B-396, schip
The B-396 sits as a museum vessel on the shore of the Khimki Reservoir in northern Moscow, displaying the design of a Soviet-era attack submarine from the late seventies. The roughly 90 meter (295 feet) long steel hull has a pointed bow and a narrow superstructure with small hatches and antennas designed for underwater operations.
Built in 1980 at the Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard, it served nearly two decades with the Northern Fleet and took part in missions across the Mediterranean and Norwegian Seas. After being retired in the late nineties, Moscow authorities acquired the vessel to preserve it as a museum piece.
The name B-396 comes from military numbering common during the Soviet era. Today, school groups and families come here to learn about crew life and see the narrow corridors where sailors once worked and slept.
The museum opens during summer months and closes in winter when the outdoor steps become icy and dangerous. Visitors can walk through part of the interior, with some sections adapted for wheelchair access.
A fire in 1981 poisoned several crew members, yet the vessel returned to service after repairs. All six torpedo tubes remain onboard, showing how weapons were once stored.
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