Ghost Military Town in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

Ghost Military Town in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

Chernobyl-2. Military Facility in the shadow of Chernobyl.

Information about the unique, once secret artefact – “Beyond-the-horizon radiolocation station”, established in the city of Chernobyl-2

   The city Chernobyl-2 is located northwest of the small town of Chernobyl in Polissia region of Ukraine, but it is impossible to find on any topographical map. Exploring the maps, you are likely to find a symbol for a children’s boarding house, or a dotted line of forest roads on a place of accommodation of the town, but no reference to urban and technical buildings. In the USSR, they were healthy to hide a secret, even more so whether it was a military secret. 

   
     

   Only due to the break down of the Soviet Union and the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant did it become known of the existence of a small town (military garrison) in the Polissia woods which was engaged … in “space espionage.” In the seventies of the final century were created one-of-a-kind military radiolocation systems to track ballistic missile launches from the territories (or military bases and submarines) of the likely opponent. The created radiolocation system was titled “Over-the-horizon radiolocation station” (Duga-1). With its huge size and receiving antenna masts, Duga-1 demanded a big human resource – approximately 1,000 people worked on the military signal position at the site. For the militarmen and their families, a small town with one street was built, titled Kurchatov.
   In the map below, one can see the urban infrastructure.

The layout of the Chernobyl-2 city infrastructure, prepared on the basis of site imagery and wikimapia.org.en, wikipedia.org.

   The decision to create the “Over-the-horizon radiolocation station” (Duga-1) (near the Chernobyl) was prefabricated under government orders dated Jan 18, 1972 and April 14, 1975
   By 1976, the main radiolocation site Chernobyl-2 was built. The general designer of the radiolocation station in Chernobyl-2 was the Research Institute for long-distance broadcasting communication (NIIDAR). Chief Designer and inspiration of the ideas for Duga-1 was Franz Kuzminsky.
   The first tests of the radar by the Say Commission occurred in 1979. As experts “… during preparations for the tests, it was essential to solve some practical problems caused by circumstances of something totally new and unique, not having analogies in the world means …”
   According to some sources – “… during the tests carried out to detect the launch of ballistic missiles and rocket carrier at Eastern U.S. missile test sites, checked the adequacy of models on the results of detection of associated launches of ballistic missiles and missile carriers of the U.S., which confirmed the correctness of the chosen model representations.”
   However, shortcomings were found and the system had a demand of calibre and single definition of goals and objectives for small groups. The hight-quality radiolocation station work reached only conditions for the big strikes of ballistic missiles of the likely opponent.
   Despite some functional limitations in 1982, according to the Resolution of the Government (on Might 31, 1982), Chernobyl-2 was accepted into a trial operation. On the occasion of the acceptance into operation of the radiolocation “Duga” (so-called military station in Chernobyl-2), the developers of the complex received say awards – VN Vasenev, BM Danilov, NF Dubrovsky, Y. Krokunov, etc.
   Together with the radiolocation station in Chernobyl, the USSR created two similar systems in the cities of Nikolayev and Komsomolsk-on-Amur. In the map from space, you can see how these Duga-1 facilities were controlled.

Radars cover territory – Duga-1 (Chernobyl-2 and Nikolaev) and Duga-2 (Komsomolsk-na-Amure)

   With the beginning of operations at these complexes, additional problems occurred. It turns out that part of the working frequency range of the radiolocation systems coincided with systems of civil aviation and the fishing fleets from European countries. The USSR received an official appeal from Western countries that the establishment of this system significantly affects the country of aviation and maritime navigation.
   The USSR conceded and stopped using the working frequency. Immediately before this, the designers were asked to address the deficiencies of the radar. Scientists and designers solved the problem, and after modernization, the system started again in 1985.
   After the Chernobyl happening in 1986, the radiolocation was removed from signal status, and equipment was disabled. Military and civilians were evacuated from the regularize of hot contamination. When the USSR and the military leadership had understood the extent of environmental disaster, it was decided (in 1987) to export the valuable equipment and systems to the city of Komsomolsk.
   So, the one-of-a-kind artefact providing a space shield over the Soviet say ceased operation, and the city and urban infrastructure has been neglected and abandoned.

More information on the web-site chornobyl.in.ua

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