Russia's Secret Cities: Behind the Scenes of the World's Most Dangerous Weapons

Hidden locations were key to the production of nuclear and chemical weapons and still play a strategic role in Russian defense

Russia is home to several secret cities, some of which were established during the Soviet era for the development of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Many of them are still active, carrying out highly classified strategic activities for the Russian government. These sites, which are not shown on official maps and are inaccessible to the public, remain a mystery and attract the attention of international analysts.

Sarov: the birthplace of Russia's nuclear program

Formerly known as Arzamas-16, Sarov was the city where the Soviet Union, now Russia, developed its first atomic bomb in 1949. Located about 500 km from Moscow, the city is still home to the Russian Federal Nuclear Center, one of the most protected facilities in the country.

Sarov remains a key hub for nuclear research, and access to it remains restricted, requiring a government invitation to visit. Activities in the city involve research into new nuclear technologies and the improvement of Russia's atomic arsenal.

Seversk: reprocessing of nuclear material in Russia

Seversk, formerly called Tomsk-7, was founded in 1949 and played a crucial role in the separation, enrichment and reprocessing of uranium and plutonium. During the Cold War, this city was one of the main centers for the production of nuclear fuel for warheads.

The city was also the site of a serious nuclear accident in 1993, when a tank containing radioactive solution exploded, releasing nuclear material into the environment. To this day, Seversk remains closed to the public and continues to be a center for nuclear energy research.

Zheleznogorsk: the underground city of plutonium

Founded in 1950, Zheleznogorsk, Russia, formerly known as Krasnoyarsk-26, was designed to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons. The city's main distinguishing feature is that its nuclear facilities were built inside a mountain as a form of protection against air attacks.

Today, Zheleznogorsk remains a major nuclear research center, responsible for nuclear fuel reprocessing and radioactive waste management.

Ozyorsk and the Kyshtym nuclear disaster

Ozyorsk, also called Chelyabinsk-40, was one of the first nuclear power plants in the Soviet Union. In 1957, one of the reactors at the Mayak complex suffered an explosion, causing the Kyshtym disaster, the third worst nuclear accident in history, behind only Chernobyl and Fukushima.

Despite the accident, Ozyorsk remains a closed city in Russia, and still operates critical nuclear facilities for the Russian government.

Sverdlovsk: biological weapons and the anthrax leak

Today known as Yekaterinburg in Russia, Sverdlovsk was home to one of the most advanced Soviet Union's biological weapons facilities. In 1979, an anthrax leak killed dozens of people, making it one of the largest biological accidents ever recorded.

The Soviet government initially claimed the incident was caused by the consumption of contaminated meat, but years later documents revealed that the real cause was a failure at a facility producing anthrax for biological weapons.

Are these secret cities in Russia still active?

Despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, many of these secret cities still operate under surveillance by the Russian government and remain essential for national defense. They maintain programs for military research, nuclear energy and the production of strategic weapons.

Russia maintains tight controls over these locations, restricting the entry of foreigners and even the movement of Russian citizens living within them. Their role in national security remains one of the country's best-kept secrets.