August M
In the forests of Russia’s Tver region, an enormous fiberglass dome once stood in a remote clearing, its origins unclear and its purpose disputed.
In the forests of Russia’s Tver region, an enormous fiberglass dome once stood in a remote clearing, its origins unclear and its purpose disputed.
For nearly four decades, the structure — known simply as the Sphere — attracted travelers, musicians, off-road enthusiasts, and conspiracy theorists. In 2021, it finally gave way, leaving only fragments behind.
Independent outlet Takie Dela revisited the story, with Meduza publishing an abridged English version of the reporting.
Theories and speculation
The 18-meter-wide hollow dome appeared in the mid-1980s near villages outside Dubna, one of Russia’s “science cities.”
Explanations varied. Some locals believed it had been dropped by helicopter during military exercises. Others suggested it was linked to anti-satellite weapons testing or part of a Soviet response to the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative.
A former employee of a regional design institute said the Defense Ministry once planned an experimental settlement nearby and intended the dome to serve as a recreation hall. Engineer Leonid Simanskov later described it as a decommissioned radio-transparent radome connected to military research bureau NPO Almaz.
Online maps still label the clearing as the ruins of a command-and-trajectory radio link dome.
A magnet for visitors
Regardless of its origins, the Sphere developed a devoted following.
Off-road drivers began organizing trips there in the mid-2000s. Hikers, cyclists, and campers followed. “It was a cult place,” hiking organizer Vitaly Balykin told Takie Dela. “Ten years ago, if you were going to Dubna, you had to see the Sphere.”
Musicians were especially drawn to the acoustics. Alexey Reznikov, then a physics student, organized a large-scale event titled An Ordinary Miracle: A Symphony in the Sphere. Performers combined music, poetry, and visual art inside the echoing dome.
“I’m not someone who’s inclined toward the occult or mysticism,” Reznikov said. “But that Sphere … you can’t help wanting to treat it like something spiritual. Even though, of course, it’s just an ordinary radar dome.”
Damage and disappearance
As visitor numbers grew, so did vandalism. In 2014, members of a motorcycle club carved their name into the structure, prompting anger from regulars.
Volunteers attempted cleanup efforts, but the fiberglass shell gradually weakened. Panels sank into the marshy forest floor. By 2021, the dome had split and collapsed completely.
Some residents repurposed fragments for practical use. Others kept small souvenirs as reminders of what once stood there.
“It was a good Sphere,” said Lida, a local resident. “At some point, it was brought here, and then they broke it.”
Today, only scattered shards remain — relics of a structure that, for many, became part landmark, part legend.
Sources: Meduza, Takie Dela
