A Unique Look at the Secret Ray Machine of the Former Soviet Union

The Cold War gave rise to all kinds of secret experiments, and deep in the Russian forests one of them still exists. Over the years, many people have called this installation "The Soviet Tesla Tower", due to its ability to generate rays that are terrifying. Most of the images and videos were taken on the ground, but the people at Russia Today received special permission to film this impressive ray machine using a drone.

Inside the High Voltage Research Center

Hidden in one of the forests near Moscow, very close to the New Jerusalem Monastery, we find the High Voltage Research Center. However, its name does not help at all in describing the fabulous device that exists there. Several publications have indicated that it is a Tesla Tower, but the correct term is Marx generator. The principle of the Marx generator explains that a number n of capacitors are charged in parallel with a voltage V, and then connected in series via (spark gap) switches, generating a discharge with a theoretical voltage of n * V, although the final value is a bit lower. In any case, any effective loss is forgotten when the generator comes into action. What Russia has there is a true ray machine, and today we can see it more closely thanks to the people at Russia Today.

Built during the 1970s, the Marx generator (by German engineer Erwin Otto Marx) was used to evaluate insulation in military aircraft, and later to explore the potential of electromagnetic pulses as weapons, experimenting with different vehicles and electronic devices. Its rays can reach 150 meters, and the power of the generator is such that it could exhaust (of course, for 100 microseconds according to Russia Today) all of Russia's energy installations, including nuclear power plants. As expected, public access is prohibited, but in recent years there has been an increase in visits from enthusiasts who cross the forest in search of the mysterious generator. The problem is that these enthusiasts do not seem to fully understand the risk of approaching the generator if it is in operation.

The filming of the generator with a drone is not the first of its kind, but it seems to be the first with the consent of the authorities. The second series of towers, with seven rings on top, is a bit separated from the rest, but that doesn't make it any less impressive. The snow reinforces the aura of mystery around the installation, and I am sure that our readers will remember movies and video games in similar settings.

Russia Today