the 10 most protected places in the world

Military bases, libraries, secret vaults, and even a parking lot. There are places that are more heavily guarded than the White House — read about them in our selection. 

Area 51, USA

A U.S. Air Force base whose existence was only confirmed in July 2013. Due to the increased secrecy of the facility, the area around Area 51 is restricted for flights, and civilians and most military personnel cannot enter the base. Zone 51 has become a favorite among ufologists and conspiracy theorists. They began to say that this area is often visited by flying saucers: people confused the prototypes being tested with alien ships. As a result, Area 51 was transformed in the collective imagination into a base where the American government allegedly held captured aliens.

During World War II, the US Air Force opened a small airport in the area of dried-up Groom Lake, 130 km northwest of Las Vegas. This area is designated on maps as Area 51 — "Zone 51". The facility was forgotten until April 1955 — when the Eisenhower administration needed a center to test new spy planes. The area of the base was expanded to 37 by 40 km. On 24 July, she received the first Lockheed U‑2 prototype. Within a few months, homes, schools, movie theaters, and baseball fields were built for the military personnel transferred there. The base was named Paradise Ranch.

Since the developments carried out on the territory of the base were related to military equipment, they were carried out under the heading "Top secret" and the territory of the base was always carefully guarded. 

Secret object in Mount Yamantau

The settlement of Mezhgorye in the Republic of Bashkortostan is the most inaccessible and mysterious city in Russia. Some construction is underway near this locality in Mount Yamantau. There is an assumption that this is a storage facility for the strategic reserve of the Russian Federation.

The second version — the bunker in Yamantau will be one of the infrastructure objects of the "Dead Hand" (or "Perimeter") system. The Perimeter system launches an automatic massive nuclear strike. It guarantees the launch of submarine-launched, air-launched, and mine-launched ballistic missiles in the event that the enemy destroys ALL points capable of ordering a retaliatory attack. It is completely independent of the rest of the communication and command systems, even from the" nuclear suitcase "of the" Kazbek " system.

The most common version is that an underground city for thousands of people is being built in Yamantau, where the country's leadership will move in the event of World War III. 

HavenCo Data Center

Seven years ago, the HavenCo data center, located in a fortress near the south-east coast of the United Kingdom, closed without explanation. The center opened in 2000 on the territory of the Principality of Sealand-a virtual state, proclaimed in 1967 by the British retired Major Paddy Roy Bates. HavenCo hoped that its location on a sovereign territory would save it from the restrictions of British Internet law. HavenCo ceased to exist in 2008.

The Secret Vault of the Mormon Church

Near Salt Lake City, there is a repository that belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the largest branch of Mormonism). The bunker is located under a granite mountain at a depth of about 200 meters. The vault is designed to withstand a nuclear explosion, and the records are carefully guarded. Some highly secret exhibits are rumored to be equipped with heat and motion sensors.

Pionen Bunker»

The Pionen center was built in Stockholm so that the Swedish government could work in the event of a nuclear strike. After the Cold War ended, the Internet service provider Bahnhof reclassified Pionen as a data center. You can get inside through a single tunnel, and the internal infrastructure simulates an underground city: there are greenhouses, "green" zones, aquariums, and even a system of changing day and night. The most famous client of the Pionen data center is WikiLeaks.

Vatican Library

The Vatican Library contains the most valuable historical documents ever found.

It is believed that the huge library of the Vatican, which appeared in the XV century, holds almost all the sacred knowledge of mankind. However, most of the books are classified, and only the Pope has access to some of the scrolls.

According to experts, there are more than a million books, scrolls and various historical documents stored here. Scientists and theologians can enter the vault, but only with a pen and paper. Inside, visitors are accompanied by two guards and a priest. The length of the archive is 84 kilometers.

Fort Knox

The place where the US gold reserve is stored, along with the most valuable historical documents, is carefully guarded. You can enter the fort through a door weighing 22 tons.

Scientology Database

The base is located in the New Mexico desert. There is no reliable information about what is stored here, but the entrance is protected by 2.5-ton doors. Only the main adepts can get inside. On the surface above the archive are signs designed either for aliens who adhere to the same faith, or for the founder of the church, Ron Hubbard — so that his reincarnation can find its way to the base.

Green Rosehip Resort»

An exclusive resort located in the forests of West Virginia in the United States. The area of the territory is more than 2 thousand hectares. The most senior politicians spend their holidays in the "Green Brier". The main mystery of this place is underground. A door weighing 25 tons closes the entrance to the bunker, full of supplies and equipped for living. That's where the entire U.S. Congress will go in the event of a nuclear war.

Bold Lane Parking Lot

Yes, yes, it is parking. It is located in Derbyshire, UK, and is one of the safest places on the planet. No one can enter or enter without a special pass. Once the car is parked, a variety of motion, volume, and sound sensors are activated, which monitor the space around the car. When an alarm is triggered, all inputs and outputs are automatically blocked.