Well, this is pretty cool. I keep pointing out that Russians love the internet — and place silly amounts on sensitive national security information online, whether it is a jack-knifed ICBM, a rifle factory under construction in Venezuela or ballistic missile submarines burning like a Roman candle.
Somehow I missed that, in 2011, a Russian blogger/urban explorer named Lana Sator spent five nights crawling over the rocket test stands at Energomash’s research and testing complex near Khimki located at: 55°54’57.31″N, 37°26’46.43″E. She documented the visits on her live journal and tumblr accounts. (She’s detailed a number of military sites including one or two that Sean O’Connor might find interesting.)
There are a ton of internal shots for those of you with technical interests and some practical Russian.
I’ve been thinking about writing something about PRTB’s in the former East Germany, using Russian language alumni groups (!) and images from Urban Explorers, but I never have the time. Perhaps some enterprising 20-something will do it first.
Holy freakin cow!
She (and her friends) have a collective pair of big brass ones!
Awesome photography, and fairly good explanations (thanks to Google Translate). I wish I was still at the point in my life where I had the courage to try stuff like this!
Alex Wellerstein over at Restricted Data would like this one by the same lady, a tour of a bomb shelter for a large corporation, complete with bomb effects training aids…
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Flana-sator.livejournal.com%2F160176.html%23cutid1
The exact location in pic posted above is at 55 54 57N 37 26 46E
Just trying to make it easy for non-GE users.
I recall reading somewhere about a rocket engine lab the CIA sought but never found during the Cold War. After the Fall some spooks got a guided tour of the place; to their amazement it was housed in a group of nondescript high-rise blocks in central Moscow, and used an incredible system of wells, chimneys and baffles to hot-test engines in broad daylight, without so much as disturbing the pigeons on the roof!
Jeffrey, I noticed your name check of Sean O’Connor… I follow his GEIMINT blog as well as yours, and his has gone very quiet – have you heard from him recently?
No, not recently. Has he been radio silent?
The last entry on GEIMINT was a progress note on the October issue of I&A on 30 Oct 12. At least the site isn’t locked…