SHORTWAVE RADIO TRANSMITTERS IN RUSSIA & MORE
Complied by Christos Rigas
(From the August, 2000 issue of DX Chicago)
(Revised in January 2001)
As some of you might know I used to be a hunter of the various shortwave transmitter site QSLs from the now defunct Soviet Union. I have a large collection of these QSL cards, which indicate various sites that Radio Moscow supposedly used. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was found that many of these sites were fake and non-existent. Some of the sites acknowledged by Radio Moscow were not the actual location where the transmitters were located. Sites such as Kalatch on Don, Kenga, Orsha, Serpukhov, Tula and others come to mind. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Dxers were able to accurately pin point the actual sites of the shortwave transmitters in Russia.
The following is a list of shortwave transmitter sites that are operational in Russia today and are used for international broadcasting. There are other shortwave sites within Russia that are only used for domestic broadcasting. Don't forget that in the past Radio Moscow used to also broadcast from shortwave sites located in Soviet republics such as Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and others. These sites are not listed here. All of these sites are used to broadcast the Voice of Russia and Radio Rosii programs, but you should also be advised, that some of these transmitters are also used to relay some of the major international broadcasters. Some of these are China Radio International, Deutsche Welle, Radio France International, Radio Vlaanderen International, Radio Vatican, BBC, Radio Canada International, Radio Nederland, Voice of America, Voice of Vietnam and many others. Here is the list:
CHITA - falls under the regional transmitting center called TCR-12. It is also known as Atamanovka. This site uses several 500 kW transmitters among others. BBC and Radio Canada International use this site for relays.
EKATERINBURG - this site has many 100 kW transmitters used mostly to broadcast the Voice of Russia and Radio Rosii programs.
IRKUTSK - there are two separate sites in Irkutsk. They are opertated by the CRR-10 transmitting center. The smaller site utilizes 50 kW and 100 kW transmitters, while the larger one, which also known as Angarsk uses 500 kW, 250 kW and 100 kW transmitters. Radio France, VOA, TWR, Radio Vatican, Deutsche Welle use this site.
KALININGRAD - is operated by the CRR-2 transmitting center and is also known as Bolshakovo and Sovetsk. This site has 80 kW transmitters, which are sometimes combined together for 160 kW outputs. Besides Radio Rosii and Voice of Russia, Radio Nederland uses this site. This one is a tough one to hear in the Chicago area, but if you are able to hear this one it counts as a separate radio country on the NASWA list.
KHABAROVSK - falls under the CRR-8 transmitting center. This site has many transmitters ranging from 100 - 250 kW. Radio Nederland is relayed from this site.
KOMSOMOLSK ON AMUR - is run by CRR-8 transmitting center. The transmitters at this site are 100, 200, 240 and 250 kW. This site is used to broadcast Voice of Russia programming.
KRASNODAR - this site is also known as Armavir and Tbilisskaya. It falls under the TCR-4 transmitting center. It is fairly large site with 4x500 kW, 1x250 kW, 1x200 kW and 3x100 kW transmitters. This site is also used to relay Voice of Vietnam and Deutsche Welle.
MOSCOW - the Moscow area has eight different sites. They are run by the CRR-1 transmitting center. The sites are:
BALASHIKA - this site consists of several 20 kW transmitters.
CHKALKOVSKAYA - 100 and 200 kW transmitters are at this site.
KUROVSKAYA - another large site with 100 and 250 kW transmitters
KUPAVNA - 1x100 kW transmitter is at this site
LESNOY - this large site has many 250 kW transmitters.
MOSCOW - 12x5 kW transmitters are on this site.
NOGINSK - several 120 kW transmitters are at this site
TALDOM - another big site. 1,000 as well as 500, 250 and 100 kW transmitters.
NOVOSIBIRSK - this site operated by the CRR-11 transmitting center uses
several 100 kW transmitters and is used by Deutsche Welle, VOA, Radio France
among others.
PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY - this site is run by Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Radio Center (PKRC) and is also known as Yelizovo. This site features 2x250,
1x200 and 2x100 kW transmitters and is used by Radio Vlaanderen, Deutsche Welle
and Radio Nederland.
SAMARA - this is another fairly large site. It is run by the CRR-3
transmitting center. 6x250, 6x200, 2x100 and 1x20 kW transmitters are utilized
at this site.
ST. PETERSBURG - CRR-2 transmitting center operates this site as well as the
Kaliningrad site. The St. Petersburg has two separate sites. The big one is also
known as Popovka and houses many 200 kW transmitters, which are sometimes
combined together to run 800 kW. The other St. Petersburg site is called
Volodarskyi Most and uses 20 and 60 kW transmitters. The CRR-2 center will
verify directly (this includes the Kaliningrad site) with QSL card if you
include reply postage with your report. Their address is CRR-2, Akademika
Pavlova 13A, St. Petersburg 197376, Russia.
VLADIVOSTOK - two separate sites are in the Vladivostok area. The smaller
one is known as Tavrichanka, while the larger one is known as Razdolnoe. The
power outputs of the transmitters range from 100 - 500 kW.
There are several other shortwave sites within Russia that are used mostly for domestic broadcasts. Some of these are: Archangelsk (Koskovo), Anadyr, Arman, Blagoveschensk, Kovylkino (Zelenaya Roshcha), Khanty-mansiysk, Krasnoyarsk, Magadan, Monchegorsk, Murmansk, Oyash, Palana, Perm, Petrozavodsk, Tura, Tyumen, Ufa (Yazykovo), Ulan-Ude, Volgograd, Yakutsk, Yoshkar-Ola, Yuzno-Sakhalinsk.
(Sources: my archives, Transmitter Documentation Project, Worldwide DX Club Top News # 473)
The following is a list of Radio Moscow transmitter sites QSLed between 1980 and present by the author. Note that several of the listed sites never existed. The republics and countries listed are the ones in existence, when the QSL was received.
ALMA ATA – Kazakh SSR
ARCHANGESLK – Russian Federation
ARMAVIR – Russian SFSR
ASHKHABAD – Turkmen SSR
BAKU – Azerbaijan SSR
BLAGOVESCHENSK – Russian SFSR
CHITA – Russian SFSR
DUSHANBE – Tadjik SSR
EKATERINBURG – Russian Federation
FRUNZE – Kirghiz SSR
GORKY – Russian SFSR
HAVANA – Cuba
IRKUTSK – Russian SFSR
IVANO-FRANKOVSK – Ukrainian SSR
KALATCH-ON-DON – Russian SFSR
KAZAN – Russian SFSR
KENGA – Russian SFSR
KHABAROVSK – Russian SFSR
KHARKOV – Ukrainian SSR
KIEV – Ukrainian SSR
KINGISEPP – Russian SFSR
KISHINEV - Moldova
KOMSOMOLSK-ON-AMUR – Russian SFSR
KONEVO – Russian SFSR
KRASNODAR – Russian Federation
KRASNOYARSK - Russian SFSR
KURSK – Russian SFSR
LENINGRAD – Russian SFSR
LVOV – Ukrainin SSR
MICHURINSK – Russian SFSR
MINSK – Byelorussian SSR
MOSCOW – Russian SFSR
MURMANSK – Russian SFSR
NIKOLAEVSK-ON-AMUR – Russian SFSR
NOVOSIBIRSK – Russian SFSR
OMSK – Russian SFSR
ORENBURG – Russian SFSR
ORSHA – Byelorussian SSR
PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY – Russian SFSR
PETROZAVODSK – Russian SFSR
RYAZAN – Russian SFSR
SAMARA – Russian Federation
SANKT PETERSBURG – Russian Federation
SERPUKHOV – Russian SFSR
SIMFEROPOL – Ukrainian SSR
SOFIA – Bulgaria
STAROBELSK – Russian SFSR
SVERDLOVSK – Russian SFSR
TASHKENT – Uzbek SSR
TBILISI – GEORGIAN SSR
TULA – Russian SFSR
VOLOGDA – Russian SFSR
YAKUTSK – Russian SFSR
YEREVAN – Armenian SSR
YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK – Russian SFSR
ZHIGULEVSK – Russian SFSR
And now for something completely different!
Before the break-up of the Soviet Union it was almost impossible to get any information about the transmitter sites used by Radio Moscow. As noted above, Radio Moscow often used fake transmitter sites locations on many occasions in their schedules and QSLs. When QSLing Radio Moscow broadcasts, it was almost impossible to predict what site would be indicated on the card. This led at least one CADX member to desperation. Tom Ross, back in 1987 and 1988 vented his frustration, when he could not QSL the sites he needed by putting his thoughts into lyrics. Enclosed below are the results of his frustrations. They first appeared in DX Chicago in 1987 and 1988. Hope you enjoy them.
The Radio Moscow
QSL
Simferopol Site Blues
by Tommy "Juke Boy" Ross
Well I see my mailman comin’
Walkin’ up to my front door
With that "blue and white" envelope
Lord, you know I need one more
Well, I open up that envelope
And get ready for a surprise
But when I rip that sucker out
I can’t believe my eyes
I’ve been mailin’ cards for months
And I’ve really paid my dues
All I see is Simferopol
And I really got the blues
CHORUS: I’ve got the Radio Moscow
QSL Simferopol site blues
The UHN newsletter’s gone
And I don’t know what to do
I’ve even tried Joe Adamov
And the Moscow Mailbag crew
But nothin’ ever seems to work
To get that 25th site
No matter what I ever do
It never seems to be right
Well, I guess I’ll keep on tryin’
To nail that elusive one
But Simferopol keeps poppin’ up
I ain’t never gonna have no fun
CHORUS: I’ve got the Radio Moscow
QSL Simferopol site blues
© Same 2U Tunes, 1987
(reprinted from the December 1987 issue of
DX Chicago)
Tula
Well I heard me a signal from-a ol’ Moscow
Where they drink jet fuel and it don’t cost them lotsa moola.
EM-YOO-ELL-AY moola.
I fired a report off that very same day.
I was hopin’ for Georgia but she said "No way, boy it’s Tula."
TEE-Yoo-ELL-AY Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula.
Well I’m not dumb but I can’t understand
Why her name is Elena, but she writes like a man.
She gave me Tula.
She said "That’s the rule-a." T-T-T-T-Tula.
Well my Soviet sites stand at 24,
And I’d sell my sister just to get one more.
Elena burned me but I gotta try.
It’s listed as Georgia in the EDI-I-I!
Well I’m not the World’s most eloquent man,
But I’ll pour on the sugar and see if I change that Tula.
T-T-T-T-Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula.
I dropped her a line.
I prayed for a sign.
I begged for Tbilisi
I whined "Elena, please!"
And she wrote to me and said: "No, siree!"
That’s the way she said it’s going to stay.
"I always want you for my DX slave. You gotta Tula."
T-T-T-T-Tula
"Lvov ould be Kenga, Kiev’s Armavir.
Boy we’re the real masters of the Soviet sphere,
and this is true-la."
T-T-T-T-Tula
"Enclosed is a report form, love and kisses.
Continue to listen, E. Rogova (Mrs.)." Yes, it’s Tula
T-T-T-T-Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula.
Well my mama didn’t raise no panty-waist,
So I followed up again without any haste.
Elena dear sent this terse reply:
"Don’t push it boy, or you’ll get nothin’ but Havana,
Simferopol,and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky till you’re
blue in the face. Dig?"
Well I’m not blunt, but I told here where
She could stash that 10th Derzhinski Square card from Tula.
T-T-T-T-Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula.
(chorus)
Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula. T-T-T-T-Tula. (etc.)
© Same 2U Tunes, 1988
(reprinted from the March 1988 issue of DX Chicago)