In November of 1958, Lichtman writes, Good Housekeeping published an editorial titled “A Frightening Message for a Thanksgiving Issue,” telling readers that, in case of attack, “your only hope of salvation is a place to go.” It urged them to contact the government for free plans to make a shelter at home. A plan for an underground air raid shelter via Getty Instead, the Eisenhower administration called for citizens to take responsibility for protecting themselves in case of nuclear attack.

But that would have been incredibly expensive. One option the government considered was building shelters all over the country. Truman created the Federal Civil Defense Administration to provide protection for citizens in case of nuclear war. In 1951, with the Cold War emerging in the aftermath of World War II, President Harry S. Negotiations between the Kremlin and Kyiv have largely broken down since Moscow invaded the country in late February, with both sides blaming each other for the failed progress on peace talks.“Your only hope of salvation is a place to go.” Regions such as Kirov, some 1000 kilometers northeast of Moscow, are yet to experience any direct conflict. In recent weeks, Russian officials have blamed Ukrainian forces for artillery fire in the area, resulting in injuries and property damage. In contrast to the widespread destruction seen in Ukraine, the fallout from the conflict within Russia has largely been contained along the Russian-Ukraine border. The warning comes amid fears of a further escalation in Russia’s war with neighboring Ukraine. The city’s administration later confirmed the reports, stating that the clearouts were part of annual checks to keep the buildings in line with sanitary and fire safety regulations. Notices pictured on social media gave residents ten days to remove their belongings and warned that the basements would be used in the event of “possible shelling.”

Officials in the Russian city of Kirov have ordered residents to clear out the basements of their apartment blocks so that they can be used as potential bomb shelters.

Basement fallout shelter plans