Radar “Duga-1” and a secret military town Chornobyl-2

In 1975, a commission for the preparation and launch of the 1st unit of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant was established. This nuclear power plant was a firstborn of the Ukrainian nuclear power engineering. Communist party members from all over the Soviet Union were building the most vigorous power plant in the world. The attention of thousands of people was drawn to the grand construction.

However, only a few people knew that just a few kilometers away from Chornobyl nuclear power plant construction of a top-secret military object "5n32-West" was almost completed. The radar of the enormous size towered over the deep forests of Polissia. Combat systems unit of missile warning "Duga-1" was supposed to track the launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Cold War was in full swing.

There were only three such unique systems, created in the Soviet Union. The once-mighty country does not exist today. Engineering marvel created by brilliant Soviet designers was almost completely destroyed and the radar “Duga-1” is the only remaining object out of three. At the moment we are working to get the status of a world heritage UNESCO site for this place.

Just imagine the huge radar, hidden deep within endless woods, surrounded by a top-secret military base and completely isolated from the outer world. Imagined? Even if you have the wildest imagination, you will be still deeply impressed.

To get to radar Duga-1 and secret military town Chornobyl-2 we will have to drive unbelievably narrow forest road. It seems to be an ordinary road but it’s built of concrete stabs, able to hold heavy military vehicles. The road is very narrow, winding, moving up and down (to prevent a possible spy to define even approximate distance to the base). We can’t see the radar until we get very close.

Get ready to take a walk through the military and civil part of the town and come up to the base of the radar antennas. It’s only there that we can see its grandness – the height of the main antenna can be compared to the height 50-storeyed skyscraper, and together with a smaller antenna, they are 750 meters long! Being right near it you will have a perfect spot for taking lots of enigmatic photos. Besides the radar, we will walk past the command and training centers, where you still can see the parts of great soviet supercomputers, used to control the radar.

On the tour, which includes a visit to "Duga-1" and Chornobyl-2 (not Duga-3!) we'll tell you about one of the most interesting components of a missile defense system which was designed to protect Soviet citizens during the arms race and in case of nuclear war. Because only thanks to such warning systems and missile shield, the two superpower countries did not dare to use nuclear weapons, while being "under the gun" of the opponent.

When was the radar built? Why there? How did it work? How much did it cost? Why was it heard all over the world? What’s a “Russian woodpecker”? How it all is connected with the accident and what’s the future of this unique object? Our professional guides will be glad to answer these and other questions.

If you are eager to find out more about the time of the Cold War, please, check our tour to the silos in the Museum of Strategic Missile Forces.