For Ukrainians, a nuclear missile museum is a bitter reminder of what the country gave up

"POBUZKE, Ukraine In the middle of vast farm fields in southern Ukraine, you'll find what was once a secret Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile launch site. Today it's the Museum of Strategic Missile Forces. Aside from chronicling the Cold War arms race between the Soviet Union and United States, the museum tells the story of how Ukraine dismantled its nuclear weapons arsenal with assurances from the U.S., Britain and Russia that its sovereignty would be respected shortly after becoming an independent country in 1991."

"Today most Ukrainians believe that decision to give up nukes was a fateful mistake. For them, this museum is a bitter reminder of what they say was their "naivety" and "betrayal." On this cold, blustery December day, there aren't many visitors, but Ihor Volodin and Inna Kravchuk have come from the neighboring Cherkasy region. "I think it's a part of our history and it's important to know about it," says Kravchuk. But she says it also makes her angry: "If we had kept these weapons, probably Russia would not have attacked. The nuclear weapons were our insurance.""

"Hennadiy Vladimirovitch Fil, a 65-year-old guide, once served as a lieutenant colonel in the elite rocket forces here. He attributes his youthful complexion to all the time he spent in an underground silo at the site. Fil says hardly anyone of a certain age leaves the museum without cursing. But before that betrayal, there were four decades of the Cold War arms race, and this museum plunges visitors deep into that era on the Soviet side. Black-and-white portraits of Soviet commanders sporting stern looks and chests full of medals stare down from the walls, while old rotary phones and antiquated 1960s control panels help re-create the gloomy atmosphere of the epoch. The place is at once creepy, fascinating and at times overwhelming with detail."

The Museum of Strategic Missile Forces occupies a former Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile launch site in southern Ukraine. The museum documents the Cold War arms race and Ukraine's post-independence decision to dismantle its nuclear arsenal under assurances from the U.S., Britain and Russia that sovereignty would be respected. Many Ukrainians now view that disarmament as a fateful mistake and express anger and a sense of betrayal, believing nuclear weapons might have deterred aggression. Visitors experience Cold War-era control panels, portraits of commanders and personal accounts from former rocket-force officers, creating a gloomy, immersive atmosphere.

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