Mystery of Russia's 'ghost' radio station

For more than 30 years, a lone transmitter in the middle of a Russian swamp near St Petersburg has been sending out a continuous tone, sometimes interspersed with the occasional word. No one has claimed ownership of the transmitter or its broadcast and no one seems to be really sure what its purpose is — or if they are, they aren’t telling.

Broadcasting on 4625 MHz, the signal can be received all over the world, leading some to conclude that it is a ‘dead hand’ signal for use by Russian (formerly Soviet) agents in the event of global thermonuclear war. If the transmission stops, it’s likely that Russia has been attacked, and the absence of the signal would be taken as an instruction for retaliation.

You can read more about this intriguing story on the BBC’s website and listen to a recording of the signal below.

Image courtesy Janm67 under CC BY-SA 3.0

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook