Ozyorsk | Nuclear City
Ozersk is a city in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia. The Mayak uranium combine is located within the city, which is why entry to and exit from the city was prohibited until the collapse of the USSR. It was here that the uranium for the first Soviet atomic bombs was produced.
With the outbreak of World War II, it became clear to the Soviet leadership that they needed to begin developing uranium ore for nuclear weapons. Britain, Germany, and the United States already had their own atomic bomb projects. Enemies could not be allowed to threaten the homeland!
In March 1942, by special order of Joseph Stalin, a secret scientific center, "Laboratory No. 2 of the USSR Academy of Sciences," was opened. In the spring of 1945, a council of the most prominent Soviet nuclear scientists began selecting a site for the first uranium plant. An empty plot of land between the small towns of Kyshtym and Kasli was chosen as the best option. The area is located beyond the Urals, beyond the reach of any American aircraft.
The empty area is slated to become a closed city dedicated to nuclear production. Here, at a depth of several hundred meters, lie millions of tons of uranium ore, waiting to be extracted from the earth’s depths. Nearby are also modest hydrocarbon and iron ore deposits. The flat terrain, indented by lakes, is ideal for the construction of a city and a nuclear power plant. The area is remote from major cities; there are no roads or railways on the map. The small towns of Kyshtym, Kasli, Metlino, and Tatysh are nearby.
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