The research complexes in Atomic Heart were initially imagined not as game locations in the typical sense, but as autonomous R&D establishments. Each has its own objective, specialty, internal logic, and history that determine its constitution and place in the game world.
The complexes were designed as fully functional facilities, each with its own security service, archives, scientific departments, lines of research, and staff. They are therefore seen not as decoration, but rather as living elements of the world integrated organically into the lore and running according to their own rules.
At the same time, introducing the whole research complex system had an ulterior objective. They were considered venues to simulate climate catastrophes on Earth and test scenarios for developing new planets. The key requirement for these was full autonomy, the ability to continuously provide humans with all they need. It's no coincidence that entrances to the complexes are often marked as "weather shelters" in the game lore. Furthermore, within the confines of the Atomic Heart universe, all "space" experiments take place on Earth, inside these very compounds, which at times look futuristic and almost alien.
Complexes
All research establishments in the Atomic Heart world are part of a single program founded by Dmitry Sechenov, the head scientist at Facility 3826 and creator of polymer, a key discovery that became the basis for all technological systems in the world.
Vavilov Complex
An agricultural and biological research facility that specializes in producing new plant species for terraforming other planets. Led by Sergey Nikolaevich Vavilov, a scientist from Dr. Sechenov's cohort. The character's appearance was inspired by the Soviet academician Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov, a geneticist, botanist, and plant breeder.
Icarus Flying Platform (Chelomey)
An autonomous Technopolis platform housing lab techs and service personnel. It's the modeled concept of the floating cities of the future that are self-sufficient and detached from climatic conditions. Led by Arkady Mikhailovich Chelomey. The character's appearance was inspired by the Soviet scientist and rocket designer Vladimir Nikolaevich Chelomey.
VDNH
An exhibition complex created in the image of Moscow's VDNH. Exclusively dedicated to exhibiting the achievements, technology, and innovations of Facility 3826.
Mendeleev Complex
An experimental chemical and technological compound that studies chemistry and material engineering. Named in honor of Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev, a Russian scientist and chemist, and the creator of the periodic table of elements.
Pavlov Complex
An experimental research center studying body physics and chemistry, anthropogenesis, medicine, and bioengineering. Led by Ivan Alexeyevich Pavlov. The character's appearance was inspired by the Soviet scientist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, a physiologist and Nobel laureate.
Neptune Complex
An underwater facility located at the bottom of the artificial Lake Lazur. Its research focuses on growing seaweed to produce polymer, studying underwater flora and fauna, and testing underwater devices. The complex is made up of multiple buildings and features an almost full-scale underwater city with its own transportation system. This is where the Academy of Consequences is located.
Academy of Consequences (AoC)
The main archive and cybernetic center of Facility 3826. Specializes in analytics, forecasting, and experimenting with AI and neural networks. One of the most secretive establishments—most employees do not know of its existence. The formal founder of the complex was Alexey Lebedev.
Real Science as a Foundation for Science Fiction
At the foundation of the research complexes are real-life scientific fields, which players can feel almost immediately. There isn't any "main" discipline in Atomic Heart—rather, it's built at the intersection of multiple fields. Biology sits alongside chemistry, medicine rubs shoulders with engineering, and fundamental studies exist in conjunction with practical experiments.
When it comes to the autonomy of these complexes, nuclear physics must also be considered. The USSR was historically a hub for high-energy physics research and thermonuclear fusion—just think of the tokamak. Stable sources of energy are must-haves for establishments of this size, and having their own nuclear reactors doesn't seem out of the ordinary. In reality, these machines are used in large-scale scientific and industrial centers, including universities.
Special attention was also given to genetics and artificial selection. Genetic engineering in Atomic Heart is shown not as a miracle of technology but rather as a complicated and risky tool that requires a scientific justification and control. It's a chain of experiments, mistakes, and side effects well-known in real research practice.
Narrative as a Window to the Past
When creating any facility, the first things identified were the target of research, the staff composition, and a set of key areas and labs. This made it possible to create the complex's operational model in advance and understand how it functioned in peacetime before the breach.
Then, for every space the player passes through, we determined the exact work that had been ongoing before the catastrophe and the tasks the employees were working on. The purpose of an area directly influenced narrative elements. For example, what might interest P-3 in this room? Whose offices and P.E.A.R.s were in this area? What could the chirper tell us?
Even the deaths of Facility 3826 employees were laid out based on their specific locations and circumstances. This approach made locations realistic and convincing and gave room to play out stories from another time period that could be expanded in the Atomic Heart universe.
The Mendeleev Complex: When Science Looks to the Future
Mendeleev is one of the most saturated in terms of scientific ideas. Research on artificial intelligence, agrochemistry, genetic engineering, biochemistry, and astronomy is all concentrated here. All those are accompanied by fundamental works on terraforming.
Terraforming (the hypothetical transformation of other planets' ecosystems in order to fully support human life) in the game doesn't look like a ready-made solution or a magic button that'll bring on the future. In Atomic Heart, it's a long-term study that is mainly theoretical. It can even be naively optimistic at times, but that's exactly what real science is like: more questions than answers.
GMO Turnips: A Joke Concealing Science
Agrobiologic experiments are also conducted at the complex. One such experiment resulted in the line 149.R/1 GMO turnip. What might look like just a joke at first actually has an elaborate scientific background. Detailed diagrams and research protocols can be found in the complex showing how modification was carried out, the methods applied (including a viral vector), how tests were run, and the results recorded at various stages.
The turnip was produced to obtain Heale-R, a substance specifically meant for healing various injuries and illnesses all the way up to the Brown Plague. The documentation was designed to mirror a complete research project, including sequential logic for the study and experimental stages.
Polymer and Breathing Underwater
Polymer is a central element in the Atomic Heart universe and the catalyst behind the technological breakthrough. This unique substance interacts with the nervous system and consciousness to directly connect humans and machines. Polymer gave robots adaptive behavior, and technology began to be integrated into humans.
Polymer is used as a biological medium and can be found in varying states, from liquid to reactive. It can change shape and dissolve gases, which makes it possible to freely exist and breathe within it. And the inspiration came from real scientific hypotheses, including research on cold synthesis and unusual substance properties.
Even the ability to breathe and freely move around within polymer has a real-world model. Substances like perfluorodecalin can efficiently dissolve gases, making them useful for liquid breathing. The game took this idea to a fantastical extreme, but it's built on real studies.
Soviet R&D Establishments as a Source of Inspiration
The appearance of research complexes in the game is largely based on Soviet scientific institutions and private science cities. Their isolation, autonomy, and scale are based on the so-called Closed Administrative Territorial Units (i.e., closed cities) from the USSR. Even the so-called "sharashki"—research centers run by scientist prisoners—have a place in the lore as part of the historical background.
However, the main focus is not on everyday life but on science itself. The complexes feel like places where studies and experimentation are given priority rather than the day-to-day routine of the employees.
Details Creating a Sense of Realism
It's easy to miss many scientific details, but that's precisely what makes the world of Atomic Heart believable. Items of lab equipment like magnetic mixers, water baths, and shakers look and function exactly as they do in real research centers. The names of solutions and substances like the Martin peptone were drawn from actual lab practice. The academic board was a big help to the devs while working on these environments.
Players may notice diagrams and drawings on the walls related to biology, engineering, and astrophysics. These are part of the game world language, not just visual clutter.
Complexes as Experiments for the Future
All of Sechenov's research facilities were designed as testing grounds for future Soviet colonies on the Moon and Mars. They are insular, autonomous systems capable of going long periods without any external intervention, supplied with energy from the sun or nuclear reactors. Their goal is to verify whether humans can live and work in conditions as similar as possible to other planets.
Take the Vavilov Complex, for example. On the surface, it fulfills an experimental task for the USSR, studying genetics, botany, and artificial selection, storing a seed bank for every plant on Earth, and presenting itself as an underground city of science. On closer examination, though, Vavilov also participates in the space program, developing plants to use when terraforming other planets. Its size and significance serve as cover for Sechenov's riskier studies on polymer and Kollektiv.
As a result of all these considerations, the complexes in the game have become more than just locations. They are experiments on the future of humanity and its capabilities. After all, in a broader sense, beyond the borders of the main story, Atomic Heart embraces ideas of expansion across the Universe, what Tsiolkovsky described as "millions of billions of luminaries." And the type of person capable of taking that step.
