"Tartu13: 5 Bunker Hike"
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Combine active movement in nature and fresh air with an interest in history. Burn calories with a dose of adrenaline. Conquer your fears by facing the new
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Post-apocalyptic. A horror-tinged walking tour–guided adventure on snow-dusted trails: Tartu as a nuclear city – Apocalypse 13, the five-bunker hike, former Raadi military airfield
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What happened at the now-abandoned old Raadi military airfield and its nearby surroundings? Let’s go find out! An exclusive 6 km journey into secret and hidden-from-the-public nuclear shelters and tunnel systems. On this tour, led by a professional, certified guide, you'll see places that regular city dwellers would never come across. The average person doesn’t know about these locations, wouldn’t know how to find them—and frankly, it’s not recommended to go exploring them alone. :) Yes, such places still exist in Tartu. So what do you think? Wouldn't it be a shame to leave them undiscovered before the bulldozers arrive before demolition?
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Check out hiking gear offers in the online store:
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Not long ago, at the start of a new war, there was public discussion about where to take shelter. Where are the shelters in our city? While planning this tour, I couldn’t help but chuckle through the lens of dark humor that I have as many as five secret bunkers to choose from. Take your pick! :) Now, we share this knowledge with the citizens of the city in the sincere hope that these shelters will never need to be used for their intended purpose. During the tour, we will explore these and many other interesting structures and sites of the former Soviet military airfield. For example, especially explosive rocket component storage facilities, the location of the main fuel depot, a very well-preserved barracks, the underground control center bunker, the command center bunker, and a couple of smaller ones. The runway, aircraft parking spots, and a collection of caponiers
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We start the hike towards the epicenter of evil from the former outskirts of Chinatown. Tartu was once a closed city, but this residential area was truly a closed place for almost all native Tartans. Getting here meant almost certainly facing trouble. Whether it was the Soviet military guard unit or the KGB, anyone who ended up here had to deal with them. In any case, it wasn’t pleasant, and no one wanted to try it a second time. We will share collected memories from those times
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During the later transition period, this area was known for its criminal nature. Almost everything illegal found a commercial outlet here with the winds of market economy development. Grenade explosions, fires, arson, murders... Even the vinyl-eating dogs have their own grim story to tell about this place. We will briefly stop at these episodes through the guide's stories. And I can promise, you won’t find them even on Google...
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Then we move through the district of dachas with apocalyptic views. Some things have still been preserved there, and by stepping onto secret paths guided by the guide, you can still enjoy the authentic post-apocalyptic atmosphere in certain hidden spots. Could this be what people's "survivor" existence might look like after the collapse of modern society? On this journey, we will also ponder, reflect, and get a bit nostalgic
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Next, we explore the path along the former strictly guarded outer perimeter of the zone, and through beautiful natural views and the nearby city forest, we will reach the aforementioned structures. What could have been the oddly beneficial thing for Estonia and its nature from the actions—or rather inactions—of the occupying army? We will find that out too.
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At the same time, we cannot leave out the unbelievable stories of chemical disasters caused to the local nature and environment. This place has witnessed scenes like those depicted in the disaster film Deepwater Horizon, where an oil platform disaster occurred. A lake, with a ten-centimeter thick layer of airplane fuel on its surface, caught fire. An apocalyptic landscape of tire dumps. Landfills stretching to the horizon with constant fires. There have been several incidents where sheds were set on fire, in which unfortunate homeless people stayed, and sadly, they perished. By the way, a pyromaniac—or pyromaniacs—are still active in this area! We will talk about not only recent history but also quite recent stories and show evidence of actions that are hard to believe for a rational mind.
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We will hear stories about how Estonians and people in Estonia were involved in the "fuel business" with the military, how boys from the notorious Soviet army security perimeter still managed to sneak in, wander between bombers, and collect souvenirs from there. The most famous souvenirs were heavy machine gun shells and magnesium for flashbangs. How the gangsters of the new era went around changing ownership of metal and other such stories that are hard to believe in today.
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We will see the places where temporary storage, assembly with the necessary equipment, and installation of nuclear missiles for bombers were supposed to take place. The locations from which planes were supposed to take off with this devastating cargo, where the taxiway and runway were. Yes, you read that right—Tartu was a nuclear city just a few decades ago. According to investigators, there was also a high probability that chemical and biological weapons were prepared here. According to certain attack scenarios, this is where the destruction of Western European targets was supposed to begin.
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In every war, there is always a counterattack plan to accompany the offensive plan.
Having reached an authentic secret command bunker, we will discuss things that are not even written in modern history textbooks.
A Soviet-era Tartu resident carried the fear that, if a nuclear war broke out, Tartu—quoting an old man’s saying—#would definitely take a proper hit." And based on CIA secret documents released just a decade ago, this small town was indeed among the top 13 targets for a strategic nuclear strike by the USA under the Cold War plan, positioned among thousands of other targets! During the tour, we will also briefly discuss this and the untold history of the war from that era, and what happened with that plan
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This place has not only been the antihero of the Cold War. Fortunately, that evil monster remained dormant, never awakening from its winter slumber. During the tour, we will also discuss how this was the site of one of the fiercest land battles of World War II. We will briefly talk about this, the legacy it has left on this place to this day, and the dangers that still lurk here
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During the tour, we will present both factual events from historical records and memories, anecdotes, and incidents collected over the decades. Some of them are tragic, some are tragicomic, and others are simply comedic. Yes, in this place, once full of misfortune, destruction, and apocalyptic memories, now not only rays of hope shine but the morning sun after the night storm is already glowing.
We will also enjoy views of contemporary architecture and reflect on the new winds in this area
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However, this place still holds its carefully hidden dark secrets, which can still be discovered. Take this opportunity by joining the exclusive tour. Dress warmly, according to the weather. Make sure to wear suitable footwear for the terrain, as we will not be following any prepared paths but will improvise through obstacles that the landscape and current weather conditions may present. Bring a flashlight, preferably a headlamp. If you don't have one, let us know, and we’ll definitely find a solution. In an emergency, a phone’s LED light will also do the job
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Purchase a ticket for the hike at a cost of 33 EUR by clicking here :
The exact location will be sent to the email address provided at the time of ticket purchase before the event starts.
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Gallery: History as Facts
Gallery: Some Atmospheres from the Night Tour
Galerii: tume tänavakunst
Telli see tuur enda tiimiürituseks, klassiekskursiooniks, sünnipäevaks vms.
Hea meelega vastame tekkinud küsimustele ja ettepanekutele. Palun sisesta enda andmed ja küsimus või ettepanek alljärgnevasse vormi ning vastame võimalikult kiiresti:
Galerii: veel mõned pildid arhiivist, nüüdseks siis ajalugu
