The Ionospheric Research Station (though not completely abandoned) is just as big, full of rust and a bizarre “post-apocalyptic” atmosphere.
Back in the 80s, this place had a functioning antenna complex the size of a soccer field, plus the “Ural” supercomputer presiding over it all… The Ionospheric Research Station is located near Zmiev, close to Kharkov, and is still used from time to time by (no doubt desperate) scientists — the area was declassified recently (it used to be a top-secret installation; hm… I wonder why). This marvel of Soviet technology may seem no match for the HAARP Research Station in Alaska, but looks can be deceiving — and in the meantime, it serves as a good “stomping ground” for all sorts of explorers of creepy, abandoned places.
The High-Frequency Transmitter and Antenna Array
The biggest antenna is capable of producing 25 MW of impulse power (compared to the HAARP station’s 12.5 MW) and is 25 meters in diameter. The IS (incoherent scatter) radar is quite unique — there are only 9 in the world — and covers a 100-meter x 100-meter area.
The Institute of the Ionosphere is known not only throughout the Kharkiv region, but even beyond Ukraine. The radar you can see here in the photo is very rare and unique of its kind. Interestingly, there are only 11 in the world!
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Where Is the Ionosphere Research Institute on the Map?
The Ionosphere Research Institute is located near the town of Zmyev, 30 km south of Kharkiv.
What do scientists study?
– the effect of radio emissions and spacecraft flights on processes in the ionosphere;
– the nature of geocosmic storms;
– wave disturbances;
– the Earth’s magnetic field and cosmic weather;
– the effect of radio emissions on plant cells;
– geocosmic plasma and its response to the launch of probes.
If you decide to visit this Soviet iron marvel, we can help you — just contact us at info@urbextour.com
The Russian Woodpecker
In 1976, amateur shortwave radio enthusiasts began hearing an unusual and extremely powerful signal. Ham radio fans all over the world soon had their listening disrupted by an unrelenting tapping sound. When the source of the mysterious new transmission was triangulated, it appeared to be coming from somewhere deep behind the Iron Curtain. The peculiar signal was given the nickname “Russian Woodpecker.”
The purpose of the Russian Woodpecker remained a mystery. Conspiracy theories ranged from Soviet mind control to weather experiments. Then came the collapse of the Soviet Union, which revealed that the Russian Woodpecker was at the forefront of what is known as “over the horizon” radar, designed to provide early warning of an intercontinental ballistic missile attack. The Duga-3 (Eastern) radar broadcasting the Woodpecker signal was located in the forests surrounding Chernobyl.
The fateful day of April 26, 1986, suddenly brought the veil down on the radar station. Like the rest of what would become the Exclusion Zone, Duga-3 was eventually evacuated and left to decay in the forest. By 1989, alert ham radio enthusiasts noticed that the curious tapping signal — the Russian Woodpecker — had suddenly stopped.
Walking today amid the silent pylons and seeing the remnants of the pinnacle of Soviet computer technology lying rusted on the ground, one is struck by the vast amounts of money, expertise and energy spent designing, constructing and operating the radar system. The exact date the Duga project was abandoned is, like most things in the Exclusion Zone, something of a mystery, but it seems the base wasn’t vacated immediately after the fateful explosion. Within a few years, the peculiar Russian Woodpecker — so long vexing to shortwave radio enthusiasts and a cause for concern for Western intelligence — disappeared from the airwaves, never to be heard again.
Where Is DUGA-3 on the Map?
Duga-3 is located in the forest near Chernobyl.
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DUGA-3 “Russian Woodpecker”
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Nowadays, a lot of tourists visit this Soviet ghost of the Cold War. Sometimes “stalkers” — a young subculture of people who visit the Chernobyl zone illegally climb to the top of Duga-3. Officially, there is no way to do it.
The best time to have a new experience near Duga-3 is on a windy night. As you sit under millions of stars, the wind creates a strange sound, “playing” a song on thousands of strings like nothing you have ever heard before.
