Not all travellers know that Russia has what are known as closed cities. These so-called secret settlements (though they are not really secret) are impossible to visit, even if you have all the necessary visas, invitations and other documents.
Such cities are called ZATO — closed administrative-territorial formations. Some ZATO are completely off limits not only to foreigners, but also to Russian citizens, while others are simply not recommended for visits.
Frequently asked questions:
- Why can’t foreigners visit ZATO?
- Which cities will foreign citizens not be able to visit?
- Where to turn for help?
Why are these cities so secret?
Mainly because their territories host facilities that constitute state secrets. These may be, for example, enterprises involved in the production of weapons of mass destruction, the processing of radioactive materials, or simply facilities belonging to Russian military structures. At the same time, military towns, which are so widespread across Russia, do not belong to ZATO. However, we would like to warn you that foreigners are unlikely to be able to visit military towns either, especially those who came to Russia on a tourist visa.
A ZATO is usually fenced off along its entire perimeter with a barbed-wire fence and has a guarded checkpoint. As a rule, only Russian citizens can visit a ZATO, having first obtained a permit of the prescribed form that states the purpose of the visit. For foreign citizens, entry to most ZATO is closed — permission is granted only in exceptional cases upon coordination with the Russian Ministry of Defence and the FSB. In most cases such a permit is issued by the ZATO’s administration; however, a registered resident of a ZATO can also arrange a permit by filling in the equivalent of a private visa invitation — a petition for the issuance of a permit. Such a petition may only be filed on behalf of relatives.
As of 2026, Russia has 38 ZATO.
List of closed cities in Russia
- City of Zheleznogorsk (Krasnoyarsk Krai)
- City of Zelenogorsk (Krasnoyarsk Krai)
- City of Zarechny (Penza Oblast)
- City of Seversk (Tomsk Oblast)
- City of Sarov (Nizhny Novgorod Oblast)
- City of Lesnoy (Sverdlovsk Oblast)
- City of Tryokhgorny (Chelyabinsk Oblast)
- City of Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk Oblast)
- City of Novouralsk (Sverdlovsk Oblast)
- City of Ozyorsk (Chelyabinsk Oblast)
- City of Tsiolkovsky (Amur Oblast)
- Settlement of Zvyozdny Gorodok (Moscow Oblast)
- Settlement of Vidyaevo (Murmansk Oblast)
- City of Alexandrovsk (Murmansk Oblast)
- City of Zaozersk (Murmansk Oblast)
- City of Ostrovnoy (Murmansk Oblast)
- City of Severomorsk (Murmansk Oblast)
- City of Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka Krai)
- City of Fokino (Primorsky Krai)
- City of Znamensk (Astrakhan Oblast)
- Settlement of Vlasikha (Moscow Oblast)
- Settlement of Gorny (Zabaykalsky Krai)
- Settlement of Zvyozdny (Perm Krai)
- Settlement of Komarovsky (Orenburg Oblast)
- Settlement of Molodyozhny (Moscow Oblast)
- Settlement of Ozyorny (Tver Oblast)
- Settlement of Pervomaysky (Kirov Oblast)
- Settlement of Svetly (Saratov Oblast)
- Settlement of Svobodny (Sverdlovsk Oblast)
- Settlement of Sibirsky (Altai Krai)
- Settlement of Solnechny (Krasnoyarsk Krai)
- Settlement of Uralsky (Sverdlovsk Oblast)
- City of Krasnoznamensk (Moscow Oblast)
- City of Mirny (Arkhangelsk Oblast)
- Settlement of Solnechny (Tver Oblast)
- Settlement of Voskhod (Moscow Oblast)
- City of Mezhgorye (Bashkortostan)
- City of Raduzhny (Vladimir Oblast)
The number of ZATO is periodically reviewed: some cities eventually lose this status, but at present Russia still has 38 closed administrative-territorial formations.
Conclusion
Restricted-access facilities also exist in other CIS countries — for example, Russian military bases such as Karshi-Khanabad in Uzbekistan. Contrary to popular belief, foreign tourists can visit the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan: tours are organised there, including trips to rocket launches.
To find out in more detail which cities are not worth spending money on when planning your trip to Russia, you can contact the GoingRus company.
Complete step-by-step guide to obtaining a Russian visaFrequently Asked Questions
- Tourist visa — for example: tourism, sightseeing;
- Business visa — for example: conferences, business meetings;
- Electronic visa — for example: short-term trips;
- Work visa — for example: employment in a Russian company;
- Private visa — for example: meeting friends in Russia (but it is more practical and cheaper to use a tourist visa).
To obtain a Russian visa, you need to:
- Fill in our online form and receive an Invitation to Russia
- Follow the step-by-step guide to obtaining a Russian visa, using your personal data and the information from the Invitation to Russia