Discovering Snow Covered Soviet Bunkers in Kamchatka
Winter in Kamchatka
Slowly, dragging my feet through the ankle-deep snow. I made my way up the hill to its peak. Russian military bases and black sand beaches lay behind me. The only parting words it left me with was the waves crashing against the coast, bringing with it hunks of ice. Looking up all one could see are the tall dark bare trees lifting up its limbs up to the dramatic blue, white, and black clouds which lay overhead. Enduring a winter in Kamchatka is not how most people would want to spend their holidays. Stubborn as I am here I stood with the snow collecting on my shoulders and head. I continued walking along the side of the road, through the powdery snow rather than trying my luck on the icy pavement. As I plowed my way through the snow I peered between the trees and was met by the two dark eyes of a Soviet soldier, his image carved into the stone of his grave. Amongst the trees, these low graves lay scattered. All covered with a blanket of snow, laying forgotten until the spring.
I pressed on, not wanting to venture to far into the thickness of the woods and its thick snow. The road curved along the side of this steep hill, revealing the restless sea and vast forests of the peninsula. I felt around in my pocket for my phone. My hands shook as I took off my gloves to see where exactly I was in the Russian wilderness. Due to it being winter a lot of the popular tourist attractions are inaccessible. Even if I had the money for a guide or helicopter, hiking Kamchatka’s colossal volcanoes and tracking ferocious brown bears would prove to be a daunting task in weather conditions such as these. From my experience, I found that one of the best ways to explore a place thoroughly is to pin all of the main attractions on to a map, and rather than taking a bus or other means of transportation, walk. I used this exact method to wind up where I was now, the destination being the “Three Brothers” (A rock formation emerging in the sea off the coast of Kamchatka). So here I was, hiking in the wilderness in one of the far corners of the world, making my way through the sleet and snow.
Before I began to make my decent down the hill onwards towards the endless range of mountains and woods. I was shook by the sound of a shrill whistle which struck me to my very core. I turned around and saw a large concrete circular opening built into the side of the hill, looking like a relic which has just survived a nuclear apocalypse. I approached the opening, hoping to find a rusted tank or jeep awaiting me inside. Unfortunately, I was only met with shabby graffiti and an empty garage. My adrenalin propelled me inside and continued inwards towards an open door at the back of the garage, listening to the sound of my boots cracking the bits of ice and hardened snow on the bunkers floor.
Darkness was slowly creeping in, and I did not want to be lost in the labyrinth of tunnels dug into the earth. I kept walking through the dark corridors, hoping to find an exit. As I was avoiding broken shards of glass and melted pools of snow, I was peeking my head in each room My thoughts wandered off to imagining soldiers hustling to and fro, relaying messages from their radios and eyes glued to their radar screens. Regardless of how fascinating this abandoned Soviet base was, I did not want to be stuck in its endless hallways when night settled in. Frantically turning my head left and right for an exit, I finally saw a faint light shining from the ceiling from one of the rooms with the slow trickling of snow from the world above.
I grasped the rusted ladder attached to the grey concrete wall and hoisted myself up to the opening above. I must have looked like a gopher poking my head out of the snow. I scrambled up through the hole and stood up, shaking the snow off of my clothes. I was now looking over the entire harbor, with the town of Zavoyko to the north and the open sea to the south. The hole which I crawled out of must have been enclosed with a small observation tower. There were several of these structures emerging from the top of the hill, looking over the dark port. As much as I wanted to explore, the darkness convinced me otherwise. I swam through waist deep snow, making my way down from the top of the bunker. I was careful to make sure I did not fall into any other holes which would drop me back into the caverns of the abandoned base below, even then I was still being sunk further into the snow due to the uneven ground below. I eventually found my way back to the main road and back into town, giving up my original plan of finding the “Three Brothers”. With my hands stuck deep into my pockets, I descended the hill, with the stoic faces of the soldiers watching me slink into the distance.
For any lover of history or dark tourism, this is definitely a can’t miss. The best way to visit this eerie historic bunker is to take the bus from Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky to the village of Zavoyko. From there it is quite easy to follow the coastline south and reach the bunker. On the way you will pass several very operational Russian military bases. I passed several soldiers on the way and they were quite friendly, but still be on the look out for signs indicating restricted areas. The total distance from the village to the bunker is roughly 6km. During the middle of winter, there is literally no cars or people going out to the hiking trails, so hitchhiking may not be an option. Although, during the high season it may be a lot easier to find a ride. Regardless of the season, anyone searching for something off the beaten track, Zavoyko has plenty to explore.
