(Image: The former city of Balaklava was one of the most secret residential areas of the Soviet Union, on account of an underground nuclear submarine base deep within the surrounding hillside. The highly classified complex (entrance above), which operated until 1993, was said to be virtually indestructible and could withstand a direct atomic impact. Decommissioning saw the removal of warheads and low-yield torpedoes, and the last Russian submarine left the secret base in 1996. Balaklava is now part of the port city of Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula, while the underground submarine base is finally open to the public.
