In all my years of exploring, only on two occasions have I had cause to stop dead with my mouth gaping open at the sight before me! And they were both of Russian origin.
This was the second one!
During a tour of the 30Km 'Zone' around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, we were taken to this site as one of the attractions. It was a long drive down narrow concrete roads in dense woodland until we reached what was actually a small town. It had all mod cons like a school, flats and work places. The occupants would never have to leave what was described on maps as a Holiday Camp for children, and the authorities would not want them to leave as they would be with holding a major secret of the Then USSR.
Back in 1976, Amateur radio enthusiasts came across a strange signal in the Shortwave band, it had the characteristics of a tapping noise made up of mainly 10Hz pulses and lesser used 16 and 20Hz ones. Using signal strength references (Triangulation) it was pinpointed and titled Steel yard / works by NATO. But it was best known for it's distinctive tapping sound and called the Russian Woodpecker!
It was designed as an Over The Horizon Radar installation with the purpose of detecting any missile launches from the enemy of the time - the U.S!
It caused disruption of various civilian radio signals and filters were designed to combat it. It ran from July 1976 to 1989. The cold war had passed and the threats were now low level so it was shut down.
Today this Array stands silent - apart from strange clanging noises that resonate with the wind. The control centres have been looted for copper cable and trashed, equipment is strewn all over the site to stop anyone re-instating it. And being in the 30Km exclusion zone, it can only be visited by specific tours and people with relevant papers. It is 150M high and 500M wide! I climbed to the first level and stopped there, to get to the top would take a good half hour and an hour to get down again. We had other sites to visit on the tour so time was tight.
And also - the men guarding the place looked the type to happily pull off your head and piss down your neck, so when they said No you can't climb up - we complied.
My Dad worked in communications during the time the array would have been operational and he would have loved to see this, God rest his soul.
This was the second one!
During a tour of the 30Km 'Zone' around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, we were taken to this site as one of the attractions. It was a long drive down narrow concrete roads in dense woodland until we reached what was actually a small town. It had all mod cons like a school, flats and work places. The occupants would never have to leave what was described on maps as a Holiday Camp for children, and the authorities would not want them to leave as they would be with holding a major secret of the Then USSR.
Back in 1976, Amateur radio enthusiasts came across a strange signal in the Shortwave band, it had the characteristics of a tapping noise made up of mainly 10Hz pulses and lesser used 16 and 20Hz ones. Using signal strength references (Triangulation) it was pinpointed and titled Steel yard / works by NATO. But it was best known for it's distinctive tapping sound and called the Russian Woodpecker!
It was designed as an Over The Horizon Radar installation with the purpose of detecting any missile launches from the enemy of the time - the U.S!
It caused disruption of various civilian radio signals and filters were designed to combat it. It ran from July 1976 to 1989. The cold war had passed and the threats were now low level so it was shut down.
Today this Array stands silent - apart from strange clanging noises that resonate with the wind. The control centres have been looted for copper cable and trashed, equipment is strewn all over the site to stop anyone re-instating it. And being in the 30Km exclusion zone, it can only be visited by specific tours and people with relevant papers. It is 150M high and 500M wide! I climbed to the first level and stopped there, to get to the top would take a good half hour and an hour to get down again. We had other sites to visit on the tour so time was tight.
And also - the men guarding the place looked the type to happily pull off your head and piss down your neck, so when they said No you can't climb up - we complied.
My Dad worked in communications during the time the array would have been operational and he would have loved to see this, God rest his soul.
