29 August 1949 of the year, smooth 70 years ago, It conducted the first test of the Soviet atomic bomb. Nuclear weapons have become for our country in this shield, and still the possession of it is one of the key arguments in opposition to the hostile powers.
Soviet atomic project
In the 1940s in the United States and the Soviet Union took place almost simultaneously develop the latest and high-powered weapons - nuclear bomb. Americans, began research and development of several previously, and were able to achieve his goal quickly - 16 July 1945 of the year, two months after the end of the war with Germany, on the American site "Trinity" in the state of New Mexico's nuclear bomb was tested. Three weeks later, it was used in practice - US aviation has nuclear bombing of the Japanese cities. Hiroshima attack 6 August, and Nagasaki - 9 August 1945 of the year.
In this situation, delay the trials of Soviet nuclear weapons could not. Relations between the former allies of the anti-Hitler and anti-Japanese coalition began to rapidly deteriorate immediately after the Second World War. It was clear, that opens a new phase of confrontation - the capitalist West against the Soviet Union and the socialist camp. And there was no doubt, that the United States use nuclear weapons against the Soviet Union, if the latter is not possible preemptive or retaliatory strike.
To summer 1949 year all the major work on the development of the Soviet atomic bomb had been completed, known as RDS-1. Abbreviation RDS stands for "jet engine special". Naturally, that after the creation of the RDS-1 was required to test new weapons.
Igor Kurchatov
Bit should be said about the people, without which the creation of a nuclear bomb would be impossible. First of all, a legendary scientist - physicist Igor Kurchatov. At the time he was testing 46 years. By today's standards it's quite a young scientist, but in those years Kurchatov was a luminary of Soviet nuclear physics, real "father - the founder of the" Soviet bomb. He was the founder and first director of the Institute of Atomic Energy of the USSR.
45-old Soviet physicist Julius Borisovich Hariton from 1946 he headed Design Bureau-11 (Arzamas-16) Sarov. In fact, it was he who was responsible for the nuclear project, to which the best physicists of the Soviet Union were involved. According to the decision of the Soviet leadership, Yuli Khariton was appointed and responsible for the conduct of RDS-1 test.
State Commission for testing led Mikhail Pervukhin - Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers and Minister of Chemical Industry of the USSR. Pervukhin, as Khariton, It was 45 years.
A typical representative of the Stalinist commissars galaxy, Pervukhin in his youth had time to participate in the Civil War, He joined the Komsomol and Party, He received higher education in engineering and has worked in the energy sector, which very quickly he made a meteoric career. AT 33 , he became the Deputy People's Commissar of Heavy Industry Lazar Kaganovich, at 34 He has headed the People's Commissariat of power stations and electrical, and 35 years, he became deputy chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers.
Pervukhin well versed in technical matters, I enjoyed the confidence of Stalin and his entourage, so to him, and was appointed to lead the State Commission for the testing of nuclear weapons. Sami same tests it was decided at the Semipalatinsk test site in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic.
Semïpalatïnskïy site
Today, it is the East Kazakhstan region of the Republic of Kazakhstan. its center, Semey city, to 2007 it was called Semipalatinsk. But the post-Soviet Kazakhstan government in its policy derussification eventually renamed the city, founded as a fortress back in Semipalatinsk 1718 Basil was voivod Cheredova.
AT 160 km from Semipalatinsk, who at the time of the events was the regional center of the Semipalatinsk region, It was equipped with a special testing ground for new weapons. The place was extremely successful - relief allowed to carry out nuclear explosions underground, including tunnels and wells. Before the opening of the Semipalatinsk test site brought the Chinese Consulate.
21 August 1947 the USSR Council of Ministers passed the landfill USSR Ministry of Armed Forces (then known as the Department of Defense) and he received the official name of "training ground number 2" (Military Unit 52605). The first chief of the Semipalatinsk test site was appointed lieutenant-general of artillery, Peter M. Rozhanovich - a veteran of World War II, military officer, the commander of an artillery division, housing. However, 1948 year, 42-year-old died Rozhanovich.
Nuclear mushroom RDS-ground blast 1 29 August 1949 of the year (from the archives of VNIIEF)
Preparation of the Semipalatinsk test site for the upcoming test of the atomic bomb took place very thoroughly. Experimental field is a circle of radius 10 km, which is divided into 14 sectors, including 2 fortification and physical sector, sector of civil engineering structures, sector of the Armed Forces and the armed forces, pets biological sector.
The Soviet leadership was interested, What will be the consequences of a nuclear explosion for infrastructure, for military equipment. Therefore, in the test area were built subway tunnel segments, runways. Placed at the site and individual samples tanks, self-propelled artillery, rocket launchers, aircraft. The experienced midfield set a special metal structure - tall tower 37,5 m, which secured the bomb RDS-1.
The first Soviet nuclear explosion
exactly at 7:00 morning 29 August 1949 , the vicinity of the landfill shone a bright light, explosion. Atomic bomb, first in Soviet history, It was successfully tested. Despite the efforts precautions, several soldiers were injured in the blast, It was in the command post, is positioned further away from the explosion site.
after 20 minutes after the test to the site of the explosion sent two tanks with lead shield. Scouts and were able to establish, that was at the epicenter of the explosion and a kilometer away from him.
Power RDS-1 was about 22 kilotonn. As a result of the explosion 37-meter tower, which secured the bomb, It was completely destroyed, and crater depth in its place 1,5 meters and a diameter of 3 m. located in 25 meters from the tower building of reinforced concrete structures with a bridge crane was partially destroyed.
T-34 and artillery, located in a radius of 500-550 meters from the center of the explosion, received minor damage. It was damaged and planes, placed at a distance 1,5 kilometers. burned all 10 cars, spaced at a distance of a kilometer from the center.
Two three-storey residential house, constructed in the region 800 m, It was completely destroyed. Destroy all the log and shield urban homes, specially erected within a radius 5 kilometers.
The explosion threw the mangled and railway bridge, erected at a distance of a kilometer, and highway bridge at a distance of one and a half kilometers. Vans and cars, placed on bridges, They were driven to 50- 80 meters away from the installation site. Animals were blown away by the blast. all of 1538 experimental animals 345 animals killed.
Start of production of atomic bombs
During 1949-1950 gg. in the 550th assembly plant at the 11th Design Bureau in Sarov at the plant's Commissariat of Agricultural Engineering was established. Factory production capacity identified 20 RDS year. By the end 1949 years have been made yet 2 bomb RDS-1, and 1950 year - more 9 atomic bomb RDS-1.
To spring 1951 The Soviet Union possessed 15 plutonium nuclear bombs RDS-1. They were placed at the plant number 550 Sarov in a special reinforced concrete vault. The bombs were stored in a disassembled state, and itself plant area was under heavy guard, which was carried out troop units of the Ministry of State Security.
First Soviet atomic bomb RDS-1
If necessary, the engineering staff had to assemble bombs, transport them to the place of combat use, lead to a higher degree of combat readiness. Prepare for combat use of bombs was assigned to operate as part of KB-11 assembly brigade, and the tasks for the bombing of the RDS-1 had to carry out pilots bomber aircraft of the Air Force of the Soviet Army.
Soviet designers work was rewarded on merit. 29 October 1949 the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, received Igor Kurchatov and Yuli Khariton. Hero of Socialist Labor, and became Mikhail Pervukhin, led by the State Commission on the Semipalatinsk test site.
Interestingly, Lavrentiy Beria, whose contribution to the organization of a nuclear weapon is not disputed by even his ferocious haters, second Gold Star did not receive - the Hero of Socialist Labor, he began six years earlier, at 1943 year.
The consequences of atomic bomb test
29 August 1949 , the post-war world irrevocably changed. The United States lost its main advantage over the Soviet Union, they had a period of four years after the end of World War II. The emergence of the Soviet Union had its own atomic bomb meant, and now the United States can wait a very dire consequences in the event of an armed conflict with the Soviet state.
However, officially about the appearance of the Soviet Union's atomic bomb it was announced only six months after the first test of RDS-1 at the Semipalatinsk test site. 8 Martha 1950 the deputy chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers of Marshal Kliment Voroshilov officially declared, that the USSR acquiring nuclear weapons.
For Soviet atomic bomb test was really a breakthrough. The credit for this breakthrough belongs to scientists-physicists, design engineers, technical staff, and the political and military leadership of the USSR, Security officials, military, create all necessary conditions for the emergence of a nuclear bomb - from logistics to information and organizational.
The emergence of the Soviet Union its own nuclear weapons were perceived with horror in the West. Washington believed the atomic bomb one of the main trump cards in the dialogue with the Soviet state, but after the appearance of its own weapons of mass destruction in the Soviet Union, installed side of the balance. There is no doubt, that the world, we watched the second half of the twentieth century, Start XXI century, could exist in its form is due to the fact, that the Soviet Union established the balance in nuclear weapons.
/Ilya Polonsky, topwar.ru/
