The reality of a nuclear weapon detonating in a populated area is beyond our comprehension within the context of everyday life.

A characteristic part of the cold war era was that populations in the east and west involved in the ‘arms race’ lived under the threat that political events on the world between the superpowers could escalate quickly into global nuclear war. Like no other time in the history of the human race, there existed weapons that could kill large quantities of the wider population that were not military personnel on a traditional ‘battlefield’.

This virtual reality experience aims to provide an insight into the threat of a nuclear blast occurring in a domestic context at the start of the 1980’s.

The simulation begins in a domestic garden context and then recreates a nuclear blast. The viewer has a short space of time to enter the nuclear bunker built in the back garden. Once inside the bunker, the hatch door slams behind you and you are left inside the crampt bunker with the authentic government radio broadcast telling you what to do next.

Advisory note for teachers:

This Virtual Reality experience has been created to emphasise the significance of the threat of nuclear war during the post war era. Care and consideration has been taken to recreate aspects of the actual experience, whilst ensuring that the elements are conveyed appropriately for students of a school age studying the Cold war.

Teachers are advised to consider carefully the appropriateness of sharing this resource with their students, so of which may find the experience upsetting.