On October 30, 1961, just 16 years after humanity entered the age of nuclear warfare, the Soviet Union detonated an incredibly powerful hydrogen bomb, known as the “Tsar Bomba” or the “King of Bombs.” This explosion remains the largest artificial explosion in history, intensifying fears during the Cold War.
Compared to the “Little Boy” atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, which had a yield of 15 kilotons of TNT and was capable of destroying an entire city, the Tsar Bomba had an astounding yield of 50 megatons of TNT. This was powerful enough to destroy a small country.
The Test Location and Explosion
The bomb was dropped on the remote Severny Island in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Russian Arctic. The explosion generated a fireball with a diameter of 8 kilometers and a mushroom cloud that reached heights of up to 160 kilometers. Due to the remote location and sparse population, no deaths or serious injuries occurred during the test. However, the shockwave from the explosion circled the Earth three times, causing minor damage to towns located 880 kilometers away. 
The Bombing Mission
Before the Tsar Bomba was transported to Novaya Zemlya, high-ranking Soviet military officials carefully selected the bomb release team to drop the device from an altitude of 10 kilometers. Andrei E. Durnovtsev was chosen as the squadron leader and piloted a custom-built Tu-95 “Bear” bomber that carried the bomb. Another unnamed Soviet Air Force major flew a smaller Tu-16 aircraft to observe and film the event.
Although the bomb was equipped with a parachute to slow its descent, giving the crew enough time to escape the blast radius, everyone knew that the survival chances for the bombing team were only 50%. No one had ever made such a powerful nuclear device before, so the exact effects of its explosion were unpredictable.
Preparation and Escape
Both planes were coated with a special anti-radiation white paint, a military-grade coating designed to reflect the intense heat radiation from a nuclear blast and protect the aircraft and crew. The crew members wore visors to shield their eyes from the intense flash. As they took off, they knew their fate was beyond their control.
When Durnovtsev arrived at the designated drop zone, Soviet generals on the ground remotely released the 27-ton bomb. The bomb immediately deployed its parachute and began its descent to the designated detonation height. Durnovtsev knew that they had only about two and a half minutes to evacuate to at least 50 kilometers away. He focused on getting the crew to safety, placing his hopes on their ability to escape in time.
The Bomb’s Detonation and Aftermath
As the bomb detonated, the smaller high-speed plane had already flown at least 80 kilometers away, while Durnovtsev’s Tu-95 was only about 45 kilometers from the explosion site. The supersonic shockwave from the Tsar Bomba hit the aircraft, causing it to drop almost a mile in altitude. Three crew members lost consciousness, but Durnovtsev managed to maintain control and eventually regained the proper flight path. They safely landed about 500 kilometers away at an air force base.
Due to his bold escape and survival, Durnovtsev was immediately promoted to colonel and awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
