Dimitrovgrad
Reactor Data
Research Reactors
Research and test reactors, critical assemblies and prototypes at this site, as listed in the IAEA Research Reactor Database: type, thermal power, first criticality, shutdown date, current status and what each is used for.
11 reactors: 8 operational, 2 decommissioned, 1 under construction.
| Reactor | Type | Thermal Power | First Criticality | Shutdown | Status | Used For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SM-3 | Pressure Vessel | 1 MWt | 1961-01-10 | Operational | isotope production, materials testing, transmutation, activation analysis, training | |
| VK-50 | Bwr-prototype | 2 MWt | 1964-12-15 | Operational | materials testing, activation analysis, training | |
| FM MIR.M1 | Crit Assembly | 5 Wt | 1966-10-30 | Operational | teaching, training | |
| MIR.M1 | Pool/channels | 1 MWt | 1966-12-24 | Operational | isotope production, materials testing, activation analysis, training | |
| BOR-60 | Fast Breeder | 60 MWt | 1968-12-30 | Operational | isotope production, materials testing, training | |
| FM SM-3 | Crit Assembly | 20 Wt | 1970-01-01 | Operational | teaching, training | |
| RBT-6 | Pool | 6 MWt | 1975-09-24 | Operational | isotope production, materials testing, transmutation, activation analysis | |
| RBT-10/2 | Pool | 7 MWt | 1983-11-24 | Operational | isotope production, materials testing, transmutation, neutron capture therapy, training | |
| Arbus (AST-1) | Tank | 12 MWt | 1963-01-01 | 1988-05-01 | Decommissioned | |
| RBT-10/1 | Pool | 10 MWt | 1983-12-01 | Decommissioned | ||
| MBIR | Fast, Power | 15 MWt | Under construction | isotope production, materials testing, transmutation |
Source: IAEA Research Reactor Database (RRDB), as of 2026-10-13.
Fuel Cycle Facilities
Fuel cycle plants at this site, as listed in the IAEA Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Database: what each plant does, its scale and design capacity, the years it operated, its current status and who operates it.
2 facilities: 2 in operation.
| Facility | Type | Scale | Design Capacity | Operated | Status | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIAR (Research Institute of Atomic Reactors) | Spent Fuel Reprocessing - aqueous route | Pilot plant | 1 t HM/year | 1965– | In Operation | V I Lenin Research Institute of Nuclear Reactors (Niiar) |
| RIAR (Research Institute of Atomic Reactors) | MOX fuel fabrication (Mox Powder, Pellet, Pin, FA) | Pilot plant | 1 t HM/year | 1975– | In Operation | MINING AND CHEMICAL COMPLEX |
Source: IAEA Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Database (NFCFDB), as of 2026-10-13.
Working Here
Per Diem Rates FY 2026
Per diem covers lodging and meals & incidental expenses (M&IE) for government and contractor travel near this facility. Rates are from the U.S. State Department foreign per diem tables for FY 2026.
$173
Lodging/Night
$112
M&IE/Day
$285
Total/Day
Russia: rate for locations the State Department does not list separately
U.S. Department of State foreign per diem, for U.S. government and contractor travel.
Facility Map
Interactive satellite map showing the facility's geographic location. Marker color indicates current status: green for online, red for offline, orange for reduced power. Click the header to open in Google Maps satellite view.
54.1861, 49.4761
Location & Contact
Physical address, phone number, and website for this facility. Use the directions link to get driving directions via Google Maps.
Plant Facts
About This Site
Written by NukeWorker from public records: facts that do not change. Operator, status and capacity come from the live data elsewhere on this page. Sources: Wikipedia: Research Institute of Atomic Reactors; Wikipedia: BOR-60; Nuclear Engineering International: RIAR.
The Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (RIAR) is a nuclear research center in Dimitrovgrad, Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia. The institute was founded in 1956, although some sources give 1954 or 1958, and its reactors have included the SM, MIR, BOR-60 and VK-50.
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The SM reactor was commissioned in October 1961 and reached its design power of 50 megawatts that autumn. A core enlargement in 1965 raised its power to 75 megawatts. The VK-50 boiling water reactor had its physical startup in December 1964 and its power startup in October 1965. The MIR channel-type reactor began operation in December 1966. Construction of the BOR-60 sodium-cooled fast reactor began in 1964, and it reached first criticality in 1968 and was commissioned in 1969.