The Closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site and the Anti-nuclear Activities of the Group

Abstract

In the midst of the Cold War, the Soviet Union conducted numerous nuclear tests as part of the nuclear weapons development race. The Semipalatinsk Test Site, the most prominent nuclear testing ground operated by the Soviet Union, witnessed a total of 456 nuclear tests in the air, on the ground, and underground over a span of 40 years since 1949. As the cradle of Soviet nuclear weapons development, this site sparked a grassroots anti-nuclear movement within Kazakhstan towards the end of the Soviet era. The activities of the ‘Nevada-Semipalatinsk’, an anti-nuclear citizen group in Kazakhstan led by Olzhas Suleimenov, garnered support not only within Kazakhstan but also from the Soviet leadership and national and civil organizations worldwide, resulting in the closure of the Semipalatinsk Test Site. However, the closure of the Semipalatinsk Test Site marked not the end but rather the beginning of addressing the more fundamental issue of damages caused by radioactive materials. The Soviet Union disregarded the harms inflicted upon the residents living near the testing site and its surrounding areas during the nuclear tests. However, as a result of the nuclear tests conducted in all areas of the site, the Semipalatinsk Test Site and its adjacent region suffered severe contamination of both surface and underground water sources, leading to various health problems and the occurrence of deformities among the affected residents. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, international cooperation and independent efforts by the government of Kazakhstan were undertaken to remove the remnants of nuclear testing and radioactive contamination in the former Semipalatinsk Test Site and its surrounding areas. Based on the results of these efforts, the current government of Kazakhstan claims that the contamination caused by radioactive materials has largely disappeared and emphasizes the need for various forms of economic activities and development in the region. However, civil organizations in Kazakhstan and abroad argue that the area is still contaminated by radioactive materials, exposing a significant number of residents to associated damages.