Welcome to a place that used to be a secret base for submarine repairing once and is a museum now.

The construction in the Balaclava bay is an underground protected complex engaged in repairing and protection of medium-sized diesel submarines. Construction of the object was launched in 1957 being over by 1961.

According to the preliminary project, the object had to consist of 4 dry docks and a dockyard where four medium-sized boats could be repaired simultaneously. Finally, only the dockyard and one dock were completed. A number of submarine shelters decreased, respectively.

The gates.

Employees of the underground complex could repair submarines and then let them out through a special gateway right into the sea. The complex was also used as a bomb-shelter for one thousand people.

The main channel.

A submarine had to move from the Balaklava bay to the beginning of a channel from where it was removed with the help of robes and hemps.

The channel was 506 meters long, 6-12 meters wide and 6-8 meters deep. The submarine entered the dock, the gateway closed, water was evacuated and the submarine could be repaired.

The complex had medium anti-nuclear endurance. It could survive just a 100 kiloton nuclear weapon.

The channel and the docks were curved making maintenance of submarines easier.

Torpedoes were loaded aboard in one part of the dock while in the other one they were filled with oxygen and delivered to any part of the channel for subsequent loading aboard.

Submarines could charge their batteries with the help of powerful diesel generators.

Thus, a submarine could leave the battle field, enter the channel, get all the necessary repairs and leave the complex ready for another battle. A submarine had to stay at the dock for a month or so. Personnel consisted of 100 people. A warehouse for nuclear wastes was located in the southern part of the the channel. The northern part embraced a fuel warehouse that consisted of vertical underground storage tanks.

Location: Balaclava

via general-cosmosa