Myths of Kurchatov: how Laboratory No. 2 turned into one of the most mysterious objects in Russia

REG.RU recently announced the launch of the Colocation service, which allows everyone to host their servers in the data center on the territory of the Kurchatov Institute .

From the date of its foundation, a great number of myths have been circling around Kurchatovsky, associated primarily with the increased secrecy of the object. Access there still has a very narrow circle of people, and even the authorities need to pre-order a pass to enter the institute.
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Together with us, we offer you not only to recall the history of the Kurchatov Institute, but also some of the most famous myths and legends associated with it.

How did the Kurchatov Institute appear

On April 12, 1943, the Vice-President of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Academician A. A. Baikov, signed an order on the creation of Laboratory No. 2 of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, which was later transformed into the Kurchatov Institute. The head of the laboratory was appointed I.V. Kurchatov. The main task of the Laboratory was the creation of nuclear weapons.

The team of the Kurchatov Institute developed:

• The first cyclotron in Moscow (1944);
• Europe’s first nuclear reactor (1946);
• The first Soviet atomic bomb (1949);
• The world's first thermonuclear bomb (1953);
• The world's first industrial nuclear power plant (1954);
• The world's first nuclear reactor for submarines (1958) and nuclear-powered icebreakers;
• The largest facility for conducting research on controlled thermonuclear reactions (1958);
• Flying nuclear laboratory on the basis of the Tu-95;
• Prototypes of nuclear rocket engines of the minimum dimension;
• Electrojet (pulsed-plasma) engine, which was tested in space in 1964 on the Zond-2 satellite,
• Ion with volumetric ionization and stationary plasma engines, which were tested in space on the satellite "Meteor";
• Research reactors;
• The first installation Tokamak , the experience of which was used in the construction of more modern installations.

Now on the territory of the Kurchatov Institute (which is located near the Oktyabrskoe pole metro station) there is an impressive number of research facilities:

• Accelerator complexes;
• Research nuclear reactors;
• Plasma installation;
• Installations for the development of nuclear technology;
• Data processing center;
• Biotechnology complex;
• Nanotechnology complex;
• Neuroscience and cognitive research complex.

Myths of the Kurchatov Institute

Looking at the list of achievements of scientists of the Kurchatov Institute and research facilities located on its territory, it is not at all surprising that many of the most incredible stories have sprung up around it. And the closeness of the research center further stirs interest in the research conducted there.

Myth number 1. Nuclear project

There is a common perception that almost all the documents of the famous Manhattan Project (a project to develop an atomic bomb in the United States) were obtained by Soviet intelligence, while Academician Kurchatov and his colleagues needed only to assemble the Soviet atomic bomb according to foreign drawings.

Myth number 2. Monsters Moscow dungeons

Moscow dungeons hide a special flora and fauna, inaccessible to the eyes of ordinary citizens. Many associate the mutation of various creatures with discharges from the production of chemical plants, including nuclear wastes from the Kurchatov Institute.

In addition, the dungeons of Kurchatovsky himself, where the oldest atomic reactor in Russia is located, are still unavailable for underground research and it is not known which monsters are hiding in their depths.

Myth number 3. Suitcase with uranium

Leader of the USSR Atomic Project L.P. Beria widely used parallel placement of the same production tasks at different enterprises. Often these research teams did not know about each other's work.

Once upon a time L.P. Beria invited the plant director to his ministerial office, where he had just received 1 kg of uranium for the first time. The director put a uranium bar in his briefcase and went to Moscow. At exactly 5:55 pm, he went to the private elevator of the minister in the ministry building. At the same time, the director of another related enterprise with his kilogram of uranium also approached the elevator.

The concept of the critical mass of uranium for the atomic bomb was already familiar to both directors. And the question of the amount of uranium needed to start a chain reaction remained secret for the administration of the plants.

As a result, right in the elevator of one of the directors, an apoplexy was enough, and the second instantly turned gray.

Myth number 4 (which is not really "myth"). Two "carrots"

Two “carrots” were effectively used in the 1940-1950s. leaders of the USSR Atomic Project to stimulate the work of researchers. Each participant in the work knew exactly how the Government would thank him for his successes in his work.

“The Big Carrot” - the Order of Lenin + a very large cash prize + academic title + title of honorary citizen of a closed city + summer cottage in the Crimea.
“Small carrot” - a medal or an order + a big money prize + an academic degree + a summer residence.

On the Internet there are still many myths and tales about the Kurchatov Institute.
We offer you to share them in the comments to the post. Perhaps in the process of discussion we will be able to get to the truth;)