Random Facts Of Russian Own Area 51 (10 items)

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  (#6) It's Near The Infamous Site Of The Dyatlov Pass Incident

  One of Russia's most bizarre mysteries, the Dyatlov Pass Incident, occurred in 1959 when nine hikers mysteriously died while camping in the mountains. Although such a large group dying in freezing temperatures is certainly tragic, the manner in which the group perished raised serious questions about strange activity on the Ural range. 

  When the hikers were eventually found, it was discovered that some had suffered hypothermia, while others had suffered bizarre pneumatic injuries and had been crushed to death. One hiker's tongue was even ripped out. 

  To this day, no one know the truth behind the Dyatlov Pass Incident. Over the years, some have speculated there were military drills being performed in the area, and the hikers' deaths were the result of being caught in the middle. In any case, proximity of the event to one of Russia's most infamous bases certainly feels like a strange coincidence. 
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  (#4) The Base Is Said To Have An Air Filtration System To Protect Against Nuclear Attacks

  Being in a remote location in the Ural Mountains certainly makes Mezhgorye a hard target. Even if an attack managed to reach the base, casualties would still be minimal, thanks to its advanced reinforcements. In particular, Mezhgorye contains a special "air filtration system" that allows it to purify an attack from nuclear, chemical, or biological means. 
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  (#8) Mezhgorye's Existence Violates A Major Treaty

  Remember those 73 nuclear warheads? Well, as it turns out, those were a major violation of the INF Treaty, which went into effect in June of 1988. The treaty required both the US and the Soviet Union to "eliminate and permanently forswear all of their nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers."

  Because this level of artillery would have given Russia a massive advantage in the event of war, the missiles were eventually destroyed by the government of Slovakia for their violation through a grant by the US government in 2000.
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  (#2) It Allegedly Houses The 'Dead Hand Project' That Could Automatically Launch Nuclear Weapons

  Nuclear warheads are one thing; 73 warheads are a whole other ball game. But in the event of war, it's at least comforting to believe that whoever has their finger on the trigger is a sentient human being capable of rational thought and not a sophisticated A.I. system operating on ones, zeroes, and cold-blooded revenge.

  But that's where the "Dead Hand Project" comes in. 

  Not content to simply "lose" a war, Russia had reportedly implemented an advanced system for their weapons of mass destruction years ago, one that could arm and launch its missiles even after their commanders have died. That's right, somewhere out there in the Ural Mountains, Russia had once devised a crude version of Skynet that was always just a few binary beats away from sending us all into nuclear winter.
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  (#7) You Had To Get Special Permission From President Boris Yelstin To Go Inside The Town

  When Rep. Curt Weldon visited Russia in 1995 to get more information on Mezhgorye, he was immediately turned away (as expected from a top-secret military installation). But after inquiring further, Weldon discovered that not only was his access limited - but anyone's access was also controlled by none other than President Boris Yeltsin himself. 

  For a "public works project" encompassing the size of a small country, it certainly looks like Russia was protecting more than just the construction of bridges and roads.
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  (#10) The Russians Ultimately Refer To It As A "Public Works Project"

  Nuclear warheads, mining, excavation... the list of answers from Russia went on while authorities from the US inquired about the actual activities happening in Mezhgorye. 

  At one point, a response came back after Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA) inquired about the site:

  "I went to Moscow and and spoke with the deputy interior minister who was in charge of mining. I asked him if there was any mining activity there. He just shook his head and said he had never heard of it. So I mentioned the other name the Russians used for it: Mezhgorye. He said he hadn't heard of that either. Then he sent an aide out to check. Twenty minutes later, the aide came back, visibly shaken. He said they couldn't say anything about it."

  Ultimately,  an answer had to be given, and the Russians settled on a "public works project"... which certainly sounds a lot like past explanations given for Area 51.

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