And even in that case significant harm could be done only by a direct hit or a close-distance shell burst of a very heavy projectile.
In peacetime these enclosures were used as guardrooms, in wartime some ammunition could also be stored there. Here on the wall you may see a motto of the Soviet frontier guards: “The U.S.S.R. Borders Are Sacred and Inviolable”. What is also interesting is that during the pre-war period each letter in abbreviation was separated by a dot.
The fighting casemate of pillbox is covered by a U-shaped corridor which was called “skvoznik” (or the pass-through way). Its main task was to protect the entrance from a burst wave. In case of a close burst the burst wave passes through the corridor on the path of less resistance (in other words through the corridor itself) and does not knock out the casemate door. The doors of the pass-through way were protected by anti-attack screens and could be reached by fire through special embrasures which protected the entrance. Here on the wall some entrenching tools were set on, with a sapper spade shovel, a hand axe, a pick mattock and a crowbar among them.
The inside door led from “skvoznik” to the anti-chemical unit and then through the second door one could reach the combat unit.