U-475 Black Widow, Soviet submarine museum in Strood, England
U-475 Black Widow is a Soviet Foxtrot-class submarine now moored on the River Medway in Kent. The vessel features several torpedo tubes in the bow and stern, along with navigation equipment from the 1960s.
The vessel was launched in 1967 and initially operated with the Soviet Northern Fleet before transferring to the Baltic Fleet. After decommissioning, it arrived in England in 1994 and later opened to the public as a museum.
The crew quarters show the tight conditions where up to 78 sailors lived during patrols lasting several months. Original bunks and personal areas offer insight into daily life underwater during the Cold War.
The museum sits near the town boundary between Strood and Rochester, reachable by a short walk along the riverside. Access inside involves climbing through narrow hatches and steep ladders, so sturdy footwear is necessary.
The naming ceremony took place while the vessel was sailing to its first deployment, an unusual practice in the Soviet Navy. Today, visitors can still see Cyrillic lettering at various points throughout the interior.
Location: Medway
Length: 91.3 m
GPS coordinates: 51.39547,0.50358
Latest update: December 5, 2025 13:54
These preserved submarines open their hatches to visitors who want to see where sailors lived and fought beneath the ocean surface. From World War II patrol boats that hunted across the Pacific to the first nuclear-powered vessel that changed naval history forever, each submarine reveals the cramped reality of underwater service. You walk through narrow steel corridors, peer into bunks stacked three high, and stand where officers once studied charts and gave orders in near silence. The collection includes vessels from harbors across the United States and around the world, each one a working museum where the instruments, torpedo tubes, and engine rooms remain as they were during active duty. Some of these submarines sank enemy warships and rescued Allied prisoners during the Second World War. Others served through the Cold War, carrying crews on patrols that lasted weeks without seeing daylight. A few pushed the limits of technology, proving that nuclear reactors could power a vessel across thousands of miles and even under the polar ice. Whether docked in a busy port or resting beside a quiet lake, these submarines bring you face to face with the men who descended into the deep, closed the hatch, and did their work in spaces smaller than a city bus.
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