kurchatov-institute
A highly secured Soviet nuclear research facility that played a central role in early Soviet computing and networking efforts.
2 chapters across 1 book
The Red Web: The Struggle Between Russia's Digital Dictators and the New Online Revolutionaries (2015)Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan
Chapter 2 details the origins of the Soviet Union's connection to the global Internet, focusing on the Kurchatov Institute's unique status as a nuclear research center with relative freedom. It describes the development of the Unix-based Demos operating system and the creation of the Relcom network, which linked Soviet research centers domestically and internationally, culminating in the first Soviet email exchange with Finland in 1990. The chapter also situates this technological breakthrough within the political turmoil of the 1991 coup attempt against Gorbachev.
Chapter 2, "The First Connection," provides a detailed historical account of the early development of Soviet digital communications and the complex interplay between scientific institutions like the Kurchatov Institute, government ministries, and the KGB's Twelfth Department. It highlights the clandestine nature of Soviet technological advancements, the political tensions surrounding loyalty and surveillance, and the role of key figures during the 1991 coup attempt. The chapter draws extensively on interviews, archival documents, and firsthand testimonies to reveal how digital infrastructure was both a site of innovation and control.