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:
Attachment | Size |
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Body:
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DATE DISTR. 26 Jaraiary 1953
INFORMATION REPORT REPORT NO.
CD NO.
COUNTRY Bulgaria
SUBJECT The Bukhovo Uranium Mines
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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
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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,
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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SECRET/
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