Soviet Biopreparat: Inside the Toxic Matryoshka When people think of pharmaceutical companies, they instantly associate the word pharmaceutical with medicine. There are scientists solely dedicated to finding the cure for cancer and incurable diseases. These professionals have dedicated their educated lives to helping the ailing human population recover. At first glance, the All-Union Production Association Biopreparat appeared to be a pharmaceutical company. It presented itself to the world as a civilian pharmaceutical and vaccine company. However, behind closed doors, unbeknownst to most of its 32,000 employees, lies a malicious activity run by the Russian government: the research and development of biological weapons. This activity was a strange metaphor for Matryoshka dolls (McLeish, p. 60). The Soviet Central Committee and Council of Ministers (SCCM) established the All-Union Production Association Biopreparat in 1972. Biopreparat had several facilities across the country, one of which was located in the town of Stepnogorsk, formerly of Soviet Union, now Kazakhstan. There were approximately 47 establishments spread throughout the Soviet Union. Igor Domaradskij, originally from Saratov, had succeeded as a public health official. While heading the Rostove Anti-Plague Institute, he was recruited to participate in the Soviet defensive program against biological weapons. “Problem Number 5” is the name of the defensive program in which Igor served. At 48, Igor continues his vaccine research to improve his biological sciences. Incidentally, his research was ultimately used for the offensive biological weapons program. In his memoirs, Domaradskij recounted that research opportunities, high salaries and patriotism...... middle of paper ...... The world told from the inside by the man who led it , by Ken Alibek; Stephen Handelman]. American Association for the Advancement of Science, 285(5340), 1019-1020.Guillemin, J. (2004). [Book review Biowarrior: Inside the Soviet/Russian Biological War Machine by Wendy Orent; Judith Miller; Allan P. Zelicoff]. The History of Scientific Society, 95(3), 527-528. Wade, D. (2000). Biohazard: The Bioweapons Story [Review of the book Biohazard by Ken Alibek; Stephen Handelman]. American Institute of Biological Sciences, 50(8), 716-719.Guillemin, J. (2002). The 1979 anthrax epidemic in the USSR: applied science and political controversy. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 146(1), 18-36.McLeish, C. (2009). Opening of the secret city of Stepnogorsk: biological weapons in the former Soviet Union. The Regional Institute of British Geographers, 42(1), 60-69.