The small island of Bornholm is today a popular destination for vacation time. Especially in the summer, the small and picturesque towns along the coast, as well as the curvy roads unwinding over the gentle slopes in the countryside, become increasingly crowded with cars, motorbikes, campers and bicycles – however, without reaching the point where a tourist who is looking for relaxation may feel uncomfortable.
The quiet and relaxed aura of this enjoyable piece of land, halfway between the German-Polish coast and that of Sweden – and nonetheless part of Denmark – hides a history pointed of battles and turmoil, lasting from the early era of the vikings until the Cold War.
Quick historical facts
Between the medieval times and the 17th century, the island was often seized by the Hanseatic League, binding together coastal towns in the Baltic and protecting trading routes. During the 17th century, Sweden became a major player in the area, and wars between Denmark and Sweden meant the island changing landlord more than once, with the locals always playing militarily in favor of a union with Denmark, to an extent made possible by their own forces, yet meeting with final success.
A largely forgotten war between Britain and Denmark, taking place in the years of total confusion brought about by Napoleon’s endeavors all over Europe, meant that Bornholm was attacked by the British fleet in more instance between 1808 and 1810, basically without any success.
World War II
The invasion of Denmark by the Third Reich and the capitulation of the Danish government, militarily unable to counter the irresistible march of Hitler’s military forces in April 1940, resulted in Bornholm being occupied by the Germans. The local Danish commander annotated the order not to resist the German take-over with disappointment, feeling that a firmer military response to the invaders was indeed possible. The island was fairly well organized and armed against an air-launched invasion.
The capitulation of Denmark without engaging in a military struggle allowed to obtain less harsh conditions from the occupants, including a limited independent military activity for the first years of WWII. However, a strong anti-German feeling fueled the growth of a resistance movement, including locally in Bornholm.
Similar to what happened to the Danish mainland (see this post), the military planners of the Third Reich included Bornholm in the coastal defense structure on the outer border of the newly acquired German territory – the so-called Atlantic Wall. In particular, construction of a fortress for four 38 cm cannons started on the south-eastern corner of the island, in Dueodde (similar to that in Hanstholm, Denmark, of Vara, Norway). The very efficient Organisation Todt had the first two emplacement largely complete by April 1941. By the attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941 however, and with the rapid expansion of the Third Reich to the east, the fortress in Dueodde was deemed of little use. In the event, construction works never reached completion.
Further significant war-related construction projects on Bornholm included observation posts and several radar stations (Würzburg and Freya types), which could profit from the location of the island on the route taken by bomber groups on their way back to Britain from raids over Berlin or the surrounding region. The proximity with respect to the facility for the development of experimental weapons at Peenemünde (see here) made of Borhnolm a natural place for the installation of measuring equipment. Furthermore, the main coastal town of Rønne – still today the largest center of the island, where most of the commercial and ferry sea traffic goes through – was largely employed as a base for the Kriegsmarine. Actually, more than 600 different German submarine units called this port during the war years, about one half of the entire German submarine fleet!
Diplomatic relations between the Third Reich and Denmark deteriorated rapidly in August 1943, when the Germans – now at a turning point of the war – launched operation Safari, trying to capture all assets of whatever military value from Denmark, thus also destroying its military capability. As a response, Denmark scuttled 32 of its own vessels, and sent a handful to Swedish or to even more distant friendly ports. In Borhnolm all Danish troops were disarmed and taken away from the island.
Somewhat paradoxically, the most tragic events of the war struck Borhnolm at the very end, when the island found itself off the coast of Poland, now taken over by the Soviet Red Army advancing from the east towards Berlin (see this post). As the fear of defeat and imprisonment grew among the ranks of Third Reich forces, following the heavy losses on the eastern front in Spring 1945, many German troops reached Bornholm to prepare for an escape further west, or north to neutral Sweden. This presence was noticed by Soviet intelligence, who intercepted communications mentioning several thousands of German military troops on the island – their actual number has been estimated at around 20’000 by May 1945. The war officially ended in Denmark on May 5th, 1945. However, at that time the chain of command and the communication system in the Third Reich had collapsed, and the local German commanders on Bornholm still retained the order to repel the Soviets with any possible means, without permission to surrender. As a result, the Soviets bombed the island twice, severely damaging Rønne and the port town of Nexø, unharmed up to that point, on May 7th and 8th, 1945.
Soviet Occupation
Following the two Soviet bombing raids, a group of six Soviet torpedo boats sailed from Kolberg, Poland (now Kolobrzeg, see this post), landed and reclaimed control of the island of Bornholm on April 9th, 1945. At that time, about 16’000 German troops and refugees were still on the island, trying to flee to the West or to Sweden by any possible means. Reportedly 700 boats of any kind were involved in this desperate evacuation operation, and about 5’000 Germans (military and civilian) had fled by sea just the day before the Soviet landing.
The anti-German resistance movement on Bornholm joined forces with the Soviets, trying to search for trapped German troops and prevent their escape to the West. The airfield in Rønne was captured on May 9th in one of these joint actions – specifically stopping a German aircraft already taxiing for take-off, after some others had already successfully got airborne! These operations went on until May 20th, and due to the very significant number of German troops still on site, they required drafting people in the Soviet-backed group of ‘freedom fighters’, which afterwards remained the only official local para-military group on the island, besides the Red Army (conversely, members of the the original voluntary resistance movement soon returned to their pre-war civilian occupation).
The Soviet presence on Bornholm constituted a potentially explosive problem. The agreement at Yalta between the US, Britain and the USSR in February 1945, months before the actual capitulation of the Third Reich, had defined that Denmark would remain independent, and specifically not within the Soviet-controlled territories in Europe. The British government, at that time still led by Churchill, was extremely worried by the Soviet capture of Bornholm, and after unofficially questioning the Soviets, the answer was even more appalling – according to Soviet diplomats, the island had to stay under Soviet control indefinitely, through the support of a military contingent of 9’000, soon to reach those already on site!
This led to the beginning of a peculiar page in the history of Bornholm, and of the diplomatic relations between the USSR and the West, which would soon get worse on a global scale, leading to the Cold War. Relations between the local Danish government and the Soviets were generally good at an official level, thanks to the skills of the local leading figure on the Danish side, von Stemann. To keep the public eye on this unsolved issue, he managed to organize an official visit of the Crown Princess of Denmark, who met the Soviet top staff on Bornholm. The day-by-day coexistence with the Soviets was less idyllic, with increasing incidents due to the misconduct of the bored Soviet troops stationed on the island, and the growing discontent among the locals. Uncertainty about Soviet plans fostered fear over a possible long-term occupation.
Finally in December 1945, Britain officially questioned the Soviet government about the case of Bornholm, and Molotov answered that the Soviet Union did not intend to have any permanent base in Denmark (as per the Yalta accords), yet the island was to be retained by the USSR as a guarantee, due to the presence of British troops on the Danish mainland.
The Danish government reacted preparing to retake full control of its own territory, correspondingly asking all foreign troops – from any nation – out of its borders. In March 1946 it was announced that the Soviet troops would leave the island of Bornholm, as Denmark prepared to install its own military forces back on it. In good order, the Soviets actually left the island, the last ship departing Rønne on April 5th, 1946.
The Cold War
Denmark joined NATO as a founding member in 1949, the result of the action of the then prime minister Hans Hedtoft, a former member of the resistance in Denmark, who had got a clear insight of the line of action followed by the Soviet Union, at that time still led by Stalin.
The support given by Denmark to NATO was not obvious for that country, since the proximity to the Eastern Bloc – especially Bornholm, geographically located close to the (by then) Soviet-controlled Polish coast – made Denmark extremely vulnerable and militarily untenable in case of a potential Soviet attack. The policy adopted by the Danish government over the decades of the Cold War in support of NATO was sincere but always carefully calibrated, to reduce the risk of Soviet intervention, which would possibly result in an extremely dangerous escalation.
Consequently, no international NATO base nor any nuclear warhead was ever permanently based in Denmark. Yet highly defended coastal strongholds were established, which can still be seen today (see this post).
Bornholm hit the headlines in the early phase of the Cold War, when the first-ever jet-propelled fighter from beyond the Iron Curtain defected to the West. This happened on March 5th, 1953, the very same day of Stalin’s death. The Polish pilot, 21 years old Franciszek Jarecki, had departed Slupsk airbase in northern Poland on a training mission, when he suddenly left his group and flew as fast and low as he could to Rønne, where he safely landed his aircraft, asking for asylum. The aircraft was a MiG-15, and that was the first time this new type of aircraft, which played havoc against propeller-driven machines in the early phase of the Korean War, could be inspected by Western powers.
The case was treated very carefully from a diplomatic standpoint by Denmark, to avoid provoking a violent reaction on the Soviet side. A technical inspection was carried out in a well-coordinated, highly secretive mission set up by the British and the US, ending with the restitution of the reassembled machine to Poland. Finally, the pilot was granted asylum in the US, where he had a remarkable military career (his flight suit from the defection mission ending up in the Smithsonian collection, at Udvar-Hazy Center, close to Dulles airport in Washington, D.C.). This topic is well covered in the excellent book ‘The secret MiGs of Bornholm‘ by Dick van der Aart (see the bookshop section).
Jarecki’s escape was not an isolated case, since in 1953 and 1956 two more Polish fighter pilots successfully landed (or crash-landed) their aircraft on Bornholm (while another made it all the way to Sweden). Then the Soviets had Polish fighter units relocated further south, where Bornholm was out of range, and took over control of the northernmost bases.
Defection to Borhnolm by air on a jet fighter was rare compared to the overall cases of people reaching Bornholm to flee either communist Poland or the GDR, similarly close to the island. For all the years of the Cold War, Bornholm constituted the goal of dozens of escape attempts, some of them successful, carried out mostly by sea.
The location well within the Soviet area of influence was exploited with the construction of a prominent intelligence base by Denmark, to the advantage of NATO forces. This was again in the Dueodde. The base was very effective and was updated to keep up with upgrades in electronic communication technology over the years until the end of the Cold War. It was later kept in service, and shut off only in 2012.
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A visit to Bornholm today will likely be for relaxation and for enjoying this nice country. However, for those with an interest for its peculiar history there are some very interesting collections and rare sites to visit. They allow to retrace in particular the rich military history of the island, without much effort and with great satisfaction for either researchers or the general public. This post covers five of them, four of which are museums. They were all visited in the summer of 2024, and all photographs were taken in that occasion.
A good place to start the exploration of the military history of Bornholm, the Defence Museum (Bornholms Forsvarsmuseum in the local idiom) is located to the south of the town center of Rønne, the busiest seaport and the capital city of the island.
The museum is hosted in two old military buildings, including the local kastellet, a massive tower with a round base, built for coastal defense.
The collection is housed in the courtyard and on the two levels of the first building. For the relatively little area it covers, this collection is extremely rich and informative, with panels covering in depth some specific events, offered in multiple languages including English.
On the ground floor, an interesting exhibition on the evolution of the artillery in Bornholm starts with a display of very old cannons – including possibly the oldest preserved exemplars of some types – and insignia dating from the wars against Sweden.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Then more modern exemplars from the 19th century, and reaching to an American type 105 from WWII, employed on Bornholm in the Cold War period, allow to follow the evolution of this type of weapon.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
For more curious visitors, little artifacts interspersed between the larger exhibits on display add much value to the collection. Training material for anti-aircraft artillery from the WWII era, including down-scaled fake aircraft targets, as well as various types of grenades and shells employed with the artillery pieces stationed on the island can be found on display between the big guns on the ground floor.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
An original German aiming device has been positioned such to be still usable – you can see outside through the optical system. Note the eagle and swastika marking on the label.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
A particularly interesting item, not easy to find in a museum, is a complete launching device for the Stinger missile. This type of ground-to-air anti-aircraft missile, albeit rather rudimentary compared to other offensive missile platforms, has turned out very effective in actual war scenarios, especially against slow-moving aircraft or helicopters. The compact launchpad, operable by a single gunner, features two launching tubes. Aiming is via a visor, and the trigger is placed on two pistol-like grips.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Many radio transmitters and receivers, including a sizable console with stacks mostly made in the US (look at the labels and tags!), are on display together with a rare computer, a Compucorp 625 Mark II, a standalone machine which was employed from the late 1970s to run a software for ballistic computations.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
On the top floor of the same building, an exhibition covering some specific military episodes from the 19th century serves as an introduction to the rich collection of memorabilia from WWII and the Cold War.
Decorations from the Third Reich, as well as insignia, uniforms and personal everyday items belonging to the Wehrmacht troops, or to some specific people in the German staff living on the island, are on display, in most cases along with explanatory panels telling their peculiar stories.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Unusual items include a table with mottoes in German, an embroidered napkin with emblems from the winning powers of WWII.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
As said in the introduction, Bornholm found itself on the trajectory of allied bombers returning from raids on today’s northeastern Germany (including Berlin). In more instances, bombers damaged by flak fire or by German fighter aircraft, hence unable to make their way home, were forced to crash-land on Bornholm. The detailed history of two of these bombers and their corresponding crews is told in a dedicated set of display cases, showing even the track followed by each of the crew members as they tried to flee Bornholm (occupied by the Germans). Some interesting memorabilia items are on display from those episodes, including personal belongings of the crew members, and cash notes in diverse currencies, with their names written on them. These notes were given specifically to crew members, to help them in case of landing in a foreign country in Europe.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
From the same era is a perfectly preserved Enigma machine. This is presented together with a detailed story, which could be retraced by war historians in Bornholm. Actually, this specific machine was made in 1937 and largely employed on the Eastern front in the actions against the Soviet Union. When German troops were fleeing the northern coast of Poland and Germany in the last days of the war (May 1945), the machine arrived to Bornholm, where it was little employed, since the chain of command of the German Army had collapsed by that time. The machine was ditched in the water by the surrendering troops, but it was soon to be found, taken to a private house, and largely forgotten afterwards. Finally, it was donated to the museum decades later.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Another unusual display is about the relics of German experimental weapons landing in Bornholm, and the espionage operations related to their find. Due to the proximity with the island of Usedom and the research center of Wehrner von Braun in Peenemünde, launches from the polygon where V-1 and V-2 were being tested could be spotted sometimes from Bornholm. Actually, early exemplars of a Fieseler Fi-103, aka V-1, first stranded on Bornholm in July and August 1943. They were first discovered by two local Danish citizens belonging to the police, who took quick sketches and pictures, and passed them to the British through the anti-German resistance links. These turned out to be the first photographs of that new weapon to reach the western Allies. The two were captured and imprisoned by the German occupants, but eventually they managed to flee to Sweden.
Some relics of the V-1 crashed on Bornholm are on display, as well as memorabilia items belonging to the two Danes who found the relic. The latter include a British decoration presented for their service.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Additionally, interesting pictures show the contrail of a V-2 photographed over Bornholm, and the picture of another V-2 crashed in Sweden!
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Further remains from the era include gauges from the cockpit of German fighter aircraft, captured by the Soviets as they were trying to takeoff from Bornholm and escape, and a ribbon from the ill-fated German passenger ship Wilhelm Gustloff. She was sank by a Soviet submarine roughly 60 miles east of Bornholm in January 1945, while enroute to mainland Germany from former possessions of the Third Reich in nowadays Poland, lost to the advancing Red Army. Losses are estimated in the range of 10’000, making this largely forgotten episode by far the worst-ever naval disaster in history.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Another rich section documents the presence of the Soviets on the island. Artifacts on display range from flags and direction signs for the stationing troops, written in Russian, to many personal items left behind by the Soviets.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Typical propaganda posters are on display as well, similar to more official and non-public items, like transcripts of communications between the local Danish and Soviet commanders from the age of the Soviet occupation of Bornholm in 1945-46.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Many evocative pictures are on display from that time as well, and similarly from the Cold War. Among them, pictures of the Polish MiGs landed on Bornholm, of the many ELINT and COMINT centers put on Bornholm during the decades of the Cold War (including the tower in Nexø, see here), and copy of the Soviet attack plan in case of war against NATO.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
A final chapter documented in this nice museum is the service of the Danish Armed Forces within the UN in Cyprus. Tasked with border surveillance between the two regions on the island, Danish forces were involved in action – with some casualties – at the time of the Turkish attack in 1970. They only left the island in the early 1990s.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
The kastellet is today mostly empty, and once inside, it is possible to appreciate the original architecture of this bastion, which saw action against the many attempts by foreign attackers to land on Bornholm.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
On the outside and in a small depot on the side of the inner courtyard, further items are on display. Propellers from the WWII aircraft crashed in the area represent both the German Luftwaffe (Do-17 bomber) and the Western Allies (B-24 and Halifax bombers).
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
A Chaffee-type small tank and two armored vehicles are on display, together with naval guns, radar antennas, land robots and artillery aiming gear.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
A peculiar sight is one of the observation turrets originally scattered on the territory of the island, for spotting aircraft or other flying stuff and promptly report it.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
On display are also sea mines, sonobuoys, radar scopes and parts of torpedoes, some of them interesting Soviet models, likely recovered from the Baltic Sea during the Cold War.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Ahead of the entrance to the museum, a memorial stone has been put more recently by an association of veterans.
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Bornholm Forsvarsmuseum Rønne – Defence Museum – Military Collection
Getting there and visiting
The museum is located close to Rønne downtown, from where it can be reached with a short walk (about .3 miles south from the central touristic area). The address is Arsenalvej 8 – 3700 Rønne. There is a little parking area on site. The museum is professionally run, and it has its own dedicated website here (also available in English).
Visiting is strongly recommended as a first stop for an exploration of the military history of Bornholm. For war buffs, WWII and Cold War historians, this place has much in store, and a visit may easily take 2 hours. Less is required for a more basic visit, made easy also by the compactness of the display.
Bornholm’s Museum, Rønne
Bornholm’s Museum is the main facility dedicated to the history of the island. Located in a former hospital, you can immediately notice the presence of a bombing raid shelter in the courtyard. This is an original relic from WWII.
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
The museum takes all floors of a small building, and it is dedicated to the history of the island in all its aspects, and with artifacts from all ages, including Roman coins and viking accessories.
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Of particular interest from the time of the vikings is a collection of golden plates. They are smaller than a human fingernail, and decorated with human figures and other subjects. Plus, they are really many! They are of special interest also due to the fact that nobody knows what they are. Archaeologists found them mostly on Bornholm, and in a much lower quantity elsewhere in Scandinavia.
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Fast forward to the 20th century, the museum has on display interesting memorabilia from WWII and from the era of the Soviet occupation.
Among them are original decorations, documents and photographs, from both the German and Soviet sides.
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
From the early Cold War period, a small piece from Jarecki’s MiG-15 is preserved in a display case, with a picture of President Eisenhower receiving at the White House the first pilot defecting from Eastern Europe (apparently, a young John F. Kennedy appears to stand behind them).
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Shop signs and indication signs in Russian, the original working desk of the Danish governor of the island at the time of the Soviet occupation, and everyday working tools belonging to the Soviet staff are among the displays in this museum.
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
A – perhaps – non-permanent exhibition is dedicated to the Soviets on the island, including the two air bombing raids they carried out in the closing days of WWII, which caused much destruction.
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
An interesting exhibition on the Cold War in Bornholm examines it from different perspectives. Among them, it is shown how preparations for a nuclear attack included the institution of a civil defense system, similar to most western Countries.
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Similarly, the conspicuous wave of defections, of both military staff and civilians, from beyond the Iron Curtain to Bornholm is fully documented. Being located relatively close to the GDR and Poland, Bornholm was a natural target destination for those trying to leave the Baltic coast by sea. On display are documents of seamen asking for asylum, as well as a small dinghy employed for a successful escape attempt. A rather impressive full list of the successful and unsuccessful escape attempts towards Bornholm from the communist world is provided.
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
In another part of the museum, dedicated to everyday items and business activities, it is possible to find toys and other common tools from the Cold War era, as well as beautiful models of several vessels in service at that time – as well as today.
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Bornholms Museum Rønne – Vikings, WWII and Cold War History
Getting there and visiting
The museum is one of the major attractions in Rønne, the capital city of the island. It is located within the perimeter of the historical center of the town, and you will be probably visiting it if you are interested in any aspect of the history of Bornholm. The address is Sankt Mortens Gade 29 – 3700 Rønne.
For those with an interest for the military history of the 20th century, the collection of this museum makes for a nice complement to that to be found in the Defence Museum (see above).
For a complete visit, 1 to 2 hours are likely enough. Less than 1 hour is needed if you are mostly interested to the WWII and Cold War part, including the nice exhibition on the Soviet presence.
The museum has regular opening times and a fully documented website here (also available in English).
Bornholm’s Tower, Nexø
The tower is an authentic relic from the Cold War. The intelligence site in Dueodde (close to the major town of Nexø, itself close to the southeastern corner of Bornholm) was originally established in 1958, in the facilities of an old lighthouse from 1876, which is still standing besides the new tower.
The task was that of intercepting communications from Soviet channels, primarily to the aim of knowing of any potentially offensive maneuver against Denmark or NATO in advance. The geographical location of Bornholm made it ideal for installing such a plant, since this territory is significantly farther east than the Danish mainland, hence closer to the Eastern Bloc and the Soviet Union.
Soon after the take over of the lighthouse by the Danish intelligence and the installation of the first technical gear, continuous improvement started around that facility, leading to the construction of a dedicated tower, which stood until the mid 1980s, and was extensively employed for gathering useful intelligence. Among the most notable information obtained in favor of NATO forces were the reports witnessing the preparation of an attack by the Warsaw Pact forces on Czechoslovakia, at the time of Dubcek’s attempted reformation of the communist system in 1968 – an invasion which eventually took place, tragically putting an end to a new political course in that Country.
The relevance of the site in Dueodde in the panorama of NATO intelligence is further shown by the decision to substantially upgrade the technical installation, demolishing the existing infrastructure and building anew a more modern and massive tower in 1986.
The new tower was operated continuously until 2012, when the installation was finally shut down, and the facility was partly demolished and sold. It is since then privately owned, and it has now reopened for visitors.
A visit allows to explore the foundations of the tower, where cables and pipelines – including compressed air and coolant fluid – can still be seen. Compressed air was employed for keeping in shape the special ‘shells’ where the technical stuff used to be put.
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
These shells were arranged hanging vertically from the concrete tower, which is the only part remaining today (the shells are gone, you can see two of the original platforms in the courtyard, close to the original cooling station). Coolant fluid was employed for the big servers which hosted and processed data. A wind monitoring cabinet – made in USA – can be found at the ground level of the tower.
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
By taking the original elevator, it is possible to climb to the top, where the view ranges in all directions, and allows to see the beautiful white dunes for which this area is mostly famous.
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Inside the facility, mostly empty today, it is possible to see some remnants of the server rooms. Most of the empty rooms have been employed for a display of electronic cabinets and communication gear. A reconstruction of some of original technical rooms has been attempted, and the display is completed with historical pictures of the site.
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Server rooms are among the preserved original parts of the tower.
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Further rooms host displays related at large to WWII and the Cold War.
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
An interesting addition to the visit is an original MiG-15, presented in the colors of the Polish Air Force, and resembling those which fled from Poland to Bornholm, at the commands of brave early Cold War defectors. Photographs and copies of newspapers documenting those episodes are on display.
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Interestingly, what appears to be a control surface or the part of a wing of an authentic Soviet aircraft can be seen on the side of the display, likely only provisionally.
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Scattered along the walls in the exhibition are original pictures, with close-ups of intercepted aircraft from the Soviet bloc.
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Bornholmertårnet – The Bornholm Tower – Cold War Intelligence Center NATO USSR
Getting there and visiting
The tower (Bornholmertarnet in the local idiom) is located close to the white dunes of the strand of Dueodde, on the very southeastern tip of the island, about 4 miles south of the major town of Nexø. The exact formal address is Strandmarksvejen 2 – 3730 Nexø. Large parking on site.
Visiting may take about 1 hour for the interested visitor. The tower can be climbed to the top with an elevator. Visiting the facility and exhibitions does not take much, since most rooms are basically empty.
The official website of this installation is here (multiple translations available).
Bornholm’s Technical Collection, Allinge
This incredible museum has been constituted through the merge of several private collections. In most cases they are very specialized selections of technical items. These range from tractors to airport vehicles, from pocket lighters to radios, from personal computers to naval radar scopes, and much more!
Besides well-stuffed collections, which strike for their size and range, there are also some specialties, like unusual items – typically relics or one-of-a-kind exemplars. Especially the latter include some items from the Cold War chapter of the history of Bornholm.
Actually, possibly the biggest item on display is a SAAB Draken aircraft. This excellent Swedish-made attack aircraft used to fly in the colors of the Danish Air Force (see this post). The exemplar on display comes with some of the accessories, including wing pods, the parachute for brake assistance, etc.
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Close by the Draken, it is possible to find several aviation-related displays, like jet engines, optical gear, radar-receiving consoles. There is also the map of the scenic flights offered from an airport which does not exist any more, and which used to be close to the northern coast of the island (the only airport is today that in Rønne).
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
One of the jet engines looks like an evidence from an aircraft accident, involving a Learjet business jet crash-landed on Bornholm.
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Not far from the Draken, another rare aircraft on display is a SAI KZIII, designed and manufactured in Denmark in 1946.
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Further finds in the museum are a stop light, which was employed for stopping road traffic on local roads close to the runway, when an aircraft in need of a shallow approach path was landing in Rønne, and the doors originally in an airport building, with stickers of flight associations from all over the world.
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
A military trailer with radio communication gear is on display, as well as an old truck, which happens to be the very same truck seen boarded by young Soviet soldiers, at the time of the Soviet occupation of Bornholm!
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
A little collection is made of GDR-made items.
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
A small room is dedicated to marine detection gear and the corresponding scopes.
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bulky elements on display include a one-of-a-kind locally assembled truck, a monster roadworks machine made in the Third Reich and which never returned to Germany, and trucks for removing snow from the road. They have two engines, one moving the truck, the other moving the spool. The arrangement is rather involved, with an articulated (angled!) shaft carrying mechanical power from the engine to the spool.
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Airport gear includes a SAAB car with a runway friction tester in the back, and a truck for spreading anti-ice fluid.
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Other rich hi-tech collections include one with radio receivers, another with cameras and video-recorders.
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Even one centered on personal computer consoles can be found.
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
The collection of tractors on display is really impressive, with machines coming from diverse nations and makers.
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Other parts of the museum are basically old shops moved in, and in some cases with fully working machinery (like the blacksmith).
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
The list of collections is really huge! There is surely something for everybody on display.
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Bornholms Tekniske Samling – Bornholm’s Technical Collection – Relics from the Cold War, GDR and more
Getting there and visiting
The museum can be found in the countryside, on the road 159 connecting Rønne to Allinge-Sandvig, one of the biggest settlements on the northern coast, about 1.5 miles from the latter. The exact address is Borrelyngvej 48, 3770 Allinge-Sandvig. Large parking on the premises.
The museum is very peculiar, it features rich collections and it is run by knowledgeable people who are willing to provide descriptions and information also in English. A visit may appeal to everybody including children, and not only to war historians. However, it is duly listed here especially for the war- and aviation-related collections in it. A visit to the entire museum may easily take about 2 hours, especially when talking with the locals. Much less is needed for a quick look at just some parts of it.
Even though Stalin’s USSR finally withdrew from the occupied territory of Bornholm, the conquer of the island by the Soviets in 1945-46 meant the construction of a Soviet war cemetery, similar to those to be found scattered on the territory of the former countries of the Eastern bloc.
A very unassuming and rather intimate monument was inaugurated close to the local Danish graveyard in Allinge-Sandvig. By agreement with the local government, the cemetery is still maintained today.
Den Russiske Kirkegård Bornholm – Soviet War Cemetery
Den Russiske Kirkegård Bornholm – Soviet War Cemetery
Den Russiske Kirkegård Bornholm – Soviet War Cemetery
Den Russiske Kirkegård Bornholm – Soviet War Cemetery
Den Russiske Kirkegård Bornholm – Soviet War Cemetery
A central obelisk, with prominent emblems and writings in both Russian and Danish, is placed ahead of a large memorial stone, with the names of fallen Soviet soldiers on it.
Getting there and visiting
The cemetery can be conveniently reached uphill of the village of Allinge-Sandvig. The exact address is Pilegade 18A, 3770 Allinge-Sandvig. Parking is possible on the road in the immediate vicinity of the cemetery. The site is open-air and not fenced, therefore it can be accessed 24/7. Visiting may take 15 minutes.
German coastal gun site, Dueodde
The coastal guns in Dueodde, close to the southeastern corner of the island and the Cold War tower (see above), are not open as a museum, yet they are fairly easily accessible to the general public. They are the most sizable remains of the planned installation for four 38 cm coastal guns, part of the ambitious coastal defense program of the Third Reich known as Atlantic Wall. This particular fortress became pointless after the break-out of hostilities between Hitler’s Germany and the USSR in 1941, since the line of the front shifted significantly towards the east, far away from Bornholm. Since construction works were correspondingly halted, only the unfinished emplacements of two of the cannons remain today, respectively Nr.3 and Nr.4.
The emplacement Nr.3 is easily accessible from the road. You can see the large round base prepared for the revolving gun. The central pinion is still there (note the big diameter of the metal screws, compared with the cover of my wide lens!).
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
The circular corridor for moving the shells and taking them to the gun can be easily walked.
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
The construction to the north was planned to shelter the troops manning the station, as well as with a technical part for storing the shells and the explosive cartridges. Many rooms can be accessed – albeit a torchlight is mandatory in this area. However, they are completely empty, and there is nothing more than bare concrete.
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
The second site, Nr.4, is more secluded within a group of private homes. However, it can be accessed fairly easily by walking. It is basically a twin of the other emplacement, and the state of conservation (including, unfortunately, tons of stupid graffiti) is the same.
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Atlantic Wall Third Reich Coastal Guns Dueodde, Bornholm – German fortress
Getting there and moving around
The two emplacements are geographically extremely close to the Cold War tower described above. It is possible to park at the tower, in the large parking areas closer to the white dunes strand, or along the road in proximity to these installations.
The coordinates for parking and getting a quick access are for Nr.3: 55.00058432993301, 15.080803777073971, and for Nr.4: 55.00255210231893, 15.084640862385443.
Both sites are not fenced and accessible 24/7. Visiting may take 15 minutes for each of the emplacements – the condition is unfortunately not ideal, with many graffiti likely such to spoil your pictures.
The events taking place on the geopolitical stage during the last decade of the Cold War – the 1980s – gave little indication of the imminent collapse of the Soviet-led Eastern Bloc (1989-1991). Correspondingly, looking at the amount of technology developed and deployed in the military field during the late, hi-tech stage of the Cold War, it is easy to notice that opponents on both sides of the Iron Curtain dedicated a significant (and even increasing) budget in preparation for a possible total confrontation. Reading papers and specialized books from the time, the outbreak of an open conflict, such to put a violent and abrupt end to years of opposition between the two opposing systems by recurring to nuclear warfare over the territories of Western Europe (most of them belonging to the NATO alliance, and all being substantially more militarized than today), was not deemed just likely, but more as a matter of time.
The БАРС system – The tropospheric network of the Warsaw Pact
In that era of extreme tension, it is not surprising that one of the most sophisticated and expensive assets developed and deployed jointly by all Nations in the Warsaw Pact, of course led by the USSR, came alive. History would cut its life short though, and as soon as the Warsaw Pact disintegrated, as a result of the opt-out from communist dictatorship of all Countries in Eastern Europe, this asset was decommissioned. This system was the tropospheric communication system ‘БАРС’, a Russian word reading ‘BARS’ and meaning ‘snow leopard’. The name stands as an acronym for four words in Russian, which translate into something like ‘Sheltered autonomous radio communication system’.
The idea put forward by the Soviet top-ranking military staff in the early 1980s (prior to the onset of Gorbachev administration) was that of a system capable of transmitting complex orders (not just simple signals, like for opening a bunker door or silo, but articulated messages) in a safe encrypted way, at a long distance and minimizing the chance of a complete breakdown even in case of an enemy nuclear attack. Despite being not new, the concept of a resilient and reliable system, such to allow exchanging significant amount of data without relying on cables, had been tested in earlier stages of the Cold War only for short-radius operations. Mobile transmitters/receivers, loaded on purpose-designed trucks, allowed for a reduction of the risk of a direct hit from an attacker, and for a quick redeployment in case of need. However, for the amount of data and range required for the coordination of a war scenario, involving many different Countries, and geographically encompassing an entire continent, a different system was required, capable of transmitting more massive data flows on longer distances, with a reduced risk of a sudden or complete interruption.
The БАРС system was based on a certain number of stations, scattered over the territory of the Countries of the Warsaw Pact. Each node was built as a bunkerized, manned military installation, featuring high-power, high-frequency fixed antennas emerging from the ground, and an underground shelter protecting all the technical gear required for manipulating the data to be sent or received, interfacing with the other existing local (i.e. national) networks for military and executive governmental communication, and of course managing the tremendous amount of energy required to pump a long-reaching signal into the ether.
Laying on the front line with the West, hosting a Soviet contingent of some hundred thousands troops (see here and links therein), aircraft (see here), missiles (see here) and nuclear warheads (see here), and being a key-ally of the USSR in case of the outbreak of an open war (at least until late 1989), the German Democratic Republic (or GDR, or DDR in German) was clearly included in the БАРС network from the initial drafting phase. Similarly, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria, and of course the Soviet Union (which included Belarus and the Baltics, and stretched west to Kaliningrad), all had БАРС stations on their territory. Stations were located at a range of a few hundred miles from one another, thus within the range required for each of them to communicate with one or more of the other nodes. Data (e.g. orders, reports or authorizations) input locally could be relayed along the network through intermediate nodes, down to the intended destination node. There were 26 nodes in total, of which four were in the USSR.
The Wollenberg site – Bunker 301 ‘Tushurka’
The GDR in particular had three stations built, all along the border with Poland, and located east of Berlin – namely Station 301 in Wollenberg, at the same latitude of Berlin, Station 302 in Langsdorf, towards the Baltic coast, and Station 303 in Röhrsdorf (near Königsbruck), not far from Dresden in the southeast of the GDR territory. The first among them, the Wollenberg site (codenamed ‘Tushurka’) could communicate with the other two national stations, as well as with Station 207 in Poland, from where data would be transmitted further down the network, towards the USSR.
The site was built by the GDR state, with technical hardware coming from several Countries within the Warsaw Pact, and most of the military hi-tech components manufactured in the USSR. The actual site (similar to its sister sites) was built in the frame of a highly secretive operation. The staff comprised about 60-70 men, the majority of which were military, where about 15% were civil technicians. Maximum security clearance was required, due to the top-secret nature of the installation and of the overall БАРС system. The bunkerized part of the installation was only a component of the larger premises of the base, camouflaged within the trees on the side of low-rising hill.
As pointed out, the immense spending required for setting up this multi-national hi-tech military communication system, which was extensively tested and completely commissioned (as a network) by 1987, did not save it from a quick demise and disappearance. In particular, Station 301 went definitively offline as early as August 1990.
However, the fate of the Wollenberg site was not so sad as that of many former Soviet or NVA (i.e. the East German Army) installations in the GDR. The high-power antennas were torn down, but except from that, little material damage was inflicted to the buildings and bunker on site. The place was basically shut-off and left dormant, until when a society of technically very competent local enthusiasts started a plan to preserve and open it to visitors, as a memorial specimen of the technology of the Cold War years.
A visit to the Wollenberg bunker site reveals a tremendous deal of interesting details, very uncommon to find elsewhere in the panorama of Cold War relics around Europe. Thanks to a careful preservation and restoration work, the bunker has most of its original systems still plugged to the grid and lit-up – some of them are reportedly still working! Even though the communication networks have been severed, the experience in the bunker is really evoking, and the atmosphere – with all the lit-up cabinets, lights, CCTV cameras, 1980-style screens, etc. – closely resembles that of the bygone era when БАРС was operative!
This report and photographs were taken during a private visit to the bunker, carried out in the Summer of 2023.
Sights
A visit to the the installation in Wollenberg starts from the original high-security access gate. As you may quickly notice when passing through it and getting a first view of the site, the state of preservation is exceptional. Except for the lack of military staff around, everything looks mostly like in the years of operation.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
A group of soft-construction service buildings and a reinforced multi-entry garage constitute the first – and visible – nucleus of the installation. All buildings are painted in a camo coat.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
A former building for the on-site staff has been turned into a permanent exhibition, with memorabilia items from the Cold War years, when the Nationale Volksarmee (or NVA, the Armed forces of the GDR) cooperated with the Soviet Red Army and the national Armed forces of other Countries in the Warsaw Pact.
A meeting room, now employed also for small gatherings, is especially rich of interesting and diverse items, including emblems, books, memorial plates and pennants, as well as TV screens, hi-fi systems and and beamers from the era.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Another room has been set-up as a control center for the base, with an original console and regional maps.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Compared to military bases (for aircraft or tanks), the Wollenberg installation is rather compact, with a main road giving access to most of the (not many) buildings on site, as well as the bunker. Actually, the bunkerized part was built under a low-rising hill, with the antennas originally standing on top of it. Access to the bunker is possible either by climbing uphill on the main road, or through a suggestive original pedestrian tunnel. The latter starts from within the service building itself, and – somewhat unexpectedly, for an underground installation – it climbsuphill, while keeping beneath the surface of the hill side slope. The lower end is guarded by an original CCTV camera.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
At the top end of the tunnel you can find the actual access to the bunker. The design and reinforcement level conferred grade ‘D’ protection according to the military standard in use at the time, with grade ‘A’ being the strongest. Access is through an airlock, constituted by two tight doors at the opposite ends of a small vestibule built in concrete. This design allowed protection from the blast of a nuclear device.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Notably, the locking mechanism of the tight doors is Soviet military standard, which can be found in high-value installations like nuclear depots elsewhere in the Eastern Bloc (see for instance here in Poland, and here in Czechoslovakia).
To the visitor with some experience of Cold War installations, it will be apparent from the very start of the tour that the state of conservation of the bunker, including the systems in it, is exceptional, similar to the rest of the Wollenberg site. The original warning lights and the CC-TV camera for identifying people at the entrance are still in place.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Next to the entrance, a control room with technical gear for checking-in can be found – including original dosimeters for radiation and chemicals, mostly Soviet-made. Looking inside these devices is possible, and reveals a great deal of sophistication in the design and realization of the military-grade material from the time.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Showers and sinks for washing, as well as canister for disposing of contaminated clothes, are located in the same area.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Upon getting access to the sealed area of the bunker and passing by the decontamination facility, you find yourself on the top floor of the underground bunker. The high-technology gear required for the transmission/reception of data on the БАРС network, as well as the interface with other national communication systems, required for receiving data, issuing orders, etc. over the territory of the GDR, were located on this floor.
Two symmetrically placed rooms host two twin transmission centers for the БАРС system. A single manned console can be found in each of them, surrounded by electronic cabinets and switches. At a closer look, all the material herein is Soviet made, and labeled in Russian only.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
On the wall ahead of the console station is a set of cables, communicating with the antenna and allowing to set the orientation and monitoring its status.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
The actual signals transmitted to the antenna, or received from it, traveled along special hollow ducts, with an almost rectangular section. Bundles of these ducts can be found in the ‘Sender’ (which means ‘transmitter’ in English) room, immediately next to the room where the manned console is.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
The modulation and demodulation of the signals going out and coming in respectively through the antenna on top of the bunker required some special pieces of electronics, which included the Soviet-designed KY-374 klystron (codenamed ‘Viola’), a component to be found in the cabinets of the ‘Sender’ room.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Following the hollow ducts, it is possible to find where they finally exit the usually manned part of the bunker, bending into receptacles and leading outside. Piping related to other systems, including air conditioning, can be seen as well crossing or running in the same narrow technical corridors.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Beside the consoles monitoring the antenna and the data flowing through it, a kind of operative room for communication can be found, where consoles allowing to receive and forward data and communication to/from all systems are on display. This largely original room features consoles of different levels of technology.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Original explanatory schemes showing the basic features of the БАРС system are on display in that area – in Russian!
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
An adjoining room features the cabinets required for making all these system work. The cabinets are really many, with a significant share of material manufactured in the USSR. The sight of all these cabinets together is really impressive, and tangibly provides the feeling of a high technology, sophisticated and expensive design. It compares well, but in a largely up-scaled fashion, to the electronics to be found in some special communication bunkers on the western side of the Iron Curtain (see here).
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Interspersed with the original arrangement of the cabinets and consoles are some displays of original material. These include specimens of different types of cables for signal transmission – some of them hollow and pressurized, others featuring impressive bundles of thinner wires – the KY-374 klystron, and other once top-secret core components of the БАРС transmission system. Also on display is one of the few remaining parts of the original system of antennas, once on top of the bunker. The antennas were the only part to be physically torn down when the system was decommissioned, upon the demise of the Warsaw Pact and the end of the Cold War.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
The bunker was manned by military and technical staff 24/7. Furthermore, as typical for bunkers from the Cold War era, provision was made at a design level to allow the staff to live isolated within the bunker for an extended period of time, in view of the eventuality to face a nuclear fallout scenario.
On the same floor as the technical rooms, the commander of the station had his own private room. This is still adorned with typical Soviet iconography, as well as everyday material from the age when the bunker was operative.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
A small canteen, with a kitchen and a modest living room, can be found at the same level. An original storage room has been employed to gather examples of everyday products, like soap, skin care cream, etc., as well as canned food, cocoa, and beverages of all sorts.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
This represents a very rich catalog of now largely defunct and forgotten labels, from the age and regions of the Eastern Bloc (and especially from within the GDR). Also on display are bottles of spirits, likely still very good!
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
The visit proceeds then to the lower floor, which can be reached through a flight of metal stairs.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
The lower floor host the plants required for the regular operation of the entire bunker, such to guarantee operational ability even in case of an enemy attack carried out with nuclear, chemical or biological warfare. The air filtering and conditioning system is very modern. Beside typical filtering drums for particles, to be found also in other bunkers (see for instance Podborsko here), you can see a bulky filtering and climate conditioning system, neatly arranged within two parallel square-shaped ducts. Filtering against chemicals as well as biologic agents was carried out employing special active filters.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Sensors for the level of contamination of the bunker air can be found in different rooms. Much material here is standard Soviet-made.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Systems for water pumping and compressed air can be found as well, including compressors, pumps and reservoirs. Looking at the always interesting factory labels in this area, it is easy to find export products of Bulgaria, Romania and other communist dictatorships of the era. Of course, much hardware is also manufactured in the GDR.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Electricity was supplied from the outside grid, yet capability for self-sustaining in case of a grid loss (for instance in case of war) was implemented as well. Three big German-made Diesel generators have been put in place, and are still in an apparently good condition.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Another example of the high technological standard reached in the late Cold War era is represented by the control room for the plants within the bunker. A manned control station, with a console and a direct view of lit-up cabinets, reporting the status of the various systems running in the bunker, compares well with control rooms of large industrial plants in operation today.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Carefully kept in its original status, with many of the electric links and cabinets still working, the sight of this room is especially evoking.
Also on the lower floor are the sleeping rooms for off-duty staff. Typically, this was not employed except for drills, when the bunker could be sealed to simulate operations in case of the outbreak of hostilities.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Back to the upper floor, it is possible to exit the bunker via a stairway and through a side gate. You will find yourself on top of the low-rise hill where the bunker has been dug. Here the concrete base of the crane where the БАРС antenna used to sit are still visible. Notably, these antennas were much smaller than the tropospheric antennas employed for the TROPOSCATTER system of NATO. This was the result of a different bandwidth employed for transmissions. Therefore, even in the days of operation, the antennas on top of the bunker were not as sizable as those of TROPOSCATTER installations (which were enormous in size).
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Looking closely, in the top area of the installation, the duct for supplying the Diesel oil tank of the bunker can be found, similar to sensors for radiation and other atmospheric parameters (similar to what can be found also in other nuclear-proof bases, for instance here). These allowed to monitor the conditions of the outside air, detect an attack and trigger or manage the sealing of the bunker in case of need, by locking all the tight doors.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
This access to the bunker is fenced by the original electrified fence, severing this area from the rest of the installation through a further layer of security.
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility
All in all, a visit to the Wollenberg bunker offers an incredible insight in a fascinating and crucial field of warfare – data and communication exchange – as well as a lively and evocative display of a late Cold War hi-tech installation from the Soviet side of the Iron Curtain!
Getting there & Visiting
The German name of the Wollenberg bunker is ‘Militärhistorisches Sonderobjekt 301 Wollenberg’. It can be reached very easily with a car. It can be found in the open countryside along the regional road 158, driving about 35 miles (about 1 hour) northeast from downtown Berlin towards Poland. The exact location is between the small village of Höhenland (~4 miles) and the more sizable Bad Freienwalde (~6 miles). There is a large parking area immediately next to the road, giving direct pedestrian access to the premises of the former military installation. Despite being placed very conveniently, the site is rather elusive when passing by, since it is hidden in the trees and not directly visible from the road. The address corresponding to the place in Google Maps is Sternkrug 4, 16259 Höhenland. The inconspicuous village of Wollenberg, giving the name to the installation, is just nearby, but it is not crossed by the regional road, and it should not be employed for pointing this destination with a nav.
The Wollenberg bunker is a listed historical installation. It is perfectly maintained, privately managed, and it can be regularly accessed with guided tours. These are offered typically one day per week in the summer, or by prior arrangement. Possibly the best option for getting the most out of your visit is getting in contact with the group of very knowledgeable enthusiasts running the place. The official website is here (do not be discouraged by the ‘static’ appearance of the website, they are very active, and they shall typically answer your inquire).
My visit was planned by initiative of Dr. Reiner Helling (see also here), and we visited in a group of three, including the guide (Dr. Michael Schoeneck, a former engineer, with a profound knowledge of any technical aspects related to this installation), which happened to be a perfect option for touring also the narrowest receptacles of the bunker. Visiting in groups too big may be not advisable, since the rooms and corridors are rather narrow, and the place may turn overcrowded for interacting with the guide and for taking good pictures. I think the visit – including the technical content – may be tailored to the needs of the audience. For technical-minded subjects, historians and former military, a visit may take about 2-3 hours (the latter was my experience). In my case, the guide could understand but not speak fluent English, yet Dr. Helling could translate with ease all the explanations. Of course, if you have at least a basic knowledge of German and of the technical material you are looking at, this may simplify your visit, which is in any case highly advisable for those interested in military technology and the Cold War.
Heading to Berlin or the former GDR? Looking for traces of the Cold War open for a visit?
A Travel Guide to COLD WAR SITES in EAST GERMANY
Second Edition - 2024
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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.
The area around Jüterbog, about 1 hour and 15 minutes south of Berlin by car, has enjoyed a long military tradition, dating from the years of the Kaiser and WWI, through the Third Reich and all the more than four decades of the Cold War, until the departure of the Soviet Army in the early 1990s.
Almost for the entire duration of the 20th century, the area has been scattered with barracks, immense training grounds, shooting ranges, officer’s houses, army administration buildings, technical depots, airports and military academies.
The town of Jüterbog is actually much older than the 20th century, but the Soviets, who grew to a much greater population than the Germans in town after 1945, did not pay much attention to this nice medieval town. Following their withdrawal and the end of all military operations around, the town center received substantial money for restoration from the Government of reunified Germany, and the result is really remarkable – Jüterbog is today possibly one of the most lively and nice-looking centers in the region, with medieval towers, gates and churches, hotels, restaurants and bright-painted houses all around.
However, one hundred years of military activities in this province could not be wiped out at once, and despite nature is now invading the old army premises after operations ceased, to a careful eye the heritage of the German and Soviet Armies stationed there can be spotted quite easily, immediately out the lovely historical town.
Perhaps the most prominent witnesses of the past activities are the old flight academy, installed in the Third Reich years and later employed also by the Soviets, who got control of the area after they arrived in 1945, and kept it even after the foundation of the GDR and the corresponding Armed Forces (i.e. the Nationale Volksarmee, or NVA). The flight academy is today a listed building, despite in a state of partial disrepair. Another example is the big airbase of Jüterbog/Altes Lager, which went on operating as an NVA and Soviet airbase until the very end of the Cold War, and is now being used as a sport airfield, a kart circuit track, an event venue and a solar power plant.
In the following report, more locations in and around Jüterbog are pinpointed, photographed during two visits, partly guided by the knowledgeable Dr. Reiner Helling, in the Summer seasons of 2021 and 2022.
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The material in this post covers ‘Shelter Albrecht’, a one-of-a-kind private collection of items from WWII and especially from Soviet times, more views of the former airfield of Altes Lager, with a Granit bunker still in very good conditions, an abandoned military hospital with evident traces of Soviet operations, a Soviet cemetery, and a few more items, silent and overlooked witnesses of a recently bygone era.
The airbase of Jüterbog/Altes Lager was selected by the Soviets for further development with the arrival of jets in the late 1940s-early 1950s, and grew to be a prominent attack aircraft and helicopter base in the territory of the GDR. Now reduced in size to the point that some taxiways have been turned into public roads, some of the incredibly many aircraft shelters originally in place in the peripheral parts of the base – mostly AU-16 – have been wiped out. However, a set of two to the east of the runway have been spared this fate, and have been redeemed by a private business. One has been turned into a venue for events, whereas the other has been employed to showcase a great collection of WWII and Cold War memorabilia. Actually, the two hangars are located inside a somewhat larger perimeter, with an original technical building and room for even more exhibits.
A first impressive sight is the original Soviet scheme of the base. Similar signs were typically put close to the gate of any Soviet base (as seen for instance here in Ribnitz/Damgarten), and with their Russian writings today they witness the Soviet tenancy of the base.
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
On the apron, an original military version of the ubiquitous Trabant, in army green color, is on display together with a field kitchen and a gigantic roadwork machine. The latter is Russian made, with tank tracks, and powered by a 12-cylinder Diesel engine.
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
A Mil Mi-2 helicopter, which for some hard-to-imagine reason had ended up on the Adriatic coast of Italy in a private collection, where it sat almost derelict, has been brought back to the other side of the Iron Curtain, and restored in a camo coat and placed in a prominent position. Not far, a wing from an old Lavochin La-5 Soviet aircraft can be found.
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Still on the open air exhibition are a decorated panel once gracing a Soviet hospital – possibly the one described later (here) – and another celebrating the Warsaw Pact. But the exhibits are really countless, and include propaganda posters, and canisters for ordnance.
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
To the side of the main exhibition hangar, in the area of an interred fuel tank once serving the base, is an incredible set of Soviet panels, originally from this or other Soviet bases around. These panels are partly decoration/celebration signs, with portraits of Soviet soldiers and emblems.
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Other are technically-themed, with explanations concerning driving habits and rules, hand-to-hand combat, and more. Similar items, including fake targets for assault training, can be found for instance in Forst Zinna, an abandoned Soviet base not far from Jüterbog (covered here).
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Also part of the collection is a rare mural, apparently retracing the push to the west of a Soviet division (?) during the Great Patriotic War.
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Inside, the aircraft shelter is stuffed with interesting memorabilia. From WWII, exhibits include remains of downed aircraft, including damaged engines, propellers and canopies. Among them are remains of an Avro Lancaster, a Focke-Wulf 190, a Junkers Ju-87 and the canopy of a pretty rare training (two-seats) version of the Messerschmitt Bf-109.
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Four large scale models cover as many interesting sights around. The first is the former flight academy of the Third Reich (mentioned above and covered here), north of the Altes Lager airbase premises. Also on display are books and furniture originally from the library of the academy.
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
A second model portrays the entire area between the academy (north) and the airfield (south), including the latter. This area, now largely shrouded in the trees and partially in private hands, used to host technical installations and even factories connected with warfare business – all linked by an extensive network of roads and railways.
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Another model is that of two airship hangars from the years of German tenancy. These had to be really huge, but are today completely gone. Among the factories in place in the area, were those for supplying gas for the airships.
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Finally, a fourth scale model represents the older airfield of Jüterbog/Damm. The latter is not far from Altes Lager, and is today in private hands for some cattle breeding business. It features very peculiar concrete hangars, an interesting specimen of Third Reich construction engineering. Some aerial pictures can be found here. That airfield was not selected for further development by the Soviets, due to the limited potential for runway lengthening, in turn due to the proximity with Jüterbog town.
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Soviet-related items on display range from painted tables, originally gracing the walls of the base, to technical signs in Russian, to a full array of personal and military items, all belonging to the Soviet staff stationed in Jüterbog. These include an interesting overall map of the Soviet airfields on GDR territory, with basic technical data.
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Among the highlights, an official printed portrait of Stalin, and one of Brezhnev in a military uniform, parachutes and parts from attack aircraft, many direction signs and instructional panels for low-ranking military staff. Also very interesting is a radar scope with the three air corridors to West-Berlin and the position of Altes Lager printed on it!
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Of special interest for aircraft enthusiasts are many pictures from the days of operation of the airbase, with many exotic Soviet aircraft seen landing, departing or taxiing around.
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Other panels tells about the presence of rocket forces in the area of Jüterbog – in particular the 27th R.Br. of the NVA. They operated the SCUD-B system.
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Back outside, the exhibition is completed by an original monument from Altes Lager, often employed as a background for official ceremonies, and more personal memorabilia of the owner of the museum, formerly serving within a tank division of the NVA.
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Reconstructed shops and schools are on display, with much original furniture and everyday items of Soviet make.
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Getting there and Visiting
The place is really worth a visit for everybody interested in memorabilia items from Soviet times, or for those looking for tangible traces of the military past of Jüterbog. The location is easy to reach by car, with a convenient internal parking. The address is Niedergörsdorfer Allee 4, 14913 Niedergörsdorf, Germany.
An updated official website with opening times is apparently not available. However, Mr. Helmut Stark, the owner of the place, may be contacted beforehand (in German only) to inquire about opening times and plan a visit – try Googling his name and that of the site for updated contacts. The place is regularly open at least in the weekends in the warm season. A visit to this site will be likely with Mr. Stark following you and giving explanations in German. This will take about 45 minutes.
Granit Bunker and Hangars in Jüterbog/Altes Lager
Some views of the Altes Lager airbase are provided in this chapter, and some aerial views can be seen here. The huge, flat-top hangars date from the Third Reich era, and similarly the control tower with its annexes. Some of the hangars were reportedly dismounted by the Soviets and taken to the Soviet Union soon after the end of WWII.
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Besides all the aircraft shelters scattered all around the runway, a relevant and pretty secluded Soviet addition north of the airfield is a Soviet Granit-type bunker. This type of bunker was among the lightest in Soviet inventory, and could serve multiple purposes, e.g. storing movable radar trucks, tanks, other machinery, or weapons. Actually, its presence on an airfield may suggest the purpose of storing special air-dropped weapons, maybe tactical nuclear, high-explosive or chemical ordnance.
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Bunkers of Granit-type are possibly the most frequent special constructions in former Soviet bases (see for instance here or here), but the one in Jüterbog is interesting since it is very well conserved, and its massive metal doors are still perfectly in place, providing a nice impression of how this technical item should have looked like in the days of operation.
Getting there and Visiting
The airport of Altes Lager is today pretty busy, with several companies having taken over much of its original premises now open for business. Multiple access points are available, and chances of looking inside the original installations are many. Given the still exceptional state of conservation of the Granit bunker, in order to protect this rare historical artifact from the impressive hordes of catatonic idiot spoilers and writers out there, no indication is provided on its exact location.
Military Hospital
Among the buildings now shrouded by the overgrown vegetation in the area between Jüterbog/Altes Lager airfield and the town of Jüterbog is a sizable military hospital. Totally invisible from the road, the hospital is basically made of a single, building featuring three long interconnected rows.
It is made of the typical German dark-red brick, a design which is way too elegant for Soviet occupants. The arrangement of the facade and the nice railings suggest a construction date from the years of the Kaiser and the German Empire, maybe early 20th century.
However, the years of Soviet use are witnessed by a big mural, portraying Lenin with some Soviet soldiers in the background, with a black and yellow striped ribbon and a red star, emblems of the Red Army.
The aura is very silent and mysterious, and as such, this location is a mecca for urban explorers. Actually, the only noise came from a fast spinning ventilation fan in a window frame! This was pushed by an air stream however, not likely by a motor…
Some more buildings complete this complex, and original GDR-style lamps can still be seen around – the tall trees now surrounding the building were likely not in place when the hospital was closed, presumably in the early 1990s.
Not difficult to find in the trees between Jüterbog and the airfield of Altes Lager, there is no clear interdiction sign to access this complex from behind, yet vibration sensors planted in the ground can be spotted around, and some security cars can be seen sometimes parked on the main road. A walk around the hospital is not especially dangerous nor difficult, and may take about 25 minutes taking all the pictures. The building is architecturally nice and possibly listed. Yet it is in partial disrepair and largely sealed, and getting in is obviously not advisable.
Soviet Cemetery
The only relic of the years of Soviet occupation which is immediately visible to the general public in Jüterbog is the Soviet military cemetery. This is located to the back of the Liebfrauenkirche, in the historical center of Jüterbog.
Actually, a monumental part, with railings embellished with hammer and sickle emblems and a monument with writings in German and Russian to the back, is detached from the church yard.
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
However, possibly in later times, the limited space available in the lot originally planned for the monument meant some graves were dug right in the church graveyard, side by side – but not mixed – with German graves.
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Getting there and Visiting
The exact address is Am Dammtor, 14913 Jüterbog, Germany. The place is well-kept, being part of the historical city center of Jüterbog. Parking opportunities all around on the street. A visit may take 10 minutes.
Railway Yard, School and Command Building
The town of Jüterbog acted as a ‘local capital’ for the many Soviet troops and their families scattered in the corresponding district. The hospital (see above) was not the only large installation in place. A district school was also installed, which served not only the very town of Jüterbog – with a Russian-speaking population of more than 70.000, greater than the German nationals – but also the residing Soviet population of smaller technical installations in the area. A notable example is the impressive nuclear depot in Stolzenhain (see here), where a dedicated staff and their families occupied four residential blocks now gone. Their children reportedly attended school in Jüterbog.
The school is today largely abandoned, and a quick tour around reveals typical Soviet decorations in the large sporting hall.
Jüterbog Soviet School Abandoned Cold War Relic
Jüterbog Soviet School Abandoned Cold War Relic
Jüterbog Soviet School Abandoned Cold War Relic
Jüterbog Soviet School Abandoned Cold War Relic
The school building is geographically close to the railway station. The latter had a passenger terminal dedicated to the Soviet population, which was completely segregated from the German one.
Furthermore, the railway in Jüterbog had also a primary logistic function, connected with the military activities going on in the area. Besides transporting tanks, vehicles and other material, also nuclear warheads arrived by rail from Belarus or Ukraine (both in the USSR at the time), for storage in the Stolzenhain Monolith-type bunkers (see here). A special railway track with a dead end in the trees featured a special interchange platform, allowing to move the sensitive warheads in their controlled canisters to trucks, and by road to Stolzenhain – usually at night. Since warheads were also sent back for maintenance or overhaul, the transport operated also in the opposite direction.
Jüterbog Railway Track Station
Jüterbog Railway Track Station
Very close to the railway station and the school is also a large grassy area, surrounded by a nice, old-style metal fence. This area is that of an older training ground, dating to the years of the Kaiser. A command building, now in disrepair, betrays the same origin, featuring decorations in a typical old-German style.
Jüterbog Command Building Abandoned Relic
Jüterbog Command Building Abandoned Relic
Jüterbog Command Building Abandoned Relic
Getting there and Moving around
The school can be found in Jüterbog here. Cross the street from the school, the old training grounds and command building are immediately spotted. Walking north past the command building, you get access to a pedestrian bridge over the railway tracks, with a nice view of the station. An exploration of the railway tracks has to be considered extremely dangerous, since the railway line there is today a high-speed one, with bullet-fast trains appearing in just seconds. A walk around this spot in Jüterbog may take 15 minutes. Parking opportunities ahead of the command building.
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Soviet Ghosts in Germany
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The western part of Poland, today on the border with Germany, used to be largely part of the German Reich before WWI. Following the defeat of the central empires in 1918, the borders of Poland were partly redrawn, but with respect to today’s political map of Europe a large territory of what is today western Poland was still German. Most notably, the Baltic town of Gdansk (or Danzig, in German) was the port town of Poland in the interwar period, linked through a narrow corridor to the main inland region of that country. The severing of this link and the attack on Gdansk by Hitler’s forces in late summer 1939 was the first act of WWII.
With this map in mind, it is no surprise that most towns in the Polish region on the Baltic shoreline, and south to the border with today’s Czechia, are pointed with former Luftwaffe airbases, German made concrete bunkers and coastal guns similar to the Atlantic Wall (see this post for an idea). As a matter of fact, also the remarkable border forts of Czechia were put in place in the 1930s to counter warlike Hitler’s Third Reich on the other side of the border, not Poland, today bordering Czechia to the north (see this post).
Western Poland was swept by Stalin’s Red Army in the closing season of WWII in winter and spring of 1945. Soon after WWII, Poland had its borders this time totally redrawn. A new big communist state was created in central Europe, which to the uttermost delusion of the fierce local population, was basically a feud of the USSR – actually, the largest and most populated of the countries in the Eastern Bloc.
Just like any other country in Moscow’s suffocating embrace, Poland was strongly militarized. The armed forces of Poland were among the most developed branches of the Polish state, but this was just a part of the overall picture. As soon as the former Allied forces of WWII split, and the USSR became an undeclared enemy of Western democracies in the late 1940s, a strategic Soviet force was installed in Poland, taking over many formerly German military assets in the western region. The Northern Group of Forces was the name of the branch of Soviet military deployed to Poland.
As the strategy for a war in Europe envisaged by the Soviets was based on a kind of nuclear-assisted blitzkrieg-style westward push from the border between the Eastern and Western Blocs, the westernmost regions of the Soviet satellite countries on the border with the west were the most heavily reinforced. These included all the territory of the strongly Soviet-presided German Democratic Republic (see for instance this and this post, but there are really many on this topic on this website, and a dedicated book as well!), western Poland, western Czechoslovakia (i.e. Czechia), and to a lesser extent also Hungary (see for instance here) and Bulgaria.
Traces of the Cold War are very abundant in Poland, where they have received a generally greater attention in later times than in other former communist dictatorships, with some good examples of preservation, besides an array of inevitably abandoned and rotting facilities. These traces include both Polish and Soviet relics.
Some conspicuous Cold War leftovers in Poland have been described in this post, a brilliant example of preservation of a nuclear bunker, and also here. In this one, some more are shown, either preserved or abandoned, Soviet or Polish. They include the abandoned Soviet command bunker in Legnica, the partly abandoned Soviet airbases of Chojna and Kolbrzeg, the Museum of the Polish Artillery in Torun, the Polish command bunker on the island of Wolin (‘Vineta Battery’) and the one-of-a-kind nuclear fallout control bunker in Kalisz. The war cemetery in the fortress of Poznan is also portrayed as a special feature – a unique testimony of the dramatic history of Poland in the 20th century.
Soviet Northern Group of Forces Command Bunker, Legnica
The role of the town of Legnica in Poland during the years of Soviet occupation was comparable to that of Wünsdorf in the German Democratic Republic (see this post). It was here that the Northern Group of Forces, i.e. the branch of the Red Army stationed in Poland, had its headquarters. Just like Wünsdorf, operations in Legnica could count on dedicated high-security facilities.
A complex of underground halls, connected by a network of tunnels, formed a nuclear-proof command and control center, capable of fully operating for more than a week without resupply from the outside world. Different from Wünsdorf, this extended network was prepared in the trees at a certain distance from the stately ‘official’ buildings of downtown Legnica, precisely west of the small village of Wilkocin.
The secret bunker in Wilkocin is actually formed by two separate items, once in the middle of an extensive fenced and strongly defended area, totally impenetrable and guarded by watchmen and watchdogs.
The western item, isolated in the sand dunes typical of this area, yet actually not far from the village of Wilkocin, was partly visible from the surface. The codename of this installation was ‘Syrius’, and it was a reserve command post for the western war theater, i.e. the war in central Europe, to be fought along the border with NATO forces, in case the Cold War should have turned ‘hot’.
A group of apparently normal buildings form the visible part of this complex. The latter might have been more numerous, and perhaps demolition works have stricken in the recent past – the site is basically abandoned since the early 1990s when the Soviets quit. Traces of colored floor tiles, electric wires with voltage indications in Russian – many items recall more or less explicitly the Soviet tenancy of this place.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
A small water tank/pool and some service buildings can be found in the area at the base of the low-rise mound where the biggest building of the complex is.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Traces of the original camouflage can be seen still today on the walls. Also the building date – 1983, a relatively recent date – is clearly reported on a sidewall.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
The invisible, underground part of this complex can be accessed from small hatches, surfacing all around the main building, and even inside it – albeit the latter have been obstructed for safety, since the building is really rotting.
The underground part of the complex is basically made of a long straight corridor, giving access to an array of halls placed at a 90 degrees angle with respect to it. These halls vary in size. Some of them are really small, and were possibly intended for storing supplies, for sleeping stationing troops, or as technical rooms.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Traces of direction signs in Russian can be seen on the walls.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Some of these smaller halls are also interconnected, creating a kind of labyrinth. Tight doors were likely installed between adjoining rooms. They are gone now, but the passages between the rooms in the bunker are very small and make moving around difficult.
Not all of the halls were on the same level, so stairs can be found here and there.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
To the far end of the main corridor, a much larger hall greatly resembles the military air control center in Wünsdorf, perhaps its intended purpose in the days of operations.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Behind this larger hall, technical rooms might have been designed for gear to support control and monitoring operations – computers, projectors, etc. A long tunnel takes you outside directly from this area.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Back inside, the main corridor ends in a descending flight of stairs, giving access to another roomy hall. There used to be (likely) a massive tight door here, as suggested by traces in the walls.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
This final hall is rather peculiar, having a kind of smaller control cabin in it.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
From the outside, the cusp profile of the latter hall surfaces from the side of a hill, taking the shape of a hangar with two entrances – possibly a garage for radars or antennas, linked and providing data to the adjoining hall, likely a control room.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
A walk of about 1 mile to the southeast of the first item takes you to the second bunker in the secluded area of Wilkocin. Codenamed ‘Tuman’ (meaning ‘fog’ in Russian) in Soviet times, this was the central communication node of the Northern Group of Forces. Differently to the ‘Syrius’ item, this second facility was built totally underground.
The only surfacing components are an array of bulky but relatively small concrete constructions, possibly the base for electric/electronic gear like aerials, capacitors, or something alike.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Concrete hatches give access to very steep, narrow and long staircases, taking you down into the core of the hill.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
The ‘Tuman’ item is basically articulated along two long parallel corridors, with halls between them.
The function of the halls is today hard to guess. Some unusual features, maybe associated to the original role of the corresponding rooms, are the different, often bright colors of the walls and ceiling, ranging from orange, to lurid green, to sooth black.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
In some spots, the pavement is covered with ‘elaborated’ tiles, unexpected in an underground military facility.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Traces of hardware are relatively few, and include a few lamps, metal pipes emerging from the walls, and some cabinets with writing in Russian.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
The numerous interconnections between the halls, tunnels and passages in this bunker result in a very complicated labyrinth!
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
The majority of the halls are similar in structure. A couple are roomier and feature a significantly taller ceiling.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
The sand of the dunes outside has somehow managed to come in one of the halls!
The secluded location of these mysterious and silent bunkers, isolated deep in the trees and far from any populated settlement, makes for a very thought-provoking walk.
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces
Getting there and moving around
This site is an interesting example of ‘semi-wild’ conservation. It is advertised by means of dedicated explanatory panels in the village of Wilkocin, and can be reached leaving your car there and taking well-maintained trails to the two items. Actually, both bunkers are also sanctuaries for bats. Once there, you can explore the underground networks without restrictions, and modern emergency exit routes are also visible on the walls. However, the tunnels and halls are completely dark, and there is no map. Visiting is at your own risk. So a torchlight and a good sense of direction are required if you are visiting alone. Yet given the limited size of these bunkers and the many exits, you are not likely to run into any trouble. In my view, this is a good compromise for interested people to visit these historically relevant installations, which are not being demolished, but left to interested people without spending a cent of public money to preserve them.
Due to the size of the area and the walk required to reach the points of interest from the parking in Wilkocin, you might easily spend 4 hours exploring this site thoroughly. Due to the location, pretty far from everything, it is likely you will not meet a single person for the whole duration of your stay – this may add much to the ghost aura of the place. Cell phone coverage is so-so, and obviously null inside the bunkers. You might better go with some offline maps (Google maps of the area are fine, as you are not required to move out of technical roads, clearly visible from satellite pictures).
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Airbase
The western districts of Poland hosted basically all Soviet airbases to be found on the territory of this country. This was clearly connected with the strategy of the USSR in case of a war in Europe. Having most offensive forces ready for action along the border with the West meant a significant time advantage in the quick invasion of core Europe and the rush to the North sea, which were in the plans of the top-ranking military in Moscow in case of an outbreak of hostilities.
Actually, the Soviets did not have trouble in finding suitable locations for growing modern airbases in this area – the Luftwaffe had in this district an outstanding number of airfields. Chojna, known as Königsberg before 1945, was one of them.
The Soviets took control of this airport in February 1945, and since them it became one of the most developed in Poland. Today, the airport is basically closed except for minor ultralight operations. However, its original size and prominence can be appreciated moving around its premises – today possible, as the former taxiways and service roads have been turned into car traffic roads, albeit not much used except by the local companies who have taken over some of the original hangars.
Among the many interesting sights of this former airbase, the runway is – as of 2020 – basically intact! This makes for a very unusual and impressive sight – the length of the runway is remarkable, since the airbase was potentiated over the years, and in the closing stage of the Cold War, the Soviets operated from here with massive Sukhoi Su-27 fighters (late 1980s).
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Differently from western standards, the Soviets always preferred runway surfaces made of relatively small adjoining concrete slabs.
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
In connection with the operation of larger fighters, in the form of Su-27, Chojna was one of a handful airbases in the Soviet empire to receive the AU-19 type shelter, the biggest in the inventory of the Soviet air forces.
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Only a few of these hangars were built, and today some of them in Chojna have been sadly demolished.
Along the main taxiway running parallel to the runway, smaller AU-11 shelters can be found – their size being compatible with MiG-15 or MiG-21, both types operating from Chojna over the years – converted for storage by local companies or private owners.
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
A larger maintenance hangar has been taken over by a major engineering company.
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Another remarkable feature of Chojna is a well preserved ‘Granit’-type bunker. This type of bunker was the lightest and cheapest in the Soviet inventory. It could serve different functions, from theater missile storage, tactical nuclear ordnance storage, reinforced command bunker, etc.
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
The actual function of the bunker in Chojna is shrouded into mystery, but similar bunkers can be found in association with tactical nuclear deterrent in Poland (see this post). This might suggest the presence of air-dropped nuclear weapons in this airbase, at some point in history.
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland
Despite too populated and lively to evoke a thick Soviet ghost aura (unlike several bases in the GDR, see for instance this post), Chojna is definitely worth a quick visit for the many unique spots it still offers, as well as for the ease of touring it moving around by car.
Getting there and moving around
Chojna is pretty close to the German border, some 30 miles south of Szczecin. The airbase is located south of the town, with now public roads providing access from the former Soviet village originally for the troops, today normally inhabited by the local population. A visit of less than one hour may cover most of the spots. The ‘Granit’-type bunker can be found in the south-western corner area of the base, with access just south of the western extremity of the runway.
Kolobrzeg Abandoned Soviet Airbase
The airport of Kolbrzeg is actually not really abandoned. Originally a Third Reich’s Luftwaffe installation, the Soviets took over this airfield, located right on the Baltic shoreline, potentiating it through a much longer runway, and turning the original German one into a taxiway and apron.
Today, the long Soviet runway is still used for general aviation operations, with private Cessna and Cirrus aircraft flying to this touristic location.
Kolobrzeg Soviet Airbase Poland
Kolobrzeg Soviet Airbase Poland
However, the airport was too big for the traffic it needs to support today. Hence large parts of the former area have been opened to public car traffic, and abandoned shelters from Soviet tenancy can be found scattered around.
The area of the apron, with large concrete slabs making the pavement, can be freely walked and allows to appreciate the big size of this air base.
Kolobrzeg Soviet Airbase Poland
Kolobrzeg Soviet Airbase Poland
Kolobrzeg Soviet Airbase Poland
Kolobrzeg Soviet Airbase Poland
Kolobrzeg Soviet Airbase Poland
Part of the original technical hangars, likely dating back to Hitler’s era, have been re-used by local companies.
Kolobrzeg Soviet Airbase Poland
Similar to Chojna (see above), Kolobrzeg once had a ‘Granit’-type bunker built on its premises. Unfortunately, this was selected for demolition, and nothing remains of it today.
Kolobrzeg Soviet Airbase Poland
Getting there and moving around
The airport of Kolobrzeg can be found about 3 miles east of the village, along the Baltic shoreline. The former German-then-Soviet village is today a tourist destination (name Podczele), thanks to the proximity with the beach. You may have a quick visit by car to the airport area, moving along the old Soviet taxiways, before parking on the former apron and going to the beach.
Museum of Artillery, Torun
Just east of remarkable UNESCO-town Torun, the small collection of the Museum of Artillery makes for an interesting detour from the touristic path. This museums occupies the westernmost building of the School of Artillery of the Polish Army, still active today.
The collection is clearly centered mainly on artillery, documenting the history and potential of this branch of the military with an interesting collection of shells, fuzes, warheads, cannons, howitzers and firearms mostly from the 20th century and up to our days.
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Being a Soviet satellite for the whole duration of the Cold War, Poland received war material made in the USSR in large lots. Among the artifacts on display, didactic cutouts of Soviet warheads from theater missiles are extremely interesting.
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Computational range-finding gear of Soviet make is also on display.
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
The diversity of shells and fuzes is always striking – some of the fuzes look like high-precision clock mechanisms.
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
To the outside, you are allowed a view of the courtyard of the school of artillery (inaccessible at the time of my visit), with a collection of heavier weapons. It appears however that the collection is loosing some of the items on display in the Cold War years, maybe for restoration, or for displaying them in other collections.
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
In a small depot on the side of the museum building it is possible to find a restoration shop, where they are actively working on the refurbishment of some heavier pieces of artillery.
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Museum of Artillery Torun Poland
Getting there and moving around
The museum can be accessed at this coordinates: 53.019260130760934, 18.623310804318898. It is a about .5 miles northeast of the central touristic district of Torun. You will find a rather unapparent pedestrian gate with a doorbell. You will be immediately admitted upon ringing the doorbell. Parking is not easy in the area. Visiting may take about 30-40 minutes for an interested subject. Unfortunately, explanations are in Polish only, but the museum staff is welcoming and they will try their best to let you get the most out of your visit. Website here.
Nuclear Fallout Control Bunker, Kalisz
Really a one-of-a-kind witness of the Cold War on the eastern side of the Iron Curtain, the perfectly restored and preserved bunker in Kalisz can be found in the basement of a standard residential home.
The secret bunker unveils today a complex and careful administration of the Polish territory, in view of a possible nuclear war to be fought in this country. This installation, run by the Polish government since the 1960s, besides serving as a crisis reporting point, was a central node for the administrative district having its capital city in Kalisz. The main standard function of the bunker was that of collecting and elaborating meteorological information from several sub-nodes of the reporting network, thus elaborating a map of the winds which was regularly updated.
The scope of this very precise meteorological forecast was that of estimating the likely evolution of a potential nuclear fallout, in case of a nuclear attack. Based on this information, the national Army could be sent in a direction or another, avoiding contaminated hot spots, evacuation operations of the local population could be carried out with a good knowledge of the actual risk, and so on.
The bunker could also trigger a nuclear attack alarm for the population of Kalisz, and it could host the local government representatives to ensure the survival of the chain of command.
The bunker is about 5.000 square feet, on a single underground level. It is articulated along a single corridor, with several rooms accessible on the sides. A unique feature – most of the original hardware is still there!
Designed to be autonomous in a nuclear fallout scenario, the bunker could be accessed via an airlock closed by tight doors, and had its own power generator.
The bunker was constantly guarded, and linked with the communication network of the Polish government. A communication room, today still featuring its original telephone console, served this scope. The shift spending the night there could make use of a basic bedroom.
The core of the bunker can be found to the end of the corridor.
Here a set of telephone booths were used by the personnel of the bunker to collect information from peripheral reporting points, dislocated on the territory controlled by the Kalisz bunker.
The information were gathered and reported on a paper map on a pivoting table on the wall. This table was then turned by 180 degrees, the info was received by the commanding staff in an adjoining room – so that decisions were not heard by the low-level operators of the telephone booths.
A highlight of this already impressive show is the still powered reporting & control console, which allowed to issue orders to other nodes of the network. A custom-built map of the district controlled by the central bunker in Kalisz, with multicolored lamps indicating the status of each peripheral node, can be still operated (even though the outgoing links are now severed), providing a very lively evocation of how the bunker control room looked like in the days of operation.
The command room nearby, where people in charge could elaborate their tactics, still resembles its original appearance, with example maps of the meteorology report on a large table.
All in all, this is really a unique top-level relic of the Cold War, also witnessing the almost paranoid effort devoted to the detailed preparation of a nuclear war, which luckily never materialized.
Getting there and moving around
The address of the bunker museum is Graniczna 20, 62-800 Kalisz, Poland. There is no sign to reach it, and it is rather mimetic – it was built for deception, and it is still hard to spot it these days! The official page is not clearly defined, but you can find some information here and here, or by searching the web for the Polish name of this site, ‘Schron Atomowy Kalisz’. Actually, the house is today used by a charitable foundation for mentally impaired people, who contributed to the restoration process.
Visiting is only possible on a guided tour, which is offered by the staff of the charitable foundation – very knowledgeable and friendly. To visit during the hours of operation, just drop in the house and find a person from the staff. I was offered a shining personalized visit by a brilliant guy speaking a perfect English.
Visiting will take about 45 minutes. Parking is possible on the street around the house, located in a nice residential borough. Highly recommended for everybody with an interest in the Cold War period!
Vineta Battery – Polish Army Command Bunker
The stronghold of Swinoujscie on the coast of the Baltic Sea, today right on the border between Poland and Germany, was formed at a time when the region was still part of the German Empire, and later of Hitler’s Third Reich. At that time, the name of the town was Swinemünde. Military facilities built in the years of the Kaiser included a massive fortress overlooking the seaport. In the years of Nazi dictatorship, right before the beginning of WWII, a larger area on Wolin island was put under military control to the east of the town, and a powerful battery with four coastal guns was put in place. A prototype of the numerous batteries soon to be built along the Atlantic Wall (for instance in France and Denmark), in Swinemünde the guns were protected by sturdy concrete bunkers open to the sides. These firing positions were complemented by a dedicated command command bunker, with range finders and aiming gear, communication gear, receiving data from a ‘Würzburg Riese’ radar in the vicinity. Also ammo storage bunkers, and half-interred concrete barracks for all the troops stationed on site were part of this fort.
Two batteries were actually built in close vicinity to one another, Goeben and Vineta, complemented with different types of guns.
Due to the evolution of the front line during WWII, these batteries saw little action. They were involved in the final attempt to repel the invading Red Army from the innermost German territory, in the closing stages of the war in 1945. Captured by the Soviets and stripped of any valuable hardware, these batteries were ceded back to the newly re-formed communist Polish government.
Under the dark clouds of the Cold War, the configuration of the new borders between the opposite blocs put the Baltic coast again on the front line. Vineta battery was heavily militarized again, and the Polish army created here a forward command post, reinforced to sustain a nuclear attack in the event of an armed conflict against NATO forces. The four firing stations of Vineta were partly interred and converted to serve as nodes in the command post, and in the 1960s finally linked by a long underground tunnel. The aiming station became the control room for the theater of war coordinated from Vineta.
The fort was one of the few high-level command posts in Poland, a top-secret location, visited since the 1960s to the 1980s by the top-ranking military staff in Poland including Wojciech Jaruzelski (at the time minister of defense, later secretary general of the communist party of Poland in the 1980s), during frequent war drills.
Left by the government after the end of communism, today the Vineta facility has been restored and opened to the public.
The original fence is still in place, and the entrance gate has been surrounded by a few original military vehicles, as well as a tactical missile!
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
From this fence a walk in the trees drives you through an inner guard line. Further on, you meet the sequence of former gun batteries, today barely visible after the Polish redesign of the Cold War years, when the bunkers where more thoroughly interred for a more effective protection.
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
You get access to the Cold War bunker from the far end of the complex, corresponding to the former easternmost gun position. Here also a major entry checkpoint from the Cold War era can be found, with a double gate and turret.
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
A long tunnel connects all posts in the battery, and was put in place by the Polish army in the 1960s.
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
One of the four firing stations was turned into a communication center during the Cold War. Much original communication gear is still in place, and the sight is made more vivid by leaving much of the electric cabinets with lights on, as in the days of operation!
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Original instructions and notice boards complete the scene.
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
A second former gun station was converted into a medical facility, with nuclear decontamination gear, as well as field emergency and medical rooms.
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Interestingly, some rooms in the naval gun bunkers have been restored to their original Third Reich appearance, when they were used to store gun shells, or as sleeping rooms for the troops, and for food storage.
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Possibly the pinnacle of the visit is the command center, to be found in the former range finding and aiming station of the battery. The former German bunker was turned by the Polish army into a military reporting and command center for the Baltic theater of war.
Access from the tunnel link is via a blast-proof tight door.
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
A short corridor interrupted by lighter tight doors gives access to a communication room and another technical room to one side.
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
To the far end of the corridor, you finally reach the main control room. The dome once used for the aiming gear was removed and closed, creating a roomy vault. This makes the bunker less oppressive than similar places elsewhere (see for instance here). However, the almost triangular plan of the room is a bit unusual.
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Computers and communication gear are all aligned along the side walls, where also large transparent panels with maps and instructions can be found. All gear is original, and make the sight very evocative!
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
In a bay to the side of the room, further communication gear can be found, likely for receiving reports and issuing cryptographed orders.
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
A very interesting original map created in the 1970s by a renowned strategist of the Polish army, colonel Ryszard Kuklinski, is one of the very interesting items on display. It portraits the likely tactics of a NATO attack to the Eastern Bloc as imagined by the communist side, and the corresponding war plan for the front in the central regions of Europe. Targets to be attacked with nuclear warfare are clearly evidenced on both sides. It is noteworthy that most of the targets for the Warsaw Pact forces are close to the coast of the North Sea, in Belgium and the Netherlands. This is in accordance with the general Soviet plans in the event of an escalation of the Cold War in Europe – pushing through central and northern Germany, to the coast of the North Sea.
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Conversely, a major direction of attack for NATO forces is from Denmark towards the Baltic coast in Poland. Also, nuclear targets for NATO include locations in the easternmost districts of the GDR, as well as in western Poland, in order to slow down the push of communist troops towards the west. Interestingly, in the GDR, two target areas for a nuclear attack include that of the airbases of Wittstock and Lärz, as well as the area of Templin, Vögelsang, Fürstenberg and Lychen.
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
The display is completed by two further rooms, a top-secret map room for the council of war, and an adjoining ‘residential’ room for the convenience of the commander of the war theater. A lay-figure of minister Jaruzelski can be found today!
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland
With the help of a dim lighting recreating the atmosphere, the location is very evocative of the years of military tension of the Cold War. Really a must see for everybody interested in that era!
Getting there and moving around
Despite being a top-ranking touristic destination, access is a bit deceptive. As of 2020, you need to park here (53.897569360523896, 14.333278841237572), go by foot past a working railway yard, and reach the original entrance some 0.3 miles north, with a walk along a very easy unpaved road.
The place can be toured on guided tours only, with a closed number of guests, entering on a first come, first served scheme. The friendly guide gave most speeches in Polish only, but after knowing I could not understand, he also provided info just for me in very good English. No credit cards accepted at the entrance booth. The tour takes about 1 hour, and is totally recommended for anybody with an interest in history, as well as of course for Cold War-minded people. Website with information here.
Poznan War Cemetery & Soviet Memorial
One of the largest cities in Poland, beautifully restored Poznan offers a remarkable list of points of artistic and historical interest. Comprehensibly in the list of overlooked spots in this vibrant town, a witness of the troubled 20th century history of Poland can be found in the war cemetery of Poznan, located in the peaceful park of the fortress.
Pushed from the sides by the central empires and by czarist Russia, Poland obtained an official status following WWI, only to find itself entangled in a defensive border war against the Russian Bolsheviks immediately after. The latter were fighting fiercely at that time, to impose their rule everywhere in the former territory of the Russian Empire, as well as the adjoining provinces historically under Russian influence.
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
World War Two, of course, is the responsible for most of the graves in the cemetery, which albeit in different sectors, is the resting place for soldiers of all Nations involved in the fight.
These include British troops. The corresponding sector has taken the typical official style of British war cemeteries (see this post).
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
German troops are present, and of course Soviet troops as well. Some of the Soviet soldiers were decorated with the ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’ order, duly recalled in their gravestones.
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
The end of WWII in Poland is celebrated as a victory of the Red Army, helped at that time by the Polish Army – the history of the latter in WWII is particularly complicated, since the Polish State was basically forcibly dissolved in the initial stages of WWII, by agreement of then-non-belligerent Stalin and Hitler, thus leaving the national army more or less without a chain of command and a definite territory to defend. A monument to this cooperation can be found not far from the war cemetery.
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Much more noticeable, a focal point in the fortress park is a tall obelisk, a monument to the Red Army. This was built soon after WWII, in the years of Stalin’s apotheosis. As a result, similar to other likewise monuments in Europe (like in Berlin, see here), quotes of Stalin can be found close to the base, next to an interesting Soviet-style bas-relief.
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland
Getting there and moving around
The citadel is a huge park north of the city center. Very popular among the locals, it offers plenty of parking opportunities around. The war cemetery is located next to the Soviet monumental obelisk, which can be spotted from a distance. A walk in the war cemetery may take around 15 minutes, a possible part of a longer walk in the park.
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.
Similar to other satellite countries like Poland, Czechoslovakia and the former German Democratic Republic, for decades after WWII Hungary was under the strong influence and de facto military control of the Soviet Union. As a result of the anti-communist revolution of 1956, when the Soviet nearly lost control of the country for a while, a massive Soviet force was stationed in Hungary to prevent further turmoil – the so-called Southern Group of Forces – acting in parallel with the local Hungarian Army, although in a coordinated fashion.
This was reflected by the turning of several existing airfields and training grounds from older times into modern Soviet bases. Their premises, and the territories around them, were completely severed from the rest of the Country, leaving the Soviet forces with a great freedom of action concerning the deployment of unspecified numbers of troops, tanks, aircraft, communication gear, and even nuclear warheads. Furthermore, the families of the Soviet troops stationed in the Country were hosted in dedicated purpose built – or purpose converted, pre-existing – villages.
All this left traces of course, and after the end of communism in Europe, and later the collapse of the USSR, the majority of these installations were either abandoned or converted to some other use. Abandoned – i.e. not converted – Soviet bases and installations in Hungary were pretty many. Today, many of them are being demolished, or are still standing, but severely damaged after years of disrepair. Actually, the best preserved installations are those waiting for conversion or for some yet-to-be-defined destiny, and currently under custody of private owners or the state.
This post is about some of these installations, and it focuses especially – but not exclusively – on storage bunkers for nuclear warheads. Besides being especially appealing to mystery-hunters and urbex explorers, such places are an interesting testimony of the serious attitude of the Soviets towards a war in the European theater. This was considered a likely event in many instances over the decades of the Cold War, from the 1950s to the years of President Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative. The money spent over the years by the Soviet Union to build up a dedicated military infrastructure, and the deployment of tactical warheads close to the designated targets in western Europe to prepare for such scenario, show that the USSR did not think of fighting a nuclear-based final battle just as a mere theoretical exercise.
Photographs were taken in August 2020.
Sights
Based on a CIA report dating from 1979 (‘Warsaw Pact Forces Opposite NATO’, Vol.I-II, CREST record number 0005517771, declassified and released in 2010, check it out here), there used to be a small yet significant number of bunkers for the storage of the Soviet nuclear stockpile in Hungary. The following map, taken from this report, shows their approximate location and type.
Soviet Nuclear Bunkers Hungary CIA 1979 Report
Despite a clear correspondence of each symbol with a Soviet bunker construction type is not readily available, it is possible to reconstruct the information as follows.
The only solid triangle corresponds to a Monolith-type storage bunker, the largest and most sophisticated type of storage in the Soviet standard inventory, made for long-term storage of nuclear warheads. This site is located close to the village of Urkut, in the middle of an extended region, once the largest part of Hungary managed exclusively by the Soviet military. In this area you can find also the headquarters of the Soviet forces in Hungary, the Southern Group of Forces, located in the small village of Hajmasker, as well as the airbase of Veszprem, with an annexed village with housing for military staff and their families.
Monolith-type bunkers were seldom built on the premises of airbases or other military bases. They were prepared mostly in secluded area, shrouded in the vegetation, so as to avoid any unwanted attention as much as possible. They would store high-yield warheads for theater missiles (e.g. SCUD missiles). Urkut is no exception, as there are no airfields close to it. It is shrouded in the vegetation, and far from any village of significant size.
Back to the map, round dots represent Basalt-type storage bunkers, which are most commonly to be found close to airfields. This type of bunker is significantly large, and capable to store air-dropped/launched tactical weapons with nuclear warheads. Two sites are shown on the map, of which only the one on the premises of the former airbase of Kunmadaras could be located.
Finally, the squares correspond to Granit-type storage bunkers. These were of much lighter construction with respect to Monolith and Bazalt, and their purpose could be that of hiding either missile launchers of various size, or command/communication posts. Much has to be guessed about the actual function they had in all places where they were built. In Hungary, three such bunkers are reported on the map, of which the easternmost is on the still active airport of Debrecen, the westernmost is on the small local airport of Heviz (formerly Sarmellek), and the latter is presumably on Tokol, a major airbase in the outskirts of Budapest, Hungary capital city.
In the following you can find some pictures from the storage sites of Urkut, Kunmadaras and Sarmellek, plus pictures from the Soviet bases of Veszprem, Tokol and Kalocsa, and from the former Soviet headquarters in Hajmasker.
The Urkut site is also familiarly known as ‘little Moscow’, due to the fact that this site hosted also a very small, perfectly Soviet-style quarter for the troops working on the base, or being trained in the local training center. The site is in a wide and pleasant valley with a north-south alignment. There used to be two access roads which today take from the main (and only) road running along the mostly uninhabited valley, connecting Urkut (to the north) and Nagyvazsony (to the south). The two access roads take you to the main gates, placed to the north and south ends of the complex.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Similar to other nuclear sites based on the Monolith-type bunker model (see for instance this post for an accurate pictorial description of another one), security was clearly a major concern. Still today, walking in the trees and approaching the base without going the official access roads, you will meet four external fences.
The outer one is made of concrete posts and barbed wire, but today this is mostly gone – which makes it practically more dangerous, as the few remnants of suspended barbed wire are barely visible, and much leftovers are partly hidden by the abundant low-growing vegetation.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Next you will come to a concrete wall made of prefabricated slabs, with traces of barbed wire on top. This is still today basically impenetrable.
Once in, you will find two further lines of barbed wire, suspended on concrete posts. This double fence of barbed wire is still in very good shape, and creates a watch corridor.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Inside the perimeter, you can spot a network of trenches and foxholes.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
In Urkut, the training grounds and bunkers are close to the northern gate, whereas to the south you can find the former living quarters for the troops. A prominent training hangar can be found in the northern part of the base.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Inside, a perfectly conserved mural with the heads of Marx, Engels and Lenin, and Moscow’s Kremlin in the background, is still hanging on top of the main gate.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Along the hangar, a corridor with classrooms clearly shows the intended function of the building.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Not far north from this major attraction, you soon meet a smaller technical building, and the southern Monolith bunker close by. Bases centered on the Monolith type typically had two independent twin bunkers built onsite, usually with their axes tilted by 90 degrees, so as to minimize the chance of a single bomb effectively striking both bunkers. This is not the case in Urkut though, as both bunkers are built along an East-West direction. Urkut is different from other Monolith sites also for having been built on the slope of a hill, so connection roads are never flat.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
The warheads reached the bunker by truck. A covered loading/unloading platform can be found on both opposite entrances to the bunker. For the southern bunker, you can see in the pictures the platform is still in very good conditions, with colored signs on the pavement for facilitating movements. Even the lamps are still there!
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
The main access to the bunker was via an airlock, with two gigantic square-shaped blast-proof doors on each side. In this pictures you are seeing the western access to the southern bunker.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
The innermost part of the Urkut bunkers is inaccessible, as the inner doors of the airlocks are shut. Yet it is possible to get access to the airlocks. For the southern bunker, going to the eastern access you find a covered platform similar to the western one, yet here the roof has partly collapsed.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
You may open the outer door of the airlock, and get access. Here you can see writing in Russian. The state of conservation is generally speaking extremely good.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
On one side of the eastern loading platform, you can see a standard Soviet military transportable trailer, maybe a local operation control center.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
In order to get to the northern bunker you need to climb uphill, crossing some further inner fences – it was typical to Soviet bases having multiple fences inside military bases, separating parts with different functions and levels of security.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
While loading platforms of the southern bunker are tilted by 90 degrees with respect to the axis of the bunker, for the northern bunker they are aligned along the same direction.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
The eastern access to the northern bunker features is fairly well conserved. Also here, it is possible to access the airlock, but the inner gate is sealed.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
On top of the northern bunker, you can find the ‘pedestrian access’ to the underground cellar. The gates used to carry the warheads in and out were usually kept closed, and the troops or technicians staying inside the bunker, which had provision for a few men overlooking the sensitive ordnance 24/7 in shifts, could enter and leave the bunker via a more modestly sized hatch. This could be reached from the top of the bunker, descending very steep stairs to the level of the bottom of the internal chamber. There you had an airlock, with tight doors the size of a man. These are closed in Urkut, but you can see the external tight door in its original yellow coating with conspicuous writing in Russian.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
The soft construction protecting the access to the stairs is today severely damaged.
Finally, the western entrance to the northern bunker is very similar in shape to the eastern one. The northern gate of the complex is not far from here.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Also here, the airlock can be accessed, but the bunker cannot be entered.
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
Urkut Soviet Abandoned Central Nuclear Warhead Storage Monolith Cold War Base Hungary
All in all, the Urkut site is in an exceptionally good condition in the panorama of Soviet remains. A conversion into a museum would be highly desirable, and would require a very little effort. The fact that the bunkers are closed clearly suggests the inside was not touched, so maybe only basic renovation would be required to make the place a top-notch attraction for Cold War history enthusiasts.
Getting there & Moving around
The site is either on private land or state-owned. In any case, it is not officially accessible. The access roads are guarded, with people (and watchdogs) living on site. Car access on the access road is not allowed either. Walking on the site you may find several vibration sensors with cable connections likely to the booths close to the main access. For these reasons, further indications on access will not be provided.
Soviet Headquarters at Hajmasker Castle
Similar to Wünsdorf in Germany (see this post), Hajmasker Castle was built just before WWI, the focal point of a large military settlement of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. During WWII, it was used as a military command center, and as a local headquarter of the German Army in the latest stages of WWII, when the willingness of a part of the Hungarian establishment to put a quick end to the war by negotiating a peace treaty with the Western Allies caused the Germans to take direct control of that war theater.
After the defeat in WWII and the Soviet invasion, since 1945 the castle hosted the headquarters of the Soviet military in Hungary – just like Wünsdorf in the German Democratic Republic. Again in a totally similar fashion, the symbolic end of Soviet dominance in Hungary was marked by the last train for the Soviet staff leaving Hajmasker for the USSR in 1990.
As said, the castle is what remains of a larger military village. The building is really sizable, with a characteristic prominent tower on the front facade.
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Walking around the castle you can find a theater hall opposite the tower.
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
The walls are pierced, so you can see inside, without getting access to the hall, which appears really one step away from collapse. To the back of the castle you can find traces of a large apron for military use, and direct access to the railway nearby.
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Back to the tower, the original gate is not made for large vehicles, and the gracious artistic style of the construction clearly suggests a pre-Soviet design.
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Climbing upstairs, you meet long corridors with traces of the offices of the top-ranking men from the Soviet military. Hajmasker is strategically located close to the region where the Urkut site is (see above), and where the former base of Veszprem is also located. The place is less than one hour from Budapest.
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
The view from the top floors of the building further reveals the size of the castle, together with the poor state of conservation.
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Ahead of the entrance, a Soviet-style apartment block can be found, still inhabited today. Smaller buildings are all around the castle, both modern or from the age of the castle. You can find also the flat building of a former canteen, clearly Soviet-designed and today abandoned.
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Hajmasker Soviet Headquarters Hungary Veszprem
Getting there & Moving around
The place is located at the following GPS coordinates: 47.148319, 18.026145. The castle is formally off-limits, but it is totally abandoned and accessed by writers, creepy-ambience-lovers, as well as by the local population. You may park right ahead of the gate among the cars of those living in the local neighborhood. You will be spotted for sure when accessing, but nobody will likely interfere, as access is totally easy (no fences, no barbed wire,…), despite being formally prohibited. Enter at your own risk, as the building looks really rotting, with the roof partly collapsed, exposing wood and bricks as construction materials – considering their age, the high rise of the building and total disrepair over the last decades, this means high risk.
Veszprem Abandoned Airbase & Ghost Town
The old airfield in Veszprem acted as a major helicopter base during the Cold War, but style of the some of the older buildings betrays its 1930s origin as an airbase with annexed training academy. Of course, the Soviets enlarged its structure, and possibly as late as the 1980s they built massive housing in their typical poorly original style.
In the 1990s, with the change in the global strategic situation following the Soviet demise, the Hungarian government got rid of many military infrastructures, and Veszprem was on the list. Since then, the airport was turned into a short-lived base for commercial transport run by a private company, and as of 2020 it is at the center of a dispute, where the local municipalities are trying to get the land for other uses.
What you can see now reflects this state of things – trucks coming and going everywhere between the old buildings of the former airbase, with some demolition work being carried out and some gigantic commercial storage being built close by. The air-side of the airport appears basically dead, with no flights coming or going, not even small private aircraft operating around it. However, a control tower is still on site, so technically speaking the airport appears to be open for operations.
The place deserves a visit especially for getting a glimpse of the large structure of the maintenance hangars. From the outside, they can be spotted from a distance thanks to their tall curved rooftops.
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
The hangars have been divided internally in smaller spaces at some point. Getting access is possible in some of them, by the sight is rather desolating since the roof has mostly collapsed, and vegetation is taking over wildly inside.
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Towards the airport you can spot more technical buildings, surrounding a wide apron. These technical buildings are apparently from a later era. The metal doors of the big curved hangars are such that getting larger helicopters in and out would not be possible. Maybe they were actually sized for the smaller aircraft of WWII, and their use was somewhat changed in a later time.
Between the hangars and the runway, you can find an impressive number of smaller maintenance buildings and garages, likely for trucks.
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
In some of them, a few signs in Russian can still be found.
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Open air as well as indoor platforms for truck servicing are also there in a number.
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Going even further towards the runway – and very close to it – you may find a light, partly wooden construction, with extensive remains of writings in Hungarian, including boards and stuff related to air operations. Here you see also some ‘modern’ writing in English. This is probably a kind o clubhouse of a local flying school from more recent years, likely the 1990s or later.
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Looking at the satellite map of Veszprem airbase, you will notice a number of buildings put like spokes on a wheel. These were probably part of the original flight academy. These are today in a very bad shape, totally emptied and waiting for demolition. You can still appreciate the sober, yet stylish construction typical of the late 1930s, with some elements in common with Berlin Tempelhof (see this post).
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
‘Pravda’ paper was used for gluing the wallpaper in most Soviet bases, and Veszprem is no exception!
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Farther away from the runway, you can easily spot massive buildings from Soviet times, like those you could find in Pripyat (see this post), and almost in every larger city of the former USSR.
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Further buildings feature a rather peculiar style, with stone decoration you would not expect in military buildings. The fantasy of such decoration is not in support of a Soviet make, so these buildings might be from an older era too.
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Veszprem Abandoned Soviet Base Ghost Town Hungary
Getting there & Moving around
As said, this former airbase is technically an active airport, so the area of the runway is likely not safe to go. Yet the level of security is close to null, and you would likely be able to invade the air side before being stopped. However, no aircraft was spotted for the whole length of a multiple hour visit.
The older buildings, including the hangars, as well as the more modern housing from Soviet times, are in a really bad shape, and mostly dilapidated by looters and spoiled by writers. The more modern truck garages and the buildings closer to the runway are in a better shape.
Access by car from the south-western corner is not prohibited, so this may be a good way to get close to the buildings. Large parking opportunities, as the place is mostly unguarded and uninhabited. Just be sure not to interfere with local businesses. Even when spotting your car, the locals will not care about you (this was my case at least), so the place can be visited without much tension. However, for historians this place has not much left in store, and it may be visited mostly for the massive ensemble than for specific highlights.
Tokol Airbase
The former airbase in Tokol is today an active airport. The base used to be a major Soviet asset in the Cold War years, and home to a number of squadrons from the Soviet Air Force and the Soviet Army as well, operating everything ranging from helicopters up in size to transport aircraft. Its extensive premises have been divided, and the state is basically renting most of the hardware – including the former aircraft shelters and aprons – and land to a number of private enterprises, either connected with aviation or not.
The runway is still active for smaller general aviation aircraft, as you can see from the pictures. The place is really a suggestive scenario for pleasure flights, especially for history-fond pilots!
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
During our visit we had the chance to access some of the largest air shelters, built in the 1980s for aircraft the size of a MiG-29. There are at least five of them, along with more common and smaller ones.
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Designed for the case of a scramble, these shelters allowed an aircraft to start its engines inside.
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
To this aim, the back of the shelter is not closed, but it features a large exhaust deflector tunnel, bent towards the side of the hangar, with a metal door closing it when not in use.
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
The front gate of the shelter is blast proof, an its thickness is actually really amazing!
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
The hangar we accesses shelters a couple of nice historic aircraft today. Traces of writings in Russian are a testimony of the previous owners.
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Several abandoned buildings, including a rather large one with a small control tower, possibly from an older era – judging from the style similar to some German airfields from Hitler’s times (see this post).
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
One of the smaller shelters hosts another private enterprise, operating a unique airworthy Aero L-29 trainer from Soviet times. The same hangars offers a rich collection of Soviet signs on the walls.
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol features a number of older control towers – the reason is hard to guess…
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Climbing one of them, we could get a very good view of the western part of the airfield, with many shelters around. Rather unexpectedly, the tower features an official writing in Chinese – maybe for potential Chinese customers?
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Away from the runway, the airbase unfolds with a network of service roads and a number of buildings from Soviet times, today still in a very good shape, albeit shrouded by vegetation.
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Tokol Budapest Abandoned Soviet Base Aircraft Shelter Hungary Cold War
Getting there & Moving around
Tokol is an active airport, fenced and guarded. Getting in is basically not possible, unless you have a valid reason to enter. We had the chance to get in thanks to the invitation of the owner of the historical Aero L-29 mentioned above, who is also the tenant of the corresponding old aircraft shelter.
Basalt-Type Nuclear Storage on Kunmadaras Airbase
Kunmadaras used to be a major Soviet attack base in Hungary. The place was base for Sukhoi Su-17, Su-24 and MiG-27. This clearly justifies the construction of a Bazalt type storage, for aircraft-dropped nuclear weapons.
As the base is home to some residual, non-military activity and consequently at least lightly guarded, it may be interesting to concentrate on the most unusual nuclear bunker, located in an isolated spot, some .75 miles north of the runway and far from the most active areas.
The road connecting the airport to the bunker, detached in a fashion similar to other Soviet bases (see here and here for more examples), is today completely invaded by vegetation, leaving only a narrow passage to get access to the wide apron where the bunker entrance is located.
The entrance to the bunker is partly hidden by overgrown vegetation. The external curved tight door is gone, similar to the square shaped one deflecting side-ward and creating an airlock by the main entrance. Access is henceforth very easy.
To the side of the entrance corridor, the technical rooms have been spoiled of any hardware, yet the original paint is still in place, as well as writing in Russian. The metal staircase leading to the rooms for the air conditioning plant on the upper floor has been taken away, making the upper level inaccessible. Air conditioning was pivotal in nuclear storage bunkers, due to the need to store the warheads in specific temperature and humidity conditions.
Going further in, you finally get close to the gate of the storage chamber. The two halves of the massive curved tight door once closing the chamber have been taken from their posts and left on the ground. This provides a glimpse of the monster size of these blast-proof doors.
The chamber has turned very humid, and is totally dark. With the help of a torchlight or a camera flash, you can see the walls are still largely covered in their original coat, with painted frames and numbers possibly marking the position of fire extinguishers.
Electric line or pipeline holders painted in green can be found on one side. Also the pavement features a peculiar colored pattern, painted on a kind of linoleum, today covered in dust and dirt.
The concrete wall to the back of the chamber has been torn down, and some stones and land have come into the chamber. Bazalt type bunkers had only one main gate to the front.
Going north from the shelter, pointing away from the base, you can get a distant view of conspicuous housing for the troops and their families – today completely abandoned.
As said, the main gate east of the base is guarded, as private companies have taken over part of the premises. However, the nuclear bunker is located north of the airfield, at a safe distance from the former airbase and the businesses going on there today. You may reach close to the base by car along an unpaved road used by local farmers, going parallel to the northern side of the base, keeping about 1 mile from it. This is not suitable for city cars though, so maybe you can stop when you feel appropriate, and go by foot.
To access the bunker area from the road (i.e. from north), you need to go through a field of turn-flowers. My advice is to go along the side of the bunker area to the south of it, and taking the old connection road going from the base to the bunker pointing north – trying to penetrate the area directly from north is made extremely difficult, due to the incredibly dense vegetation.
The area of the bunker is totally abandoned, so you can take your time when visiting the place.
Kalocsa Airfield & Anti-Aircraft Defense Area
Kalocsa airfield, located just northwest of the homonym village famous for the paprika business, was used by the Soviets as a helicopter base. Today, this relatively small airfield is very active with smaller general aviation flights and flight school activities, henceforth it cannot be toured freely.
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
However, to the northwestern corner, you may easily access the area of a former SAM base, likely put here to defend the airfield from air raids. The area features a number of small almost-circular embankments, with concrete platform at the center. This is where the missile would stand. Looking closely, you may see the concrete ducts for cables and pipes connecting the control trailer to each missile.
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
The area of the embankments is connected to an abandoned command building via a narrow paved road. To the western side of the building, traces of a small monument can be found.
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Just south of the command building, a hangar made in 1970 – as the sign clearly says – is today used as a stable.
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Kalocsa Abandoned Soviet Airbase Anti Aircraft Defense Missiles SAM Hungary Cold War
Getting there & Moving around
Access to the northwestern corner of the airfield is easy moving by car along an unpaved road going along the western side of the airport, and accessible from a public road running south of it. The area of the missiles is formally on the airport, so you should be careful not to interfere with any activity. More importantly, you are likely on a farmer’s land, so enter at your own risk.
Heviz Airport (formerly Sarmellek Airbase) and Granit-Type Bunker
What is today a small civil airport, surrounded by an array of rotting buildings, used to be a prominent Soviet air base, reportedly operating even the MiG-29 type in its heyday.
Being an active commercial airport, access to the air-side is not possible. Yet the premises of today’s airport are more modest in size than those of the original airbase. As a result, you may get access to a part of the former airbase without interfering with airport operations.
Many local businesses have taken over most of the former shelters for fighter aircraft.
Going along a former service road, taking south from the control tower, you end up in the land of a farmer. Where the road ends, you can easily spot beyond the fence marking the current perimeter of the airport, the entrance and the typical round shape of a Granit bunker. The original metal door typical to this type is missing, or maybe it was never installed.
As said, Granit bunkers could be used for a variety of purposes, including storing command and control facilities, or as communication bunkers. The fact that the CIA listed this site as a nuclear depot may be also due to the fact that the Granit bunker made the place ‘nuclear-ready’.
Getting there & Moving around
As said, this is a commercial airport. The entrance to the former airbase gives access to the control tower as well as the small modern terminal area – a new building to the northeast of the runway. As said, the Granit bunker can be reached by taking the service road from the control tower to the south. This is surrounded by desolating dumps and half-demolished buildings. While technically out from the active airport area, you are still likely moving on private land, so enter at your own risk.
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!
