History and consequences of testing at Semipalatinsk and West Kazakhstan nuclear test sites: a comparative analysis

Abstract

The study of the consequences of nuclear tests on the territory of Kazakhstan is one of the actual problems of the state. Most of all nuclear tests of the USSR were conducted at the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS). However, the territory of the SNTS is not the only territory of modern Kazakhstan that suffered from nuclear testing during the arms race. Nuclear weapons tests were also conducted in Western Kazakhstan on behalf of the USSR leadership, which led to catastrophic environmental and humanitarian consequences in the region. However, the issue of studying the consequences of the tests in Western Kazakhstan is not widely
studied and requires further research. The article explores the history of test sites in Kazakhstan and provides a comparative analysis of the consequences of nuclear tests in Semey and West Kazakhstan based on archival materials. The authors highlight the characteristic features of the consequences of nuclear tests on the territory of the test sites under study. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using its results in foreign and Kazakhstani studies devoted to the study of nuclear testing in Kazakhstan.