A look inside a Soviet-era defense installation
The great Russian urban explorer lana_sator recently did a post about a Soviet-era military installation she uncovered. According to her, the installation could fit 3,000 people, and it served as back-up control center and teaching facility to teach Soviet soldiers what to do in the event of a nuclear strike.
I've decided to repost all the photos and translate the captions. There are also instances where she included photos of signs and posters that didn't need elaboration for those who could read Russian. But since a decent chunk of the readers of this post don't have that advantage, I'll translate the text in the photos were necessary. To distinguish between the translations of lana_sator's original post and my additions, I'm going to italicize the former and leave my additions in this font.
With all the explanations out of the way - let us begin.
Defense installation diagram
As you can see from the diagram, the shelter is technically divided into numbered compartments.
Compartments 22-36 serve as storage shed for [State Defense] property.
The kit of "wounds" you can apply during first aid classes.
Dosimetrist's room
Compartments 8-15 and 17-21 contained classes in several disciplines: from administering first aid to intelligence gathering and disguises.
Here, for example, is Compartment 8 - a Patriotic Education class
The posters below showcases the branches of Soviet military - Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force
"USA Armed Forces and Main Military Bases in Foreign Territories"
The map of USA's most likely invasion routes into USSR.
The class on general information on defense installations. It described their types, locations, presented the models of [State Defense Installations], as well as machinery and special equipment located within.
The next [classroom] was dedicated to deployment of First Aid centers in the fallout zones.
Class dedicated to ways of protecting skins and respiratory organs.
The diagram explaining the effects of the fallout from the detonation of a 1 megaton nuclear bomb
Firefighting class
Class on responding to the consequences of a nuclear blast: removing debris, search for survivors and the injured.
The operational-tactical training class - the most interesting [class], in my opinion.
Mannequin-scout
Sirens, which are often found on roofs
Some kind of a cartography thing
Examples of light fixtures designed for blackouts.
In the hallway )between compartments 1-6 and 16), various posters hang on the walls. They don't have a common theme other than State Defense as a whole.
A poster breaking down the damage caused by a detonation of a 1-megaton bomb.
The posters dedicated to different aspects of civil defense. The poster in the foreground talks about civil defense in Young Pioneer camps.
the first poster urged people to only take what's absolutely necessary during evacuation. The second poster talks about evacuation procedures.
Stars to one of the bathrooms.
(The sign says "Be Quiet! Classes in progress")
Archives (compartment 17, if I remember correctly)
Film projection room - Compartment 13
Diesel room. It's not on the diagram, but I think it's at the location of the top ventilation chamber.
The signs say - "Fuel. Volume - 1500 liters." "Oil. Volume -100 liters." "Water. Volume - 200 liters."
Lower ventilation chamber. Common [filtration devices] for the main part of the structure.
Compartments 37-39, as well as a hallway near compartment 16 are occupied with water storage.
Looking at the diagram, you can see a part of the structure that has been divided off from the main spaces
This section, in essence, houses an independent defense installation - with its own filtration mechanisms, power storage, restroom facilities and even a full-fledged exit (that has no number on the diagram). The offices of this structure contain a communications center, the situation room and spaces for officers in charge.
To the left, we have a weather display, showing outside temperature and wind speed. To the right, we have a Civil Defense poster about "Classification of the major poisonous chemicals of the the Capitalist countries."
Communications center
The office of the intelligence officer and cryptographer.
Its own personal filtration system
Toilet for those who are scared of shitting by themselves during an atomic war.
And, with this, I am ending my report.
I will add that this installation, in spite of being awesome and fairly well-preserved, turned out to be [officially] off limits. As the result, all entrances-exists have since been very thoroughly locked off, and military guards started patrolling the interiors fairly often.
In other words, even if you know where it is (and lana_sator took pains to avoid giving even a faint hint of its location), you probably shouldn't try to explore it yourself.
Thank you for your time!
I've decided to repost all the photos and translate the captions. There are also instances where she included photos of signs and posters that didn't need elaboration for those who could read Russian. But since a decent chunk of the readers of this post don't have that advantage, I'll translate the text in the photos were necessary. To distinguish between the translations of lana_sator's original post and my additions, I'm going to italicize the former and leave my additions in this font.
With all the explanations out of the way - let us begin.
Defense installation diagram
As you can see from the diagram, the shelter is technically divided into numbered compartments.
Compartments 22-36 serve as storage shed for [State Defense] property.
The kit of "wounds" you can apply during first aid classes.
Dosimetrist's room
Compartments 8-15 and 17-21 contained classes in several disciplines: from administering first aid to intelligence gathering and disguises.
Here, for example, is Compartment 8 - a Patriotic Education class
The posters below showcases the branches of Soviet military - Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force
"USA Armed Forces and Main Military Bases in Foreign Territories"
The map of USA's most likely invasion routes into USSR.
The class on general information on defense installations. It described their types, locations, presented the models of [State Defense Installations], as well as machinery and special equipment located within.
The next [classroom] was dedicated to deployment of First Aid centers in the fallout zones.
Class dedicated to ways of protecting skins and respiratory organs.
The diagram explaining the effects of the fallout from the detonation of a 1 megaton nuclear bomb
Firefighting class
Class on responding to the consequences of a nuclear blast: removing debris, search for survivors and the injured.
The operational-tactical training class - the most interesting [class], in my opinion.
Mannequin-scout
Sirens, which are often found on roofs
Some kind of a cartography thing
Examples of light fixtures designed for blackouts.
In the hallway )between compartments 1-6 and 16), various posters hang on the walls. They don't have a common theme other than State Defense as a whole.
A poster breaking down the damage caused by a detonation of a 1-megaton bomb.
The posters dedicated to different aspects of civil defense. The poster in the foreground talks about civil defense in Young Pioneer camps.
the first poster urged people to only take what's absolutely necessary during evacuation. The second poster talks about evacuation procedures.
Stars to one of the bathrooms.
(The sign says "Be Quiet! Classes in progress")
Archives (compartment 17, if I remember correctly)
Film projection room - Compartment 13
Diesel room. It's not on the diagram, but I think it's at the location of the top ventilation chamber.
The signs say - "Fuel. Volume - 1500 liters." "Oil. Volume -100 liters." "Water. Volume - 200 liters."
Lower ventilation chamber. Common [filtration devices] for the main part of the structure.
Compartments 37-39, as well as a hallway near compartment 16 are occupied with water storage.
Looking at the diagram, you can see a part of the structure that has been divided off from the main spaces
This section, in essence, houses an independent defense installation - with its own filtration mechanisms, power storage, restroom facilities and even a full-fledged exit (that has no number on the diagram). The offices of this structure contain a communications center, the situation room and spaces for officers in charge.
To the left, we have a weather display, showing outside temperature and wind speed. To the right, we have a Civil Defense poster about "Classification of the major poisonous chemicals of the the Capitalist countries."
Communications center
The office of the intelligence officer and cryptographer.
Its own personal filtration system
Toilet for those who are scared of shitting by themselves during an atomic war.
And, with this, I am ending my report.
I will add that this installation, in spite of being awesome and fairly well-preserved, turned out to be [officially] off limits. As the result, all entrances-exists have since been very thoroughly locked off, and military guards started patrolling the interiors fairly often.
In other words, even if you know where it is (and lana_sator took pains to avoid giving even a faint hint of its location), you probably shouldn't try to explore it yourself.
Thank you for your time!