A unique opportunity to see a shut down nuclear reactor in a secret closed city in Russia

Excursion to the secret object, which until recently was seen by a few people:

arcada
Siberian Blog
13 min readApr 29, 2021

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Continuing the topic of publications dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the victims of the terrible accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986, I want to tell you about a unique excursion to a stopped nuclear reactor in a closed, previously secret (until recently, my city was not even on the maps) small town in the center of Siberia.

A discussion of the myths and reality of the famous HBO series “Chernobyl” can be viewed here:

Surprisingly, the Russian ROSATOM and the management of the Siberian Chemical Plant offer to touch the former recently secret almost freely and on a permanent basis. Although of course just from the street you can not buy a ticket to visit — applications are accepted in advance and only from organized groups. A single tourist can be recommended to contact one of the travel agencies that collect excursions. After a rather lengthy agreement, verification of documents, the tourist will be able not only to get to the territory of the closed city, which in itself is quite unique, but also to visit the territory of the RZ-5 Reactor Plant, to get to the very heart of the stopped nuclear reactor, which produced weapons-grade plutonium for the USSR atomic shield during the Cold War era. The tour program usually includes a sightseeing tour of the city with stops in different places, then the group is taken to a closed area inside the closed territory — the RZ-5 Reactor Plant, and after the most interesting part of the tour, there is also a visit to the SСP (Siberian Chemical Plant) museum in the city, where you can learn a lot of new and interesting things about things that you just saw live.

This tour was already quite a long time ago, in 2010. But, I think, it is still interesting, especially against the background of increased interest in nuclear energy after the last popular films about Chernobyl.

stella at the entrance to the closed nuclear city of Seversk

Before reading, I advise you to read a brief information about the closed nuclear city where the tour takes place, because the article will only review the visit to the reactor, and a walk around my hometown is generally common for me and I decided not to pay attention to this part of the tour. Still, the streets of my hometown are a topic for a separate discussion.

To read briefly about the closed city of Seversk, follow the link:

Unfortunately, nuclear energy entered the lives of people through the long-term “cold war”, which consumed the vast material resources of states that entered the path of nuclear confrontation. The general public still knows little about the gigantic work on the development of nuclear energy, which is largely heroic and tragic.

The government’s decision on the construction of the Trans-Ural Machine-building Plant №1252/443 near Tomsk was made on March 26, 1949.

The construction of the I-1 reactor began in the spring of 1952 and was carried out by a specialized organization, later known as the Himstroy Department. Construction was difficult, and deadlines were constantly being disrupted. The load on the builders was simply enormous. Simultaneously with the construction of the reactor complex, work was underway on the construction of other plants of the plant. In addition to industrial facilities, the city was built with all its complex infrastructure, railways and highways were laid, a canal was built to connect the Tom River with the thermal power plant, and a lot of smaller, but vital facilities were built. The construction of the reactor complex was also complicated by the fact that the builders had no experience in constructing such complex industrial facilities as the reactor complex was. The reactor building with its underground part was comparable to a 30-storey building. The foundation is 3 ‘ 000 cubic meters of extracted land at a time when the mechanization of construction had not yet begun, the soil was extracted manually, in conditions of Siberian 30–40 degree frosts. In addition to the huge volumes of earthworks, it is necessary to pour thousands of tons of concrete, mount several thousand tons of metal structures and equipment, lay tens of kilometers of pipelines and electrical cables, thousands of units of various shut-off and control equipment, valves, valves and valves, install and mount thousands of control and measuring devices. Only pulse tubes had to be laid about 140 kilometers to thousands of flow meters and electric thermometers.

Enough of the historical background. However, it’s time to move on to the tour itself:

a sign indicating that a nuclear reactor was operating in this building

Already at the checkpoint RZ-5, we realized that we were on a high-security and strictly guarded object. After all, in order to enter its territory, each of us had to: a) deposit all undeclared items; b) pass a document check (as at the border); c) present the camera equipment carried ; d) pass through several detectors (metal, electronics); e) undergo a personal search.

Well, safety comes first!

prepared personal dosimeters for each participant of the tour

All flash drives, computers, phones and equipment not listed in advance and personal belongings had to be left in the safe at the entrance. The cameras were checked literally by serial numbers, the girl with the only simple device-mylnytsa was left without her photos, since the number of the device was not declared when submitting documents.

Then, having settled all the formalities, listened to a few instructions on behavior on the regime object and safety, then received individual dosimeters, we finally broke free, took a deep breath, uncovered our cameras and were ready to shoot everything in a row (Aha!… Naive!) As immediately, the command followed:

- “Stop! Here, photography is prohibited! See, over there in the distance, is the latest security system and a fence made of thorns”

Sullenly we cover up the equipment and go on… And so all the time, as soon as we see something interesting, as soon as we hear a proactive comment:

“- Do not photograph sentries and other people in military uniforms!”

Another five minutes pass before we reach the first permitted point in the photo. Cooling towers, 6 pieces. On one of them, you can see the old inscription- “PEACE AND FREEDOM”.

In total, 5 reactors are located on the territory of the SCP, and they have been completely stopped within the framework of international agreements signed between Russia and the United States. The last one, ADE-5, was stopped in April 2008.

you can’t even guess that there’s a nuclear reactor inside

Reactor pressure vessels EI-2. It feels like walking down a street in the old part of the city. Apparently for the purpose of camouflage, all the buildings look like civilian objects.

We enter the building of the EI-2 nuclear reactor

After successfully passing the face control, we quickly change into our issued work clothes (a dacron cap and a work coat). We pass through the glass corridor, climb the stairs and get to the reactor control room.

Usually it was managed by 4 engineers, of course, the work was carried out around the clock. Now the plant employs about 380 people. And earlier, when all 5 reactors were operating, each of them employed about 500 employees.

Buttons, light bulbs, sensors, counters…. Eyes run away!
carefully inspect the buttons, toggle switches, inscriptions near them

The equipment meets the level of the 80s, when the last modernization took place.

“What do you have there, a TV?”
- Yes, the TV. Watch football … (laughter, pause…) This is a monitor like this… grandfather of monitors :)

The chief engineer and the press service staff told us a little about how the reactor works and how plutonium is produced. If quite philistine, then in vertical long tubes, uranium bars are inserted, which after a certain reaction become plutonium. But, not pure, therefore, its final production takes place elsewhere.

Poster on the wall-diagram of the reactor

The remote control displays all information about the operation of the reactor. The circles are an exact replica of the masonry on the floor in the reactor hall. They reflect all the channels of the reactor and the rods located vertically.

Indicators (P and T) in THE PATH)
Toggle SWITCH (MOISTURE ALARM)

The most important buttons on the remote control are stop and start the reactor. It happened that it worked for 7–8 months without problems, and sometimes it happened that we had to stop it 4–5 times a day and start it again. The red “stop” button looks exactly the same as in the TV series “Chernobyl”. And still very worn, makes you think.

STOP-START buttons

And this is a uranium “battery” (fuel cell):

uranium “battery” (fuel cell)

Since everything happens at very high temperatures, inside these tubes, so that their contents do not touch the walls of the tube, several “edges” are made running along the entire length. It is made so that water can pass between the bar and the wall, cooling the metal. In just one hour, 7 cubic meters of water passed through each channel! And there are 2,000 channels in total! Later, they began to use this by directing the steam from the evaporating water to a steam generator that produced electricity. So there were nuclear power plants.

There is a lone bookcase in the room with the remote control. The works of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels… Well, that’s right, what else should physicists read?

Having dealt with the filling of this hall, we were offered to wear protective shoe covers and gloves. Now that we are all protected :), you can safely go to the central (reactor) hall.

Approaching the central hall, we first found ourselves at the crane operator’s workplace.

The entrance to the reactor hall begins with a small room with a round glass (containing lead), which weighs about one and a half tons.

View of the central hall, through the protective leaded glass.

As an entertainment, the accompanying specialist discreetly turned on the alarm system for half a minute. A terrible wild roar.

Pay attention to these metal tubes (former fuel cell assemblies). Short wanderings near them, gave me a dose of 0.60 mSv.

General view of the central hall (khe-khe… here, my dose has already increased to 1.50 mSv*). In fact, this is not much, less than a percentage of the maximum daily dose for the staff of the SCP

the mouth of an extinct “combat” reactor (view from the stairs)

Special drills also hang on the walls. One of the most common accidents is when the cooling water stops being supplied. As a result of overheating and melting, a material is formed that is almost as dense as a diamond. Here, in the local jargon of Russian nuclear scientists, this is called “catching a goat”.

Therefore, it is necessary to try to drill a hole with great difficulty. This is not always the case. Of the 2,000 channels of this reactor, only about 1,800 were operating at the time of shutdown. Let me remind you that one of the main factors that led to the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was the almost complete removal by the personnel of the control station of the replacement of these compensating rods in the conditions of bringing the reactor to a state where their normal immersion was already virtually impossible.

The future of Seversk and SCP is the work on the disposal of reactors and radioactive materials. Today, no one in the world has experience in pumping waste into the ground to a depth of about 400 meters and experience in dumping a reactor. EI-2 will soon be filled with a special solution (but not concrete, because its life span is only 300 years), the same protective cushion will be created under the entire building, the entire upper part will be demolished and a special hood will be closed on top.

After completing our inspection of the central hall (in fact, the former” factory “ for the production of weapons-grade plutonium), we were led out through the lower protective thick metal door about 40 centimeters thick. I don’t even know how much it weighs.

Then we were sent for decontamination, i.e. to wash and change clothes. By the way, the clothes are disposable, they were thrown into special bins — we were told that they would be destroyed today.

We checked the dosimeters. Everyone went to different places in the hall, someone came closer to the reactor, as a result, the readings were different. If I’m not mistaken, the maximum someone had was 19.00. Immediately you can check on another stationary old device.

another stationary old device

Now, guess what this fancy remote control with buttons is?

You will laugh, but this is a handle for draining water… toilet bowl :)

In general, after finishing all our business and going back, we went out into the street.

The next item in our program was the ES-1 facility — the first industrial nuclear power plant in Siberia (1958–1992). The building seems to be small but very long.

We approach the front door and notice this rarity:

What follows is the most epically funny episode of the tour:

“Hello, report the situation!” — said one of the participants of the tour for the sake of a joke into the phone.
“- The device is active, immediately put the phone back in its place!” the attendant said sternly. :)

Before I show you the engine room (ES-1), take a look at this photo*
This is how it was before the dismantling:

photo from the stand in the later visited SCP museum

And so, it looks now (no comments):

Vladimir Ilyich is still watching you!

After visiting the power plant, the tour of the closed territory of the RZ-5 was completed and after a short gathering and formalities, we were taken back to the city, to the museum of the SCP.

For specialists, of course, a visit to the museum will be very exciting, there is a lot of information about the technical details of the work, devices, samples of all sorts of tricky equipment. Our group was purely amateur, so the attention of simpletons like me was of course more attracted to such lots:

a foundry mold for filling an atomic bomb

Here is a small ball for a huge bomb. The charge contains two plutonium hemispheres. Around them is an explosive substance. At the moment of the explosion of the substance, the hemispheres are compressed, the critical mass of plutonium is reached, and bach, a nuclear explosion.

Plutonium Storage Container

In general, the atom is not a joke, and our planet and the world on it are very fragile things. It is painful and frightening to see how every day people around the world forget the bloody lessons of the past.

Peace to all!

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arcada
Siberian Blog

Hi! My name is Alex and I’m Russian :) And I live in a closed “atomic” city, somewhere in the depths of the Siberian taiga.