Severnaya Satellite Control Center

The Severnaya facility exterior shot, as seen in GoldenEye (1995).

The Severnaya Satellite Control Center is a clandestine satellite weapon control and tracking center; disguised as an innocuous-looking facility (a radar station in GoldenEye, a climate change observation station in the 2010 re-imagining) at Severnaya, in Siberia, the middle of northern Russia. The location features prominently in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, where it serves as the nerve centre for the titular superweapon. It subsequently appeared in GoldenEye's novelisation, 1997 video game, and 2010 video game re-imagining.

Biography

GoldenEye (film)

Severnaya served as the primary headquarters for the GoldenEye weapons program in the years following the close of the Cold War. Before its collapse, the Soviet Union designed a satellite-based program to be deployed against its enemies in the Western world, utilised a weaponized electromagnetic pulse capable of destroying all electronic hardware in the span of a thirty-mile radius. British intelligence got wind of the project but eventually wrote off the plausibility of its existence, citing a lack of the necessary funds and technology to see its fulfilment. In truth, the project continue in secret, under the command of General Arkady Ourumov, head of the Russian Space Division. Its primary facility at Severnaya was found in an underground bunker linked to a massive satellite dish that served to track the positioning of its two active satellites, codenamed Petya and Mischka.

The region was accessible only by helicopter or sled dog, and normally hosted at least a dozen specialized technicians and a small security staff. The bunker hosted few facilities, composed primarily of a massive control center where the activation keys were safely stored in a high security vault.

In the events of the film, the Janus Syndicate sought out the weapon and sent the traitorous General Ourumov and Xenia Onatopp to retrieve it. Upon arrival, they met with Severnaya technician Boris Grishenko, who unbeknownst to his comrades had sold out the GoldenEye to Janus. Ourumov announces an unscheduled test firing of the GoldenEye and demands the access keys. Onatopp then proceeds to massacre the entire staff, mowing down all of the technicians as they attempted to flee. A single technician, Natalya Simonova witnesses the carnage from afar and hides from her would-be killers as they activate the GoldenEye. They program satellite Petya to fire upon Severnaya, hoping to eliminate all evidence of their actions there. However, a dying guard manages to activate a distress beacon that alerts the Russian Air Force to the incident, who then scramble a trio of MIGs to intercept the attackers. The signal also alerts MI6, who observe the region via satellite.

Ourumov and Xenia flee the scene, escaping in the stolen Eurocopter Tiger prototype as it was designed to be impervious to the effects of the EMP. The subsequent EMP blast completely destroys the facility and the entire region is plunged into darkness. All three MIGs are brought down, with one of them plowing into the radar tower and causing it to collapse. Simonova survives the carnage and manages to escape by climbing up the remains of the dish. She then flees to safety with a team of sled dogs still on site.

The Russian government makes an official announcement that the Severnaya disaster was an accident, which most of the international community accepts. However, London and Washington do not buy this and suspect Janus of being behind it, prompting MI6 to send James Bond and the CIA to send Jack Wade to Saint Petersburg to track down Goldeneye and deactivate it before it can be used again. Moscow launches its own investigation, demanding accountability from General Ourumov as it was his project. Unknown that he was the man behind it, the Politburo gets a false report from Ourumov accusing Siberian separatists of orchestrating the attack.

Alternate Continuities

GoldenEye 007 (1997 game)

The action on this place is divided in two parts in the Solo mode.

Bunker 1

The Satellite Control Bunker.

Here you go to a small underground base on the Severnaya plateau of Siberia. At this time it is under construction and there are only a handful of hardware in preparation for the Goldeneye program. Bond must lead a programmer to start him a computer, so he could steal information (only on 00 Agent).

Bunker 2

Bond escaping from prison.

Again at the Severnaya Bunker Complex after James is caught by the guards and thrown into jail. There imprisoned meets a woman called Natalya Fyodorovna Simonova who is there because they believe is a traitor. The guards are Arctic Commandos and they use KF7 Soviets and Klobbs. More commandos will show up with DD44 Dostoveis and occasionally Klobbs or KF7s if the alarm sounds.

GoldenEye 007 (2010 game)

To be added

Behind the scenes

Modeler Nigel Blake with Severnaya miniatures during production of GoldenEye.

As with other locations in GoldenEye, the Severnaya satellite control center and its Siberian surroundings were scale miniatures constructed outdoors by Derek Meddings' model unit at Leavesden studios in England. To achieve the appearance of snow, the entire set was covered in dendritic salt. However, unexpectedly, the night before shooting it snowed heavily, excessively covering the set and negatively affecting the model Eurocopter Tiger helicopter's airworthiness.

Gallery

Trivia

• If the Severnaya location does correspond to 62.08N, 102.58E; then it is located around the area where the Tunguska event occurred.