Gadling

In their most paranoid state, the Soviets outlawed detailed maps of their country during the Cold War. As if this wasn't bad enough, the maps that they did produce for Soviet citizens were purposely wrong--entire cities were often left off the map or strategically relocated in the interests of national security.

The Cold War has been over for a long time now and the Soviet Union no longer exists. The law prohibiting maps with "precise geographical data," however, has remained on the books--that is, until last May when legislature finally removed this antiquated law and opened the door for Google Earth Russia to make its official, legal entrance onto internet servers throughout Russia.

Now every comrade in Russia can zoom right in all those weapons and nuclear "secret cities" which never officially existed, such as the nuclear warhead facilities at Penza-19.

Naturally, someone has already created a Google Earth mash-up of secret cities throughout Russia--some of which still remain closed to outsiders. Click here and pretend you're a CIA analyst trying to make sense of the mysterious sheds and facilities viewed from outer space. Hey, is that an ICBM?!?!?

Very cool! I could spend all day doing this.

Filed under: Russian Federation