Tito’s bunker TOP SECRET - What to see

Tito's bunker
Large generators
Underground corridors

Tito’s underground nuclear bunker near Konjic

The secrets of one of the most intriguing figures of the old communist bloc are laid bare in this underground nuclear bunker in Bosnia-Herzegovina that's now open to the public. This is the story of one of the largest and best-kept secrets of the former Yugoslavia, once a miracle of construction, special, extraordinary and complex for a special purpose - a secret facility called D-0.This bunker was one of the most expensive structures in the former Yugoslavia.

In the ranking of top-secret military sites in the countries that comprised the former Yugoslavia, bunker number D-0 in the town of Konjic, 50km south-west of the capital Sarajevo, was the most important.

It took 26 years to build (from 1953 to 1979) and it was designed to withstand nuclear war and shelter communist leaders and army generals.

Its air conditioning system, power generator, toalets etc are still working and the water container cistern is filled with fresh water. It was built to withstand an attack with bombs up to 25 kilotons – far more powerful than the ones that were dropped on Hiroshima.

In the event of an attack, the bunker could accommodate President Tito, his family and his closest collaborators – about 350 people.

From here it would be possible to govern the country, or what was left of it. It’s a kind of labyrinth, a complex of residential areas, conference rooms, offices, halls for strategic planning, a ‘presidential bloc’ and other sections. The construction of the tunnel was done in total secrecy.
Teams of workers often changed so no one would know too much about the bunker, and workers were brought there blindfolded so they wouldn’t know its exact location.

In 1992, Bosniak members of the rump JNA refused to carry out JNA orders to destroy the bunker.

The bunker is now a venue for a biennial of contemporary art. Prompted by the letters in the code of the bunker, the project has been dubbed D-0 ARK Underground. There is irony in the fact that the bunker, designed and built strictly to accommodate a small circle of the elite, has been reborn and is open to all.

Underground area: 20 000 square meters
Atomic protection: 25 kilotons
The cost of this work : Nearly $5 billion, about $8 billion in today’s money