Zhytomyr region surprises visitors not only with its natural beauty, like the Korostyshevsky Canyon, but also with a historical reminder of the war years. It is in this area that the unique military-historical complex “The Rock” is located. The underground command post keeps many secrets, and it is well worth a visit.
Nature shelter
Long ago, on the site where “The Rock” stands today, there was a Drevlian fortification. Caves with thick granite walls were discovered and inhabited by tribes as early as the 6th–10th centuries. Centuries later, in the first half of the 20th century, these natural formations were used to build military fortifications.
Under the guidance of military engineer Vasily Kosarev, and in strict secrecy, the command post of the Korostenskiy Fortified District of the Ukrainian Army (UR № 5) was built. Construction lasted from 1934 to 1938, and the results of that effort can still be seen today.
In early July 1941, this fortification point held part of the army, including a machine-gun battalion. The defenses of the Korostensky Fortified District kept the enemy from reaching Kyiv until early August.
Visit the fallout shelter in Kyiv in the company of experienced stalkers!
Turning into “The Rock”
After the war, the bunker served for a time as the residence of local citizens. This lasted until the 60s, after which it stood empty and gradually began to collapse. The name “The Rock” was given to the site much later, after 1986, when the building was converted for the civil defense needs of the city of Korosten.
Today it is a museum complex, nestled on the banks of the river Uzh. “The Rock” is located in the center of Korosten and has been a local landmark since 2005.
This complex consists of three levels, although tourists can see only the second one. It is about 146 meters long, and visitors have access to 36 rooms, with a total area of 472 m². The total area of the underground complex is 1121 m³, and the upper tier stretches for a length of about two hundred meters. As for the lower tier, its entrance was walled up in 1941. There is also a theory that the upper and lower levels are mined, which is why no one tries to get in. In addition to exhibits directly related to 1941, there are also some items from the time of the Chernobyl disaster.
Testimonies of past years
“The Rock” is equipped with its own well, and there are places for water storage: stainless steel tanks for 15 and 10 tons of drinking and technical water, respectively. It once had its own water supply, a centralized ventilation system and even pressure level control, along with an autonomous power supply. The bunker offered everything needed for rest and duty.
Almost all the exhibits of the modern museum were found in the Korostensky and Novograd-Volyn fortifications. It also displays various photographs from those times.
It is noteworthy that the alarm button in the communication center still works. When the bunker was in active use, this point provided long-distance radio, telephone, and telegraph communication with the government communications room.
The museum is still being developed and expanded with new exhibits. In 2011, a hall dedicated to SMERSH, the counterintelligence division of the NKVD, was added here. Research on the bunker itself is ongoing, and not long ago a new passage between the rooms was discovered, one that is not marked on any existing plan.
If you want to see “The Rock” bunker with your own eyes, you can book our tour there right now.