (MCC), where weapons-grade plutonium (plutonium-239) was produced, as well as JSC Information Satellite Systems named after Academician M.F. Reshetnev”, which produces satellites.
At one time, the designers of Zheleznogorsk adhered to the concept of maximum non-interference in the natural landscape, so from a bird's eye view it seems as if the residential areas are located right in the forest. Not far away in the mountain range there are uranium-graphite reactors for the production of plutonium. One of them operated until recently - it not only produced plutonium, but also supplied heat and electricity to the city's residents. The reactors are located in kilometer-long tunnels in the thickness of the granite monolith - in case of nuclear war. Another of the tunnels was laid from the gas chemical complex to the other bank of the Yenisei.
In Soviet times, the status of a closed city attracted foreign intelligence agents to the city, who, however, were identified almost immediately by vigilant local residents. However, the story that is especially popular among them is not about a foreign agent, but about their own fellow countryman: in the 1980s, one of the MCC workers managed to smuggle some plutonium through the checkpoint and kept it at home in an ordinary glass jar. Later, when the thief was detected using special equipment, he said that he just wanted to poison his mother-in-law. As a result, he was declared insane and sent for treatment.
By the way, in the city there is a Park of Culture and Recreation named after. Kirov, where the attractions “Sun”, “Bell”, “Orbit” operate and the City Lake is located.
2. Zelenogorsk (Zaozerny-13, Krasnoyarsk-45), Krasnoyarsk Territory
Reason for special status: On the territory of the city there is OJSC Production Association Electrochemical Plant, where low-enriched uranium is produced.
Zelenogorsk was built on the Kan River on the site of the small village of Ust-Barga. Residents of the village, which was virtually wiped off the face of the earth, were involved in the construction of the city.
In Zelenogorsk there is a cadet corps at the Vityaz center, and military training Not only boys, but also girls are taught here. The center houses a small Museum of Military Glory. There is also a Museum and Exhibition Center in the city, located opposite the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov.
The main entertainment for Zelenogorsk residents is gatherings on the banks of the Kan River and going to the Gorod nightclub, which opened just a couple of months ago. For cultural leisure, local residents prefer to go to Krasnoyarsk, despite the fact that it is more than 150 km away. A visitor will probably be surprised by the fact that Zelenogorsk, unlike most ZATOs, does not at all look like a typical town from Soviet times - there are wide avenues, brick high-rise buildings, countless lawns and squares; no dullness and despondency. However, the ubiquitous monument to Lenin reminds us of the Soviet past.
3. Znamensk (Kapustin Yar - 1), Astrakhan region
Reason for special status: The city is the administrative and residential center of the Kapustin Yar military training ground.
The Kapustin Yar military training ground, built in 1946, was intended to test the first Soviet combat ballistic missiles. And it received its completely peaceful name from the village of the same name, which later became an open suburb of the closed Znamensk. However, in reality the latter turned out to be not so closed: schoolchildren and students from nearby settlements periodically come here on excursions. So those who want to get into the city can try to form a tour group and submit a corresponding request - it is possible that those who are especially persistent will be accepted.
The first head of the Kapustin Yar training ground, Major General Vasily Voznyuk, who entered service in 1946, is still respected by local residents; you can see his portraits in the administration offices. There is a portrait of him in the local Museum of Cosmonautics. It was from Znamensk that the first space dogs took off, and their names were not Belka and Strelka, but Dezik and Gypsy. Next to the museum there is an open area where examples of military equipment, such as missile launchers and radars, are displayed.
4. City of Lesnoy (Sverdlovsk-45), Sverdlovsk region
Reason for special status: On the territory of the city there is the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Elektrokhimpribor Combine, intended for the assembly and disposal of nuclear weapons, as well as for the production of uranium isotopes.
The construction of a significant part of Lesnoy fell on the shoulders of Gulag prisoners: in total, more than 20,000 prisoners worked on the secret facility. Despite the fact that the Council of Ministers of the USSR sent the best specialists to supervise the work on future ZATOs, there were tragic incidents. Thus, the construction of Lesnoy claimed the lives of several dozen people who died during blasting operations and were never properly buried - their bodies are in mass graves.
The city of Lesnoy is very similar to other closed cities of Rosatom: 3-storey houses from the first years of construction (early 50s), solid “Stalinist” buildings and colorful high-rise buildings on bright avenues, a nice park named after. Gagarin, monument to Lenin. However, leisure time can be diversified, because Lesnoy is located just a few kilometers from the neighboring town of Nizhnyaya Tura: one of its central streets ends directly at the checkpoint of the City of Lesnoy. In Nizhnyaya Tura there are, for example, historical and environmental museums for visitors.
5. Mirny, Arkhangelsk region
Reason for special status: It is the administrative and residential center of the Plesetsk cosmodrome.
In the place where the city of Mirny now stands, during the times of Tsarist Russia, the so-called “sovereign road” to the White Sea passed. According to legend, it was along this route that Mikhailo Lomonosov followed the convoy to Moscow. There is no memorial pillar, however, and all the main attractions of Mirny are connected with the history of space exploration: the first state cosmodrome “Plesetsk” for a long time was the world leader in the number of launches.
Mirny is replete with monuments and obelisks. Even the stone from which the construction of the city began was turned into a monument. The Kosmos-1000 obelisk was installed here in honor of the launch of the first Soviet navigation spacecraft. In 1989, the Cosmos 2000 satellite was launched into orbit - this event is also marked by a monument, which, for its resemblance to representatives extraterrestrial civilizations nicknamed "alien".
You can get to Mirny along a secret path that begins at the last turn of the neighboring village of Plesetsk, if you get to the city by minibus. True, it’s worth checking the topography with one of the locals, and also be prepared for the risk of bumping into a military patrol.
6. Novouralsk (Sverdlovsk-44), Sverdlovsk region
Photo: zzaharr Reason for special status: On the territory of the city there is the Ural Electrochemical Plant OJSC, where highly enriched uranium is produced.
Novouralsk stands on the banks of the Verkh-Neyvinsky pond, in the upper reaches of the Neiva River. They say that you can get into the city through the forest next to the so-called Belorechenskaya checkpoint - not far from the village of Belorechka. However, it is easy for a visitor to get lost, so it is worth finding a guide.
The surroundings of Novouralsk abound in natural monuments. These include, for example, Hanging Stone Rock and Seven Brothers Mountain. Many legends are associated with the origin of the latter: according to one version, Ermak turned seven sorcerers who prevented him from conquering Siberia into stone idols; according to another, this is all that remains of the gold-digging brothers, who vigilantly guarded their booty from robbers all night and turned to stone in the morning. There is even such a story: in Soviet times, a raid was announced on Old Believers hiding in the Ural forests. Seven of them, in an attempt to escape persecution, fled to the mountains, where they were chained in stone not by some supernatural forces, but by ordinary fear.
In the center of the city there is a local history museum and an operetta theater, the artists for which are trained, among other things, by the Novouralsk music school.
7. Ozersk (Chelyabinsk-40, Chelyabinsk-65)
Reason for special status: On the territory of the city there is the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Production Association “Mayak”, where radioactive isotopes are produced.
Despite the fact that enormous technical and human resources were invested in the construction and operation of Mayak, it was not without accidents. Moreover, one of them is only slightly inferior Chernobyl tragedy. As a result of the explosion that occurred in the storage facility radioactive waste On September 29, 1957, an area measuring about 300 km in length and 10 km in width appeared in the contamination zone. A total of 270,000 people lived here. Most were resettled, and their property and livestock were destroyed.
The specialists who were part of the first batch of workers at plant No. 817 (as the Mayak Production Association was previously called) underwent a strict multi-stage selection; Moreover, after arriving at the secret facility, for several years they were deprived not only of meetings with their relatives, but also of the right to correspond with them. Today, residents of Ozero perceive life in a closed city not as a limitation, but as a privilege. Therefore, one can discern some condescension in their attitude towards visitors.
8. Sarov (Shatki-1, Moscow-300, Kremlev, Arzamas-75, Arzamas-16), Nizhny Novgorod region
Reason for special status: On the territory of the city there is the Russian Federal Nuclear Center All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics (RFNC-VNIIEF).
Sarov is an amazing city: on the one hand, it is the site of the creation of the atomic bomb, on the other, here is one of the most revered Orthodox shrines, the Sarov Hermitage. In 1778, one of the novices of the monastery, which had a particularly strict charter, became Prokhor Isidorovich Moshnin, in the past - the son of a rich merchant, in the future - the Monk Seraphim of Sarov.
Under the Sarov Desert there is a real underground city, where hermit monks descended in search of solitude. The three-level catacombs are an intricate system of narrow, poorly lit corridors. Local legend says that there used to be a small lake on the lowest level of the underground church, on which novices used to ride a boat.
It is precisely the religious motive that can make it easier for outsiders to access Sarov: pilgrimage tours are periodically organized to the Holy Dormition Monastery of Sarov Monastery, which has been functioning safely again since 2006. For those who are more interested in the achievements of Soviet nuclear scientists, the Museum of Nuclear Weapons operates on the basis of the RFNC-VNIIEF. Its main exhibit is the so-called Tsar Bomba, also known as “Kuzka’s mother,” which Khrushchev promised to show to America. Most of the museum's exhibits are, naturally, copies.
9. Severomorsk, Murmansk region
Reason for special status: It is a large naval base.
Severomorsk, formerly the village of Vaenga, stands on the shores of the Kola Bay in the Barents Sea. Initially, this territory was inhabited by the Sami and Pomors; later, in the 20th century, Finns and Russians came here. The construction of a naval base began here in the mid-30s of the last century, but the city received closed status after the collapse of the Soviet Union - in 1996.
Memorable places in Severomorsk are dedicated to sailors and the history of the fleet. Thus, on Primorskaya Square there is a monument to the heroes of the North Sea - a giant sailor with a machine gun and a cap with fluttering ribbons. Local residents affectionately call him Alyosha. A monument was erected on Courage Square torpedo boat TK-12, which sank four enemy ships during World War II. The K-21 Submarine Museum is also located here, where the basic household items of submariners are presented: from the latrine to canned drinking water.
Severomorsk is located beyond the Arctic Circle, so in winter there is a polar night, which lasts from early December to mid-January. True arctic frosts are rare in Severomorsk, however, due to the icy wind and high humidity, it is difficult for a visitor to adapt to the local climate.
10. Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk-70), Chelyabinsk region
Reason for special status: On the territory of the city there is the Russian Federal Nuclear Center - the All-Russian Research Institute of Technical Physics named after Academician E.I. Zababakhina (RFNC-VNIITF).
It is best to come to Snezhinsk in the summer, when the city is simply surrounded by greenery. There are several lakes in Snezhinsk, and on a hot day you can swim and sunbathe on one of the city beaches. Those who come to the city in winter entertain themselves with alpine skiing - not far from the city, there are trails laid on the slopes of the Cherry Mountains. There is also a rental and repair center for equipment and the Sungul sanatorium.
At first glance, it seems that modern Snezhinsk is a cozy, clean town that even has its own Broadway (as Snezhinsk residents call Tsiolkovsky Boulevard). In fact, the city is full of mysterious artifacts preserved from Soviet times: structures of unknown purpose, ventilation pipes that stick out of the ground in the very center of the city, tunnels leading into the unknown. A few years ago, a fantastic story appeared in the local newspaper about the presence of an underground communications system in the city. In addition to completely plausible details, there were also giant badgers. The public is still arguing about the validity of the rumors about the Snezhinsky metro. And local diggers from time to time organize expeditions in search of secret underground passages.
