In the abandoned military town, Chernobyl-2, are two Soviet commemorative panels featuring a relief of the face of Lenin. Today, these artworks stand in silence. They tell about a lost world, a secret town, and a powerful radar system. This is a story of art, history, and a forgotten place.

Chernobyl-2 was not a normal town. It is located near the famous city of Chernobyl. The town was a closed military settlement. Only people with special permission could enter. Soldiers, engineers, and their families lived here. The town had houses, a shop, a school, and sports fields. From the outside, it looked like any other small town in the Soviet Union. But inside, everything had one purpose: the Duga radar.

Duga

Next to the town stood the Duga radar. It was more than 150 meters tall and 700 meters long. The radar was part of the early-warning system. It tried to detect enemy rockets from far away. When it worked, it made a loud tapping sound on radio signals. This is why people called it the “Russian Woodpecker.” The whole project was top secret, so the town did not appear on maps.

Chernobyl disaster

In 1986, the Chernobyl disaster changed everything. After the nuclear accident, life in Chernobyl-2 stopped. People left their homes. The radar and the town stayed silent. Nature took over the empty streets. During my exploration of this site in 2015, I found two radioactive Lenin panels.

The First Panel: “Learn Military Affairs the Real Way”

One panel relief shows Lenin with a famous Soviet slogan: “учиться военному делу настоящим образом”, translated: “learn military affairs the real way”. Lenin used this phrase to demand strong and serious military training. It later appeared on posters, books, and propaganda. The message was clear: train hard, be ready, protect the motherland.

The Second Panel: ВЛКСМ

The second panel in Chernobyl-2 shows Lenin together with the letters ВЛКСМ. These letters stand for Vsesoyuznyy Leninsky Kommunistichesky Soyuz Molodyozhi, the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League. Most people called it Komsomol. It was a large youth organization. Many millions of young people in the Soviet Union were members. The goal was to teach them loyalty, discipline, and communist values. This relief reminds visitors that the town was not only military. It was also a place for families and young people.