Izntrh

We can only show you fuzzy pictures of this place since they were taken with a Soviet era camera.

We visited the site where the USSR used to train their cosmonauts for the weightlessness of space. In addition to a huge water pool, there’s a tunnel down deep in a huge iron ore deposit.

The ore is heavily magnetized and the tunnel is bored horizontally through its center. When they close massive iron doors, it almost perfectly counteracts the forces of gravity!

We stored all of our metal objects at the entrance above ground, then took an elevator down 2 kms to the tunnel. There we put on heavily padded clothes, gloves, boots and helmets till weightlessness was the last thing from our minds.

As soon as they closed the doors, we started floating! The slightest push and you went from one side to another. It was outrageous! It reminded me of scuba diving except you could breathe (and there weren’t any fish). We flew around for about 15 minutes before they opened the doors and gravity returned. This was by far our most unbelievable experience of the trip.

If you ever have a chance to visit Izntrh, don’t be foolish enough to miss it.