To return to the main
warhead assembly and dismantlement entry, see the
Warhead Assembly and Dismantlement Facilities
file.
Snezhinsk (formerly Chelyabinsk-70) is located in Chelyabinsk
Oblast, 120km from the city of Chelyabinsk and 90km from Yekaterinburg. In 1955,
construction of the so-called Installation NII-1011, now known
as the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Technical
Physics (VNIITF) began by Sinara Lake. The city itself was founded later, on 23 May 1957, by
decree
of the Supreme Soviet. The
city's population amounts to 49,000 people, as of 1 January 1999.
Snezhinsk participates in the US-Russia Nuclear
Cities Initiative. In February 1999,
the Spektr enterprise was formed to deal with VNIITF conversion
projects. On 14 June 2000, the International Business Center was opened in
Snezhinsk in order to promote local business development. For more
information about Snezhinsk, please check the city website www.snezhinsk.ru
Snezhinsk (formerly Chelyabinsk-70), 20 km north of Kasli and approximately
120 km from Chelyabinsk, Chelyabinsk
Oblast
http://www.vniitf.ru/
Minatom
Director: Georgiy Rykovanov, appointed 16 December 1998
Deputy Chief Engineer: Valeriy Drozdov
Deputy Director: Rodion Voznyuk
Deputy Director for International Contacts: Boris
Vodolaga
Established in 1955, VNIITF's primary mission has been to design nuclear
warheads, but it also fabricates experimental and prototype warheads. It possesses
facilities that simulate different aspects of nuclear explosions, including
pulsed reactors, lasers, shock wave generators and computers.
In early 1992, approximately 50 percent of its work force was reportedly
engaged in non-military research, although it continues to conduct research on
the development of nuclear weapons.[1] The non-defense related work includes
development of dosimeters, medical equipment and irradiation devices.[2] This
facility employed some 17,000 persons (as of 1992). It was designated a
Russian Federal Nuclear Center by Boris Yeltsin in 1992.[3] Foreign contracts and
programs at VNIITF amounted to approximately 2 percent of the institute's
total budget for 1996.[4] Other reports indicate that revenues from international
projects amount to only the equivalent of 16 percent of VNIITF's total debt,
suggesting an income from international sources of approximately $10 million.
This latter figure, however, seems rather high given the limited resources
available to the International Science and Technology Center and other sources
of international funding.[5]
After the suicide of Vladimir Nechay, Yevgeniy Avrorin
was appointed director for a two-year period.[5] The current director
of VNIITF, Georgiy Rykovanov, was appointed in December 1998.[6] Avrorin
retains the position of Scientific Director.[7]
VNIITF contains the following subdivisions:
1. Theoretical Physics Division
2. Division of Mathematical Modeling
3. Computing Center
4. Division of New Commercial Technologies and Materials
5. Experimental Physics Division with a number of simulation facilities
The facility has two design offices, two experimental plants and one internal
test site.
VNIITF participates in the US Department
of Energy (DOE) MPC&A program. MPC&A
work began in 1995 at the Pulse Research Reactor (PRR) facility. Upgrades there
included the installation of hardened doors, access controls, metal detectors,
video surveillance equipment, alarm systems, and a physical protection control
center. The MPC&A system at the PRR was commissioned in May
1998.[1,2]
Other
sites and facilities, including the Research Technological Center (RTC) at
VNIITF have received physical protection upgrades, including barriers, intrusion
detectors, and video surveillance. An institute-wide computerized badge system
has been implemented, and all access control systems will be integrated into
a central control station, which, as
of July 1999, was under development.[1]
In March
1998, plans were made to complete site-wide security upgrades. These
upgrades included a measured physical inventory of all nuclear materials as
well as the development of a complex-wide computerized material control and
accounting system. As of July 1999, physical inventories were under
way
in two buildings at the PRR facility and at other buildings at
VNIITF.[1]
In September 1999, DOE halted all new contracts for
MPC&A work at VNIITF, VNIIEF, Sarov
(Arzamas-16), Trekhgornyy
(Zlatoust-36), Lesnoy
(Sverdlovsk-45), and Zarechnyy
(Penza-19). DOE and Minatom could not agree on assurance measures
(either physical access or video or photo evidence) that accounted for MPC&A
upgrades at these facilities.[3] However, contracts that were signed before September 1999 were still being
fulfilled by DOE. In May 2000, both sides agreed to a
proposal which allowed new work, albeit limited in scope, to begin at VNIIEF and
VNIITF.[4]
The full text of a brochure produced by VNIITF in 1998 describing the MPC&A
upgrades installed at the site is available in the full-text documents section
of NIS Nuclear Profiles in English
and
Russian. For additional descriptions of the MPC&A work performed at VNIITF
in 1997-1998, see
the DOE's December 1997 document, United
States/Former Soviet Union Program of Cooperation on Nuclear Material Protection,
Control, and Accounting: Partnership for Nuclear Security, or the
DOE's September 1998 document, United
States/ Former Soviet Union Program of Cooperation on Nuclear Material Protection,
Control, and Accounting: Partnership for Nuclear Security.
According to information from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
there are three operational reactors and one decommissioned reactor at VNIITF.
However, a paper written in 1999 by officials at VNIITF and the US Department of
Energy (DOE) states that there are four reactors and one "critical mass
stand."[1, 2]
BARS-5
Metal pulse reactor
10kW of steady power, 160,000MW of
pulsed thermal power
250kg of U-235, enriched up to 90%
The IAEA lists this reactor as
decommissioned, but other sources do not confirm this.
IGRIK
Liquid pulse reactor
30kW of steady thermal power, 25,000MW of pulsed thermal power
7kg of U-235, enriched up to 90%
Operational
YaGUAR
Liquid pulse reactor
POWER: 10kW of steady thermal power, 40,000MW of pulsed thermal power
FUEL: Minimum critical mass of fuel is
15.64kg of U-235, enriched between 17% and 90%
STATUS: Operational
FBR-L
Fast burst laser
POWER: 5kW of steady thermal power, 800MW
of pulsed thermal power
FUEL: 76kg of U-235, enriched up to 90%
STATUS: Operational
3/1/2003: RUMYANTSEV AND
VERSHBOW VISIT SNEZHINSK
On 1 March 2003, Minister of Atomic Energy Aleksandr Rumyantsev and US
Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow visited Snezhinsk. The visit focused on
achievements in US-Russian cooperation since 1992:
employment of former nuclear scientists, reduction of nuclear weapons
infrastructure under
the
Nuclear Cities
Initiative and the Initiatives for
Proliferation Prevention; safety and security of hundreds of kilograms of
nuclear material and plans for construction of a central storage facility under the
MPC&A program; and development of new
technologies to counter terrorism under the
1994 US-Russian Agreement on the
Exchange of Technical Information in the Field of Nuclear Warhead Safety and Security.[1]
The ambassador visited several research
centers and commercial enterprises that had been created with US financial
support, including the Spektr Konversiya scientific production enterprise, the
Snezhinsk International Development Center,
a pharmaceutical factory, and the Uraltravers-PAK company, and met with students
from the Snezhinsk Physics and Technical Academy.[2]
4/2001: NCI
SUPPORTS START-UP COMPANY IN SNEZHINSK
A new civilian enterprise, Identification
Technologies Company (ITEC), is being established in Snezhinsk with
support from the Nuclear Cities Initiative (NCI)
Program.
The enterprise will market equipment and
provide support services for bar coding and other digital identification
technologies for business and government customers in the Russian
Federation. ITEC currently sells and provides support for bar code equipment to projects associated with
the DOE Material
Protection, Control, and Accounting (MPC&A) Program. Appropriate Russian
licensing has been obtained which will allow ITEC to design and install
MPC&A systems and equipment at Russian nuclear facilities. The
Electrochemical Plant in Zelenogorsk and the Urals Electrochemical
Combine in Novouralsk have already
contracted with ITEC. An
important result of this venture is the non-military employment that it
provides for personnel from VNIITF. Employment levels after one year
of operation show four full-time and 10 part-time employees. Employment
projections for ITEC's second year are for 10 full-time and 20 part-time
employees.
3/2001: SNEZHINSK'S IDC
PROMOTES CONVERSION PROJECTS
At the Second
International Forum "High Technologies of the Defense Industry" held in March
2001, Snezhinsk's International Development Center
(IDC) demonstrated the achievements of the
Nuclear Cities Initiative (NCI)
Program, which aims to
create civilian jobs for scientists in Snezhinsk. The Center currently provides
consulting services to 20 local companies, which produce a variety of construction
materials and unique equipment for civil use, such as melting furnaces, supersonic
asphalt density meters, back-up devices for emergency shutdown of
gas-fired plants, etc. For example, the company Bars-70 develops and produces
industrial air purification systems, Avangard manufactures rubber goods for the automobile industry, and Itek imports identification equipment from the United States and adapts it for Russian
consumers. In light of the expected VNIITF workforce reduction from 10,000 to
8,000, the International Development Center is offering special courses in business plan writing, market
research, and other business skills. IDC also helps local companies with investment and
technology searching. In addition, an Open Computing Center supervised by VNIITF
Director Yevgeniy Avrorin
is being established to employ software specialists formerly engaged in the
military sector (for details, see the 11/18/2000 entry,
below).
11/18/2000: COMPUTING CENTER OPENS IN SNEZHINSK
UNDER NCI FRAMEWORK
On 18 November 2000, a US Department of Energy
delegation headed by former ambassador Ronald Lehman, Director of the Center
for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory,
commissioned the Strela Open Computing Center in Snezhinsk. Strela was established under the Nuclear Cities Initiative and is expected
to involve 120 nuclear weapons specialists from VNIITF in civilian high-tech
projects within a year. Four commercial projects in software
programming, computer modeling, and computer-assisted engineering and design will
begin immediately; five more projects are expected to be added in the next
several months. During the visit, the Department of Energy representatives
pledged to provide $9.7 million for conversion projects in Snezhinsk,
including $3.9 million from NCI and $5.8 million from the Initiatives for
Proliferation Prevention Program.
10/26/2000: SPEKTR NO LONGER A PART
OF VNIITF
By the end of 2000 the Spektr state unitary enterprise
is to be replaced by Spektr-Konversiya.[1]
The new enterprise will be a joint
stock company independent from VNIITF. Spektr-Konversiya will concentrate on profitable
conversion projects, such as high-temperature electric heating devices,
treatment of precious stones, and others.[2] The staff will be significantly
reduced from 357 to around 60 employees. Most of the former Spektr employees
will be transferred back to VNIITF. The Snezhinsk city administration is
providing
partial financial support for Spektr-Konversiya projects.[1]
6/29/2000: VNIITF PROJECT EXPLORES ENERGY PRODUCTION
USING SMALL THERMONUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
On 29 June 2000, Snezhinsk's online newspaper Okno
reported that a group of VNIITF scientists has drafted a project that would
use small thermonuclear explosions to generate extremely high temperatures
and "separate" energy from the earth's vast reserve of deuterium. A thorium
and uranium-233 fuel rod would be used to initiate the explosion of deuterium,
although the precise method by which this would be accomplished is not specified.
The project's co-author, Gennadiy Ivanov, claimed that deuterium-based energy
production would be less expensive, cleaner, and safer than traditional methods
of power generation, including nuclear power. To ensure safety, special two
million cubic meter explosive combustion chambers would be built from steel
and reinforced concrete, hermetically sealed, and buried below ground. According
to Ivanov, VNIITF lacks the funding and the permission from Minatom to advance
the project from models and blueprints to the design and experimental phases.[1]
According to Moskovskiy komsomolets, in late May VNIITF specialists
received the permission from the government to conduct an expert evaluation
of the deuterium energy production project. The article noted that such a
project would violate Russia's obligations under the Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which prohibits nuclear testing and peaceful nuclear
explosions.[2]
6/14/2000:
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER OPENS IN SNEZHINSK
On 14 June 2000, US and Russian officials attended
the opening of Snezhinsk's International Development Center (IDC), which
will provide business development resources, training, consulting, and telecommunications access
under the auspices of the US Department of Energy's Nuclear
Cities Initiative (NCI).[1,2] NCI will provide initial financial
support to the IDC, which will eventually become self-supporting through
fee-for-service activities.[2]
:
3/31/2000: PUTIN ATTENDS EXPANDED MINATOM COLLEGIUM
SESSION IN SNEZHINSK
On 31 March 2000, President-elect Vladimir Putin
visited Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk-70), which hosted an expanded session of the
Minatom Collegium. For details, see the
31 March 2000 development in the Closed
Cities and General Weapons Facilities developments section of the NIS
Nuclear Profiles database.
3/28/2000: CHELYABINSK OBLAST AMENDS ENTERPRISE
REGISTRATION LAWS
On 28 March 2000, Chelyabinsk Oblast amended local
laws on the registration of enterprises in response to reports from local
tax police that gaps in the current legislation caused the oblast to lose
nearly 1.5 billion rubles ($53 million as of 28 March 2000). The amendments
require the registering agency to verify a new enterprise's address. According
to Izvestiya, Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk-70) had the largest number of
fictitious firms registered on its territory. The Federal Tax Police Service
found 373 firms registered at the same address in Snezhinsk, and only one
firm was actually operating at this address. Of the 61,000 enterprises operating
in the oblast, 22,000 firms are registered in Snezhinsk. Initially, the 1997
Law on Closed Administrative-Territorial Formations (ZATO) granted
tax breaks to firms registered in Russia's 42 ZATOs to help these cities convert
from military to civilian production. On 3 December 1999, the Duma rescinded
the investment zones at 40 of the ZATOs, leaving the tax zones in place at
Snezhinsk and Sarov (Arzamas-16).
3/14/2000: EUROPEAN STATES DISCUSS CREATION OF EUROPEAN
NUCLEAR CITIES INITIATIVE
During the conference "Helping Russia Downsize its
Nuclear Weapons Complex" held on 14 March 2000 in Princeton, New Jersey, the
Italian-based non-governmental organization Landau
Network-Centro Volta promoted the creation of a European Nuclear Cities
Initiative (ENCI) to complement the US DOE's Nuclear
Cities Initiative. Initially, the ENCI would be limited to two pilot cities,
Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk-70) and Sarov (Arzamas-16).
For details, see the 14 March
2000 entry in the Nuclear
Cities Initiative Developments section of the NIS Nuclear Profiles Database.)
2/3/2000: RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZES THREE VNIITF
PROJECTS
On 3 February 2000, Chelyabinsk Oblast Governor Petr
Sumin and VNIITF Director Georgiy Rykovanov presented national recognition
awards to 14 VNIITF scientists for three research projects. According to Vecherniy
Chelyabinsk, the first award recognized scientists for the development
of sub-critical testing methods used at Novaya
Zemlya that adhere to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The second
award-winning project simulated the conditions of a nuclear explosion to study
the behavior of materials under extremely high temperatures and pressure.
A third award was presented to researchers who had developed instruments and
automation systems to guarantee the safety of nuclear munitions during emergency
situations. While at VNIITF, Sumin visited several research projects, including
one of the world's most powerful lasers. Sumin met VNIITF scientists collaborating
on the CERNAtlas
project, which includes 1,700 researchers from 34 countries, to develop
eight highly sensitive rings used to study proton-proton interactions. Sumin
also toured the newly constructed shop where VNIITF manufactures perforators
used by the oil industry.
1/25/2000: SNEZHINSK HOSTS SEMINAR FOR MAYORS OF
US AND RUSSIAN NUCLEAR CITIES
From 25-28 January 2000, Snezhinsk hosted the second
meeting meeting of US and Russian legislators and mayors from the two countries'
nuclear cities. Seminar participants discussed a draft memorandum of understanding
between representatives from the Association of Minatom Closed Cities, the
US Union of Energy Associations, and the International Association for City
Administration. On the final day of the meeting, US and Russian participants
signed a memorandum for further cooperation. According to VNIITF Deputy Director
for International Contacts Boris Vodolaga, VNIITF does not plan to reduce
the number of nuclear weapons specialists during the restructuring process.
Vodolaga reported that VNIITF has considered new projects and new technologies
with the goal of creating new jobs and minimizing its dependence on state
financing. In 1998, VNIITF created the separate enterprise Spektr, which now
employs approximately 400 specialists. Spektr projects include computer assisted
tomography (CAT) equipment, hydroabrasive cutting, fiber optic communications
lines, and superplastic forming. Although these products generated widespread
interest among Russian enterprises, most of these enterprises are unable to
pay for the new technologies. Vodolaga also reported that VNIITF had
created a business plan for the CAT equipment, which it presented to the US
investors. During the first phase of the VNIITF restructuring program, Snezhinsk
officials must convince the federal government and residents to make the closed
cities more accessible to private business. The second phase of the restructuring
program will create new jobs. Deputy Director Aleksandr Makarenko from Minatom's
Department of Social Policy stated that discussions about opening the closed
cities are premature because Minatom's reasons for restricting access still
exist. Makarenko added that removing guards from the city's external perimeters
means that the city would need to increase its internal security. According
to Trekhgornyy Mayor and President of the Association of Minatom Closed Cities
Nikolay Lubenets, Trekhgornyy is currently working on 20 different projects
and is able to sell its products to 20 constituencies of the Russian Federation.
Lubenets noted that the Russian government has rushed the restructuring process,
spending a lot of money to retrain nuclear specialists to "sew gloves and
crochet vegetable netting." Instead, Lubenets argued, Russia should find work
that corresponds to the level of skill of the unemployed nuclear specialists.
11/29/99: VNIITF PAYS EMPLOYEES BACK WAGES, GETS FUNDING FOR NEW PROJECTS
On 29 November 1999, VNIITF Deputy Director Rodion Voznyuk reported that
the Russian government had almost entirely paid its debt to VNIITF and financed
new defense projects. According to Yuzhno-Uralskaya sluzhba novostey, VNIITF
recently intensified its work on state defense orders and rehired some of
its former employees. Voznyuk added that VNIITF will maintain its intensive
work load in the last months of 1999 and throughout 2000 in order to finish
the back orders and the new projects.
10/14/99: NEUTRON THERAPY CENTER OPENS IN SNEZHINSK
On 14 October 1999, Russia's first regional neutron
therapy center opened in Snezhinsk. The center is a cooperative project between
nuclear scientists and medical specialists, and it will have the capacity
to treat 200 patients annually. VNIITF gave the center one gram of tritium,
enough to operate the center's neutron generator for one year. Minatom allocated
five million rubles to the center for FY 1999 and FY 2000.
9/17/99: MOBIL TECHNOLOGY AND VNIITF SIGN ISTC
PARTNER PROJECT AGREEMENT
On 17 September 1999, the International
Science and Technology Center (ISTC) announced that Mobil Technology Company
signed a $330,000 partnership agreement with VNIITF, the Institute of Mathematical
Modeling, and the Institute of Numerical Mathematics. Under the three-year
contract, 30 scientists and technical team members from the three Russian
institutes will model the flow of oil through porous media and provide Mobil
Technology with mathematical solutions for oil well optimization. The contract
is the first investment at VNIITF through the ISTC Partner Program, and according
to representatives from Mobil Technology Company, ISTC was central in identifying
the technical talent available at VNIITF and the other two institutes. Mobil
will use ISTC infrastructure to pay the scientists and to monitor the project
during its implementation.
8/18/99: US DELEGATION VISITS SNEZHINSK
On 18 August 1999, US Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher
(D-California) headed a delegation of US business leaders who traveled to
Snezhinsk to become familiar with defense conversion programs and emerging
business opportunities in the civilian nuclear industry.[1] During the visit,
Representative Tauscher and Chelyabinsk Oblast Deputy Governor Vladimir Utkin
agreed that the United States and Russia must concentrate on developing business
ties within the framework of the Nuclear
Cities Initiative. Utkin stated that Chelyabinsk Oblast would support
the development of joint US-Russian projects to help create jobs for specialists.
Members of the US delegation noted that the scientsts had become more receptive
to the idea of using their skills in the private sector, and during the visit,
the delegation was "almost overwhelmed with commercial-style proposals" from
the weapons scientists.[2]
3/13/99: ADAMOV VISITS SNEZHINSK, WANTS TO KEEP NUCLEAR CENTERS AT BOTH
SAROV AND SNEZHINSK
During his visit to Snezhinsk on 13 March 1999, Russian Minister of Atomic
Energy Yevgeniy Adamov stated that he would prefer that Russia keep both federal
nuclear centers at Sarov and at Snezhinsk open. In response to criticism that
only one center should stay open, Adamov maintains that mutual control and
competition between both centers is beneficial to the industry.[1] Adamov
commented that the existing salary level of nuclear scientists--less than
$60 a month--is unacceptable. He noted, however, that the situation
was slowly improving: employees' salaries were no longer paid out from borrowed
funds but from existing funds. Furthermore, Adamov harshly criticized the
mayors of Minatom cities for their failure to use efficiently special tax
breaks in order to assure salaries for the employees. When asked to
comment on the campaign of Chelyabinsk Oblast Governor Petr Sumin to move
companies out of the closed cities to the open areas where they would not
enjoy the special tax status, Adamov discouraged any drastic moves.
He stated that the tax breaks were specifically aimed at the creation of new
jobs in the developing conversion industries. Although the tax breaks
granted to the nuclear cities constitute significant losses in the federal
budget, Adamov proposed balancing the needs of the nuclear cities for incoming
capital with the government's need of tax funds. In the meantime, the level
of unemployment at Snezhinsk has reached the nation-wide level in Russia,
which, in the specific context of closed cities, implies higher social tension
and fewer opportunities to find employment. Commenting on this situation,
VNIITF Director Georgiy Rykovanov said that his goal was to avoid eliminating
any jobs in 1999. And although VNIITF received 10 million rubles ($427,350
as of 13 March 1999) to develop production, the situation with salary payments
remains problematic. Despite Minatom's promise to allocate part of the
US-Russia HEU deal proceeds to the institute, VNIITF has not yet seen any
money.[2]
Sources:
3/99: VNIITF DIRECTOR RYKOVANOV DISCUSSES NUCLEAR CENTERS
In an interview with the Sarov newspaper Gorodskoy kurer, VNIITF
Director Georgiy Rykovanov discussed the similar nature of problems faced
by Russia's two major nuclear centers VNIITF and VNIIEF. First, Rykovanov
voiced his concern about the lack of funds for the development of the defense
sector and scarce resources for the creation of new conversion projects.
The majority of the funds allocated to VNIITF by the government (about 65
percent) goes towards the payment of salaries, and the remaining funds are
insufficient for fast and effective conversion. In the case of the project
to produce fiber optic cables, for example, it took 10 years of research before
the center achieved any results due to the lack of timely financing.
Most of the money devoted to conversion comes from VNIITF's own money, derived
mainly from the US-Russian HEU deal, and very little stems from other sources.
Before the crisis of 17 August 1998, 95 percent of VNIITF's budget came from
the government's defense order and only 5 percent originated from other sources.
After the collapse of the ruble, this ratio changed to 85 and 15 percent,
respectively. Rykovanov set the desired level of future VNIITF financing
from sources outside the defense order at 30 percent of the total budget.
In addition to the lack of financing, the difficulty of finding markets for
products, given Russia's shattered economy, complicates the viability of conversion
projects. The director voiced his strong support for the existence of
investment zone tax breaks, calling them a vital element in the survival of
the nuclear cities. The investment zone income provided financing for
the city budget, which allowed the city administration to grant VNIITF a tax
deferment totaling 50 million rubles ($2,139,495 as of 11 March 1999).
VNIITF, in turn, was able to use the tax deferment money to pay its employees.
Rykovanov also expressed his support for the March 1999 amendment to the federal
law on investment zones. This amendment grants federal tax breaks only
to businesses that conduct at least 70 percent of their activity on the territory
of a closed city. According to Rykovanov, this provision should prevent
the abuse of tax privileges and help create more real jobs, which did not
happen when unconditional tax breaks were granted to all companies registered
in closed cities.
2/24/99: US TO APPROPRIATE $60 MILLION FOR CONVERSION
AT RUSSIAN NUCLEAR CITIES
Speaking at a press conference in Moscow on 24 February
1999, Rose Gottemoeller, US Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Nonproliferation
and National Security, stated that the US government plans to appropriate
$60 million for nonproliferation and conversion programs at 10 of Russia's
closed nuclear cities over the next two years.[1,2] According to Gottemoeller,
$30 million dollars will be appropriated in 1999, with roughly $15 million
reserved for conversion projects at the closed cities and $15 million used
to resolve problems related to nonproliferation of nuclear materials.[1,2]
Gottemoeller added that the US DOE would appeal to Congress to renew funding
for these programs in the FY 2000 Budget.[2] Initially, the US funding will
focus on conversion work at the three largest nuclear cities, Sarov (Arzamas-16
), Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk-70), and Zheleznogorsk (Krasnoyarsk-26).[2]
According to Interfax, funds will be used to establisha high-speed
computing center at Sarov and a pharmaceutical center at Snezhinsk.[1]
A telecommunications center will also be established.[2]
2/3/99: VNIITF PRODUCES MOBILE FACILITY TO EXTRACT
TNT FROM ARTILLERY SHELLS
Writing in the 3 February 1999 issue of Atompressa,
VNIITF Deputy Chief Designer Aleksandr Vasilyev, Deputy Department Head Gennadiy
Svalov, and Department Head Aleksandr Koskin reported that specialists at
VNIITF's scientific research testing bureau had created a mobile facility
to extract and reprocess trinitrotoluene (TNT) from old artillery shells,
negating the need for specialized railway cars to transport old artillery
shells from military bases to munition factories and reducing the cost of
extracting the TNT from the shells. At the end of 1995, VNIITF conducted production
test runs of two smelting and TNT reprocessing stands, and in March 1996 VNIITF
delivered a mobile complex to a customer, whom the article did not name.
2/99: SUBSIDIARY ENTERPRISE SEPARATES FROM VNIITF
A division of VNIITF separated from the institue and formed the Spektr
state enterprise. Spektr will coordinate all the conversion programs at VNIITF.
2/99: PAPER NOTES PERSONNEL SHORTAGE FOR THEORETICAL
WORK AT VNIITF
In February 1999, Atompressa reported a shortage
of personnel for theoretical work at VNIITF.
11/10/98: WORKERS BEGIN STRIKES AT VNIITF
On 10 November 1998, VNIITF employees began a work
stoppage. Citing long periods of work without pay, diminishing real wages,
the VNIITF management's unilateral decision to limit social benefits without
consulting VNIITF's trade union, and the failure of management to fulfill
previous agreements, the trade union voted to strike. Protestors demanded
that VNIITF and Minatom pay wage arrears by 25 November 1998, triple workers'
salaries, and compensate employees for damages caused by wage delays and the
rising cost of living by 1 January 1999. Other demands included amendments
to recent decisions by VNIITF management to reduce pay bonuses and to cut
back on the number of workers employed at VNIITF. The trade union further
decided that if its demands are not met by VNIITF management, workers would
vote to continue strikes.[1] On 19 November 1998,
approximately 3,000 VNIITF employees held a one-day strike. About 100
striking workers picketed outside of the municipal administration building and
collected signatures for an appeal to Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeniy
Adamov to settle wage arrears and increase salaries.[2] (See also the developments from 11
July 1998 and June 1998 below.)
11/98: NUCLEAR ACCIDENT RESPONSE CENTER AT VNIITF
RECEIVES GOVERNMENT ACCREDITATION
At the end of December 1998, the nuclear response
center at VNIITF (officially named the "Accident-Technical Center") received
government accreditation. Once the center has an official license, it
will be sanctioned to participate in the liquidation of emergencies that might
stem from nuclear fuel and waste transportation accidents. The center is to
service 16 regions stretching from Samara to Tomsk. Special equipment from
leading British, German, and US firms will be used by the accident response
center; however, in two to three years the free equipment servicing contracts
will run out. The scarce and unstable financial situation of the center,
where the wages have not been paid for four months, raises some concerns about
its operational dependability. See 3/25/93 entry, below.
9/22/98: MINATOM AND DOE SIGN AGREEMENT ON CONVERSION
AT RUSSIAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS FACILITIES
On 22 September 1998, Russian Minister of Atomic
Energy Yevgeniy Adamov and US Secreatary of Energy Bill Richardson signed
a five-year agreement according
to which the United States will allocate $30 million for the conversion of
Russia's closed nuclear cities. The agreement affects10 of Russia's closed
nuclear cities, including Zheleznogorsk (Krasnoyarsk-26),
Sarov (Arzamas-16), and Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk-70).
According to Minatom, the US-Russian agreement would facilitate the creation
of 15,000 jobs in coordination with the Russian program "Reconstruction and
Conversion of Enterprises of the Atomic Industry (the Nuclear Weapons Complex)
in 1998-2000," which the Russian Government approved on 24 June 1998. Izvestiya
reported that some of the US financial assistance will be used to stop the
emigration of nuclear specialists to other countries. (For the complete text
of this document please see the NCI
Agreement file. For more information please see the NCI
Overview.)
7/11/98: VNIITF WORKERS HOLD SERIES OF WARNING
STRIKES
Workers at the Russian Federal Nuclear Center-VNIITF in Snezhinsk (formerly
Chelyabinsk-70) participated in a series of short warning strikes to protest
the delayed payment of back wages. On 23 July 1998, workers at both
Federal Nuclear Centers (VNIITF and VNIIEF) held a
three-hour warning strike.[1,2] At the same time, trade union leaders
from VNIITF sent a letter to Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeniy Adamov urging
him to consider the chronic financial problems at nuclear enterprises.[2]
Two months later, in September 1998, more warning strikes occurred, [3,4,5]
this time in front of the Ministry of Atomic Energy, Ministry of the Economy,
and Russian Duma buildings in Moscow.[3,4] A third warning strike was
held on 19 November 1998, when 3,000 workers at VNIITF engaged in a one-day
strike. Their demands included the repayment of back wages by 1 January
1999, compensation for financial losses associated with inflation and late
payments, and a tripling of their wages.[6]
6/98: STRIKE AGAIN THREATENED AT VNIITF
Chronic financial problems continue to plague the Russian Federal Nuclear
Center in Snezhinsk (formerly Chelyabinsk-70). By the end of March 1998, nuclear
workers in Snezhinsk had not been paid for three to four months, and plans
for a strike began.[1, 2, 3] A visit by the Russian Minister of Atomic Energy,
Yevgeniy Adamov, failed to satisfy the workers' demands, and on 9 April 1998
a strike meeting was held. Workers drafted a list of demands that included
the payment of back wages and future funding for the nuclear sector.[1, 4]
The matter was resolved at the last moment when the Russian government committed
itself to paying the workers' back wages by 1 September 1998. In connection
with this, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko stated that "the
deadlines have been set by which wage arrears should be paid and further funding
for the nuclear complex's facilities should be found."[5]
5/98: RUSSIAN-US CONFERENCE HELD IN SNEZHINSK; SYSTEM FOR MONITORING
NUCLEAR MATERIALS INSTALLED
A two-day Russian-US conference on nuclear disarmament was held in Snezhinsk,
formerly known as Chelyabinsk-70.[1, 2, 3] The US delegation was led by Under
Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, while the Russian side was headed by Yevgeniy
Avrorin, director of VNIITF.[2] The two sides discussed a range of topics,
including nuclear disarmament and problems faced by "closed" nuclear cities.[1,
2] Much of the conference, however, was devoted to installing a new nuclear
materials monitoring system at Snezhinsk, which will aid in the physical protection,
monitoring, and stockpile accounting of nuclear materials. A portion of the
funding for this new system came from the US
Department of Energy's MPC&A program.[3]
3/98: VNIITF TO REMAIN OPEN
After several months of speculation, it was announced that the Russian
Federal Nuclear Center located in Snezhinsk (formerly Chelyabinsk-70) will
remain open.[1, 2] Rumors about the possible closure began to circulate in
early 1998, when the Russian government indicated it was considering closing
one of the two federal nuclear centers (VNIITF and VNIIEF),
or merging them into one center.[2, 3, 4, 5] A decree entitled "On measures
for preserving the Russian Federation's scientific-technical potential in
the sphere of nuclear weapons production" included the recommendation
that Russia should "start producing nuclear weapons of a new generation."
According to the document, Russian President Boris Yeltsin considered it "expedient
to concentrate everything" that potentially "has a direct relationship to
the production of nuclear weapons," including its financial resources, into
a single "separate, compact, independent structure."[4] While some reports
suggested that former Russian Minister of Atomic Energy Viktor Mikhailov (who
is also Scientific Director of VNIIEF) supported this move, other Minatom
officials denied ever seeing the decree.[3, 5] The matter was resolved when
Yevgeniy Adamov, the newly
appointed Russian Minister of Atomic Energy, visited Snezhinsk and announced
that both of the federal nuclear centers would remain open.[1, 2] Adamov did
indicate, however, that the nuclear centers at Snezhinsk and Sarov would have
to undergo restructuring that would involve reducing their experimental facilities
and reviewing their scientific programs.[2]
12/97: FINANCIAL PROBLEMS CONTINUE AT VNIITF, UNIONS AGAIN THREATEN
STRIKE
Financial problems continued to plague the Russian Federal Nuclear Center
in Snezhinsk (formerly Chelyabinsk-70). Despite measures taken by the Russian
government in September 1997 to alleviate the financial crisis faced by the
nuclear center, rumors of a possible strike by workers began to circulate
in December. In addition to unpaid back wages, workers complained of a decline
in working conditions. They also pointed out that equipment at the center
was becoming outdated and voiced concern over chronic shortages of necessary
materials. At a meeting held on 20 December 1997, trade unions called for
a strike that would begin on 16 January. After promises were received from
the nuclear center's leadership and the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy,
employees' representatives voted against a strike, although they warned that
such action might be taken in the future if their demands were not met. By
the end of 1997, the Russian government still owed VNIITF more than 55 billion
rubles ($9.3 million dollars).
10/97: STRIKE THREATENED, AVERTED AT VNIITF
At a protest held on 16 September 1997, managers and trade union leaders
at the Russian Federal Nuclear Center at Snezhinsk (formerly Chelyabinsk-70)
threatened to declare an indefinite strike on 30 September unless back wages
were paid. According to some sources, wages and salaries had not been paid
in over three months (Interfax reports six months).[1, 2, 3] Voicing concern
over the "catastrophic position" of the nuclear center, workers warned that
funding problems were jeopardizing safety.[1, 3] As of September 1997, debts
to the federal nuclear center totaled 111 billion rubles ($18.9 million dollars).[4,
5, 7] In order to ameliorate the financial crisis, the management of the nuclear
center took out a loan from a commercial bank in order to pay wages for May,
June and part of July 1997.[4, 5, 6] Finally, at the end of September 1997,
the government announced that it was transferring 150 billion rubles
to VNIIEF and VNIITF in order to cover approximately 80 percent of the wages
due for the past nine months.[8, 9, 10]
9/97: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TRANSFERS MONEY TO VNIIEF AND VNIITF
At the end of September 1997 the federal government transferred 150 billion
rubles ($25,635,000 as of 16 September 1997) to VNIIEF and VNIITF. The two
facilities received, respectively, 78 percent and 85 percent of the money
they were owed for the first nine months of the year.
["Yadershchiki poluchili svoyu zarplatu," Rossiyskaya gazeta, 1
October 1997, p. 1.] {Entered 11/13/98 CF}
3/97: RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT OWES VNIITF 23 BILLION RUBLES IN BACK
WAGES
As of March 1997, wage arrears at VNIITF (formerly Chelyabinsk-70) totaled
23 billion rubles ($4 million dollars). Representatives of the nuclear weapons
industry, together with trade union leaders, hoped to meet with Russian Minister
of Atomic Energy Viktor Mikhailov in order to discuss the problem and arrive
at a solution.
10/31/96: DIRECTOR OF VNIITF COMMITS SUICIDE
On 10/31/96, Vladimir Nechay, Director of the VNIITF (Chelyabinsk-70) nuclear
research center since 1988, committed suicide in his office. According to
the center's Deputy Director, Vladislav Nikitin, the growing financial crisis
at Chelyabinsk-70 and the continuing delay in payment of workers' wages threw
Nechay into despair.[1] In his suicide note, Nechay reportedly wrote that
"it is impossible and wrong to go on living this way."[2] VNIITF, like other
installations dependent on the Russian federal budget, had received only a
small fraction of its allocated annual funding. The center's account had reportedly
been frozen, and new funds received from the Ministry of Finance were being
used to pay off debts, including those owed to the pension and medical insurance
funds.[3] Komsomolskaya pravda reported that the Russian government
owed the center 318 billion rubles, which was to be paid to the center by
10/31/96, but was not.[4] According to Izvestiya, VNIITF's 16,000 employees
had last been fully paid in July 1996, and since then had received a stipend
of only 150,000 rubles (approximately $30) per month, regardless of position
and responsibilities.[5] The normal salary for a physicist at VNIITF is approximately
1.1 million rubles per month.[4]
6/10/96: CHELYABINSK-70 WORKERS DEMAND BACK PAY
Five thousand out of 15 thousand employees of the Center held a demonstration
demanding improvement in the federal financing of the center. The workers
are owed 36 billion rubles in back pay.
9/12/95: SCIENTISTS INVESTIGATE NEW APPLICATIONS FOR NUCLEAR TRIGGERS
Izvestiya reported that scientists at Chelyabinsk-70 are developing
ways in which to use conventional triggers from nuclear weapons in various
scientific and applied tasks, including compressing substances, cutting up
decommissioned tanks and submarines, destruction of scrap metal, and other
applications.
8/10/95: NEW SYSTEM DEVELOPED TO DETECT NUCLEAR WEAPON DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
It was reported that scientists at the Federal Nuclear Center at Chelyabinsk-70
are developing environmental monitoring techniques to enhance the verification
of nuclear programs, including sampling of soil, water, sediment, and plants.
The equipment could help detect clandestine nuclear weapon development activities.
7/95: COOPERATIVE RESEARCH FOR MATERIALS PROTECTION IS DISCUSSED
An IAEA delegation visited the Chelyabinsk-70 Federal Nuclear Center and
discussed possible joint research with its scientists on nonproliferation
and physical protection of nuclear weapons facilities.
4/95: CONVERSION PROGRAM AT FACILITY MAY BE COMPLETED BY 2000
It was estimated that 92 defense conversion projects will be completed
at the Chelyabinsk-70 Russian Federal Nuclear Research Center by the year
2000. The RFNRC is developing, for example, components for communications
systems, medical equipment and safety monitoring devices for use in nuclear
facilities.
5/13/94: EXPLOSION BLAMED ON UNSTABLE WORKERS
An explosion occurred at the Snezhinsk nuclear center in the Urals, injuring
two workers. The center's leadership believes that the explosion occurred
because of the "unstable psychological state" of the workers. Russia's debt
to the workers at the Snezhinsk center is almost 30 billion rubles. Nuclear
research at the center has virtually stopped.
3/25/93: GOVERNMENT APPROVES DECREE TO CREATE NUCLEAR
ACCIDENT RESPONSE CENTERS
On 25 March 1993, the Russian Cabinet of Ministers approved a resolution
according to which the Ministry
of Atomic Energy and the State
Committee on Civil Defense Affairs, Emergencies, and Liquidation of Consequences
of Natural Disasters are to create five "accident-technical centers" (ATCs)
as part of an effort to improve Russia's emergency warning and response system
as it relates to nuclear facilities. An ATC is to be created at each of the
following locations: the All-Russian Scientific
Research Institute of Experimental Physics (VNIIEF), the All-Russian Scientific
Research Institute of Technical Physics (VNIITF), the Novovoronezh
nuclear power plant, the Siberian
Chemical Combine, and the V.G.
Khlopin Radium Institute. The work of the ATCs is to be supported
by the Ministries of Atomic Energy,
Defense, the Economy,
Transportation, Communications, and Health.
Page last updated 16 December 2003
Comments or questions? Contact Elena Sokova at MIIS
CNS:
esokova@miis.edu
This material is produced independently for NTI
by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the
Monterey Institute of International Studies and
does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has
not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers,
employees, agents. Copyright © 2003 by MIIS.
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