ZATO - a city or district in which strategic military enterprises and military facilities are located, where a special regime for the protection of state secrets is established. The first closed cities began to appear in connection with the creation of the Soviet atomic bomb in 1946-1953. In those days, the cities in which employees of such enterprises lived were strictly classified, and it was almost impossible for an outsider to get into them. Moreover, the average resident of the USSR knew about their existence only from rumors: they were not on the maps, and all city residents gave a subscription, according to which they could be subject to criminal liability for disclosing their place of residence.

Life in a mailbox

Residents of closed cities were supposed to answer questions about their place of residence within the framework of the legend. For example, if a person lived in Chelyabinsk-70 (now Snezhinsk), he had to say that he was from Chelyabinsk. Sometimes such cities were called “mailboxes” by analogy with the enterprises located in them, which did not have a specific address, but only a mailbox number, to which all correspondence was sent. Closed cities were not only absent from maps, they were also not in official statistics: during the census, residents of “mailboxes” were assigned to large cities near which they were located. For purposes of secrecy, ZATOs were most often called the same as the areas in which they were located: Chelyabinsk-40, Tomsk-7, Krasnoyarsk-26, Salsk-7, etc.

The degree of “closedness” of cities varied depending on their size and status. In fact, it was possible for an ordinary person to enter such large ZATOs as Arzamas, Vladivostok, Zelenograd, Krasnoyarsk, Magadan, Omsk, Perm, Kuibyshev (now Samara), Saratov, Sevastopol, Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg), Ufa, Chekhov, etc. , but at the entrance there was still a document check waiting for him.

Sweet closed life

Closed cities were a closed world, and life in them had its pros and cons. Thus, they had a better food supply: the stores had goods that were considered in short supply in other cities. In addition, the population of closed cities usually received a bonus of 20% of their wages, and this applied to all residents of closed cities, and not just to employees of defense enterprises and military personnel. In addition, closed cities generally had better services, and because entry into the cities was restricted, crime rates were lower than the national average.

BUT today

After the collapse of the USSR, closed cities ceased to be secret, but it turned out to be impossible to completely “open” all of them: strategic enterprises continued to function and required increased security measures. As a result, the law of 1992 approved a list of ZATOs, which received today’s familiar names instead of digital designations. At the moment, there are 44 ZATOs in Russia, in which, according to the 2010 census, more than 1.2 million people live.

In relation to modern ZATOs, the same rules continue to apply as in Soviet times: you can only get into them with a pass. They are issued by permit, and not by notification. That is, you can get into the city only by indicating the reason why such a visit is necessary. Visiting ZATOs is simplified for relatives of residents of closed cities, but does not apply to their friends and acquaintances.

Holes in the fence and holidays

Getting into many closed cities became much easier after the collapse of the USSR. For example, many of them began to host events during which anyone can visit the city. For example, an athletics race in Star City. It is also worth noting that many closed cities have not been closed for a long time. For example, at the checkpoint of the ZATO "Raduzhny" in the Vladimir region there has long been free entry, in the village of Bolshoy Kamen there has never been a fence, and in 2012 the checkpoint at the entrance to the city was abolished. In Krasnoznamensk, documents are still checked at the entrance to the city, but at the same time there are many holes in the fence around the city through which walking trails are laid.

5 operating ZATOs of Russia

But one should not think that this situation has developed in all Russian closed cities.

The city of Sarov in the Nizhny Novgorod region holds the record for changing names. It received its name in 1706, in 1946 it was renamed Arzamas-16, since 1991 it was called Kremlev, and in 1995 it again received its original name. In the Russian Empire, the city was widely known for the monastery located here, in which the Orthodox Saint Seraphim of Sarov lived. In 1946, a design bureau codenamed “KB-11” was located in Sarov, which was developing an atomic bomb. You can only enter the city with a special pass. According to the census, about 88 thousand people live in the city.

Zheleznogorsk in the Krasnoyarsk Territory has a population of 93,680 people and received its status due to the defense, nuclear and space industry enterprises located here. In addition to the city itself, the ZATO also includes the villages of Podgorny, Tartat and three villages - Dodonovo, Novy Put and Shivera. The closed city is surrounded by a fence, and access to the city is carried out using special passes through a checkpoint.

Snezhinsk is a city in the Chelyabinsk region, which for a long time was called Chelyabinsk-70. A ZATO received the status of a city on July 8, 1993, however, the city continues to be provided with a special regime due to the location of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Russian Federal Nuclear Center - All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Technical Physics named after Academician E. I. Zababakhin" (RFNC - VNIITF). The special regime implies a closed flight zone over the city, restrictions on entry and on conducting business activities in the ZATO, as well as on the right to own land and real estate.

The city of Zarechny in the Penza region has a population of 64 thousand people, and the main enterprises are the Federal State Unitary Enterprise FSPC "PO Start" named after. M.V. Protsenko" and the Research and Design Institute of Radioelectronic Technology (NIKIRET). At the moment, you can still enter the city only with passes.

On the site of the city of Seversk in the Tomsk region in 1933, the Chekist youth labor commune was created, later renamed correctional labor colony No. 1. In 1949, a plant for the production of highly enriched uranium-235 and plutonium-239 was created here, and the city became closed. People called it “5th Post Office” because the construction of the plant was called “mailbox No. 5”. Currently, the city is surrounded by a fence with barbed wire. Access to the territory is through a checkpoint. Three more checkpoints are located inside the city for access to the Tom River embankment. The population of Seversk is 108 thousand people.

Sevastopol, which along with Crimea became part of Russia, is a city of federal significance. There is an ice-free port, an industrial, scientific, technical, cultural and historical center here. Also in Sevastopol is the main naval base of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. The city's current population is 343 thousand people.

In 1916, after the explosion of the battleship Empress Maria in Sevastopol Bay, the city received closed status: foreigners could no longer enter its territory. After the October Revolution the ban was lifted, but in 1939 it was closed again. Until 1992, Sevastopol was a city that was not easy to get into: there were special posts at the main entrances to the city, and people were allowed into it with passes.

The initiative to assign a closed status to the city caused a controversial reaction from Sevastopol residents. Some thought this idea was good, while others spoke out against it. Thus, the head of the Agency for Strategic Development of Sevastopol, Alexey Chaly, considered that such a measure would be economically unjustified. In his opinion, the Black Sea Fleet base is not capable of independently ensuring the existence of Sevastopol, and the city needs to attract investment, and its closed status will interfere with this.

Sounds like a tourist's nightmare or some adventurer's fantasy. Eight closed and secret Soviet cities.

All these places belong to the era of the Soviet Union. Military or scientific experiments were carried out in so-called closed cities.

Such settlements were built and are still located in places where you cannot reach unnoticed. Siberia and the Ural Mountains were considered especially suitable. Previously, these cities were absent from maps. It was impossible to even think about letting foreign tourists there. City residents were under constant strict control. All cases of entry and exit from these often huge settlements with their enterprises were noted.

Many closed cities arose during the life of dictator Joseph Stalin, when an atmosphere of mistrust and paranoia reigned in the country. Scientist and regime critic Andrei Sakharov, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was exiled to one of these cities in 1980: Gorky.

He and his wife Elena Bonner were forced to remain there until 1986, when President Mikhail Gorbachev finally reversed the decision to exile.

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Leninsk - Zvezdograd - Baikonir

75% are under the control of the Ministry of Defense, the rest is managed by the Federal Atomic Energy Agency.

According to rumors, fifteen more cities are so secret that their names and coordinates have never been made publicly available.

As a rule, a permit is required to enter a closed city, and it is very difficult for a foreigner to obtain one. Imagining yourself to be James Bond and invading classified territory is not recommended.

Zelenogorsk (formerly Krasnoyarsk-45)

The city received special privileges in the turbulent year of 1956, which was remembered by the Hungarian uprising and the Suez Crisis. The city was engaged in uranium enrichment for the Soviet nuclear program. The superpowers of the United States and the Soviet Union entered into an arms race. The Cold War was going on, and many feared World War III.

The city was first put on the map only in 1991.

Today about 66 thousand people live in it.

Zvezdny (formerly Perm-76)

In the strict sense of the word, Zvezdny is not a city, but an urban-type settlement, according to the local administration. This settlement first appeared during the Stalin era - in 1931. The site was to become a summer training ground for Soviet infantry, artillery and cavalry. With the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War in 1941, a permanent military base was established there. According to the Russians, World War II began in 1941, and not in 1939, as the rest of the world believes. Russia does not want to hear anything about the non-aggression pact signed in 1939 by the foreign ministers of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, and claims that the start of the war was a German attack on the USSR.

Now about nine thousand people live in Zvezdny.

Free

The Soviet space program surpassed the American one in October 1957, when the USSR became the first state to place a satellite into low-Earth orbit. A month later, Sputnik 2 went into orbit with the dog Laika on board.

Both launches were a blow to the US reputation.

At the Svobodny cosmodrome, on the contrary, they were conducting experiments in the field of intercontinental ballistic missiles. This type of weapon almost triggered World War III during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when the Soviet Union and Cuba agreed to deploy medium-range missiles on Cuban territory.

The maximum population of Svobodny was 100 thousand people, of which 30 thousand were technical staff of the cosmodrome.

Today there are no more launches.

Kapustin Yar

The city is located between Volgograd and Astrakhan near the Caspian Sea in southern Russia. It was founded as a training ground in May 1946, almost immediately after the end of World War II. Less than a year has passed since America dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

At this test site, test launches of rockets, satellites, and probes with measuring equipment were carried out.

Despite winning World War II with the Allies, the Soviets suffered serious losses. The first activities at the training ground were carried out using captured German military equipment. In 1953, the West learned about Kapustin Yar after it was spotted by a spy plane.

Later, Kapustin Yar began to be compared with the American Roswell in New Mexico, where it was believed that evidence of the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations was found.

Now just under 30 thousand people live in the closed city.

Ozersk (formerly Chelyabinsk-65 and Chelyabinsk-40)

The numbers in old city names indicate the zip code of the nearby city.

The closed city of Ozersk arose in 1945 and exists to this day. About 15 thousand people work in the city; today they are mostly engaged in reprocessing nuclear fuel and disposing of nuclear weapons.

In 1957, a serious accident occurred at a city enterprise, 200 people died from radiation, and another 10 thousand were evacuated. Russia stopped hiding the fact of the accident only in 1992, after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

In February 2013, a meteorite fell in neighboring Chelyabinsk. The meteorite hit the ground at a speed of 65 thousand kilometers per hour. About a thousand people were injured.

Lesnoy (formerly Sverdlovsk-45)

The city is located in the Sverdlovsk region, approximately 25 miles (about 40 kilometers - editor's note) north of Yekaterinburg. This closed city was founded in 1947, at the very beginning of the Cold War. Its task was to produce highly enriched uranium for Soviet nuclear weapons. Information about the city was kept secret; its official name was Sverdlovsk-45. In 1992, President Boris Yeltsin decided to start using the city's real name and mark it on maps.

Yekaterinburg is probably best known as the site of the murder of members of the last Russian royal family, including Tsar Nicholas II.

About 50 thousand people live in Lesnoy.

Novouralsk (formerly Sverdlovsk-44)

The city already existed during the Second World War, but received its name only in 1954. Until 1994, its location was kept secret, but there is an assumption that the city was still known in the West. Residents of Novouralsk also engaged in uranium enrichment, including using centrifuges and the gas diffusion method (this method can be used to separate uranium-235 and uranium-238).

The city-forming enterprise was considered unique in its area. His work continues today. The city also has a presence in the construction and mechanical engineering industries.

The population is about 85 thousand people.

Seversk (formerly Tomsk-7)

The closed settlement of Seversk is located within the boundaries of the city of Tomsk in Western Siberia. The nature there is not very inspiring, unless you have a weakness for swamps and dense coniferous forests. But the region is rich in mineral resources such as oil, gas and metals.

Seversk is famous for its nuclear industry. Between 1954 and 1992 it was called Tomsk-7.

In 2003, Russia and the United States agreed to shut down all plutonium reactors. But visiting the city still requires special permission. Anyone who tries to break the rules out of love for adventure will have to pass through six checkpoints.

According to rumors, approximately 100 thousand people currently live in Seversk.

InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.

In order to enter the territory of the ZATO, you need a special pass. The easiest way to get it is for those who have close relatives living in a closed city. The pass is also issued to those who got a job in the closed administrative unit or found a husband or wife from the local residents.

But, of course, there are workarounds. Some ZATOs occasionally host cultural and sporting events to which outside participants are invited. The most desperate ones simply find holes in the fence or sneak into the city along secret paths. However, it must be taken into account that illegal entry into the territory of the closed administrative unit is fraught with administrative punishment in the form of a fine and immediate expulsion from the fence.

10 closed cities in Russia

1. Zheleznogorsk (Krasnoyarsk-26, Sotsgorod, Atomgrad), Krasnoyarsk Territory

Photo: Sergey Filinin

Reason for special status: On the territory of the city there is a Mining and Chemical Combine (MCC), where weapons-grade plutonium (plutonium-239) was produced, as well as JSC Information Satellite Systems named after Academician M.F. Reshetnev”, which produces satellites.

At one time, the designers of Zheleznogorsk adhered to the concept of maximum non-interference in the natural landscape, so from a bird's eye view it seems as if residential areas are located right in the forest. Nearby in the mountain range there are uranium-graphite reactors for the production of plutonium. One of them operated until recently - it not only produced plutonium, but also supplied heat and electricity to the city's residents. The reactors are located in kilometer-long tunnels in the thickness of the granite monolith - in case of nuclear war. Another of the tunnels was laid from the gas chemical complex to the other bank of the Yenisei.

In Soviet times, the status of a closed city attracted foreign intelligence agents to the city, who, however, were identified almost immediately by vigilant local residents. However, the story that is especially popular among them is not about a foreign agent, but about their own fellow countryman: in the 1980s, one of the MCC workers managed to smuggle some plutonium through the checkpoint and kept it at home in an ordinary glass jar. Later, when the thief was detected using special equipment, he said that he just wanted to poison his mother-in-law. As a result, he was declared insane and sent for treatment.

By the way, in the city there is a Park of Culture and Recreation named after. Kirov, where the attractions “Sun”, “Bell”, “Orbit” operate and the City Lake is located.

2. Zelenogorsk (Zaozerny-13, Krasnoyarsk-45), Krasnoyarsk Territory

Reason for special status: On the territory of the city there is OJSC Production Association Electrochemical Plant, where low-enriched uranium is produced.

Zelenogorsk was built on the Kan River on the site of the small village of Ust-Barga. Residents of the village, which was virtually wiped off the face of the earth, were involved in the construction of the city.

In Zelenogorsk there is a cadet corps at the Vityaz center, and not only boys, but also girls are taught military training here. The center houses a small Museum of Military Glory. There is also a Museum and Exhibition Center in the city, located opposite the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov.

The main entertainment for Zelenogorsk residents is gatherings on the banks of the Kan River and going to the Gorod nightclub, which opened just a couple of months ago. For cultural leisure, local residents prefer to go to Krasnoyarsk, despite the fact that it is more than 150 km away. A visitor will probably be surprised by the fact that Zelenogorsk, unlike most ZATOs, does not at all look like a typical town from Soviet times - there are wide avenues, brick high-rise buildings, countless lawns and squares; no dullness and despondency. However, the ubiquitous monument to Lenin reminds us of the Soviet past.

3. Znamensk (Kapustin Yar - 1), Astrakhan region

Reason for special status: The city is the administrative and residential center of the Kapustin Yar military training ground.

The Kapustin Yar military training ground, built in 1946, was intended to test the first Soviet combat ballistic missiles. And it received its completely peaceful name from the village of the same name, which later became an open suburb of the closed Znamensk. However, in reality the latter turned out to be not so closed: schoolchildren and students from nearby settlements periodically come here on excursions. So those who want to get into the city can try to form a tour group and submit a corresponding request - it is possible that those who are especially persistent will be accepted.

The first head of the Kapustin Yar training ground, Major General Vasily Voznyuk, who entered service in 1946, is still respected by local residents; you can see his portraits in the administration offices. There is a portrait of him in the local Museum of Cosmonautics. It was from Znamensk that the first space dogs took off, and their names were not Belka and Strelka, but Dezik and Gypsy. Next to the museum there is an open area where examples of military equipment, such as missile launchers and radars, are displayed.

4. Lesnoy city (Sverdlovsk-45), Sverdlovsk region

Reason for special status: On the territory of the city there is the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Elektrokhimpribor Combine, intended for the assembly and disposal of nuclear weapons, as well as for the production of uranium isotopes.

The construction of a significant part of Lesnoy fell on the shoulders of Gulag prisoners: in total, more than 20,000 prisoners worked on the secret facility. Despite the fact that the Council of Ministers of the USSR sent the best specialists to supervise the work on future ZATOs, there were tragic incidents. Thus, the construction of Lesnoy claimed the lives of several dozen people who died during blasting operations and were never properly buried - their bodies are in mass graves.

The city of Lesnoy is very similar to other closed cities of Rosatom: 3-storey houses from the first years of construction (early 50s), solid “Stalinist” buildings and colorful high-rise buildings on bright avenues, a nice park named after. Gagarin, monument to Lenin. However, leisure time can be diversified, because Lesnoy is located just a few kilometers from the neighboring town of Nizhnyaya Tura: one of its central streets ends directly at the checkpoint of the City of Lesnoy. In Nizhnyaya Tura there are, for example, historical and environmental museums for visitors.

5. Mirny, Arkhangelsk region

Reason for special status: It is the administrative and residential center of the Plesetsk cosmodrome.

In the place where the city of Mirny now stands, during the times of Tsarist Russia, the so-called “sovereign road” to the White Sea passed. According to legend, it was along this route that Mikhailo Lomonosov followed the convoy to Moscow. There is, however, no memorial pillar, and all the main attractions of Mirny are connected with the history of space exploration: the first state cosmodrome “Plesetsk” has long been the world leader in the number of launches.

Mirny is replete with monuments and obelisks. Even the stone from which the construction of the city began was turned into a monument. The Kosmos-1000 obelisk was installed here in honor of the launch of the first Soviet navigation spacecraft. In 1989, the Cosmos 2000 satellite was launched into orbit - this event is also marked by a monument, which was nicknamed “alien” for its resemblance to representatives of extraterrestrial civilizations.

You can get to Mirny along a secret path that begins at the last turn of the neighboring village of Plesetsk, if you get to the city by minibus. True, it’s worth checking the topography with one of the locals, and also be prepared for the risk of bumping into a military patrol.

6. Novouralsk (Sverdlovsk-44), Sverdlovsk region

Reason for special status: On the territory of the city there is the Ural Electrochemical Plant OJSC, where highly enriched uranium is produced.

Novouralsk stands on the banks of the Verkh-Neyvinsky pond, in the upper reaches of the Neiva River. They say that you can get into the city through the forest next to the so-called Belorechenskaya checkpoint - not far from the village of Belorechka. However, it is easy for a visitor to get lost, so it is worth finding a guide.

The surroundings of Novouralsk abound in natural monuments. These include, for example, Hanging Stone Rock and Seven Brothers Mountain. Many legends are associated with the origin of the latter: according to one version, Ermak turned seven sorcerers who prevented him from conquering Siberia into stone idols; according to another, this is all that remains of the gold-digging brothers, who vigilantly guarded their booty from robbers all night and turned to stone in the morning. There is even such a story: in Soviet times, a raid was announced on Old Believers hiding in the Ural forests. Seven of them, in an attempt to escape persecution, fled to the mountains, where they were chained in stone not by some supernatural forces, but by ordinary fear.

In the center of the city there is a local history museum and an operetta theater, the artists for which are trained, among other things, by the Novouralsk music school.

7. Ozersk (Chelyabinsk-40, Chelyabinsk-65)

Reason for special status: On the territory of the city there is the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Production Association “Mayak”, where radioactive isotopes are produced.

Despite the fact that enormous technical and human resources were invested in the construction and operation of Mayak, it was not without accidents. Moreover, one of them is only slightly inferior to the Chernobyl tragedy. As a result of the explosion that occurred in a radioactive waste storage facility on September 29, 1957, the contaminated zone contained an area about 300 km long and 10 km wide. A total of 270,000 people lived here. Most were resettled, and their property and livestock were destroyed.

The specialists who were part of the first batch of workers at plant No. 817 (as the Mayak Production Association was previously called) underwent a strict multi-stage selection; Moreover, after arriving at the secret facility, for several years they were deprived not only of meetings with their relatives, but also of the right to correspond with them. Today, residents of Ozero perceive life in a closed city not as a limitation, but as a privilege. Therefore, one can discern some condescension in their attitude towards visitors.

8. Sarov (Shatki-1, Moscow-300, Kremlev, Arzamas-75, Arzamas-16), Nizhny Novgorod region

Reason for special status: On the territory of the city there is the Russian Federal Nuclear Center All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics (RFNC-VNIIEF).

Sarov is an amazing city: on the one hand, it is the site of the creation of the atomic bomb, on the other, here is one of the most revered Orthodox shrines, the Sarov Hermitage. In 1778, one of the novices of the monastery, which had a particularly strict charter, became Prokhor Isidorovich Moshnin, in the past - the son of a rich merchant, in the future - the Monk Seraphim of Sarov.

Under the Sarov Desert there is a real underground city, where hermit monks descended in search of solitude. The three-level catacombs are an intricate system of narrow, poorly lit corridors. Local legend says that there used to be a small lake on the lowest level of the underground church, on which novices used to ride a boat.

It is precisely the religious motive that can facilitate access to Sarov for outsiders: pilgrimage tours are periodically organized to the Holy Dormition Monastery of Sarov Hermitage, which has been functioning safely again since 2006. For those who are more interested in the achievements of Soviet nuclear scientists, the Museum of Nuclear Weapons operates on the basis of the RFNC-VNIIEF. Its main exhibit is the so-called Tsar Bomba, also known as “Kuzka’s mother,” which Khrushchev promised to show to America. Most of the museum's exhibits are, naturally, copies.

9. Severomorsk, Murmansk region

Reason for special status: It is a large naval base.

Severomorsk, formerly the village of Vaenga, stands on the shores of the Kola Bay in the Barents Sea. Initially, this territory was inhabited by the Sami and Pomors; later, in the 20th century, Finns and Russians came here. The construction of a naval base began here in the mid-30s of the last century, but the city received closed status after the collapse of the Soviet Union - in 1996.

Memorable places in Severomorsk are dedicated to sailors and the history of the fleet. Thus, on Primorskaya Square there is a monument to the heroes of the North Sea - a giant sailor with a machine gun and a cap with fluttering ribbons. Local residents affectionately call him Alyosha. On the Square of Courage there is a monument to the torpedo boat TK-12, which sank four enemy ships during the Second World War. The K-21 Submarine Museum is also located here, where the basic household items of submariners are presented: from the latrine to canned drinking water.

Severomorsk is located beyond the Arctic Circle, so in winter there is a polar night, which lasts from early December to mid-January. True arctic frosts are rare in Severomorsk, however, due to the icy wind and high humidity, it is difficult for a visitor to adapt to the local climate.

10. Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk-70), Chelyabinsk region

Reason for special status: On the territory of the city there is the Russian Federal Nuclear Center - the All-Russian Research Institute of Technical Physics named after Academician E.I. Zababakhina (RFNC-VNIITF).

It is best to come to Snezhinsk in the summer, when the city is simply surrounded by greenery. There are several lakes in Snezhinsk, and on a hot day you can swim and sunbathe on one of the city beaches. Those who come to the city in winter entertain themselves with alpine skiing - not far from the city, there are trails laid on the slopes of the Cherry Mountains. There is also a rental and repair center for equipment and the Sungul sanatorium.

At first glance, it seems that modern Snezhinsk is a cozy, clean town that even has its own Broadway (as Snezhinsk residents call Tsiolkovsky Boulevard). In fact, the city is full of mysterious artifacts preserved from Soviet times: structures of unknown purpose, ventilation pipes that stick out of the ground in the very center of the city, tunnels leading into the unknown. A few years ago, a fantastic story appeared in the local newspaper about the presence of an underground communications system in the city. In addition to completely plausible details, there were also giant badgers. The public is still arguing about the validity of the rumors about the Snezhinsky metro. And local diggers from time to time organize expeditions in search of secret underground passages.

How to get to the closed city? The task is difficult, but solvable. We will not use espionage methods or look for a hole in the fence, but will only list legal ways.

The first way to get into a closed city is to acquire close relatives there (blood or acquired). In this case, your relatives will write an entry request in your name, and after certain checks (up to two months) you will be able to visit the city. With foreign guests, of course, it is more difficult. The state, for obvious reasons, carefully protects its developments. So in this case it will take at least six months to obtain an entry permit.

The second way is scientific. Scientific conferences are held in closed cities, especially those affiliated with Minatom. For example, the famous Kharitonov readings have been held annually in Sarov for 10 years now, in memory of the outstanding scientist Yu.B. Khariton. There is an adult and children's program. The adult participants are those scientists who deal with problems related to the activities of the Sarov nuclear center. Usually these people also have information of a certain degree of secrecy and “belong to the clan.” Gifted schoolchildren from any Russian city can come to school readings, strictly without parents, but with a supervisor. So most often one leader takes a group of children at once. Children's readings are held in many disciplines: biology, computer science, literature, mathematics, physics, chemistry, etc. Passes to scientific, sports and cultural events (see below) are issued on average two months in advance.

The next path into closed space is cultural. Many closed cities hold various music and theater festivals of different types: from hard rock and teeth-grinding rap to classic folk songs. Most often, competitions are held either between “tired” ones, for example, such as the All-Russian Theater Competition of the Closed Administrative Unit "Territory of Culture of the Nuclear Industry", or competition participants from neighboring cities and towns come to the city. But if I contact the organizers in time and promise to weaken something really worthwhile, I can also let in participants who arrived from distant places.

All closed cities are for a healthy lifestyle. Their personnel are irreplaceable and valuable, so they must live long and not get sick. In this regard, children's and adult tournaments and competitions in numerous sports are regularly held, depending on what sports facilities the city or town has. For example, you can come to the city of Seversk in the Tomsk region with a team to play basketball, volleyball and hockey or take part in the Ozyorsk City Cup in racing on radio-controlled yachts. Information about sporting events can usually be found on the ZATO websites, and there will also be contact information for the organizers.

If you are an outstanding singer, musician or actor, you can come to the closed city with a concert. Of course, the organizers here are not very agile and will not attract expensive stars, and they will doubt the commercial success of immature ones. But a strong desire to cultivate boring residents can overcome all obstacles.

Open, that is, closed settlements during the Soviet period were not something surprising for Russia. Back in the 18th-19th centuries, there were closed Cossack settlements, cities built on occupied territories to control the local population and collect taxes, and border fortified cities.

Representatives of the media are also allowed into the ZATO without much desire, but in case of urgent need. Just like that - it’s unlikely. But if there is a serious reason, an event, or major officials have arrived, then they will allow it. Again, you need to order the pass in advance, and no amount of “we’re running out of deadlines” will speed things up.

Recently, secondary and higher educational institutions in ZATO began to accept nonresident applicants. According to teachers, visitors often study much better and harder than local children. Many schools and universities in backwater cities are unique in their kind because they provide specialized education related to the peculiarities of the city, which, with good study, actually guarantees further work in the enterprise. In Seversk you can enter the Seversk State Technological Academy, in Sarov you can conquer the Sarov Physics and Technology Institute, in Ozyorsk you can graduate from the Ozyorsk Technological Institute, as well as branches of the MEPhI and SUSU institutes.

The last option is to be Artemy Lebedev, who has already visited the closed Sarov, Seversk and Zheleznogorsk. How he managed this is still unknown to science...

I remembered with what aspiration we, as boys, talked about closed science cities. Maybe someone is interested.

Everyone in Russia is familiar with the name Moscow. But a few years ago, only a few knew that several hundred kilometers south of the capital there was a city called... Moscow-2. It was a secret center for the development of nuclear weapons, and there were many such “closed cities” in Russia.

Zelenogorsk (Zaozerny-13, Krasnoyarsk-45), Krasnoyarsk Territory.

Closed cities arose and began to develop in the post-war period, with the beginning of the Cold War between the USSR and Western countries. The oldest of them have existed for half a century, but appeared to the world quite recently, and before that they were, as it were, wearing an invisibility cap.

Novouralsk (Sverdlovsk-44), Sverdlovsk region.
On the territory of the city there is the Ural Electrochemical Plant OJSC, where highly enriched uranium is produced.

They had no names and were hidden under codes: Sverdlovsk-45, Chelyabinsk-70, Krasnoyarsk-26, etc. In 1994, their official geographical names were approved by a special resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Russian Federation. The inhabitants of these settlements officially did not exist, and only in 1995 the population of 19 closed cities and 18 closed urban settlements was declassified for the first time.

Sarov (Shatki-1, Moscow-300, Kremlev, Arzamas-75, Arzamas-16), Nizhny Novgorod region.
On the territory of the city there is the Russian Federal Nuclear Center All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics (RFNC-VNIIEF).

Such cities and towns constitute the official category of closed administrative-territorial entities (CLATEs) with a strict regime for the activities of the enterprises and institutions located in them and the lives of their inhabitants. What closedness means is stated in the relevant presidential decrees, which provide for restrictions on the entry and permanent residence of citizens, on the flights of aircraft over the territory of the closed city, and the presence of controlled and restricted zones. ZATOs are surrounded by a fence, passage and passage are carried out only through checkpoints. They resemble islands, isolated from their surroundings.

Zheleznogorsk (Krasnoyarsk-26, Sotsgorod, Atomgrad), Krasnoyarsk region.
On the territory of the city there is a Mining and Chemical Combine (MCC), where weapons-grade plutonium (plutonium-239) was produced, as well as JSC Information Satellite Systems named after Academician M.F. Reshetnev”, which produces satellites.

Closed cities were created to carry out particularly important government programs related to strengthening the country's defense capability. It was impossible to write or talk about the nature of the work being performed. They received city status on the basis of secret decrees. The achievements of labor collectives and workers were celebrated with high awards, but in secret decrees. Secret Heroes of Socialist Labor and secret laureates of the Lenin and State Prizes worked in closed cities. These cities lived under coded designations that changed from time to time. Thus, the current Federal Nuclear Center Sarov at different times had the following code names: Laboratory 2; "Privolzhskaya office"; KB-11; Object 550; Base-112; "Kremlin"; "Moscow, Center, 300"; Arzamas-75; Moscow-2; Arzamas-16.

Znamensk (Kapustin Yar - 1), Astrakhan region.
The city is the administrative and residential center of the Kapustin Yar military training ground.

Now the situation has changed. You can write about closed cities; they are visited by representatives of foreign countries. Back in 1960, an American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, flying over the closed cities of the Southern Urals, was shot down by a missile in the Sverdlovsk region and its pilot Power was captured. And in 1992, the city of Chelyabinsk-70 (Snezhinsk) - the birthplace of the Soviet hydrogen bomb - was visited by US Secretary of State James Baker. Only many years later did catastrophes that occurred in closed cities become public, such as the explosion of a container with radioactive waste at the Mayak enterprise in Chelyabinsk-65 (now the city of Ozyorsk) in 1957. The deadly cloud then covered an area of ​​23 thousand . km2, where 270 thousand people lived.

I even managed to find a report about the JSC PROGRESS plant named after. N.I. Sazykin, whose calling card is the KA-52 combat helicopters, located in the Arsenyev closed city.

Closed cities (now 21 of them are known) are divided into two almost equal groups: “nuclear” cities administered by the Ministry of Atomic Energy (10 cities), and “military” cities - the Ministry of Defense: naval and space bases (11 cities).
"Nuclear" cities are associated with solving a common problem - the development of atomic weapons to equip the army and navy. Depending on which branch of the military a particular center works for, the profile of each of them was determined. There are two undisputed leaders on this list: the city of Sarov (Arzamas-16), the birthplace of the atomic bomb, which destroyed the US monopoly on the possession of atomic weapons, and the city of Snezhinsk, where an extremely powerful hydrogen bomb was created.

Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk-70), Chelyabinsk region.
On the territory of the city there is the Russian Federal Nuclear Center - the All-Russian Research Institute of Technical Physics named after Academician E.I. Zababakhina (RFNC-VNIITF).

Nuclear cities have similar characteristics. They have not just high, but unique scientific and technical potential, which is based on the triad: “science - design activity - production”. Often the technologies created here have no analogues throughout the world. For example, in Sverdlovsk-44 (Novouralsk) in 1957, a centrifugal method for separating uranium isotopes, necessary for creating the “filling” of atomic bombs, was developed. In the West, the more energy-intensive and less economical so-called diffusion technology is still used. Three more plants were then equipped with the new technology - in Krasnoyarsk-26, Angarsk and Tomsk-7.

I wonder how they are doing with tourism? The soul wants romance :)