Relic of The Cold War Photo Gallery by Eldar Kadymov at pbase.com

Relic of The Cold War

At the first glance it looks like a simple 2-storey corrugated metal shed encaged with large reinforced fences in a field. But walking downhill along the interior’s long circular tunnel, surrounded by two-foot thick concrete walls, you quickly realize that this is not an ordinary building. At the end of the tunnel lies an elevator that goes even further down -- four stories, in fact -- into a very complex undeground structure housing military command centre, facilities section, endless tunnels, cafeteria, hospital, boardrooms, dormitories, communication centres, gold treasury, weapon storage, etc.

This 4-storey deep underground bunker was built during the Cold War in 1960s, and meant to serve as Canada’s emergency underground headquarters to save lifes of government officials in the event of a nuclear attack. Several underground bunkers were constructed across the country with authorization from Prime Minister John Diefenbaker who suffered from a paranoia of nuclear threat. The Opposition dubbed the facilities "Diefenbunkers", and the name stuck. The biggest one, which is shown here, is located about 35 km away from Ottawa-capital of Canada . Although most of these facilities were decommissioned in the 1990s, a group of volunteers banded together to preserve this bunker and estalished Canada’s Cold War Museum.

It took 32,000 tons of concrete, 5,000 tons of reinforcing steel, and $20-30 million ( today's equivalent of $650 million) to create a facility to house 500 people for 30 days underground. However, unlike Britain’s Cabinet War Rooms which had been used during World War II, the Diefenbunker was never used for its original purpose. There was never a nuclear war, and it was only ever used by military personnel as a communications base. Taxpayers didn't even know about its existence, but "voluntarely" supported its operations for over the quarter of the century. No prime minister ever had to stay there, although one of them once stopped in for lunch.

One interesting thing to mention-bunker was intended to preserve the lifes of the leaders of the ruling party, and exclusively the males (!). As for rest of the population inlcuding women, children and, of course, leaders of the opposition party, well... They were expected to take care about themselves...
Your comments of any nature :-) would be very appreciated !
Gallery is in progress.

Grounded Forever	Nuclear Blast Tunnel	Survival Is Ensured, We're Well Beyond Green Circle !	Canada Bank Treasury	Counter Attack Planning Room
Communication Centre	Bunker Is Full Of Amazing Encounters	Main Boilers Room	Hot Beds Dormitory	Emergency Escape Hatch
Counter Attack Launch Centre	Escape Plane For prime minister	We Were Lucky It Didn't Fly	Surgery Room	Nuclear Blast Proof Door
Food Supply Truck	Passage	Machine Hall	Dentist Office	Prime Minister Radio Station
State of the Art Communication Switch Gear	Weapon Storage Facility	4.5 kg Infrared Scope for the Night Walk	Safari Jeep	Classified Archives
Unidentified Subject	Map of Projected North American Apocalypse	Chemical Suit	Bank Treasury Hatch	Regarded Obsolete
Police Communication	Blower Control	Likely Lie Detector	Perimeter Projector	X-Rays Display

comment |

Neil Hermansdorfer	PM reply	08-Feb-2011 02:43
Totally awesome set of photos, captions, replies, and especially the lighting and color effects. Neil H.

Nora van Beek	PM reply	23-Oct-2010 16:38
A fascinating gallery! It's like a giant time capsule. ~V~

gOOg	PM reply	07-Sep-2010 10:07
splendid!!

Marc Demoulin	PM reply	01-Sep-2010 18:47
A magnificent document that sends a shiver down the spine!! vVv Marc

Dan Greenberg	PM reply	11-Jun-2010 02:34
Amazing photographs of an even more amazing story. Thanks for providing so much historical information. Very different, well presented and interesting gallery. Big Vote!

GaleriaFotoStefan	PM reply	29-May-2010 11:23
excellent shot!! great colors and composition!! V

Lee LaFontaine	PM reply	14-May-2010 02:43
Very interesting, and well photographed and presented. When you realize how primitive our technology, engineering, and state of mind was, its certianly a good thing that a war never happened. v. Lee

jreal	PM reply	27-Mar-2010 16:29
This is a fascinating gallery filled with many wonders ~V~

Rick Bricker	PM reply	23-Feb-2010 06:35
Another excellent gallery made even more interesting by your narrative. I am trying to remember the story of the Diefenbunker and the Hell's Angels...I seem to remember them making an offer on it for their clubhouse and being turned down after some debate.

Ares324	PM reply	14-Nov-2009 04:49
Wow!! This is just amazing work! Great job!

Sherwood	PM reply	20-Oct-2009 21:31
Wow ..... What a great gallery as is the old train gallery both are excellently done

Marko Ala-Kapee	PM reply	23-Sep-2009 08:38
Just played the Fallout 3. Man, these gives me the chills. :)

Peter Sussex	PM reply	27-Jun-2009 08:23
Mystic and arty presentation of the place that fortunately never was really used. Fine work Eldar!

Eugene Michael Bundy	PM reply	07-May-2009 15:40
Wow - very interesting. Voted!

Ali Majdfar	PM reply	07-Mar-2009 18:28
Spectacular gallery, thanks for sharing.

Sebastian	PM reply	13-Feb-2009 01:22
Wow.. I´m speachless Eldar! Big vote!

Fabienne	PM reply	02-Feb-2009 19:49
C'est une galerie où la recherche des sujets et le travail est remarquable. C'est fantastique et l'atmosphère si particulière des lieux est magnifiquement mis en scène et la musique ajoute un + :-) C'est vraiment génial.

Lampridis Dimitris	PM reply	24-Jan-2009 21:05
Excellent presentation , Amazing work *****

boethius	PM reply	06-Jan-2009 08:21
Tremendous - great stuff. You can find at least a few of the U.S. missile silos on the web, but none really as close to the same condition as this, though I think there's a Titan missile silo that someone is trying to renovate and some Midwest bunkers someone was selling at one point. One of the early "famous" web sites - probably going back 10 years or more http://triggur.org/silo/main.html) was a decrepit silo somewhere in the U.S. Anyway, very nice work.

Vladimir Babkin	PM reply	03-Jan-2009 05:40
Eldar, it was a real pleasure!!!V

Eldar Kadymov	PM reply	02-Jan-2009 17:36
Frank, thanks very much for the comment and the compliment related to the looks of Half Life 2, it's very flattering. And , yes, I swear on the grave of Diefenbaker that originaly only the males were intended to be rescued. Guides couldn't explain this from any logical prospective, just like the very idea about the bunker itself was driven by nuclear paranoia when sense of reality dissapeared completely...

FrankB	PM reply	02-Jan-2009 14:43
awesome...and that unmistakable Doom3/Half-Life2 look!!....V It's amazing that only male government officials were specified as being allowed into the facility in the event of an attack!!!...sounds hardly believable but I know you would NEVER exaggerate Eldar.

Naret Visesvongsa	PM reply	02-Jan-2009 13:00
Your post process work turn out these picture to be very interesting ones. V

Hochi Abaya	PM reply	27-Dec-2008 07:05
great gallery with some fantastic colors and tones of the photos

Ilana gil	PM reply	26-Dec-2008 08:38
Wonderful gallery with beautiful collection! and the music is perfect too :)

Eldar Kadymov	PM reply	25-Dec-2008 04:51
It is Minolta DiMAGE A200. They don't make them any longer. Thanks for compliments !

Guest		24-Dec-2008 22:22
Excellent gallery and great colors. What model Camera did you use?

Guest		24-Dec-2008 22:18
Excellent gallery and great colors. What model Camera did you use?

dan dunn	PM reply	24-Dec-2008 14:24
Fine work Eldar!! DD

Zane Paxton	PM reply	24-Dec-2008 12:18
Nicely done Eldar! Great presentation!

Studio Instable (Thierry)	PM reply	24-Dec-2008 11:59
:oO What places ! Amazing treatment too ! (... I love you background sheet very much too.. ;o)

João Lopes	PM reply	24-Dec-2008 00:59
Love this one, the atmosphere is a relic. Mysterious, intense, and nuclear. Looks like those scenario from those Russian Nuclear Platforms in Azerbeijam, or Cazaquistan. I just love it. V.

GeneWard	PM reply	24-Dec-2008 00:26
I am always amazed by the creativity in your galleries. GMV.

Rob Oele	PM reply	23-Dec-2008 13:35
Fantastic collection. V

Scotty Graham	PM reply	22-Dec-2008 14:45
Eldar, you always amaze with your locations...how you find this stuff?? Awesome gallery as usual. Cheers, Scotty

Eldar Kadymov	PM reply	22-Dec-2008 14:25
I am not sure, John, about their sexual inclines, but in country where, according to the statistics every 10th man is a gay, they likely decided that one night stand should've sufficed for the whole length of 30 day survival. What would've happened next to it ? Hmmmm... Politicians never think that far ahead, as we all know.

John Potter	PM reply	22-Dec-2008 13:50
Typo, I'm sorry Eldar. John

John Potter	PM reply	22-Dec-2008 13:48
Utterly fascinating and informative Edgar. No women, huh? I wonder what post-apocalyptic sex would have centered around...umm.....pin-ups in the bunker? Makes me think about hunkering down in an igloo with my beloved for a winter, sounds like the perfect alternative!

James	PM reply	22-Dec-2008 04:51
Great series. Glad to see others so many other have finally discovered your talent. ~V~

Niall O'Shea	PM reply	21-Dec-2008 23:45
Your photography; lighting, compo and post-processing is rocking, here. Perfect for the sombre yet humorous subject. And all with an A200, too!

tommy_and_lacette	PM reply	21-Dec-2008 23:45
Great editing! Well done.

Gumbo jim	PM reply	21-Dec-2008 22:23
cool v

Eldar Kadymov	PM reply	21-Dec-2008 19:26
This question, amigo Michael, has great in-depth philosophical meaning, one might think about roasted and almond spread langostinos served on the bed of mahi-mahi salad, but... They didn't possess those kinda gourmandese tastes, so that guy named Trudeau ended up with trivial Canadian crunchy bacon with omelette... He probably tried to show up for general public to become more popular, while pretending that his diet was no different from that served in shelters for poor... I guess langostinos would've come to his table if nuclear strike occurred indeed...

MARK KOEPPEN	PM reply	21-Dec-2008 07:52
Eldar, you've done it again. This is one extremely fascinating gallery that none of us, literally, none of us would have ever seen without your help. Amazing is the cost of the facility that taxpayers had no vote in. But to harbor men only, what was he thinking? VOTED

Eldar Kadymov	PM reply	21-Dec-2008 07:51
They never had any thoughts, amigo, the thinking is something that politicians naturally don't possess. It is trivial fact of life. Simply enough-whoever went to the politics, was an absolute social reject in any other activities/respects capable of doing nothing else but speaking hard and sweety. Human race has never mastered to pick the true leaders...

S Clark	PM reply	21-Dec-2008 03:34
Interesting stuff. I wonder if anyone ever thought about the fact that if everyone on earth died but these males in the bunker, how long would the human race continue.

Raymond Ma	PM reply	21-Dec-2008 03:17
Thank you for this bit of Canadiana from our dark past. Great images! V

Richard Calmes	PM reply	20-Dec-2008 18:27
Great images! Spectacular presentation! Great music! V

Eric Herbelin	PM reply	20-Dec-2008 18:07
suddenly I feel very cold! V

Nikhil Bahl	PM reply	20-Dec-2008 17:09
Intriguing gallery. v

Monique Laguë	PM reply	19-Dec-2008 16:16
Very interesting gallery. Very good documentary et very well done. v

Jesse Henslee	PM reply	19-Dec-2008 03:12
Its ashamed that humans didn't put all this energy, money and time to developed alternative energy instead of weapons of destruction. Maybe our generation wouldn't have any knowledge of Gulf War, gas shortage and Bushes! Sh#t man>>>Wars? What the F@#k? Inedible as long as we feel the greed, lust, hunger and most of all human desire for power. Very created gallery Eldar keep up the originals! Voted

Barbara Read and Fred Schaad	PM reply	17-Dec-2008 15:24
This is outstanding work, Eldar. The bunker itself is a testament to the political insanity of the day. Thank God, we've moved on to a whole new level of insanity. ;o)

Cathryn Gallacher	PM reply	17-Dec-2008 12:09
What a splendid, interesting, very well photographed gallery! Great work! BV

Emmanuel Besnier	PM reply	17-Dec-2008 07:47
Stunning and somehow scarying serie! v

Steve Morris	PM reply	16-Dec-2008 19:12
A fascinating gallery Eldar with a great story and excellent photography!! 'Lest we forget' could be an alternative title. Biologically speaking, only saving the men is a bit shortsighted it strikes me and yet nothing surprises me about politicians. Here in the UK we have similar bunkers (who knows where?) and even had crazy leaflets about how to survive a nuclear attack, issued in the early eighties. I agree with Mike's sentiments below, except to say that JFK's famous phrase came only a few months before he took the world to the brink of a nuclear disaster with the Cuban Missile Crisis - the irony!!! Big vote for the atmospheric photos of the chamber of horrors - it's a mad world!!!!

Mike McCormack	PM reply	15-Dec-2008 23:18
This is a truly chilling collection of images that tells a story we must not ever forget; at the height of the Cold War, the human race was only a few keystrokes & keyturns away from total annihilation. We allowed ourselves to be driven by our fears into an age of unreason, by the kind of men who constructed this asylum. The world may have changed, but unfortunately the human race has not, and these kinds of men still exist. I hope you continue to add to this gallery and people will seek it out to look closely at the images and understand what they are saying to us. As President Kennedy eloquently stated so many years ago, "Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to Mankind". The words of the late president can be heard echoing throughout this gallery.. -Voted-

an nguyen	PM reply	15-Dec-2008 16:21
Oh!!! I must Vote this gallery for the creativity and the boring office made attractive... BV

an nguyen	PM reply	15-Dec-2008 16:19
Starting a new venture ???? The Communication Center could be your office.....

Michael Weinberg	PM reply	14-Dec-2008 20:56
Hello O Evil Cold War Resurrection Reporter. Certainly a fascinating place, but its use may not be obsolete as many may think. Many these objects and locations seem to have their roots embedded in 1666 and that can only mean one thing... the nudnicks who anything to do with these relics are still doing Satanic thing. It surely makes this world we live in fascinating. Now you say that this place, the "Diefenbunker" was never used for its original purpose and that the only use was that one of the prime ministers stopped to have lunch there. So the question is, what did the prime minister have for lunch? This is an urgent question.... urgent because there is a nudnick who wants to know. Fascinating stuff. Ciao, Michael.... and by the way, even though this gallery is not yet complete, no doubt is surely going to be the greats"Relic of the Cold War" gallery ever produced,, not only on earth, but in the universe as well.

Michael Shpuntov	PM reply	13-Dec-2008 18:33
I'm pretty sure it's quite a boring place, but I'm also sure your images will make look very interesting. Great photography as usual. Vote.

Bill Warren	PM reply	13-Dec-2008 18:21
Fantastic find made better by your creative edge imagery Eldar. V

Paco López	PM reply	13-Dec-2008 18:13
Impressive and excellent collection, Eldar!!!!! Big vote!!!

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