During the Soviet period, there were many closed cities in the Soviet Union. Some of these were marked on maps and simply required permission to enter. Others were too secret to be marked on maps at all, and that part of the map would simply show emptiness.
I imagine it could be a pretty eerie experience if you were hiking or travelling through an area that your map said was empty and you came across an obviously bustling city. It’s the kind of thing that might make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, and make you ask “what is going on here?”
Or am I misinterpreting what this would have been like? Was it common knowledge that these cities existed? When I saw the city lights, would I have known that I should turn around immediately? Or would I be unsurprised and unconcerned?
When I saw the city lights, would I have known that I should turn around immediately?
You'd first come across a random checkpoint in the road before you got close enough to see the city lights and get turned away by the KGB guards - without knowing why you couldn't proceed any further down the road. Although it's worth pointing out that some closed cities were founded before the Russian Revolution, and so people knew about them even though the government would officially deny their existence.
Was it common knowledge that these cities existed?
Yes - while their locations and details were classified they were actually quite desirable places to live as the wages and living standards tended to be higher to compensate for the extra security restrictions you'd have to live under.
You were, however, quite unlikely to accidentally come across one. The Soviet Union was very, very big, and closed cities were usually in very remote areas in order to reduce the risk of people trying to access them. Try to picture them as Soviet versions of Area 51.
A follow up if I may. Just how feasible would it be for a soviet citizen to go hitchhiking? As I understand it travel was quite closely controlled so would an average Russian in, say, the 60’s or 70’s have been able to go wandering around the countryside?