Sacrifice Zones and Necropolitics - Echoes of the Steppe

Özekti janġa – bir ölim

[The soul with a throat (that is the living person)– one death (For the living person death is a sure thing).]

In the aftermath of the nuclear testing at the STS, examining nuclear legacies through a decolonial lens becomes pertinent and timely. Revisiting this history helps fill research gaps and acknowledge the agency of affected communities, enabling a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the devastating events that occurred.

Nuclear colonialism illustrates a global nuclear order where dominant nuclear powers exploit colonized states in various forms. In this sense, nuclear colonialism presented Kazakh lives as inconsequential to the progress of the Soviet Union. It deals with the broader global dynamics of nuclear power and its exploitation; it describes the relationships between dominant nuclear-armed states and colonized nations, where the former have historically exploited the latter in various ways, including conducting nuclear tests in their territories and using them as sites for nuclear waste disposal. Nuclear colonialism highlights the imbalances of power and the consequences of nuclear activities on marginalized communities, especially those in colonized regions. It often involves the dominance of nuclear-armed states over non-nuclear states and the limited agency of the latter in decision-making processes related to nuclear matters.

Achille Mbembe’s concept of necropolitics provides a distinct lens through which to view the aftermath of nuclear tests. Understanding “necropolitics” as Achille Mbembe theorizes is crucial to grasp the exercise of sovereignty—where the power to decide who lives and who dies becomes paramount.¹ This raises critical questions about the practical conditions under which this right to kill or allow life is exercised and who becomes the subject of this right, shedding light on the complex enmity between oppressor and victim. These notions resonate profoundly in the context of nuclear history, as they shed light on how the exercise of power has influenced the course of nuclear testing and its far-reaching consequences. To exercise sovereignty, Mbembe writes, is to “exercise control over mortality and to define life as the deployment and manifestation of power.”² The perceptions and demands of local populations, particularly victims and survivors of nuclear testing, have often been overlooked, partly due to restricted access to information caused by the absence of Soviet archival material.

During the Cold War, both superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States, designated specific areas for nuclear weapons testing to maintain geopolitical nuclear competition and secure military dominance.³ The Semipalatinsk nuclear test site (SNTS) in Kazakhstan, previously under Russian imperial and colonial occupation, became the epicenter of the Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons program.⁴

The selection of Semipalatinsk as the Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons testing site was a well-calculated decision, strategically driven by military and scientific considerations. The area’s advantageous geographical characteristics played a pivotal role in its selection. Its considerable distance from major urban centers ensured utmost secrecy, shielding the testing program from potential intelligence surveillance and external interference. Moreover, the region’s featureless terrain provided an optimal canvas for nuclear experiments, minimizing the risk of natural impediments that could disrupt such critical operations.

Furthermore, Semipalatinsk’s proximity to vital transportation hubs facilitated logistical efficiency, streamlining the movement of personnel, equipment, and nuclear materials to and from the site. This logistical advantage bolstered the clandestine nature of the testing program, enabling the Soviet government to conduct these experiments covertly and with precision. Additionally, the area’s accessibility to construction materials and abundant resources, including significant uranium deposits⁵, significantly influenced its designation as the testing grounds.⁶

Catherine Alexander’s astute observation regarding the construction of a “national sacrifice zone” sheds light on the Soviet Union’s approach to the region.⁷ By designating vast tracts of land as uninhabited and expendable, the authorities callously disregarded the environmental and human consequences of their nuclear tests. Necropolitics also gives insights into how unregulated toxic chemicals and radionuclides create “death-worlds”, and how those who live with the environmental and ecological aftermath often confront these lethal conditions with a sense of temporal ambiguity and a profound sense of constraint.⁸ As a result, Semipalatinsk became a harrowing testing ground, subjected to incessant nuclear bombardments that inflicted severe environmental degradation and long-term damage.

Over nearly five decades, spanning from 1949 to 1989, the Semipalatinsk test site bore witness to a staggering 456 nuclear explosions. Among these, 340 were carried out underground, while 116 occurred in the atmosphere, contributing to a total estimated yield ranging from 17.4⁹ to 50¹⁰ megatons. Such a cumulative release of energy, surpassing 3300 times the destructive force of the Hiroshima bombs, solidified Semipalatinsk as one of the most intensely targeted and bombed regions in the Global South.¹¹

The ramifications of these nuclear experiments were undeniably catastrophic, encompassing far-reaching economic, political, and environmental repercussions. The deleterious consequences have endured, leaving an indelible mark on the region and its inhabitants. Heartrending testimonies from victims and survivors serve as poignant reminders of the immense human suffering resulting from exposure to ionized radiation due to nuclear fallout.

The gravity of the impact extends beyond environmental degradation, profoundly affecting the livelihoods and well-being of approximately 1.5 million individuals who bore the brunt of the testing’s severe humanitarian consequences.¹²^,¹³

The legacy of Soviet nuclear testing in Semipalatinsk serves as a haunting testament to the deep-seated impacts of nuclear colonialism on the Global South. The tragic history of this region compels us to explore its dark past and acknowledge the egregious injustices perpetrated against local communities. In this quest for understanding, we must confront the stark reality of internal colonialism, wherein certain regions and populations were relegated to sacrificial pawns in the pursuit of nuclear supremacy.

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