If a nation does not know its history, if the country loses its history, then its citizens have nowhere to go.
Mirzhakyp Dulatuly

Today in history

Nursultan Nazarbayev was given award the "Best management system among Muslim states"

- = -

In 1991 the Semipalatinsk Test Site was closed by the Decree of the President

27425
In 1991 the Semipalatinsk Test Site was closed by the Decree of the President - e-history.kz
The Semipalatinsk Test Site was one of the two main nuclear polygons of the USSR in 1949-1989. During its existence the polygon brought many problems to people who lived close to it polluted vast territories of Kazakhstan and Russia and contributed to people’s negative attitude toward products produced in polluted regions and to name but a few. The polygon was used for various nuclear weapon tests both under the ground (in galleries and holes) and in the atmosphere. On August 12, 1953 thermonuclear weapon was tested in the atmosphere. The yield was place at the special tower at 30 meters from the ground. After that rapid pollution of the territory of polygon and neighboring lands. On November 22, 1955 another one thermonuclear bomb was dropped from aircraft and detonated at 2 km from the ground. In 1949-1989 at least 456 nuclear tests were carried out. 616 nuclear and thermonuclear devices were exploded, including at least 30 ground and 86 atmospheric bombs. Significant ecological damage was caused. The population of the region was exposed to radiation resulted in illnesses, premature mortality and genetic defects. Information about this collected by the Soviet scientists is still on secret list. Explosions were stopped only in 1989 and in 1991 the polygon was closed. Anti-nuclear movement “Nevada-Semipalatinsk” and its leader Olzhas Suleimenov played a crucial role in this process. However, it didn’t reduce the threat. Nowadays the territory of the polygon is still inhabited (this is the only such place in the world). The territory of the polygon is not protected despite the fact that it still contains thousands of obvious and hidden threats to people.