Closed city

A closed city is a city with travel and residency restrictions in the former Soviet Union, or in a CIS country. There are two major categories of closed cities: closed because of the presence of sensitive military or nuclear industry and border cities (in fact, whole border areas) closed for security reasons (military locations, radar stations, etc.). Foreigners, and in some cases local citizens, may not travel to closed cities.

Related Topics:
Soviet Union - CIS - Military - Nuclear - Radar

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For example, the whole Kaliningrad Oblast was restricted for travel for Soviet citizens who were not local residents. The cities of Sevastopol and Vladivostok were also closed because of their naval bases. Gorky was closed (this was one reason why it was chosen as the place of Sakharov's exile; so that foreign correspondents could not communicate with him).

Related Topics:
Kaliningrad Oblast - Sevastopol - Vladivostok - Gorky - Sakharov

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Included among the closed cities were the Zakrytye Administrativno-Territorial?nye Obrazovaniia (or ZATO; literally: 'closed administrative-territorial formations'), which were secret cities built by the Soviet Union. They were built for academic (Akademgorodok) or scientific (Naukograd) purposes. There are an estimated 40 known ZATO, with approximately 15 unaccounted for.

Related Topics:
Soviet Union - Akademgorodok - Naukograd

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The major cities were opened after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

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