In Soviet-occupied Narva, workers at a secret factory enjoyed a rare slice of the good life, with cognac, vacations and other perks — all while handling deadly uranium.
In the heart of Narva, tucked behind the hum of city life, lay a Soviet-era secret: the Baltijets military factory, unmarked on maps. Workers sometimes sipped cognac with their coffee, lounged to soft music during work breaks and were given nice apartments and sanatorium vacations.
But these luxuries came with a deadly catch: they were handling uranium on the job.
Founded in 1947, the massive complex operated under the modest moniker Mailbox No. 2.
“During the Soviet era, around 4,000 people worked here,” said Boriss Medvežnikov, events curator at Narva Museum. The factory even had its own railway station and depot.
Life for employees was surprisingly comfortable. Beyond salaries, they were given good apartments, sports facilities, regular sanatorium vacations and even their own kindergarten and cultural center. It was a rare slice of Soviet luxury — but one that often came at the cost of their health and even lives.
The Baltijets factory officially closed in 1993, though various companies continued to operate in the complex afterward.
Secret stories reach the stage
These stories inspired “Internal Climate,” a documentary theater production exploring the lives of Baltijets workers.
“It all started with the stories people told about the wonderful factory where they worked,” recalled director Mari-Liis Lill. “They could go to the break room in the middle of the workday, where gentle music played, and sometimes they could even have cognac with their coffee.”
The alcohol, it was said, helped counter radiation.
Lill also recounted a more bizarre hazard. Certain radioactive elements at the facility were stored in spirits, but the factory struggled to maintain proper storage as the alcohol inside the containers was often simply consumed.
Kristjan Sarv, who plays a Baltijets worker in the play, noted the harsh toll the facility took.
“People there did get subjected to radiation, got sick and died,” he said. Yet the play presents these grim realities through a mix of “laughter and tears.”
For Lill, the story is about more than nostalgia; it also reflects on one facet of how Narva became the city it is today.
“It’s already a big deal that we live in a country where we can joke about the Soviet past,” she said.
—