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All Ukraine Ivankivs'kyi district Duga 'Russian Woodpecker' Radar

Duga 'Russian Woodpecker' Radar

This derelict superstructure was a very important warning system for the Soviet military.

Ivankivs'kyi district, Ukraine

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  scrappynw / Atlas Obscura User
  egeerardyn / Atlas Obscura User
Duga in the sun   Carismarkus / Atlas Obscura User
  Avoiding Regret/used with permission
The array   chernobaevlucy / Atlas Obscura User
Panorama   Keyword Adventuring / Atlas Obscura User
  Keyword Adventuring / Atlas Obscura User
  rigor / Atlas Obscura User
  rigor / Atlas Obscura User
from higher floors you can clearly see Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant   shovax / Atlas Obscura User
condition of the structure is impressive   shovax / Atlas Obscura User
  shovax / Atlas Obscura User
small people under the radar give some perspective about how huge it is.   shovax / Atlas Obscura User
symmetry of the construction is insane   shovax / Atlas Obscura User
Looking up at the Duga Radar, Chernobyl, Ukraine   juliebarker / Atlas Obscura User
  Johan SWE / Atlas Obscura User
Cernobyl Duga-3 Receiver ( Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Woodpecker_array.jpg )  
Abandoned military vehicle   Avoiding Regret/used with permission
  Avoiding Regret/used with permission
Elevator up the array   Avoiding Regret/used with permission
  Avoiding Regret/used with permission
  thatleeburton / Atlas Obscura User
  Avoiding Regret/used with permission
Inside building (barracks / control room?)   chernobaevlucy / Atlas Obscura User
Inside building (barracks / control room?)   chernobaevlucy / Atlas Obscura User
Duga   Carismarkus / Atlas Obscura User
  egeerardyn / Atlas Obscura User
  egeerardyn / Atlas Obscura User
  egeerardyn / Atlas Obscura User
Vandals and stalkers have ripped some of the Duga radar structure apart and that is the reason for the junk on the ground.   juliebarker / Atlas Obscura User
Duga view from the ground   GearsGirl / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Duga is an enormous, now-abandoned antenna system built in the 1970s as part of a Soviet anti-ballistic missile early warning network. 

It is a huge lattice mega-structure with two antennas: the first first 150 meters high and 550 meters long, and the second 80 meters high and 220 meters long. To operate the radar system, a small secret city was built, in which 1,000 people lived.

The structure broadcast a sharp tapping sound which earned it the nickname “Russian Woodpecker.” It was such a powerful system that the sounds disrupted legitimate radio broadcasts and communications all over the world.

While many people worldwide had theories as to what was causing the noises, the source wasn’t confirmed until after the fall of the Soviet Union. The site at Chernobyl remained in operation after the disaster, but in 1987, most of the technical equipment was moved to a site at Komsomolsk na Amure.

Today, the mega-structure is still there, just a few miles south of the infamous Chernobyl reactor. There are plans to install wind turbines on it.

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After the death of visitor who fell from the radar, all ladders were cut off, so climbing on the higher antenna is almost impossible.

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  • G GearsGirl profile photo GearsGirl
  • C chernobaevlucy profile photo chernobaevlucy
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Published

June 14, 2010

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Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Woodpecker
  • http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=65471
  • http://lplaces.com/en/reports/zona/12-chornobyl-2
  • http://www.avoidingregret.com/2017/09/photo-essay-secret-soviet-radar-base.html
  • https://www.chernobyl-tour.com/duga-3_doesnt_exist_en.html

Related Tags

Ghost Towns Infrastructure
Duga 'Russian Woodpecker' Radar
Ivankivs'kyi district
Ukraine
51.306016, 30.066276

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