Stalin's 42nd bunker on Taganka

Most governments take care of their security in case of war. Just in case, under the ground, quite comfortable conditions are created, to which high-ranking leaders are accustomed. Asylum seekers are also built for ordinary citizens, but they are much simpler, and they will not be enough for everyone.

The desire to maintain the efficiency of military and political governance structures in the event of an air attack threat is entirely rational and justified. The main goal of any aggressor is the headquarters and communication centers, military and industrial facilities are already being hit secondarily.

The construction of underground government residences began in many countries long before the advent of nuclear weapons, but the design features of most of them allow to withstand atomic bombardment. The Hitler's bunker in Berlin (now not preserved), built in the 1930s near the imperial chancery, was struck by its excessive strength.

Stalin's bunker in Samara (then Kuibyshev) was cut down in rock formations, the work was done in conditions of the strictest secrecy. To conceal such a large-scale construction even built a hydroelectric power station, which, however, was useful too. The safety margin would still allow the use of this structure to its destination.

But such an object was not one, there were several. It is known about the mysterious underground headquarters of Hitler near Vinnitsa allegedly built by the Germans in record time, in just a few months. Its dimensions are so impressive that one can only assume that in fact it was Stalin's secret bunker, dug before the war and used by the enemy. It is practically impossible to carry out such large-scale work in the occupied territory and to keep the secret, not to mention calculations and design.

About how carefully prepared for the war, says the fact that in the secret branch of the Moscow metro in advance was created a situation that completely repeats the Kremlin's interior. While visiting Stalin's bunker, the general, the marshal, the chief designer or another guest, he was sure that he was not in the ground but in the "master's" office, it was very important psychologically and gave confidence in the ultimate victory.

In the postwar years there was a very real threat of a nuclear strike. It would be strange if those who were responsible for the security of the Soviet leadership did not react to it. The requirements to the buildings became even stricter, in particular, the urgent problem of providing the people in the shelter with clean air contaminated with radiological pollution became a pressing problem. Stalin's new bunker in Moscow was conceived as a place from where troops would be managed in the event of a conflict with the use of atomic weapons.

In total, builders of the forties could not be taken into account, during the years of the Cold War the building was repeatedly subjected to modernization. The dimensions of the underground object are enormous, so that it is easy to inspect, it takes at least one and a half hours. Its depth reaches 70 meters. At that time, the maintenance of communications equipment and encryption was much more labor-intensive than today, and only about six hundred electronics specialists were required, all the personnel consisted of 2,500 troops.

Today the bunker of Stalin on Taganka is turned into a museum. There are many people who wish to visit "Object 42", the mere mention of which six decades ago could be worth living. Today the price is more modest - only 700 rubles. For this money, you can inspect everything, get acquainted with thematic video materials and even inflict a nuclear strike on the US, of course, for fun. This exercise, by the way, was repeated many times by duty officers in the 50s and 60s, and each time no one informed them whether it was training or combat training.

It is known that in Moscow there is another bunker of Stalin, in the Izmaylovo area, however, the "father of the peoples" himself has never honored him with his presence. Apparently, it was built as a backup, and it is possible that its purpose was altogether distracting. In any case, the quality of works and materials is so high that any of these objects is quite suitable for use today. And how many of them were built - a mystery to this day.