The book tells about the creation of nuclear weapons in our country, the construction of the first-born of the nuclear industry - the Mayak chemical plant and the Ural Atomgrad - the city of Chelyabinsk-40, and later Ozersk. This book is about the people who implemented the atomic project and contributed to strengthening the country's defense capability. The authors take a new approach to covering many complex and little-studied problems; for the first time they talk about many of the creators of the nuclear industry, about their difficult, dramatic fate. The book is intended for a wide range of readers.