Stalin Underground Tour

Few people know that Kiev has secret tunnels. One of them is called the “pipe”, “Stalin’s subway”, or “submarine”. The structure is almost 100 years old and was built under complete secrecy.

The Essence of the Project

Rumor has it, the entire idea was Stalin’s brainchild. Initially, the secret tunnel was intended to connect both banks of the Dnipro River and provide a food supply route in case regular bridges were destroyed during a war. However, construction of the facility was interrupted by World War II.

How the tunnel under the Dnipro in Kiev looked, also referred to as “Stalin’s subway” (photo): Construction looked like this in 1938.

The concrete structure (caisson) began construction in 1936 as the USSR was preparing for war. A caisson is designed to be placed underwater or deep underground to form a subterranean chamber. That was the initial plan.

Interestingly, those sentenced to death, military personnel, and KGB agents were involved in the construction. Many of them died there, with their bodies left untouched. Kiev residents claim that you can still hear the voices of the workers who died in the tunnel.

In 1935-1936, designs for two underground tunnels were developed, with their implementation beginning two years later. The construction was considered Project #1 and was labeled “Top Secret” in documents. Even though over 12,000 people were involved, everything about the tunnel remains shrouded in mystery.

The first tunnel started in Pyrohovo, went under Zhukov Island (now Vodnikov Island), passed the Osokorki village, and ended in Bortnychi. According to the project, it was supposed to be 6.5 kilometers long. However, only one kilometer was built at that time.

The second underground route was supposed to start near today’s “Pochayna” metro station, go to the Natalka site, pass under the Dnipro to Trukhaniv Island, to Desenka, and come out near Vyhorovshchyna. But the construction never started as resources were diverted to military use.

By 1941, only a tenth of the work was completed, including the construction of a power station near the railway station meant to power the tunnels. This power plant is still operational. Some sections of the tunnels under the Dnipro were also built.

After Kyiv was liberated in 1944, construction resumed, but it wasn’t as extensive as before. It was finally halted in 1949, deemed unnecessary.

Remnants of the tunnels under the Dnipro can still be seen in Kyiv today. The caisson in Obolon is popular among children and teenagers. There were even plans to convert it into a small entertainment center or museum.