Balaklava, Ukraine

The scenic town of Balaklava, Ukraine, holds a secret: hidden within its mountains lie extensive, eerie tunnels. These were part of a covert Soviet project to build a submarine base complete with a dry dock and water channel. Known as Object 825 GTS, it was constructed in the 1950s for stealth submarine docking. The tunnel system featured a nuclear shelter to protect the nearby town from nuclear attacks and housed a weapon storage facility. In 1996, it was repurposed into the Cold War Naval Museum.

Object 280

In Balaklava, the Soviet Naval Museum complex also includes Object 280, a massive technical and repair base. Designed for maintaining and storing nuclear arsenals transported to the Tavros mountain tunnels, Object 280 was a special tunnel used for loading equipment during wartime. It supported the storage, maintenance, and repair of vessels from Projects 613 and 633.