THE BUKHOVO URANIUM MINES

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP82-00457R016200350001-7
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
2
Document Creation Date: 
December 14, 2016
Document Release Date: 
May 12, 2003
Sequence Number: 
1
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
January 26, 1953
Content Type: 
REPORT
File: 
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PDF icon CIA-RDP82-00457R016200350001-7.pdf156.77 KB
Body: 
Approved For Release 2003/08/12 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO16200350001-7 25X1" 25X1 DATE DISTR. 26 Jaraiary 1953 INFORMATION REPORT REPORT NO. CD NO. COUNTRY Bulgaria SUBJECT The Bukhovo Uranium Mines 25X1 DATE OF INFO. PLACE ACQUIRE THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793 AND 194, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE- LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PRORTeITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PROHIBITED. NO, OF PAGES 2 1 VI 'VVVI COPUP ELOW) EMENT TO THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION 25X1 25X1 1, Deposits of uranium ore are reported from the X& gash Mounta-.i.n.s, east of the ill age of Kremikoarb .,approximately 30 kilometers from Sofia. The mine is linked with Sofia by a national road and also by the ordinary railway line. The administration of the mines is located at Bukhovo village. The loading point is the Yana railway station on the Sofia-Makotsevo (Sub-Balkan) line, Exploration is continuing on the other slope of the M rgash Mountains near Botevgi ad, 25X1 2. Five perimeters are being exploited and a total of 70 galleries have been driven. The galleries have either small horse-drawn carts or carts drawn by small electric motors,. The mine has its own electrical energy center. The ore is taken to a loading latform where it is loaded automatically on wagons (sic)-Twhi h have auto- matic unloading equiplne it and taken, under close surveillance, to the station at Yana. 3 At the Yana station, Soviet technicians examine the ore with a Geiger counter and classify it. First category material is loaded on freight cars at once and second and third categories are treated at the local installations. Each day approxina tely 600 tons of material leave Tana for the USSR. The undertaking is entirely Soviet, although a carefully chosen labor force from the Bulgarian Militia and the Bul- garian Army are also employed. Approximately 500 Soviet citizens (geologists engineers, guards, and MVD agents) direct approximately 5,000 Bulgarian laborers at the mines and the tr a_nsport, operations. 25X1 CLASSIFICATION SECRET ~:lT ` !nr` I" I'T1= REPORT NO. f 4. The Bulgarian personnel consists entirely of individuals whose records have been carefully examined by the Communist Party. No.,political prisoners are used. The 1XI Approved For Release 2003/08/12 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO16200350001-7 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/08/12 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO16200350001-7 25X1 work is hard and bad for the health; ti"ber .ular mal: der; ? as a nunier.oi s and there are r'i ors that after two or three years in, the ur! meci., the genital organs o the, workers are affected. Mine workers have drawn two to throe yt;an~e< the pay. of oriinar " miners. Chauffeurs and are a ; 'c? ~ ery wcll paid. ores, a detachment of Trudovaks arrives that very night. A road is built at full speed; the miners arrive two days later (sic). Since the deposi..t are -n-it -very deeply buried: exploitation, can begin at once, Security measures against sabotage are ruthless. Tlie moment the M:t. U. 1 `+_a c g a t', y and the Soviet en.g;.nesrs decide that a mars is a saboteur, he is shot immed=iately. There is no tr?ial.- 6. The work goes forward with greet speed.. When the geo w : gi a t_a find a new vein of 25X1 The work rs live in a settlement bail- for the rrsi.ne:re.9 or else ' pie- :bcr rag. villages. Each worker has his 6mn special jcb and is required to tic,-,k to it. Truck drivers are not allowed to visit the mines. Laborers engaged in loading r+ lit, .r ore are not allowed to k uorw from which gallery the ore was extracted. agents are everywhere.. The mimes a. re szncr?ounded. with bar 'bad wine n.d with mili- tary guards. Signs reading "E it:r-mrica. Far?bidder..t. w:1:L1 Kra W: t~ o w Wa .ninge9 .rc posted at all entries. 25X1 .. (~ 9~y used It is not clear Fl whether llwagcm:n ;" refers tot trucks welch een ust.d In. the past to transpo.LUJ the ore f omm, E.~he dt.'.e~. f~. a'.e to ~(I.,la ~? ,j.a:nna nave railroad statiork9 or when e c a spur line h .s no been completed As, has ,eeri planned, according to previous reports, as d that, "wagons" refers to railroad cars. 25X1 20 SECRET/ 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/08/12 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO16200350001-7