Preparation Beforehand

“I don’t use any specific equipment—just flashlights, camera and tripod, and a rope-ladder. If there’s dust I take a respirator. If the object of interest has something nuclear in its past, I take a dosimeter. Also a bolt cutter, nippers, and adjustable wrench, for removing barbed wire and unlocking doors and windows,” said Lana. 

The Energomash Factory

Lana got famous after she explored the Engeromash Factory. About that she said, “In December 2011 we spent five nights exploring its territory. Its fence was destroyed by some construction works. The first night we walked around the buildings outside, climbed the rooftops and towers, and looked inside the pool. The next night we went looking for a way to get inside. We found unlocked doors on the roof and fire escape, and examined one of the two test benches. A few more nights we returned to take pictures and found the entrance to the second test stand, as well as the factory museum and the bomb shelter. The bomb shelter was flooded and abandoned. I was impressed by the ascent to the tower: from the top there is a view of the whole enterprise. The company is engaged in testing space rocket engines, but there were no tests during our visits. We did not see any engines.”

Meeting With Russian Authorities

What Lana does is illegal in Russia. One can say, that if you don’t get caught you can’t prove the crime. But Lana has a blog and Instagram account solely for her urban exploration. When asked about is she has ever been contacted by the authorities, she replied, “They’ve made a couple of attempts to contact me, asking me to pay some fines for illegal infiltration or help with fixing holes in perimeters. Sometimes a policeman comes and asks reasons for my curiosity. I like the slogan “URBEX IS NOT A CRIME”, and tell them that of course I will try not to make more problems.”

The First Time

Nobody wants to get involved with the police. We are all peaceful citizens. But Lana, on the other hand, has this curiosity inside her that makes her do these amazing adventures. She tells about the first experience when Russian authorities visited her. “They didn’t know how to find me, so after the Energomash story they followed my Twitter. After I said that I was going back to Moscow, they were waiting for me in three airports. We met after the passport control, and they asked me if I am Lana Sator. I said yes, and followed them to the police office where we had a talk and I got a fine (the equivalent of five Australian dollars).”

The Drive

When asked about the drive for urban exploration she said, “Every week I spend some hours searching places to visit. The more I do this, the more I understand how extensive the possibilities are for further exploring. Our country has a great collection of historical relics and urbex heritage.”

There Is No Stop!

See, when you do something just for the sake of doing it then there are chances that one day you might stop and say, “enough” but when you do something that you love or enjoy doing it then there is no stop to that. When asked when she is going to stop? To this she replied, Maybe I’ll stop after starting my own family. If the authorities tell me to stop exploring inside of Russia, I’ll try to continue outside.” But let’s not stop here because the most amazing part of this story is still left. The discovery!