Original subtitles

MALE EXPERT: Stalin was one of the worst dictators of human history.

He was potentially one of the most evil men of all time.

He was potentially one of the most evil men of all time.

NARRATOR: Millions were sacrificed to his socialist ideals.

As a result, his security system was unparalleled.

As a result, his security system was unparalleled.

- (rattling)

NARRATOR: His increasing paranoia over his 30-year dictatorship

caused him to construct a vast network of underground hideouts.

caused him to construct a vast network of underground hideouts.

FEMALE EXPERT: Stalin was one of those people

who thought nothing of the value of human life.

who thought nothing of the value of human life.

However, he was very aware of his own life.

NARRATOR: Thanks to recently declassified top-secret documents,

NARRATOR: Thanks to recently declassified top-secret documents,

we can finally take a tour of Stalin's infamous bunkers

beneath the streets of Moscow,

which he, like Hitler, relied on as his best line of defence.

which he, like Hitler, relied on as his best line of defence.

- (speaks Russian)

NARRATOR: From June 1941,

the unrelenting Nazi attacks during Operation Barbarossa

the unrelenting Nazi attacks during Operation Barbarossa

meant that the Soviet leadership had no access to conventional bunkers

to protect against this modern threat.

to protect against this modern threat.

- You have Stalin ordering

the construction of huge underground complexes

right under the streets of Moscow

right under the streets of Moscow

and even under the Kremlin!

Stalin is paranoid...

..and, of course, Stalin's other biggest fear is the atomic bomb.

NARRATOR: Could Stalin survive

the preemptive nuclear attack by the West

he felt sure would come?

he felt sure would come?

Or was his extensive network of underground hideouts

a symptom of his fear of an enemy within?

Underground tunnels.

Nuclear bunkers.

Architectural madness.

Architectural madness.

Lavish headquarters.

For dictators, the cost did not matter -

For dictators, the cost did not matter -

only their desires, power

and security. - (hissing)

NARRATOR: What secrets hide in these grand structures?

NARRATOR: What secrets hide in these grand structures?

Moscow - the capital of Russia.

It is here that Stalin had his ultimate hideout.

It is here that Stalin had his ultimate hideout.

Thanks to a range of declassified documents,

we can now trace his bunkers

for the very first time.

- Stalin was extremely concerned about his safety

- Stalin was extremely concerned about his safety

and this fixation on safety issues grew in time

and he had a good reason to be afraid.

and he had a good reason to be afraid.

Given his policy,

given his mass terror,

given his mass terror,

collectivisation, dekulakisation,

deportations, and so on,

there were a lot of people who, mildly speaking,

there were a lot of people who, mildly speaking,

should have been dissatisfied, at least, with Stalin.

- (cheering)

- (cheering)

- Stalin's favourite method of dealing with enemies

was to have them eliminated physically:

kill them, murder them.

There are lists, which still exist

There are lists, which still exist

in the archives,

of over 40,000 victims

whom he personally signed the death warrant for.

whom he personally signed the death warrant for.

- (unsettling music)

(shot rings out)

(shot rings out)

- On the one hand,

he was an intellectual.

On the other hand, he was a brutish,

On the other hand, he was a brutish,

peasant-type person,

in the sense that he was very fixed

on certain ideas and certain fears.

on certain ideas and certain fears.

He had been ruthless against others

and he was fearful

and he was fearful

that they had plots to kill HIM.

NARRATOR: Stalin's survival depended on spotting the enemy within,

NARRATOR: Stalin's survival depended on spotting the enemy within,

even if one didn't exist...

yet, ironically,

the one betrayal the Soviet leader didn't see coming

was from an ideological ally in whom he had placed unwavering trust.

HITLER: Sieg! ALL: Heil!

NARRATOR: On June 22nd 1941,

NARRATOR: On June 22nd 1941,

despite the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact,

Hitler's forces struck the Soviet Union.

The speed of the attack was relentless,

crippling Soviet defences,

allowing the Nazis to push deep into Russian territory.

- When Hitler invades in 1941,

he makes enormous progress

and Stalin is caught completely on the back foot.

and Stalin is caught completely on the back foot.

- And he was very shaken by the attack.

He actually disappeared from sight.

He actually disappeared from sight.

- He just went to his dacha

and then he severed all communication

and then he severed all communication

with his inner circle.

NARRATOR: Operation Barbarossa,

the largest military invasion in human history,

drove the Soviet empire into a panic,

making Stalin fear for his safety and desperate for a secure hideout.

making Stalin fear for his safety and desperate for a secure hideout.

- He really, genuinely believed that he was going to lose power.

- He really, genuinely believed that he was going to lose power.

PROF GUSEV: Members of Political Bureau went to Stalin's dacha.

They did not know what to do.

Their great leader disappeared.

And they found him in prostration.

And they found him in prostration.

He was disoriented

and probably he thought that they came to arrest him.

And they asked him to go back

and to take command again in his hands.

and to take command again in his hands.

NARRATOR: With four million Nazi troops marching on Moscow

NARRATOR: With four million Nazi troops marching on Moscow

and the unprepared Red Army buckling on all fronts,

Stalin's options are dire.

The Nazi onslaught threatens his leadership,

The Nazi onslaught threatens his leadership,

offering few places to hide.

- (male expert speaks Russian)

NARRATOR: The onset of the German invasion

and the aerial bombardment of the Soviet capital

marks the beginning of the era of Soviet bunker construction.

marks the beginning of the era of Soviet bunker construction.

- When the bomb, in October 1941, hit Kremlin,

- When the bomb, in October 1941, hit Kremlin,

about 140 people were injured

and 40 people died, were killed by a bomb.

NARRATOR: Where could Stalin and his cadre seek shelter

during German air raids?

How could they rely on the beleaguered Soviet population

How could they rely on the beleaguered Soviet population

against its invaders, if there is nowhere safe to hide?

- (electric current hisses)

(liquid drops echo)

NARRATOR: The Moscow Metro system is a modern marvel

NARRATOR: The Moscow Metro system is a modern marvel

of engineering and architecture.

Its vast, spectacular halls and platforms

are one of the finest examples of socialist realism.

are one of the finest examples of socialist realism.

A central tenet within Soviet communism

was that public institutions be as spectacular as possible,

was that public institutions be as spectacular as possible,

a palace for the proletariat,

the labourers of the empire.

- Moscow has one of the greatest

- Moscow has one of the greatest

metro systems in the world - absolutely massive.

Was built in the 1930s under Stalin.

NARRATOR: Moscow's underground metro system,

built deep beneath the city's streets for the working class,

could now become HIS saving grace.

could now become HIS saving grace.

Or was it possible that Stalin intended it

to be a hideout all along?

- (man speaks excitedly in Russian)

- (man speaks excitedly in Russian)

- In November 1941,

when the Germans were approaching Moscow,

he went down to the Mayakovskaya Metro station

he went down to the Mayakovskaya Metro station

and made a very famous speech down there in which he was saying,

"We're going to fight. We're not going to give in to the Germans,"

and it's interesting that he chose the site of this particular station,

and it's interesting that he chose the site of this particular station,

which is about 50 metres underground,

but he did it from a place of incredible safety.

- Initially, what Stalin does as a shelter, as his hideout,

is to kind of piggyback, if you like, off the Metro system.

is to kind of piggyback, if you like, off the Metro system.

What you've got there already

is a network of really well-built tunnels,

is a network of really well-built tunnels,

so it's kind of quite easy to build a side tunnel,

as your own kind of hideout, next to the Metro stations.

as your own kind of hideout, next to the Metro stations.

NARRATOR: Recently revealed plans of the underground-tunnel network

show a carefully-hidden bunker reserved for Stalin.

show a carefully-hidden bunker reserved for Stalin.

It was a ready-made, dead-end Metro tunnel converted into a shelter.

It was a ready-made, dead-end Metro tunnel converted into a shelter.

First, however, Stalin needed a temporary shelter

offering protection and allowing him to run the war from safety.

offering protection and allowing him to run the war from safety.

- (speaks Russian)

- (speaks Russian)

NARRATOR: For the very first time,

documents recently released to the public offer a glimpse

of what Stalin's temporary bomb shelter looked like.

of what Stalin's temporary bomb shelter looked like.

The rail tunnels were separated by plywood panels.

Offices were organised right on the platform.

Offices were organised right on the platform.

This is how this temporary bomb shelter might have looked...

..but how well would this underground system have fared

against the most destructive weapons of its time?

- (blast)

NARRATOR: The devastation wrought by the two atomic bombs

NARRATOR: The devastation wrought by the two atomic bombs

dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945

chilled Stalin to the bone.

chilled Stalin to the bone.

Having already been caught off guard by Hitler in 1941,

he would not make the same mistake twice.

PROF RICHIE: This had two consequences in Moscow.

One was, Stalin's really going forward

One was, Stalin's really going forward

with the nuclear-bomb planning

and research and development

in Russia itself,

and the second was shelters: building shelters,

and the second was shelters: building shelters,

building underground tunnels, building interconnecting systems,

so that Stalin - Stalin and the government, of course - could get

from the...underneath the Kremlin

from the...underneath the Kremlin

to other safe places in Moscow

without any fear that they would be destroyed by a nuclear explosion

without any fear that they would be destroyed by a nuclear explosion

and, as the Cold War increased in intensity,

the fear of a nuclear explosion over Moscow greatly increased

and Stalin's paranoia about this increased,

and Stalin's paranoia about this increased,

so the underground-tunnel network in Moscow is gigantic,

because of this fear.

because of this fear.

NARRATOR: Declassified documents expose a startling revelation:

beneath Moscow's most iconic landmark, the Kremlin,

beneath Moscow's most iconic landmark, the Kremlin,

likely rests Stalin's most significant bunker,

known as "Object No.1".

known as "Object No.1".

- If I compare Object 1

to the other bunkers that were built in the area

to the other bunkers that were built in the area

in the same time range,

I think it would be very similar,

but that's all guessing, of course,

because the construction, especially in that area, is still secret.

because the construction, especially in that area, is still secret.

NARRATOR: Object No.1

was Stalin's command centre beneath the Kremlin.

was Stalin's command centre beneath the Kremlin.

From here, he would be able to communicate

with other underground shelters

designed for key members of the leadership cadre

designed for key members of the leadership cadre

and the state-security apparatus

embedded within the Moscow Metro.

- (electronic beeping)

NARRATOR: In the mid-1950s, Metro tunnels

NARRATOR: In the mid-1950s, Metro tunnels

between Paveletskaya, Polyanka and Novokuznetskaya stations

were turned into a permanent special military facility

were turned into a permanent special military facility

called "Bunker 703".

Dmitry Yurkov, a historian

and the head of the Museum Of Modern Fortification in Bunker 703,

is an expert on the underground structures

built as command centres for the elite Soviet officials.

- (dramatic music)

- (dramatic music)

- (speaks Russian)

NARRATOR: Object 703 was the secure command centre

of the Soviet Foreign Affairs Ministry.

of the Soviet Foreign Affairs Ministry.

It consists of the typical features present in the Moscow bunkers...

..such as diesel generators,

..such as diesel generators,

air-supply and filtration systems,

along with a reliable clean-water supply.

Despite World War II having ended nearly 80 years ago,

Despite World War II having ended nearly 80 years ago,

the infrastructure of the bunker is still functional.

DMITRY YURKOV: (speaks Russian)

- (whirring)

(unsettling, siren-like music)

(music intensifies, pitch rises)

(music dies down)

(music dies down)

- (continues in Russian)

- (continues in Russian)

NARRATOR: But after August 1945,

the most important question for the paranoid leader

was whether Moscow's Metro could withstand

the concussive power of an atomic bomb.

- Well, for a normal bombing,

- Well, for a normal bombing,

I guess the Metro would be a good shelter.

The benefit of Stalin using the Metro

The benefit of Stalin using the Metro

is that he could secretly, covertly,

travel back and forth to the bunker

without anyone seeing or knowing it.

without anyone seeing or knowing it.

NARRATOR: Throughout the war years,

Stalin's security was paramount.

In late 1941, as the Nazis were closing in on Moscow,

In late 1941, as the Nazis were closing in on Moscow,

special security measures were undertaken

in order to secure Stalin and his top officials.

- In Moscow became...began a panic,

- In Moscow became...began a panic,

because many believed that

Moscow will come into the hands of Germans.

NARRATOR: But if Moscow was occupied by an enemy force,

NARRATOR: But if Moscow was occupied by an enemy force,

where would Stalin go?

- In October 1941,

there was a decision of State Committee of Defence

there was a decision of State Committee of Defence

to make Samara a reserve capital of Soviet Union.

NARRATOR: Samara, formerly known as Kuybyshev,

NARRATOR: Samara, formerly known as Kuybyshev,

is a large Russian city

situated on the banks of the river Volga,

situated on the banks of the river Volga,

located over 1000km from Moscow.

It was there, in October 1941,

that construction of a command bunker for Stalin began.

that construction of a command bunker for Stalin began.

- This is rather like the plan of what happened

when Napoleon took Moscow.

You just leave the city and direct the war from somewhere else,

You just leave the city and direct the war from somewhere else,

but you don't give up,

and that was Stalin's plan.

Hitler would have had a very difficult time

getting to Stalin in somewhere like Samara.

getting to Stalin in somewhere like Samara.

NARRATOR: This is why experienced workers

from the Soviet Metro Institute, Metrostroy,

were sent to Samara with a special assignment

were sent to Samara with a special assignment

issued directly by the Soviet leader himself.

VICTOR ANGELIER: The people in Samara didn't know anything

VICTOR ANGELIER: The people in Samara didn't know anything

about the bunker, up until years after.

Some assume, especially in Samara,

that most of the workers were killed, but...who knows?

that most of the workers were killed, but...who knows?

NARRATOR: The complexity of the Object No.1 bunker in Samara

NARRATOR: The complexity of the Object No.1 bunker in Samara

dictated that it should be located

in very close proximity to the existing government buildings.

The entrance to this massive bunker remained inconspicuous,

The entrance to this massive bunker remained inconspicuous,

but who would think that behind this unassuming door

lurks a vast underground facility?

Petr Yacobson, a local historian, is an authority

on the Soviet Union's top-secret government shelters.

on the Soviet Union's top-secret government shelters.

- (suspenseful music)

- (speaks Russian)

NARRATOR: Because the banks of the Volga River consist of soft soil,

a special technique, involving first freezing and then tunnelling,

was employed to ensure structural integrity.

This resulted in a bunker placement deep within the earth,

surrounded by a reinforced concrete mass.

surrounded by a reinforced concrete mass.

The Samara Bunker could house over 100 people for five days

and could withstand a direct hit

from the most powerful bombs and missiles of the time,

a testament to its impressive engineering.

- (speaks Russian)

NARRATOR: As we proceed through the bunker's halls, 34 metres deep,

we come across the facility's most important space:

the Politburo conference room,

made exclusively for Stalin and his officials.

made exclusively for Stalin and his officials.

Right at the heart of the secret complex,

Right at the heart of the secret complex,

we find Stalin's office and living quarters.

In order to ensure

the proper long-term physiological wellbeing of its occupants,

the proper long-term physiological wellbeing of its occupants,

numerous strategies were employed

to expand the appearance of the bunker's scale.

- Da.

- (speaks Russian)

- (speaks Russian)

NARRATOR: Decorative false windows resembling bright inserts

NARRATOR: Decorative false windows resembling bright inserts

adorn the walls. Additionally, this room features six doors.

Four of them are decorative,

Four of them are decorative,

leading nowhere, providing the illusion

that it is possible to go elsewhere,

an alternative means of escape.

In order to ensure immediate operational capability,

the hideout required the ability to remain fully autonomous

the hideout required the ability to remain fully autonomous

under any circumstances.

This meant it needed its own generator for power,

water, ventilation and enough food stores

water, ventilation and enough food stores

to survive as long as possible.

Despite its unparalleled engineering,

Despite its unparalleled engineering,

could the Samara Bunker truly provide Stalin and his top brass

security from a nuclear attack?

VICTOR ANGELIER: The benefits of having a bunker deep in the ground

is, of course, protection of radiation.

is, of course, protection of radiation.

It could very well be atomic proof,

but it depends again

on if it's a direct hit or not.

on if it's a direct hit or not.

If it's a hit in the proximity of, like, 10 or 15 kilometres,

you could very well survive in Samara.

NARRATOR: During the invasion of autumn 1941,

Nazi troops had advanced so far into Russia

Nazi troops had advanced so far into Russia

that they could see the nation's capital.

Stalin was prepared to evacuate to Samara,

Stalin was prepared to evacuate to Samara,

despite the fact that the city's bunker was still under construction.

- There was a special train already prepared

- There was a special train already prepared

to bring Stalin to Samara

and Stalin walked across the railway station

in front of this train, and then, finally, he decided not to go.

in front of this train, and then, finally, he decided not to go.

Moreover, he had reason for that,

because to stay in Moscow meant

that there is a symbol of resistance

that there is a symbol of resistance

and the capital of Soviet Union will not surrender.

- (electric current hisses)

(liquid drops echo)

(liquid drops echo)

NARRATOR: Moscow - Russia's capital

and one of the largest cities on Earth.

and one of the largest cities on Earth.

Despite its recent fortification,

Stalin's preferred bunker near the city centre

was to be found elsewhere.

- Stalin had two favourite places outside of Moscow.

One was really close, in the countryside really near,

and that's called Kuntsevo.

and that's called Kuntsevo.

He had a dacha there, a country house,

and there was a bunker built underneath that.

Then, much further away

on the Black Sea, at Sochi,

he has another dacha

and it was a vast, huge complex,

but there was no bunker there.

but there was no bunker there.

NARRATOR: With its warm winds and Mediterranean climate,

Sochi differs drastically from the bitter cold of Moscow.

Sochi differs drastically from the bitter cold of Moscow.

It was here that one could find Stalin's summer dacha,

which was purported to be the dictator's favourite hideout.

which was purported to be the dictator's favourite hideout.

- I think Stalin loved dacha

and traditional Russian luxuries,

at one level, because it represents Russia.

at one level, because it represents Russia.

At another level, because it represents his success!

Here he is,

Here he is,

from a poor background, having made it.

- Stalin's dachas were covered by the green colour

- Stalin's dachas were covered by the green colour

and they were surrounded by trees,

and they were surrounded by trees,

in order to hide them from potential enemies.

NARRATOR: The Sochi dacha incorporated a novel technique

used to disguise the building even further.

used to disguise the building even further.

Its reinforced-concrete outer walls

were covered with a thick coating of green plaster,

camouflaging it amongst the surrounding foliage.

camouflaging it amongst the surrounding foliage.

But what could have compelled Stalin

to choose such a remote hideout,

when he had access to the numerous bunkers

when he had access to the numerous bunkers

located beneath the city streets of Moscow?

- One of the reasons he liked being out in his dacha

was because it was out in the woods, it was quiet

was because it was out in the woods, it was quiet

and it wasn't near the city noise that he didn't like.

- He also thought that any noise he heard

could be a threat of some description.

could be a threat of some description.

There's this story

that really illustrates Stalin's paranoia

that really illustrates Stalin's paranoia

and his cruelty.

- He was very, very prone to waking up at night. For example,

if he heard the creaking of floorboards,

if he heard the creaking of floorboards,

or any noise, extraneous noise like this.

- Now, the story goes, there was this one guard

who decided that what he would do,

who decided that what he would do,

in order not to make any noise for Comrade Stalin,

was to take off his boots

and just to walk around in his stockinged feet...

and just to walk around in his stockinged feet...

..and, of course, you can guess what happens

when Stalin sees this soldier without his boots.

He has him killed...

for not wearing the right uniform!

Also because Stalin thinks

Also because Stalin thinks

maybe silence is a threat, as well as noise.

You can never win

with Comrade Stalin.

NARRATOR: Stalin, fearing that the populace

could turn against him at any moment,

devised a policy designated to ensure his security

devised a policy designated to ensure his security

at all costs.

- Stalin was a very brutal dictator,

but he also understood this Russian mindset, which was,

but he also understood this Russian mindset, which was,

true leadership has to be dictatorial, brutal

and also very, very ferocious.

and also very, very ferocious.

NARRATOR: It was for this reason

that Stalin chose to reside in well-guarded, isolated buildings,

offering ample security

offering ample security

from the potential threat of home-brewed rebellion.

But what if the threat was among the inner circle

that Stalin depended on daily?

that Stalin depended on daily?

Unwilling to reconcile the prospect of treachery,

Stalin put a plan into motion,

believing it would root out any potential betrayal.

believing it would root out any potential betrayal.

- So he invited his close circle to late dinners with alcohol

- So he invited his close circle to late dinners with alcohol

and he let them drink - drink a lot.

Himself - drink a bit. They drink a lot.

NARRATOR: With their guards down, Stalin could now evaluate

NARRATOR: With their guards down, Stalin could now evaluate

the true intentions of his closest confidants.

- And he always thought that those around him

were going to betray him and, because of that,

were going to betray him and, because of that,

he basically kills everybody in his inner circle.

NARRATOR: Stalin's frequent purges were uncompromising,

NARRATOR: Stalin's frequent purges were uncompromising,

with everyone a potential target.

- The ones who are too strong are a threat to him.

The ones who are too weak and ineffective are no use to him,

The ones who are too weak and ineffective are no use to him,

so they've got to go,

and this is a process that was called "chistka".

It means "cleaning".

It means "cleaning".

For Stalin, it wasn't enough to shoot his rivals

in the back of the head.

Their families had to go, as well,

so wives, children, cousins,

uncles, aunts...

All of these people were got rid of, one way or another.

All of these people were got rid of, one way or another.

Many went off into the gulag, never to return.

At worst, they're taken down into a cellar

in the KGB - or NKVD - headquarters in the Lubyanka

in the KGB - or NKVD - headquarters in the Lubyanka

and shot in the back of the head.

- (cocks gun)

(shot rings out)

NARRATOR: Stalin's second-favourite dacha was located in Kuntsevo,

on the outskirts of Moscow.

The Kuntsevo dacha was surrounded in absolute secrecy.

The Kuntsevo dacha was surrounded in absolute secrecy.

Rumoured to be connected to the Kremlin via a secret tunnel,

its proximity to the capital

its proximity to the capital

earned it the moniker "Blizhnyaya dacha," or "the nearer dacha",

built like a fortress

built like a fortress

and outfitted with a subterranean bunker.

- And the Kuntsevo dacha was also defended

- And the Kuntsevo dacha was also defended

by anti-aircraft artillery

and the air above the dacha was closed for all aircraft.

and the air above the dacha was closed for all aircraft.

- And then, inside the dacha itself,

his...Stalin's personal guard,

so-called "ninth", because it consisted of nine people:

so-called "ninth", because it consisted of nine people:

seven bodyguards, commander and driver.

seven bodyguards, commander and driver.

These people were quite privileged.

They received very much money,

about 60 times more than collective farmer.

NARRATOR: In total, there were approximately 200 people

guarding Stalin

and his Kuntsevo dacha.

It was an impregnable fortress.

- Even in this fortress, Stalin does not feel safe.

- Even in this fortress, Stalin does not feel safe.

I mean, he is afraid of being attacked,

being assassinated and so, because of that,

one of the things he orders

is to make the curtains short, on windows,

is to make the curtains short, on windows,

so that potential assassins can't hide behind them.

I mean, this is completely paranoid!

I mean, this is completely paranoid!

DMITRY YURKOV: (speaks Russian)

DMITRY YURKOV: (speaks Russian)

NARRATOR: This frantic pace of construction

meant that the structures weren't built to survive the test of time.

meant that the structures weren't built to survive the test of time.

One of Stalin's other Moscow residences,

the Lipki dacha, for example,

was abandoned when it was discovered

was abandoned when it was discovered

that the groundwaters were prone to flooding its subterranean levels,

but the Lipki dacha is more than just a ground-level building.

There is an underground structure hidden beneath.

There is an underground structure hidden beneath.

The several-metre-thick layer of reinforced concrete

was a safeguard against air raids.

was a safeguard against air raids.

The bunker's 12-metre depth,

consisting of rooms prepared for Stalin,

was impossible to utilise due to the persistent flooding.

was impossible to utilise due to the persistent flooding.

Even though the bunker was extensively flooded,

we managed to get inside.

- (splashing)

DMITRY YURKOV: (speaks Russian)

NARRATOR: Although these measures would prove sufficient

for a typical basement,

for a typical basement,

the bunker's extreme depth

and the subsequent increase in pressure

meant that the minute they stopped regularly pumping water out of it,

it flooded.

Even so, despite its dilapidated condition,

the Lipki bunker reveals

the high degree of skill and craftsmanship

the high degree of skill and craftsmanship

of Soviet engineers.

With four emergency exits,

its own generator,

its own generator,

air-filtration system,

a communications centre and living quarters,

Lipki bunker was capable of becoming a command centre

Lipki bunker was capable of becoming a command centre

in the event of a sustained German attack.

Construction of the Lipki bunker

was carried out by the Moscow Metro Institute,

was carried out by the Moscow Metro Institute,

a process which would be repeated

for every shelter designed for high officials during World War II.

for every shelter designed for high officials during World War II.

- (speaks Russian)

NARRATOR: Contrary to first impressions,

the numbering of these bunkers was random,

the numbering of these bunkers was random,

in order to obscure where the leader would be from one day to the next,

so he would stay one step ahead of any potential assassin.

so he would stay one step ahead of any potential assassin.

Misinformation, it would appear,

was the most effective disguise for Russia's secret bunkers,

was the most effective disguise for Russia's secret bunkers,

many of which remain unknown even today.

The secret tributaries of the Moscow Metro system

The secret tributaries of the Moscow Metro system

are shrouded in rumour and legend.

Among them is Metro 2,

a series of parallel tunnels used in secret

a series of parallel tunnels used in secret

by the Soviet, and later Russian, governments.

A map drawn up by US military intelligence

shows the suggested route of the Metro 2 tunnels.

shows the suggested route of the Metro 2 tunnels.

- You've got a lot of people

who love exploring subterranean sites

who love exploring subterranean sites

and they penetrated to really quite some depth in Moscow

and they did discover that there is this kind of secret tunnel

and they did discover that there is this kind of secret tunnel

that does exist under the city.

NARRATOR: This secret network of underground tunnels

was intended to link government buildings

was intended to link government buildings

and serve as potential evacuation routes.

- Three pillars of the regime:

- Three pillars of the regime:

Kremlin government,

Central Committee Party

and Lubyanka Security Service

and they had to be integrated

and they had to be integrated

and connected by the tunnels.

They planned to use the special electric train

with, if I'm not mistaken, 12 seats.

- But it's all about the legend, really, and as a result,

- But it's all about the legend, really, and as a result,

if you kind of ask a modern Muscovite,

"Is there a whole second Metro system?"

I mean, he's going to say, "Yes, of course!"

I mean, he's going to say, "Yes, of course!"

- (electronic beeping)

NARRATOR: The early 1950s

marked the beginning of a new arms race.

As soon as the Soviets managed to conduct their first atomic bomb test

As soon as the Soviets managed to conduct their first atomic bomb test

in 1949,

tensions escalated rapidly.

Stalin, armed with nuclear weapons,

had become a threat to the entire Western world.

had become a threat to the entire Western world.

- The Cold War era

and the nuclear threat

was something that Stalin really wasn't prepared for

was something that Stalin really wasn't prepared for

and he didn't know how to cope with it.

- I certainly do not like the idea

of Joseph Stalin having a nuclear bomb,

of Joseph Stalin having a nuclear bomb,

because I think he would have been

just the type of despotic madman to have used it

just the type of despotic madman to have used it

and that would have been the end of civilisation.

NARRATOR: Would it be possible to defend the world

from Stalin's unchecked paranoia?

from Stalin's unchecked paranoia?

And, had the Allies wanted to kill him,

would his Samara bunker provide enough protection

for him to survive and strike back?

for him to survive and strike back?

- (electric current hisses)

(liquid drops echo)

(liquid drops echo)

(melancholy music)

- The reality of Stalin's death was that,

after a late-night drinking session

and a cowboy movie, Stalin then went to bed,

and a cowboy movie, Stalin then went to bed,

having told his guards not to come into his room

until he called for them.

until he called for them.

- Nobody could enter Stalin's rooms without his call,

and this played a bad joke with him

and this played a bad joke with him

when he had a stroke.

- And all his inner circle... they're just too afraid to help him.

They don't know what to do,

They don't know what to do,

because they don't have an order from Stalin,

so they're just paralysed with fear!

PROF GUSEV: And nobody dared to enter his room!

PROF GUSEV: And nobody dared to enter his room!

Because of that, he lied for hours without medical help.

NARRATOR: As a consequence of his own stringent security measures,

Stalin died in his Kuntsevo dacha,

having suffered a massive stroke and lain for hours

having suffered a massive stroke and lain for hours

unconscious and unattended.

Yet, despite his poor health, rumours swirled

around the circumstances of his death,

around the circumstances of his death,

with many believing it was not by natural causes.

- By 1952, the situation was so bad,

- By 1952, the situation was so bad,

even amongst Stalin's inner circle,

that all of them were in fear of their lives

and this included even Lavrentiy Beria,

and this included even Lavrentiy Beria,

who was the head of the NKVD.

All of his predecessors mostly died

because Stalin had had them killed,

because Stalin had had them killed,

so there was a rumour

that when Stalin did actually suffer

what appeared to be a terminal stroke,

it was because Beria had poisoned him with warfarin.

it was because Beria had poisoned him with warfarin.

NARRATOR: An attempt to poison Stalin

NARRATOR: An attempt to poison Stalin

would have been a highly dangerous proposition,

due to the persistent fear and mutual suspicion

among everyone close to him.

among everyone close to him.

- The inner circle would have been targeted by Stalin

because they would have been the first to be blamed

because they would have been the first to be blamed

for not having done anything to help him, had he survived.

PROF GUSEV: This close circle included four people:

Beria, Malenkov,

Beria, Malenkov,

Bulganin and Khrushchev.

These four people were the last who saw Stalin

These four people were the last who saw Stalin

before he died in March 1953.

NARRATOR: In the end, Stalin succumbed to his own paranoia,

NARRATOR: In the end, Stalin succumbed to his own paranoia,

dying alone on the floor of his heavily fortified dacha,

having lain helplessly for several hours

having lain helplessly for several hours

incapacitated by a massive stroke,

with those closest to him afraid to administer aid.

- (solemn choral music)

- (solemn choral music)

NARRATOR: However, what if Stalin survived

and what if he had wanted to deliver a fatal blow

and what if he had wanted to deliver a fatal blow

to the heart of the West's nuclear capability?

Had the Allies needed to act against Stalin,

Had the Allies needed to act against Stalin,

what would they have had to do to take him out?

Breaching Stalin's bunkers

Breaching Stalin's bunkers

would involve bypassing multiple logistical hurdles.

There are, however, other approaches

that would offer simpler solutions.

that would offer simpler solutions.

All signs point to a nuclear bomb

providing more than enough power

to destroy Stalin's bunkers,

to destroy Stalin's bunkers,

including his most formidable:

the top-secret Object No.1

beneath the Kremlin.

The methods of target elimination will be presented

by former British Army Intelligence Corps Officer Adrian Weale.

- This is a thermonuclear bomb

which uses a fission bomb as a trigger.

Through some complex physical process,

Through some complex physical process,

by triggering a fission bomb,

you create fusion energy.

That's the energy that powers the sun and the stars

That's the energy that powers the sun and the stars

and it's an immensely greater source of energy,

by an order of magnitude,

by an order of magnitude,

so, whereas the Little Boy and the Fat Man bombs,

sort of tactical nuclear weapons,

are giving yields in kilotons,

are giving yields in kilotons,

these super-bombs, the thermonuclear weapons,

are giving yields in megatons,

millions of tons of high explosives.

millions of tons of high explosives.

- (unsettling, suspenseful music)

NARRATOR: Unfortunately, the approach of destroying Moscow

NARRATOR: Unfortunately, the approach of destroying Moscow

using a nuclear device

would involve a high collateral cost

which would have been unthinkable.

- (music builds)

- Well, you can't drop a nuclear weapon on Moscow

without firstly killing hundreds of thousands,

if not millions, of Russians,

if not millions, of Russians,

but you CAN go out to Samara...

..but at that time, in 1942,

it is a...effectively, a bomb shelter and command post.

it is a...effectively, a bomb shelter and command post.

It's not a fortification. It's not built terribly deep.

It's fine against conventional high-explosive bombs,

It's fine against conventional high-explosive bombs,

but wouldn't be proof against any kind of special weapon.

Wouldn't be proof against nuclear weapons,

Wouldn't be proof against nuclear weapons,

for sure.

NARRATOR: The modern Samara Bunker

would be likely to withstand a nuclear blast

at a proximity of 10 to 50 kilometres.

The subsequent shock wave, however,

would likely cause grievous damage

would likely cause grievous damage

to the shelter and its inhabitants.

How, then, would the elimination of Stalin

with minimal collateral damage unfold?

with minimal collateral damage unfold?

- And if you want to get rid of Stalin,

even if he's scuttled off to his hidey-hole in Samara,

even if he's scuttled off to his hidey-hole in Samara,

then the way you're going to do that

is by flying a B-52 with a thermonuclear weapon

through Soviet air defences

through Soviet air defences

and dropping it straight on top of him

and, however much he's improved this bomb shelter,

it's not going to save him.

NARRATOR: Had Stalin retreated to his bunker in Samara,

he might well have been vulnerable to such an attack,

but in his final years,

but in his final years,

he preferred to stay close to Moscow

and rarely ventured further than his dacha in Kuntsevo

and, in any case, as tyrannical and despotic as he undoubtedly was,

and, in any case, as tyrannical and despotic as he undoubtedly was,

even he would have stopped short

even he would have stopped short

of starting World War III,

unless he could have been absolutely sure of outright victory.

- (sombre classical music)

- (sombre classical music)

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