KB-11 History

I. Kurchatov Yu.B. Khariton P. Zernov L. Beriya

Decision of June 21, 1946

Since the late thirties the Soviet scientists had been seriously discussing the possibility of nuclear chain reaction and nuclear explosion. But with World War II breaking out, all nuclear effort was suspended. Still, as early as in the fall of 1941 the Soviet leadership became aware of the activities going on abroad towards making a new weapon that would be of atomic type. At the same time it was also observed that any open publications in nuclear science area had totally disappeared. In November 1942, I. Stalin called academicians A. Ioffe and V. Vernadsky in to a meeting. Thus, building an atomic bomb would come to be the issue of practical interest.

I. Kurchatov was designated as the leader of the atomic project. Since the late 1942 he was teaming up scientists and engineers that were needed to solve the problem.

One of the plant 550 buildings
Initially, it was V. Molotov who supervised the atomic project at large. But the State Committee for Defense made a decision on August 20, 1945 (shortly after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) to set up a Special Committee with L. Beriya at the head. Now he would be just that person in charge of the Soviet Atomic Project.

As the work was proceeding, it obviously faced the need for a special research organization to design, develop and test the "product" per se. On April 9, 1946 there was a classified decision by the USSR Council of Ministers to establish the design bureau (KB-11) within Laboratory N 2 of the USSR Academy of Science. P.M. Zernov was appointed to be director of KB-11 and Yu.B. Khariton - the chief designer.

Starting late in 1945, efforts were taken to find a suitable location for a top secret site. Several options were on discussion. In the late April 1945, Yu. Khariton and P. Zernov came to see Sarov, the place that used to be formerly a monastery area and where an artillery shell production, or plant 550, was located now. The final choice was made in favor of that place as it was both remote from big cities and having initial production infrastructure.

Zernov park
The KB-11 research and production activities were to run in the utmost secrecy. Their nature and objectives were the State secret of highest priority. Security of the site had been in the focus ever since the first days. On February 17 1947, KB-11 was referred to top classified sites, and its area became closed. Sarov was withdrawn from the Mordovian ASSR jurisdiction and any reference to it was tabooed. In the summer of 1947, the perimeter fencing around the site was placed under military guard. Scientists were recruited to the nuclear center irrespective of their departmental affiliation. The KB-11 leaders were looking for young and talented scientists, engineers and workers literally at every enterprise or organization across the country.

Creation of nuclear weapons is what resulted from the efforts of a large community of people. Those were not just featureless "members of the staff", but all personalities, who greatly contributed to the national and world science. That was concentration of the great capabilities in science, engineering and production operations.

The Decision of the USSR Council of Ministers dated June 21, 1946 assigned a very strict schedule for development of the site, whereby the first phase had to be operational on October 1, 1946, and the second - on May 1, 1947. The Government provided special conditions for construction works. However, the construction was slow and difficult, so that the first operation buildings were not ready until the beginning of 1947. Some laboratories were arranged in the monastery buildings.

Since it was essential to find lodging for the arriving people, the housing problem would become more and more important, so that the village gradually shaped into a small town. Together with housing, the construction included a hospital, a library, a movie theater, a sports ground, a park and a theater.