# Russian Nuclear Fleet HQ - Ukraine



## UrbanX (Jun 7, 2012)

So after the euphoria of travelling nearly 2,000Km to a nuclear power plant which I wasn’t even sure if it still existed. (It did exist: http://www.urbanxphotography.co.uk/portfolio258322.html) It was probably time to think about heading home. I had a flight booked hom from Kiev in a days time, and it takes a day to travel back on the train. 

“But…” I thought: “If we were to _fly_ back to Kiev, we’d save around 20 hours of train time… Giving us 20 valuable exploring hours!” 

A quick Google later and tickets were booked. Another quick Google revealed that the Soviet Black Sea Nuclear Fleet HQ that I explored two years ago was only 60km away. A lot of people in the group hadn’t been before, so I promised to give them the tour. I dug out the taxi drivers details from yesterday, and gave him a call. 

So with another random print out of the mountains we set off. 






“Object 221” is half way up a forgotten mountainside. It is now abandoned, but was never finished. It was rumoured to be about 80% complete when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1989. 

This was set to become... The USSR Black Sea Navel Reserve Complex. So it’s a biggy... 






If we divide the floor areas into 3 categories: 
Entrance areas – 20m x 10m - Two of these = 400m²
Central Compounds –20m x 100m - Two of these per storey, eight overall = 4,000m²
Tunnels - 2,221m in length, 5m in width = 11,105m²
This makes a total underground area of 15,505m²

To put this into context:
London IMAX = 520m²
The House of Commons = 1547m²
Royal Albert Hall = 6,000m²
St. Pauls Cathedral = 8431m²

So yes, it’s huge. 
There are no directions, no sign posts. When I found it on Google, it would only take a slight zoom out to completely lose it again. There is nothing even labelled remotely near it. 

To make it more obvious I’ve scaled the above survey, and overlaid it to Google using the two portals for reference:






We parked at the base of the mountain, and we made a pact. 
See, when the complex was no longer required the Russian government were keen to pass it on to someone who wasn’t Ukrainian. Who could make use of a secret lair in the mountains? The Russian Mafia, that’s who. It’s taken as a fact locally, and we tried to pass it off as rumour, but err-ed on the side of caution. We agreed that if any vehicles were parked nearby we would call the day off, no questions asked. We also agreed that if any one person felt uncomfortable, we’d call the day off, no questions asked. 

So off we set up the mountain. 

From the base of the mountain where we parked, one of the portals was just visable, but it looked just like a house, with windows…

Of course on closer inspection one finds the windows are merely painted on! 





Into the portal: 





As I mentioned previously the tunnels are huge. They have been designed so that two HGVs can pass. 











On the lower level (It’s 4 storeys I kid you not) there were missing manholes, and in the pitch black we had to keep our wits about us. 





It was unfinished and passing between areas was often through service holes and shafts, which was actually pretty fun: 





One thing I do love about the incompleteness is that all of the service holes had been cast, but not serviced, giving you these beautiful, bizarre fenestration patterns:










Another shameless selfie: 





It took us a couple of hours to walk the initial route of the complex, and as we could see the daylight of the second portal, I suggested we set up for a group shot: 





Just as the shutter clicked shut after this the silence we’d become accustomed to was broken. A roar of engines filled the tunnels. The near pitch-black conditions out eyes had adjusted to was shattered with blinding white lights dodging all around us. And the still stale air was suddenly filled with a mix of fresh air and dust. 

It took a second to comprehend what was happening, and by that time half a dozen loud motorcycles had circled round us and roared off into the tunnels. As we looked at each other in complete shock, the volume exploded again, and they buzzed past again, this time heading out of the tunnels. 

We were right near the portal, and felt safer outside than in, so left. More bikes had arrived and there must have been around 12. They didn’t _look_ very mafia-ish, so I approached the closest one to me with an extended palm. 






We shook hands, I made a ‘taking a picture’ motion and pointed into the tunnel. He made a ‘motorbike rev’ hand gesture and pointed into the tunnel. I had a spare print out of the layout which I gave to him. The bikers crowded round, studied it for a second, before revving their engines and heading in! I cant imagine what that must have been like at speed, it was full of holes and changes in level with no warning. 

We decided to leave them to it, and I played around outside for a bit. Jumping across a crane shaft hundreds of feet above the rocks. 





To my amazement all of the bikes returned minutes later, and we headed back in. 
Bill nicking my pose: 





Sump: 





The booby traps which caused so much controversy two years ago were still there: 





There seems to have been a bit of a squat / party room: 










After another couple of hours we started to sense fresh air again, and we emerged to this view, victorious. 





Back at the bottom of the mountains was this Admin looking building:





To ensure no one could get use of it after they were done, the Russians simply smashed out all the floors. If you look carefully one of the walkways appears to have an open trap door! 











Video of the adventure: 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF-kvfWeBXU[/ame]

Thanks for reading / watching


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## flyboys90 (Jun 7, 2012)

That was brill yet again,your posts just keep gettig better! great vid & pics thanks for sharing.


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## gingrove (Jun 7, 2012)

Fantastic report as usual well done!


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## UrbanX (Jun 7, 2012)

Cheers guys!


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## Priority 7 (Jun 7, 2012)

Top drawer as always mate


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## UEP-Wales (Jun 7, 2012)

Yet another top notch report from UrbanX!

Thanks for posting these up


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## night crawler (Jun 7, 2012)

Pretty epic report that. Love the places you go.


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## UrbanX (Jun 8, 2012)

Cheers guys, just wish there was more like this in the UK! Sure there's the deep shelters in Kent, but nothing you can drive a HGV through


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## chizyramone (Jun 8, 2012)

Nice one X. Awesome bunker and dirt bikes- now that is very cool 

KTM, very yummy


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## TeeJF (Jun 8, 2012)

How unusual is that! What's with the skeletal buildings! 

Nice one bud.


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## King Al (Jun 8, 2012)

Bloody awesome as usual UX! superb


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## krela (Jun 8, 2012)

Isn't this the place that had the DB's last year?


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## gushysfella (Jun 8, 2012)

X, 1 word "outstanding"! GF


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## UrbanX (Jun 8, 2012)

krela said:


> Isn't this the place that had the DB's last year?



Yeah, was in 2010. 
I avoided it last year even tho I was in the area. But this year faced my fear and went back in. 
The remains of traps are still there: Basic trip wires & shotgun cartridges set ups. Holes with 60ft drops covered in tarp and gravel, bear trap style. Scary stuff. 
No grizzy finds this year tho  

When you look at the terrain of the floor, with manhole covers missing, and raised pipework, it's a hazard to walk through, I honestly didn't expect to see the bikers all return.


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## PaulPowers (Jun 9, 2012)

Good show old chap


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## glass (Jun 9, 2012)

That is interesting,

One thing i do not get, if it is in Ukraine it is in the hands of the Ukrainians regardless who owns it Why did they not just keep it if they wanted to keep it out of the handds of the Ukrainians.

Off to search for your other explores now?


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## UrbanX (Jun 9, 2012)

It's a bit of an elephant in the room in the crimea, it is legally Ukraine, but... 
Everyone speaks Russian, there are Russian war ships moored up in balaclava! They will be for years, a deal was struck saying they could park there in return for cheap energy for 5 years. This even sparked a huge fist fight in parliament there (it's on YouTube somewhere). 
I've been in some places down there where they will even give you the price in rubles, even though you pay in hyrvirnas! 
It's an awkward, but accepted relationship between the nations now that the Ukraine is independent.


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## krela (Jun 9, 2012)

UrbanX said:


> It's a bit of an elephant in the room in the crimea, it is legally Ukraine, but...
> Everyone speaks Russian, there are Russian war ships moored up in balaclava! They will be for years, a deal was struck saying they could park there in return for cheap energy for 5 years. This even sparked a huge fist fight in parliament there (it's on YouTube somewhere).
> I've been in some places down there where they will even give you the price in rubles, even though you pay in hyrvirnas!
> It's an awkward, but accepted relationship between the nations now that the Ukraine is independent.



This is true in pretty much every ex SSR state. The way it was so messed up there in communist / cold war times means there are displaced ethnic groups all over the place and borders are arbitrary and meaningless to those who live within them. It's a fascinating thing to study.


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## rectory-rat (Jun 9, 2012)

Just wow, once again. Continually loving your stuff, thanks 

Must say, the far east of Europe seems rather exciting to me thanks to your reports...

-RR


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## NitroNinja (Jun 9, 2012)

That Is Mint! love to go here!!


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## Derelict-UK (Jun 10, 2012)

I loved your 1st visit to this place and this addition too. You must really rack up the mileage!!



UrbanX said:


> Cheers guys, just wish there was more like this in the UK! Sure there's the deep shelters in Kent, but nothing you can drive a HGV through



We can drive a tractor down Drakelow (not quite 2 side by side though)....


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLlnhhvuHuo[/ame]


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## godzilla73 (Jun 10, 2012)

Awesome post UX. Thanks for sharing this insight into Post- Soviet Ukraine!
GDZ


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## Ninja Kitten (Jun 10, 2012)

how brill...as always such an adventure..brave motox riders my god!!


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