MALOYAROSLAVETS RESEARCH INSTITUTE OBNINSK, USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B04560A002200010077-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 3, 2006
• Sequence Number: 77
• Publication Date: May 1, 1964
• Content Type: REPORT

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Copy NPIC/R-317/64
12 Pages May 1964
MALOYAROSLAVETS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
OBNINSK, USSR
Declass Review by NGA/DOD
CIA
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PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION REPORT
MALOYAROSLAVETS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
OBNINSK, USSR
NPIC/R-317/64
May 1964
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
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This report updates September 1963 infor-
mation 1/ on the Maloyaroslavets Research
Institute, Obninsk, USSR, (55-05N 36-35E; BE
I
and is based on
photography of the institute from
up to and including that of
(Figures 1 and 2). The institute is located
west of the village of Obninsk, 6.5 nautical miles
(nm) northeast of Maloyaroslavets, and appr.ox-
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imately 54 nm southwest of Moscow. Aprobable
nuclear research facility 2 nm southeast of the
institute is probably associated with it. Two
unidentified areas are situated north of the in-
stitute. The small scale and obliquity of the
photography, shadows, and snow cover made
precise measurements from the
photography difficult.
and 4). This portion of the Reactor Area is
completely fenced. The towers, which are
approximately 150 feet high, were probably 25X1 D
but were not 25X1 D
At the present
time there is no photographic evidence indicating
that these towers are used for power
transmission.
NPIC H-9737 (8/64)
FIGURE 1. LOCATION OF MALOYAROSLAVETS RESEARCH
INSTITUTE, OBNINSK, USSR.
Founded for the purpose of physical re-
search and for the design of atomic power in-
stallations, the institute is the site of the
first Soviet nuclear power station, Atom Mir-1
(AM-1), which began operating in 1954 and which
is the first atomic powerplant in the world. 2/
The institute has also developed and built four
fast reactors (designated BR-1, BR-2, BR-3,
and BR-5). A mobile pressurized water reactor,
suitable for use as a source of electric power
at remote locations, was seen at the institute
by a US Atomic Energy Commission delegation
in 1963. 2/
The institute, which is road and rail served,
includes a reactor area, a support area, and a
large housing area (Figure 2).
= a new apartment-type building was under
construction on the northern edge of the housing
area.
Reactor Area. The southern portion of the
Reactor Area has been expanded and now con-
tains a possible reactor building measuring
approximately 160 by 130 feet, a probable air-
exhaust and filter building measuring about 90
by 50 feet, a stack 155 feet high, two unidentified
buildings, and two towers, all of which were
newly identified inr _j (Figures 3
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FIGURE 2. MALOYAROSLAVETS RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND PROBABLE NUCLEAR RESEARCH FACILIT
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FIGURE 3. REACTOR AREA, MALOYAROSLAVETS RESEARCH INSTITUTE,
NPIC H-9739 (6/641
The cooling basins are shown in
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PROBABLE CHEMICAL
C PROBBABL
r, r-1 STACK
PROBABLE AIR-EXHAUST STACK 155' HIGH POSSIBLE'
AND FILTER BUILDING i~` - - t._-REACTOR
UNIDENTIFIED< BUILDING
_/
BUILDINGS PROBABLE AIR-EXHAUST
AND FILTER BUILDING
TOWERS
PO55IBLE
POSSIBLE
PUMPING
STATION
DR AIN AGES/
RETENTION \^
BASIN
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or M
Railroad
Fence
Stack
--- Unidentified trace
. Areas of melted snow and ice
-
PROBABLE
fF r
- EXCAVATION
E
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I,
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Several changes were also noted in the
older or northern portion of the area. A
third probable air-exhaust and filter building
was newly identified in the western section of
the area near a previously observed stack. 1/
The previously reported probable reactor build-
ing 1/ northwest of the air-exhaust and filter
building has now been identified as a probable
chemical separation laboratory. A new earth
mound was visible about 150 to 200 feet east
of the AM-1 reactor building. The mound is
fenced, and a ditch extends from the vicinity
of the mound to a large excavation about 1,000
feet east of the building. Snow in a portion of
the excavation has either melted or been re-
moved, indicating that some kind of activity
had taken place there. Snow on the roofs
of several buildings, particularly on the roofs of
the AM-1 reactor building, the turbogenerator
building, and the probable chemical separation
laboratory, had melted, an indication that heat
was being dissipated by these buildings.
The water facility in the northwest corner
of the Reactor Area 1/ contains three cooling
basins, two of which were noted for the first
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(Figures 3 and 4). In
have been equipped with aerators (see inset,
Figure 3) which were not discernible in
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the westernmost basin
was covered with snow, and vapor was rising
from the other two basins.
A probable substation has been newly i-
dentified west of the previously reported prob-
able substation 1/ in the southeastern corner of
the area. The existence of the suspect substation
just outside the southwest corner of the area
has been negated. 1/
A newly observed possible retention basin is
located outside the southwest corner of the
Reactor Area.
a new clearing approximately 800 by 300 feet
is situated near the southeast corner of the area.
Probable Reactor Area. This area may be
completely fenced, and a new wall which parallels
the western fence line now extends to the road
in the southwest corner of the area. The
T-shaped probable reactor building is located
in the center of the area. A probable air-
exhaust and filter building with a stack is
situated approximately 700 feet northeast of the
covered, and a small drainage ditch connected
the basin to the Protva River. The river was
partially melted downstream from the dam in
three areas: a small area immediately after
the water passes through the dam, a small
area in the vicinity of the possible retention
basin, and a third area south of the Reactor
Area which extends for approximately 2 nm
downstream (Figures 2 and 4).
This facility situated in a wooded area
about 2 nm southeast of the research institute
contains a probable reactor area, an adminis-
tration area, and a barracks area (Figures 5
and 6). An improved road bisects the facility,
but no rail spurs were discernible. Nopumping
stations were observed on the bank of the
Protva River near the facility, and no ice-free
or melted areas were visible on the river
near the facility itself. Apossible pipeline trace
and an unidentified trace were noted south of
the Barracks Area. A small road- served clear-
ing south of the Probable Reactor Area is the
terminus of a new possible pipeline trace, and
probable reactor building. In
steam or smoke was visible about 500 feet
north of the probable reactor building, but the
source of the steam or smoke could not be
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UN uINT1FE
BILDiNG
CONSTRUCTION
ACTIVITY
DITCH
PROBABLE AIR--EXHAUST
AND, FILTER`BUILbtNG
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`
.
STEAMISMOKE
NEW PR-OBABLE-
\ SUBSTA-TION `
PROBABLE BLDING,
f
66 I Ii1Ingunder;constructi oii:
:Road
Ppssib_le: pi{zel ine: trace
Possiblt~.powerUrte
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determined from the photography. A ditch east
of the probable reactor building extends to an
unidentified building 1! which is still under con-
struction. A new unidentified object situated
at the southeast corner of this building casts
a shadow across the building. A newly observed
unidentified building is located in the southeast
portion of the area. Construction activitv on the
west side of this building and a new unidentified
object on the east side of the building were
also observed.
Two separately secured compounds were
identified for the first time in
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taining a possible T-shaped building is located
about 600 feet south of the probable reactor
building.
Administration .Area. This area is road
served and contains four U-shaped buildings and
six small buildings, two of which were observed
for the first time in I No signifi-
cant changes have been observed in this area
Barracks Area. This area is road served
and contains eight one-story barracks, a T-
shaped administration building, and several
small buildings, No changes have been noted in
this area. A probable excavation east of the
area may be associated with road construction
or with construction activities in the Probable
Reactor Area. Three single-story barracks-
type buildings are located near the road serving
the Barracks Area and immediately north of
this excavation.
A secured probable substation is situated in the
northeast corner of the area, and a possible
powerline extends from the west side of this
substation to the perimeter fence. Theexistence
of the suspect substation 1/ immediately north-
west of the area has been negated and is now
an unidentified area. A fenced compound con-
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MAPS OR CHARTS
ACIC. CS Air Target Musaic, Series 25, Sheet 0167-9976-2-25MA, (st ed, Jun 57, scale 1:25,000 (SECRET)
ACIC. US Air Target ('hart, Scrii 200, Sheet 0167-9A, 1