Академгородок Лаборатории № 2 АН СССР, Academic research complex in Shchukino District, Moscow, Russia
The academic complex is an ensemble of three residential buildings connected by ornate passages and featuring neoclassical design with ochre-colored facades in the Shchukino District. The central four-story structure links to two three-story wings through decorative entrances.
Laboratory No. 2 of the USSR Academy of Sciences was founded in 1945 as the center for Soviet nuclear research and development of the first Soviet atomic reactor. The complex emerged as a key facility during the accelerated atomic programs of the Cold War.
The residential complex housed leading scientists and physicists who shaped Soviet nuclear research. Their presence defined the intellectual character of this neighborhood during the Cold War era.
The complex sits near Shchukinskaya metro station and is easily walkable from the station. The buildings stand in a quiet residential area and can be viewed from outside, with a museum section inside offering insight into the scientists' daily lives.
The complex preserves a museum section with original furniture and personal items from nuclear physicists of the 1940s era. This collection reveals how leading Soviet scientists like Andrei Sakharov and Igor Kurchatov lived and worked during this period.
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