TheMinistry of Medium Machine-Building (Russian:Министерство среднего машиностроения СССР - Минсредмаш СССР, МСМ СССР, also known asSredmash) was agovernment ministry of theSoviet Union which supervised the Sovietnuclear industry, including production ofnuclear warheads.
The ministry was established on the basis of the First Chief Directorate (nuclear industry) and the Third Chief Directorate (development in the area controlled missiles, aircraft, rockets and long range missiles) of theCouncil of Ministers of the USSR as well as the Central Board of Industrial Building of theMinistry of Internal Affairs of the USSR (Главпромстрой МВД) charged with construction of nuclear installations, all of which were in operation since September 1942.
The Ministry of Medium Machine Building was established by a Decree of thePresidium of the Supreme Soviet on 26 June 1953. TheCentral Intelligence Agency initially believed that the ministry oversaw the war industry.[1] On September 11, 1989, after merging with theMinistry of Atomic Energy, the Ministry of Medium Machine Building was renamed theMinistry of Atomic Energy and Industry of the USSR (Министерство атомной энергетики и промышленности СССР).
