Museum of the Strategic Missile Forces - missiles, mines and the very "red" button
“- From here, guys, our Homeland dictates its unshakable will to the rest of the world community.
- And what, comrade military, maybe bahnem?
- Bahnem, necessarily Bahnem. And more than once. The whole world is in dust! ... But then. " (k / f "DMB")
- And what, comrade military, maybe bahnem?
- Bahnem, necessarily Bahnem. And more than once. The whole world is in dust! ... But then. " (k / f "DMB")
After the collapse of the USSR, 176 intercontinental ballistic missiles remained in Ukraine. Almost half - were in mines near Pervomaisk.
20 years ago it was impossible to enter the base. Around - seismic sensors, a radio beam detection system, an electric grid and even a minefield.
Since 2002, here is a museum. In the halls of interesting little - maps of the former military unit, the standard exhibits of the Second World War, all sorts of household items and documents. Only part of the first hall deserves attention - with mock-ups of a missile shaft and an underground command post. But we still will see them and in a real situation.
Layout of the underground command post. In essence, this is a metal twelve-level container suspended in a standard rocket shaft. The lower tier is at the depth of the 33 meter (we will go down there).
Guides - former fighters of this rocket part. Sincere guys.
We leave from the halls. Ahead - the most interesting. The main exhibit of the museum is RS-20 "Voevoda". In the NATO classification - SS-18 "Satan". Beauty.
Some numbers. The rocket weighs 211 tons, 34 meters in length and 3 meters in circumference. The maximum firing range is 15000 km. Inside - 10 warheads with explosive 750 equivalent kilotons of TNT each. To understand whether this is a lot, the rocket men give an example - three such missiles would be enough to completely destroy Ukraine.
In fact, there have never been such missiles on the territory of Ukraine. This was brought after the abandonment of nuclear weapons - as a museum piece. In Ukraine, including near Pervomaisk, there were rockets simpler - RS-22 (SS-24 "Scalpel"). Firing range - more than 10000 km. But for some reason they are not in the museum. But there are several dozen smaller missiles. Basically - training.
Destroy the missile bases began in 1994. A part was blown up, a part - just filled up with construction debris and filled with concrete. The last mine launcher was blown up in 2001. This mine-launcher - the only in the whole country, which is partially preserved. The mine is filled with concrete by about two-thirds, inside the swallows nest. The lid weighs 120 tons, it fully reclines in just 8 seconds.
Near the mine - transporters. They were used exactly twice - when a new rocket was brought to 1985 and to 1994 when they were taken away.
Near the tractors - Tanks. When the museum was still a missile part, there were no tanks here, they were brought several years ago - just for the surroundings.
This is how the underground command post looks like from above. Withstands a direct hit by a nuclear warhead.
Next - the entrance to the old command center. It was used until the end of the 70's, now boarded up and abandoned.
Nobody walked around the base, all movements were underground only. The underground tunnels here are called worn. Depth - 3 meters.
On the walls laid all sorts of wires and other communications. Almost like the subway.
Cooling center. Provides the right temperature. All systems are operational. To the delight of tourists include a ventilation system. Buzzes scary.
After traversing the 155 meters, we get to the top floor of the command post. In fact, each floor is a small round room. Inside is cramped - the diameter of a little more than three meters. Some details.
Code lock. Imagine what would be the Soviet mobile phones?)
We get down downward. Tourists are allowed only at 11 level (second from the bottom) - to the command post itself. From here it was possible to launch ten rockets.
The command post itself can withstand the direct hit of a nuclear warhead. Are standing here aviation armchairs - so that those on duty from the shock wave do not squash against the walls, they are fastened with straps.
The same "red" button. In fact - gray and nondescript. To launch a rocket, you need to simultaneously press buttons on two remote controls and turn the keys.
Only officers in the rank of no less than a major were on duty here. In peacetime, two by two, in the case of a threat of war - by three. According to the guide, a retired rocket pilot, they were transferred to reinforced service only two times - to 1962 during the Caribbean crisis and to 1968 after the Prague Spring.
We rise to the ground and go to consider samples of rocket engines of different times. There are several dozen of them here.
Here are the engines from Satan, Stiletto and rockets easier.
Nearby is the P-12 rocket. It doesn't look very scary, but it was because of them that the Caribbean crisis began in 1962. Such missiles could well become the main weapon of the Third World War.
In total, we spent four hours at the museum - there really is something to see and to whom to listen. The place is strongly recommended to visit.
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