Soviet Nuclear Weapons Program in Russian Facilities (1945–1961)

1. Beria appointed to run Soviet atomic project

   Aug 20, 1945Labels: Lavrentiy Beria, Soviet leadership

   • KAS Vienna
   • Britannica

2. Design Bureau KB-11 created at Sarov

   Apr 9, 1946Labels: KB-11, Sarov

   • Nuremberg Media
   • VNIIEF

3. F-1 reactor achieves first chain reaction

   Dec 25, 1946Labels: F-1 reactor, Moscow

   • F 1 Reactor

4. Semipalatinsk test site selected and built

   Jan 1, 1947Labels: Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan

   • NTI Semipalatinsk
   • Semipalatinsk

5. Mayak A-1 plutonium reactor reaches criticality

   Jun 10, 1948Labels: Mayak, A-1 reactor

   • A 1 Reactor
   • NTI Mayak

6. First Soviet atomic bomb test (RDS-1)

   Aug 29, 1949Labels: RDS-1, Semipalatinsk

   • RDS 1
   • NTI Semipalatinsk

7. Sredmash formed to manage nuclear industry

   Jun 26, 1953Labels: Sredmash, Ministry

   • Sredmash

8. RDS-6s “Joe-4” thermonuclear device tested

   Aug 12, 1953Labels: RDS-6s, Semipalatinsk

   • RDS 6s
   • Nuclear Museum

9. Obninsk nuclear plant begins grid electricity

   Jun 27, 1954Labels: Obninsk plant, Obninsk

   • Britannica

10. Novaya Zemlya nuclear test site authorized

    Jul 31, 1954Labels: Novaya Zemlya, Object-700

    • NTI Novaya Zemlya

11. First Novaya Zemlya nuclear test conducted

    Sep 21, 1955Labels: Novaya Zemlya, underwater test

    • NTI Novaya Zemlya

12. RDS-37 two-stage hydrogen bomb tested

    Nov 22, 1955Labels: RDS-37, Semipalatinsk

    • RDS 37
    • CTBTO KAS

13. Kyshtym (Mayak) radiological disaster occurs

    Sep 29, 1957Labels: Kyshtym, Mayak

    • Britannica
    • Kyshtym

14. USSR resumes large-scale atmospheric testing

    Sep 1, 1961Labels: USSR testing, Novaya Zemlya

    • NTI Novaya Zemlya
    • Tsar Bomba

15. Tsar Bomba tested at Novaya Zemlya

    Oct 30, 1961Labels: Tsar Bomba, Novaya Zemlya

    • Atomic Archive
    • Tsar Bomba
    • NTI Novaya Zemlya