SSTC NRS: Cannon from the Kyiv Polytechnic Museum is radioactive

On December 30, specialists of the Department of Emergency Preparedness and Radiation Monitoring of the State Scientific and Technical Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Safety inspected the anti-aircraft gun of the Polytechnic Museum at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (Kyiv, 37/6 Peremogy Avenue).

The reason for the attention to the museum exhibit was an amateur video, which SSTC NRS received. The video of a citizen measuring the radiation background of anti-aircraft equipment shows that close to the examined devices, the dose rate reached 700 — 800 μR / h, which significantly exceeds the background levels (although at a distance of 0.5 — 1 m from this equipment the equivalent dose rate does not exceed the background).

So the information on the video was confirmed — dosimeters detected the presence of the isotope radium-226, which was used in AA guns.

According to the results of the survey, SSTC NRS specialists prepared a report, which was sent to the SNRIU. Based on it, an order was prepared to remove the identified sources of ionizing radiation and protect citizens from potential danger.

The KS-19 anti-aircraft gun was transferred to the KPI in 2014 as a museum exhibit by the Balaklia Repair Plant. It is not fenced and accessible to visitors, the devices have signs of damage.

SSTC NRS Press Service.