The Stalin Line was a defensive line in the USSR — a system of nodal structures along the Soviet border (until 1939 it consisted of fortified areas stretching from the Karelian Isthmus to the shores of the Black Sea). The Kiev fortified area was established in 1929 and was one of the most impressive on the Stalin Line. By 1935, the fortified area consisted of a chain of bunkers and artificial reservoirs. Because the defensive line was supplied with ammunition over bridges across the Dnipro River — bridges the enemy could easily destroy — an alternative means of supply was needed. That is why it was decided to build two tunnels under the Dnipro, which made it possible to supply Kiev despite the bombing and shelling.
The construction was supposed to take nine years and was completely classified. It was supervised personally by Stalin and Khrushchev.
In the summer of 1941, construction had to be halted because the war had begun. After the war it resumed, but it was soon found to be unprofitable and was finally stopped in 1949.
Construction was carried out in several places at once, and the sections were called “titles”.
Obolon. Title №10.
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Today, the first stage of construction can still be traced in the Obolon district, in the “Natalka” tract. It worked as follows: a concrete caisson was assembled on the surface, after which water, fed through pipes under high pressure, washed away the earth beneath the caisson so that it sank under its own weight. As it sank, the pipe was topped up with concrete rings, which were inserted every 70 cm and reinforced the walls of the tunnel. Erecting at least one ring per work shift was considered a great success.
Osokorki. Title №2 and 3.
On the left bank, the southern tunnel surfaces at Osokorki. Here the title is represented by a submerged caisson and an underground exit from the tunnel. During the work, 220 rings with a total length of 154 m were installed.
Zhukov Island and the island of Vodnikov. Title № 4, 5, 6 and 7.
The most intensive construction took place in the southern tunnel on the right bank. The land tunnel was 700 m long, and two caissons were installed. At the 5th title, a record number of rings — 273 — was mounted.
Working at depth was difficult, because inside the caisson and the tunnel the work was carried out under pressure of up to 4 atmospheres. Such conditions led to caisson disease (a high nitrogen content in the blood). To prevent it, a sluice decompression chamber was built, in which, for 1.5 hours after each shift, the workers went through an adaptation process as the pressure was gradually reduced. In addition, after a certain period, the workers spent up to two weeks recovering at a sanatorium. About 12 thousand people were involved in the construction.
In early 1941, there was an accident that flooded the tunnel, and it has remained that way ever since.
It is impossible to get into the tunnels: research in the 1990s showed that the tunnel is completely blocked by reinforcement, and the remaining entrances are blocked by demolition waste or encased in concrete.
Various legends surround the tunnel — about an armored train and about builders who were shot inside it. They are impossible to verify, given the poor condition of the tunnels and reports that the Germans stored poisonous substances there.
Various legends surround the tunnel: about an armored train inside it and about builders who were shot in the tunnel. They are impossible to verify because of the tunnels’ hazardous condition. There are also reports that the Germans stored poisonous substances there. Being inaccessible, the tunnel attracts fans of extreme tourism, mystery and history.