Underground Submarine base & Nuclear warheads storage (Now museum) (Sevastopol)

 shipyard, closed, underground facility, military museum, history museum

One of the monuments is an underground, formerly classified submarine base that was operational until 1993. The base was said to be virtually indestructible and designed to survive a direct atomic impact. During that period, Balaklava was one of the most secret residential areas in the Soviet Union. Almost the entire population of Balaklava at one time worked at the base; even family members could not visit the town of Balaklava without a good reason and proper identification. The base remained operational after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 until 1993 when the decommissioning process started. This process saw the removal of the warheads and low-yield torpedoes. In 1996, the last Russian submarine left the base, which is now open to the public for guided tours around the canal system, the base, and a small museum, which is now housed in the old ammunition warehouse deep inside the hillside.

In 1957-1961 years in Balaklava underground plant was built for the repair and equipping submarines - «Object 825 GTS».

It is located inside the rocks on the western shore of the bay and also has access from the sea. The plant is not affected even in the case of a direct nuclear strike capacity to 100 kt, it can accommodate up to three thousand people and had developed a life-support system.
At the same time the plant can accommodate up to seven submarines. The depth of the channel reaches 8 m, the width ranges from 8 to 12 m. The total floor area exceeds 5000 square plant. m, the area of the underground water surface is 3000 square meters. m.

Immediately after the decision on the construction of an underground submarine base, in the summer of 1957, there were experts in Balaklava Minspetsmontazha. Jobs in Mount Tavros conducted around the clock in four shifts. The overall development of rock excess of 25 thousand cubic meters. In the thicker western cliff arose man chimneys and caves, which are turned into underground roads, jetties, lock chambers, workshops, arsenals, depots, offices ... In the event of a nuclear threat to this underground kingdom, has been calculated to shelter 10 thousand people and a division of submarines. In offline mode, they can be in 3 years!

In 1957 it established a special administration building number 528, which is directly involved in the construction of underground facilities.
This was the only one in the world like the underground complex. As soon as built underground shelters for submarines-«babies» (project 615) and a military factory «Metalist» for their repair. The underground factory was built in the category I protivoatomnom against resistance punching rock a high degree of protection and security. He had a large production area, including dry docking and underwater channel for simultaneous entry of seven submarines (as in the surface, and underwater situations). The entire factory infrastructure has been completely isolated from the outside world through overlain by submarine gateways. Attack boats repaired offline and go through a special channel directly to the open sea. In order to conspiracy in the underground complex, and let produced only one submarine, and only at night.

In rocky submarine tunnel took its course through the channel length of over 600 meters, depth - 8,5. This unique facility is located in the underwater part of Balaklava bay, and at the level of water in the rock, the height of which reaches 130 meters. Located near the production plant and auxiliary facilities with total length of 300 meters. The largest diameter of the tunnel - 22 meters. On the part of the bay entrance to the tunnel overlap the 150-tonne floating botoportom, which emerges after podduvaniya air. This allows full «plug» underground facility. The same botoport, but smaller, set in an underground dry dock. When entering the boat surfaced, botoport closed, out of the water pump and dokovali boat. Exit to the north also peregorazhivalsya botoportom that aside, producing submarines in the open sea. Entrance to the tunnel on the north side has been so cleverly disguised, that the uninitiated or for people that do not detect the tunnels, even at short range. Thus, the underground complex was completely isolated from the external environment. His defense to withstand a direct hit of a nuclear bomb capacity of up to 100 kilotons. To mitigate the impact, the underground nuclear facilities, including a water channel, have rounded shape.
Maximum height of the inner cavity of the complex is 10 meters, and the highest point of rock above it - 26 meters. In addition to loading ammunition, submarines to recharge their factory in the batteries, replenish water supplies and fuel. Having come from the combat service submarine could take all the necessary types of maintenance, repair, and then go into full gear from the underground complex.
In sensitive plants, there were from 170 to 230 people, servicing dock and other engineering system of the underground facility. Another 50 people were part of units of water safety and service are held constant at three positions: at the entrance and exit from the tunnel near the docks. The total area of all underground facilities in excess of 15 thousand square meters, and channel on which the submarine had been more of Balaklava bay. Separate premises to a height of three homes.

Next to the tunnel were built warehouse missile and nuclear weapons storage facility. The underground fuel depot, built in the form of ground vertical tanks to store up to 4 thousand tons of petroleum products. Under the protection layer mnogometrovoy rock from the repository for the narrow-gauge road to the underpass pier brought torpedoes, missiles, artillery ammunition and other needed goods. It also houses a workshop on preventive inspection and repair of units and parts of ships. West exit from the canal was closed to special construction - precast concrete slabs with thickness 2 m in length - and a height of 10 - 7 meters.

The entire underground complex with a strong locking system and the life is, perhaps, the only historic monument in the world of engineering art times «Cold War». For over 30 years (from 1960 to 1990), none of the locals are not even suspected the existence of secret tunnels - «Object number 825 GTS», which is officially known as the urban telephone exchange.

The last Russian submarine left the Balaklava in March 1995. And the city and port, and the entire harbor fully transferred to the jurisdiction of Ukraine. The underground complex removed from service and handed over to local authorities. All production facilities (expensive machines and equipment with precious metals) taken in an unknown direction. When massive protivoatomnye germodveri «hospitality» opened in front of everyone, «demilitarization» Bay started «grasp of economic planner»: twist off, removed and taken out everything that could. In underground mines miners rushed to the crowd of scrap ferrous and nonferrous metals. The first thing were stolen, all cast-iron lid, cover all kinds of communication wells, inspection hatches, technology mines, tunnels, poterny and other transitions. In the once-secret plant could enter without any problems, not only on the truck, but on a small cranes. From the former shops, could return as soon as possible in order pokalechennuyu submarine, was only one machine that will never work: power cables are cut to the last meter, and all the details «gone» scrapping. Relatively few were unique filtroventilyatsionnye cameras and toilets: a rare man in the street to adapt them to the «economic» purposes. Sanitary engineering in underground facilities, as in all shelters, different strength and simplicity, but not prestige and comfort. It has been said of the underground city evacuated several hundred thousand tons of metal and «pumped» than one billion UAH.
Now part of the factory as a museum. A former underground power recalls only shabby inscription «Happy sailing!», Located probably at the site of the former barracks.
submarine.id.ru/cp/z97.shtml
www.bellabs.ru / Balaklava / index.html
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