Inside a secret Soviet nuclear research laboratory: Factory where captured Nazi scientists were made to test powerful Russian weapons is still laden with rusting torpedoes

  • Laboratory No 5, known as 'Kasatka', developed experimental torpedo and underwater mine technology
  • Research was initially led by Nazi scientists captured in World War II and forced to work for the Soviets
  • It was hidden on the eastern shores of the Black Sea in Abkhazia, now a contested part of Georgia 

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The rusted remains of torpedoes, moulding books, and 1980s propaganda posters are all that remains of a secret Soviet military research lab on the Black Sea.

Laboratory No 5 RI-400, known as 'Kasatka', developed experimental torpedo and underwater mine technology that were tested by some of Russia's most powerful submarines nearby. 

Research was initially led by Nazi scientists captured in World War II and forced to work for the Soviets for a decade after the war ended.

The rusted remains of torpedoes are all that remains of a secret Soviet military research lab on the Black Sea

The rusted remains of torpedoes are all that remains of a secret Soviet military research lab on the Black Sea

One torpedo is raised onto a platform as though it is still under experimentation, with wires suspended loosely from the rotting ceiling

One torpedo is raised onto a platform as though it is still under experimentation, with wires suspended loosely from the rotting ceiling

Laboratory No 5 RI-400, known as 'Kasatka', developed experimental torpedo and underwater mine technology

Laboratory No 5 RI-400, known as 'Kasatka', developed experimental torpedo and underwater mine technology

Hidden on the eastern shores of the Black Sea in Abkhazia, now a contested part of Georgia, now lies derelict after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 and Georgian civil wars that followed. 

The region was at the time also a hotbed of secret nuclear physics research at several other facilities, also initially spearheaded by former German scientists.

Rows after rows of rusting torpedoes lie on racks on the the floor and ransacked research spaces have their cabinets laid bare with boxes thrown open and the crumbling ceiling caving in.

The decaying exterior is marked by broken glass windows, peeling paint, and crumbling concrete with debris and grounded ships strewn across the yard that is being taken over by plants. 

Now debris and grounded ships are strewn across the yard that is being taken over by plants

Now debris and grounded ships are strewn across the yard that is being taken over by plants

 Ransacked research spaces have their cabinets laid bare with boxes thrown open and the crumbling ceiling caving in

 Ransacked research spaces have their cabinets laid bare with boxes thrown open and the crumbling ceiling caving in

Research was initially led by Nazi scientists captured in World War II and forced to work for the Soviets for a decade after the war ended

Research was initially led by Nazi scientists captured in World War II and forced to work for the Soviets for a decade after the war ended

Numerous bookcases still have moulding books lying where researchers left them more than 25 years ago

Numerous bookcases still have moulding books lying where researchers left them more than 25 years ago

This concrete building was one of several scientists used to design new torpedo and mine technology for Russian submarines

This concrete building was one of several scientists used to design new torpedo and mine technology for Russian submarines

The facility was hidden on the eastern shores of the Black Sea in Abkhazia, now a contested part of Georgia

The facility was hidden on the eastern shores of the Black Sea in Abkhazia, now a contested part of Georgia

One torpedo is raised onto a platform as though it is still under experimentation, with wires suspended loosely from the rotting ceiling.

The spooky photographs were captured by Russian blogger and photographer Vladimir who travelled to the former USSR territory to peek inside.

'The atmosphere inside was post-apocalyptic, but everything was whole still. Everything was covered with grass,' he said.

'One of the topics that was studied here was the question of homing the torpedoes. For the development of this topic in the Soviet times, submarines for scientific experiments went to the water area of Abkhazia.'

Rows after rows of rusting torpedoes lie on racks on the the floor, abandoned after the facility was shut down in 1991

Rows after rows of rusting torpedoes lie on racks on the the floor, abandoned after the facility was shut down in 1991

The secret lab researched auto-homing torpedoes and ways to increase their power so they could be used against NATO warships in he event of the Cold War boiling over

The secret lab researched auto-homing torpedoes and ways to increase their power so they could be used against NATO warships in he event of the Cold War boiling over

Kasatka was one of numerous such facilities dotted around the USSR and its warmer water meant research and testing could be done year-round, unlike those farther north

Kasatka was one of numerous such facilities dotted around the USSR and its warmer water meant research and testing could be done year-round, unlike those farther north

Machinery left to rust by departing scientists sits on a workshop floor that has been ravaged by looters

Machinery left to rust by departing scientists sits on a workshop floor that has been ravaged by looters

The concrete sheds are left to the elements as the crumble, covering the walls in mould and rusting equipment beyong recognition

The concrete sheds are left to the elements as the crumble, covering the walls in mould and rusting equipment beyong recognition

Set on a warm beach front, the secret lab researched auto-homing torpedoes and ways to increase their power so they could be used against NATO warships in he event of the Cold War boiling over.

Kasatka was one of numerous such facilities dotted around the USSR and its warmer water meant research and testing could be done year-round, unlike those farther north.

It also conducted civilian research into non-corrosive coatings and fishing and trawling technology.

Russian safety posters give a cartoon representation of the potential hazards of working in the secret laboratory

Russian safety posters give a cartoon representation of the potential hazards of working in the secret laboratory

A 1986 calendar hangs on a wall, untouched for 32 years but still intact despite the passage of times

A 1986 calendar hangs on a wall, untouched for 32 years but still intact despite the passage of times

Plants have started to invade the inside of buildings as smashed windows let rain and dirt inside, giving them a chance to grow

Plants have started to invade the inside of buildings as smashed windows let rain and dirt inside, giving them a chance to grow

Abkhazia is now a subtropical resort that functions as an independent state since soon after the breakup of the Soviet Union, when the territory fought a war in 1992-93 against Georgia.

Georgia planned to keep the facility open for civilian maritime research but with no money after the war and little or no effective control over the area, it was abandoned. 

Abkhazia is now a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), and only a handful of states recognise its independence. 

The decaying exterior is marked by broken glass windows, peeling paint, and crumbling concrete

The decaying exterior is marked by broken glass windows, peeling paint, and crumbling concrete

Abkhazia is now a subtropical resort that functions as an independent state since soon after the breakup of the Soviet Union, when the territory fought a war in 1992-93 against Georgia

Abkhazia is now a subtropical resort that functions as an independent state since soon after the breakup of the Soviet Union, when the territory fought a war in 1992-93 against Georgia

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