Obninsk

Technical specifications, photos, nearby jobs, and satellite map for Obninsk.

Reactor Data

Reactor Units

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Every power reactor at this site as listed in the IAEA Power Reactor Information System (PRIS): reactor type and model, net electrical capacity, grid connection and commercial operation dates, and current status.
1 unit: 1 permanent shutdown.
Unit Type Model Net MWe Construction Grid Commercial Op Shutdown Status
APS-1 Obninsk LWGR AM-1 5 1951-01-01 1954-06-26 1954-06-27 2002-04-29 Permanent Shutdown
Capacity, milestones and suppliers
Unit Design MWe Gross MWe Thermal MWt First Criticality Reactor Supplier Turbine Supplier Notes
APS-1 Obninsk 5 6 30 1954-05-06 MINISTRY OF MEDIUM MACHINE BUILDING OF THE USSR (MINSREDMASH) Institute for Physics and Power Engineering Named After A. I. Leypunsky Decommissioning from 2010-04-21
Operator: MINISTRY OF MEDIUM MACHINE BUILDING OF THE USSR (MINSREDMASH)
Owner: MINISTRY OF MEDIUM MACHINE BUILDING OF THE USSR (MINSREDMASH)
Source: IAEA Power Reactor Information System (PRIS), as of 2026-10-19.

Research Reactors

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Research and test reactors, critical assemblies and prototypes at this site, as listed in the IAEA Research Reactor Database: type, thermal power, first criticality, shutdown date, current status and what each is used for.
21 reactors: 4 operational, 13 decommissioned, 3 under decommissioning, 1 permanent shutdown.
Reactor Type Thermal Power First Criticality Shutdown Status Used For
BFS-1 Crit Assembly 200 Wt 1962-02-20 Operational
WWR-TS Tank Wwr 15 MWt 1964-11-04 Operational isotope production, transmutation, teaching, training
BFS-2 Crit Assembly 1 kWt 1969-09-30 Operational
BARS-6 Prompt Burst 1 kWt 1994-12-30 Operational
BR-2 Fast 1 kWt 1956-01-01 Decommissioned
27/VM Pwr Power 70 MWt 1956-03-01 Under decommissioning
SBR-2 Fast, Hg Cooled 15 kWt 1957-03-01 Decommissioned
BR-5 Fast, Na Cooled 5 MWt 1958-01-01 Decommissioned
BR-10 Loop Type 8 MWt 1958-06-01 2002-01-01 Permanent shutdown
27/VT Fast, Power 70 MWt 1959-01-01 Under decommissioning
RF-GS Crit Assembly 10 Wt 1962-01-01 Decommissioned
MATR-2 Crit Assembly 400 Wt 1963-08-02 Under decommissioning
BR-1 Crit Assembly 50 Wt 1965-01-01 Decommissioned
TOPAZ Space Test 15 kWt 1966-01-01 1986-01-01 Decommissioned
FG-5 Crit Assembly 100 Wt 1967-01-01 Decommissioned
STRELA Crit Assembly 20 Wt 1968-08-14 Decommissioned
SGO Crit Assembly 100 Wt 1969-01-01 Decommissioned
COBRA Crit Assembly 300 Wt 1970-01-01 Decommissioned
Stend T-2 Space Test 2 Wt 1970-01-01 Decommissioned
FS-1M Crit Assembly 200 Wt 1970-03-03 Decommissioned
AMBF-2 Crit Assembly 100 Wt 1984-11-22 Decommissioned
Source: IAEA Research Reactor Database (RRDB), as of 2026-10-13.

Working Here

Per Diem Rates FY 2026

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Per diem covers lodging and meals & incidental expenses (M&IE) for government and contractor travel near this facility. Rates are from the U.S. State Department foreign per diem tables for FY 2026.
$173
Lodging/Night
$112
M&IE/Day
$285
Total/Day
Russia: rate for locations the State Department does not list separately
U.S. Department of State foreign per diem, for U.S. government and contractor travel.

Location & Contact

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Physical address, phone number, and website for this facility. Use the directions link to get driving directions via Google Maps.
Address:
Obninsk, Kaluga Oblast, Russia
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Plant Facts

About This Site

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Written by NukeWorker from public records: facts that do not change. Operator, status and capacity come from the live data elsewhere on this page. Sources: Wikipedia: Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant; IAEA PRIS: Russian Federation.

The Obninsk site is in Obninsk, Kaluga Oblast, about 110 km southwest of Moscow. It housed a small graphite-moderated, water-cooled reactor known as AM-1, rated at 5 MW electrical and 30 MW thermal.

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Construction began around 1950 to 1951. The reactor was connected to the grid on June 27, 1954. The next Soviet nuclear plant to join the grid was Beloyarsk Unit 1 in 1964. The reactor was permanently shut down on April 29, 2002, ending electricity production, and it was used afterward for research and isotope production.