Gadzhievo Military Base

In the dark light of the polar night one could hardly see the outlines of two submarines covered with snow standing near moorage.

This phrase sounds like the beginning of the adventure Cold War novel. Actually these submarines are children of that war – war of technologies, nerves and attrition.

The contents of 16 ballistic missiles which are in the bottom of such a submarine can destroy the whole East coast of the USA. This stuff wasn’t quite cheap for the USSR  and after its breakdown the great number of these submarines couldn’t be kept anymore.

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But the Russian North Fleet is alive and those submarines which are in service still continue being on battle duty.

There is a Military Base in Gadzhievo and the Yekaterinburg’s delegation has visited it.

To reach this place you should pass 3 command posts, then go through a special access post with metal and radiation detectors near the moorage. Besides the man with the gun will be watching you.

The submarine K-84 was built in 1984 in Severodvinsk. In 1999 it was called “Yekaterinburg”

The first meeting at the dinner table. In the right corner – the Captain of the “Yekaterinburg” Konstantin Golovko

One can easily become fattened up here

The traditional meeting with the submariners’ wives at the Officer’s house. The wives are sitting in the hall and talking to the members of the delegation.

Morning in Gadzhievo

This is the “Volk” (K-461) – the atomic submarine of the third generation

At the Volk’s tail two workers were maneuvering with some stick. It seemed one of them could easily fall into the icy water

The Yekaterinburg’s brother is the “Bryansk” (K-117) standing not far from it

The polar night’s at its highest point

Solemn formation. The sailors in full uniform  lined up on a moorage

After the ceremony there was a command: “Everybody’s down” and the crew lined up ready to walk down into the submarine

To reach the captain’s house is not an easy thing. First you should pass the ice-covered side of the submarine, then climb the vertical ladder…

…and then descend through the narrow tunnel to find yourself on one of the upper decks. It is really difficult to walk down in such a way

But the conductors do this many times a day

Actually to make photographs is forbidden because the secrets are in everything here

There are underground silos for storing ballistic missiles and a control panel for them in this compartment. Everything on the ship is sand-coloured and seems similar

These guys serve on the “Yekaterinburg”.  People here are friendly, calm. Sailors are nice to talk to – they are real

Those who are tall enough have great difficulties in moving. Those who have claustrophobia would feel even more terrible here

Captain’s house

These kinds of tables are everywhere on the ship

One more look at this wonderful place

Location: Yekaterinburg