Closed city

 ( Geography Of Russia ) 

Sometimes, closed cities are indicated obliquely as a nearby insignificant village, with the name of the stop serving the closed city made equivocal or misleading. For mail delivery, a closed city is usually named as the nearest large city and a special postcode, for example, Arzamas‑16, Chelyabinsk‑65. The actual settlement can be rather distant from its namesakes; for instance, Sarov, designated Arzamas-16, is in the federal republic of Mordovia, whereas Arzamas is in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast (roughly away). People not living in a closed city were subject to document checks and security checkpoints, and explicit permission was required for them to visit. To relocate to a closed city, one would need security clearance by the organization running it, such as the KGB in Soviet closed cities.

Closed cities may be guarded by a security perimeter with barbed wire and Watchtower. The very fact of such a city's existence was often classified, and residents were expected not to divulge their place of residence to outsiders. This lack of freedom was often compensated by better housing conditions and a better choice of goods in retail trade than elsewhere in the country.

1. The first category comprised relatively small communities with sensitive military, industrial, or scientific facilities, such as arms plants or nuclear research sites. "Secret Cities". GlobalSecurity.org. Accessed August 2011. Examples are the modern towns of Ozyorsk (Chelyabinsk-65) with a plutonium production plant, and Sillamäe, the site of a uranium enrichment facility. Even Soviet citizens were not allowed access to these places without proper authorization. In addition to this, some bigger cities were closed for unauthorized access to foreigners, while they were freely accessible to Soviet citizens. These included cities like Perm, a center for Soviet artillery, munitions, and also aircraft engines production, and Vladivostok, the headquarters and primary base of the Soviet Pacific Fleet.
2. The second category consisted of border cities (and some whole border areas, such as the Kaliningrad Oblast, Saaremaa, and Hiiumaa), which were closed for security purposes. Comparable closed areas existed elsewhere in the Eastern bloc; a substantial area along the inner German border and the border between West Germany and Czechoslovakia was placed under similar restrictions (although by the 1970s foreigners could cross the latter by train). Citizens were required to have special permits to enter such areas.

The locations of the first category of closed cities were chosen for their geographical characteristics. They were often established in remote places deep in the Urals and Siberia, out of reach of enemy bombers. They were built close to rivers and lakes that were used to provide the large amounts of water needed for heavy industry and nuclear technology. Existing civilian settlements in the vicinity were often used as sources of construction labour. Although the closure of cities originated as a strictly temporary measure that was to be normalized under more favorable conditions, in practice the closed cities took on a life of their own and became a notable institutional feature of the Soviet system.Victor Zaslavsky, "Ethnic group divided: social stratification and nationality policy in the Soviet Union", p. 224, in Peter Joseph Potichnyj, The Soviet Union: Party and Society, Cambridge University Press, 1988. .

Any movement to and from closed areas was tightly controlled. Foreigners were prohibited from entering them and local citizens were under stringent restrictions. They had to have special permission to travel there or leave, and anyone seeking residency was required to undergo vetting by the NKVD and its successor agencies. Access to some closed cities was physically enforced by surrounding them with barbed wire fences monitored by armed guards.

There are 44 publicly acknowledged closed cities in Russia with a total population of approximately 1.5 million people. Seventy-five percent are administered by the Russian Ministry of Defense, with the remainder under the administration of Rosatom.Nadezhda Kutepova & Olga Tsepilova, "A short history of the ZATO", pp. 148–149, in Cultures of Contamination, Volume 14: Legacies of Pollution in Russia and the US (Research in Social Problems and Public Policy), editors Michael Edelstein, Maria Tysiachniouk, Lyudmila V. Smirnova. JAI Press, 2007. It is believed that about 15 additional closed cities exist, but their names and locations have not been publicly disclosed by the Russian government.Greg Kaser, "Motivation and Redirection: Rationale and Achievements in the Russian Closed Nuclear Cities", p. 3, in Countering Nuclear and Radiological Terrorism, editors David J. Diamond, Samuel Apikyan, Greg Kaser. Springer, 2006.

Some Russian closed cities are open to foreign investment, but entry for foreigners requires a permit. An example of international cooperation in these cities is the Nuclear Cities Initiative (NCI), a joint effort of the United States National Nuclear Security Administration and Minatom, which involves, in part, the cities of Sarov, Snezhinsk, and Zheleznogorsk.

The number of closed cities has been significantly reduced since the mid-1990s. However, on 30 October 2001, foreign travel was restricted without exception in the northern cities of Norilsk, Talnakh, Kayerkan, Dudinka, and Igarka. Russian and Belarusian citizens visiting these cities are not required to have permits; however, local courts have been known to deport Belarusian citizens.

The number of closed cities in Russia is defined by government decree. The reasons for restrictions vary. These cities include:

Altai Krai

• Sibirsky

Amur Oblast

• Tsiolkovskyrenamed from Uglegorsk in 2013 and known as Svobodny-18 (Свободный-18) before that, site of the second Russian trial cosmodrome of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, also called Svobodny Cosmodrome.

Arkhangelsk Oblast

• Mirnysite of Plesetsk Cosmodrome.

Astrakhan Oblast

• Znamenskformerly known as Kapustin Yar-1 (Капустин Яр-1), home to the Kapustin Yar (air base) and the Kapustin Yar.

Republic of Bashkortostan

• Mezhgoryeformerly known as Ufa-105 (Уфа-105) and Beloretsk-15 (Белорецк-15), home to the 129th Directorate of strategic subjects' technical supply and maintenance.

Chelyabinsk Oblast

• Lokomotivny
• Ozyorskformerly known as Chelyabinsk-65 (Челябинск-65) and Chelyabinsk-40 (Челябинск-40), nuclear material processing and recycling plant.
• known as Chelyabinsk-70 (Челябинск-70), site of one of the two major Russian Federal Nuclear Centers.
• known as Zlatoust-36 (Златоуст-36), site of development of parts and machinery for atomic stations and weaponry.

Kamchatka Krai

• known as Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky-50 (Петропавловск-Камчатский-50), base of a squadron of submarines from the Russian Pacific Fleet, also involved in the production of nuclear submarines.

Kirov Oblast

• Pervomayskyformerly known as Yurya-2 (Юрья-2).

Krasnoyarsk Krai

• Dikson
• Solnechnyformerly known as Uzhur-4 (Ужур-4).Official website of Solnechny. About the Settlement
• Zelenogorskformerly known as Krasnoyarsk-45 (Красноярск-45).
• Zheleznogorskformerly known as Krasnoyarsk-26 (Красноярск-26).

Moscow Oblast

• Krasnoznamenskformerly known as Golitsyno-2 (Голицыно-2).
• Molodyozhnyformerly known as Naro-Fominsk-5 (Наро-Фоминск-5).
• Vlasikhaformerly known as Gorky-2 (Горький-2).
• Voskhodformerly known as Novopetrovsk-2 (Новопетровск-2).
• Zvyozdny gorodokformerly known as Shchyolkovo-14 (Щёлково-14).

Murmansk Oblast

• Alexandrovskclosed administrative-territorial formation, includes the towns of Gadzhiyevo, Polyarny, and Snezhnogorsk
• Ostrovnoy
• Severomorsk
• Snezhnogorsk
• Vidyayevo
• Zaozyorsk

Nizhny Novgorod Oblast

• known as Arzamas-16

Orenburg Oblast

• Komarovsky

Penza Oblast

• Zarechnyformerly known as Penza-19

Perm Krai

• Zvyozdnyformerly known as Perm-76 (Пермь-76).

Primorsky Krai

• Fokinoformerly known as Shkotovo-17 (Шкотово-17).

Pskov Oblast

• Smuravyevo

Saratov Oblast

• Mikhaylovsky
• Shikhany
• Svetly

Sverdlovsk Oblast

• Lesnoyformerly known as Sverdlovsk-45
• known as Sverdlovsk-44
• Svobodny
• Uralsky

Tomsk Oblast

• known as Tomsk-7

Tver Oblast

• Ozyorny
• Solnechny

Vladimir Oblast

• Raduzhny

Zabaykalsky Krai

• Gornyformerly known as Chita-46 (Чита-46).

Tartu, home to Raadi Airfield, was partially closed. Foreign academics could visit the University of Tartu, but had to sleep elsewhere.

• Baikonur, a town close to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, which is rented and administered by Russia. Non-resident visitors will need pre-approval from the Russian authorities to visit both the town of Baikonur itself and the Cosmodrome. Note that said approval is completely separate from just having a Russian visa. Some tourism organisations in Kazakhstan provide services in organising trips to visit Baikonur and the museums contained there.
• Priozersk, Kazakhstan
• Kurchatov, Kazakhstana former closed city that was known by its postal code, Semipalatinsk-21.

• Mailuu-Suu, Jalal-Abad Region, a formerly closed uranium mining town, once known as "Mailbox 200".
  (2010). 9783642124167, Springer Science & Business Media. . ISBN 9783642124167

• Karosta, a former Russian and Soviet naval base.
• Skrunda-1, a former Soviet communications base. Currently used by the Latvian Armed Forces as of 2022.

• closed city, a major center of Soviet PA Pivdenmash.
• Simferopol-28, closed town, a Soviet military space mission control center.
• closed city, largest Uranium processing factory in former Soviet Union.
• Feodosia-13, Crimeaformer closed town, a central storage of nuclear weapons.
• Balaklava, Sevastopol – former closed town, the location of a submarine repair plant.
• Chernobyl-2, Kyiv Oblast – former closed town, the location of the receiving unit of the Duga radar.
• Liubech-1, Chernihiv Oblast – former closed town, the location of the transmission unit of the Duga radar.

• Arnhem Land is a historical region of the Northern Territory which requires permits for access to non-Aboriginal individuals beyond public roads.
• Puckapunyal is a restricted-access town in a military area in Victoria, home to some 250 families.

• Ralston, Alberta is a closed village located in CFB Suffield.

• No. 404 Factory of China National Nuclear Corporation (中国核工业总公司第四零四厂), then the Ministry of Nuclear Industry, in the Gobi Desert in the western part of Gansu, is a closed town often called the nuclear town (核城). Built in 1958, it is China's biggest nuclear industry base. China built its first military nuclear reactor there and 80% of the core parts for China's nuclear bombs were produced there. Until the 1980s, the whole town was closed to outsiders.
  (1996). 9787542306753, 甘肃教育出版社. ISBN 9787542306753
  A nuclear accident happened in 1969, involving a leak. The name " mine area of Gansu" (甘肃矿区) was used for secrecy. In 2007, most residents were moved to nearby Jiayuguan City.
• Some remote areas in China, such as Datong Hui and Tu Autonomous County (except Laoye Mountain), Huangzhong County (except Kumbum Monastery), and Huangyuan County around Xining, the capital of Qinghai, maintain travel restrictions for foreigners. A foreigner must apply for an alien travel document (外国人旅行证) in advance, and report their accommodation to local police within 24 hours after entering the area.

• Riems, an island in the Bay of Greifswald, is home to the oldest virological research institution in the world and is closed to the public. Quarantine stables and laboratories have a high level of security. This means employees and visitors to the complex must change their clothes and shower when entering and exiting.

• In Baja California, the communities on Guadalupe Island (such as Campo Oeste) can be considered closed towns; because Guadalupe Island is within a Biosphere Nature reserve, the Mexican government requires special permits in order to visit the island.http://islas.org.mx/index.php?mod=proy&op=islagua Islas.org.mx. Conservación de Islas. Isla Guadalupe. Retrieved August 17, 2018.http://sdsharkdiving.com/isla-guadalupe/ Sdsharkdiving.com/isla-guadalupe. San Diego Shark Diving. Isla Guadalupe White Shark Trip - FAQs. Retrieved August 17, 2018.http://www.squalodivers.com/ Squalo Divers. Guadalupe Island, Giant Fortress. March 27, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2018.

• Mecca is closed to non-Muslims. Similar restrictions are in place for the city centre of Medina.
  Francis E. Peters (1994). 069102619X, Princeton University Press. . 069102619X
  John L. Esposito (2025). 9780199794133, Oxford University Press. . ISBN 9780199794133

• Alexander Bay, Northern Cape. After diamonds were discovered along this coast in 1925 by Hans Merensky, Alexander Bay became known for its mining activities. The town was a high-security area and permits were needed when entered. Today, it is no longer a high-security area and no permits are needed.

• Fårö and the northernmost parts of Gotland were closed to foreign citizens until 1998.

• Imber, has been closed since 1943 when its residents were evicted by the British Army, who continue to use the village as a training ground for urban warfare. While most of the village's buildings have been demolished and replaced for training purposes, the village church (St Giles') was kept intact and the village is occasionally opened to the public during holidays.
• Foulness Island contains two villages with permanent residences, but public right of way is limited to certain paths and access controlled by the Ministry of Defence. The site contains an active live firing range, as well as several inactive firing ranges and other structures as well as the site of the development and testing of the UK's first atomic weapons.

• Dugway, Utah, inside the Dugway Proving Ground.
• The Gold Coast Historic District in Richland, Washington, was a closed city during the Manhattan Project.
• Johnston Atoll is closed to public entry, with limited access for management needs if one is granted a letter of authorization from the United States Air Force.
• Los Alamos, New Mexico, was a closed city during the Manhattan Project.
  (2025). 9781416585428, Simon & Schuster. . ISBN 9781416585428
• Mercury, Nevada, is within the Nevada Test Site, the primary testing location of American nuclear devices from 1951 to 1992, currently called Nevada National Security Site, and is currently closed as part of this site.
• Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was a closed city during the Manhattan Project.
• Hart Island in New York City: former military site, a city potter's field and occasional site of crisis including for Spanish flu, AIDS, and COVID-19 victims. Some visitors may be allowed after 2023.Hart Island; Melinda Hunt and Joel Sternfeld;
• Plum Island, New York, home of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center

Only seven states were accessible in their entirety: Oregon, Wyoming, Utah, North Carolina, Arkansas, Vermont, and Mississippi. target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Russians Were Once Banned From a Third of the U.S. National Geographic. Restricting Soviet Travel in the U.S. During the Cold War Library of Congress

---

In popular culture

The 2020 film Tenet prominently features a fictional Soviet-era closed city in Siberia called Stalsk-12.

---

See also

• Coast Guard City
• Exclusion zone
• Internal passport
• Border barrier
• Separation barrier
• Closed military townlet
• Naukograd
• Nuclear Cities Initiative
• Propiska in the Soviet Union
• List of cities with defensive walls

---

Further reading

• Bukharin, Oleg (September/October 1998). "Retooling Russia's Nuclear Cities". The Bulletin of the Atomic ScientistsEducational Foundation for Nuclear Science.

---

External links

• Current list of (acknowledged) closed cities / areas, from the Russian Federation Administration website.
• Russia's closed cities are open and shut casearticle from Russia Journal. (Original source requires paid subscription [9].)
• National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Department of Energy website.
• "Secret Cities" (article), from www.globalsecurity.org.* Right to the city in former Soviet Union closed cities (ZATO). Andrius Ropolas's paper focusing upon the social aspects of closed cites. Helpful bibliography.

Maps

• Closed cities map

Categories: Geography Of Russia, Military History Of The Soviet Union, Society Of Russia, Science And Technology In Russia, Science And Technology In The Soviet Union, Soviet Phraseology, Exclusion Zones