Before the initial explosion of Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl NPP, this area used to be the site of a prestigious Agricultural Promotion institution. Nowadays it is best known as a gold mine of low-level artifacts and its significant military presence. Sparse groups of bandits and loners occassionally visit this area, although both compounds of the Institute are controlled by the Spetznaz. Despite frequent cleanouts by the military, the subterranean tunnels connecting the two buildings are infamous for being a breeding ground for bloodsuckers and god knows what other mutants. Stalkers should be wary even around the entrances to these catacombs, as the mutants often find their way out.