Real people, not just abstract concepts, lie at the heart of these scientific debates.
Since 1989, after the final nuclear test, the residents of villages surrounding the test site in Kazakhstan and Russia have found the courage to openly share their personal experiences with nuclear testing. Many of these villagers actively participated in political protests led by the Nevada-Semipalatinsk Movement, while others have bravely recounted their stories in local newspapers.
The stories shared by these individuals are of immense significance. It’s essential to understand that during the totalitarian era of the Soviet Union, many people, including medical researchers, government officials, and others, lived in constant fear of retaliation and threats to their lives. Consequently, their narratives have remained buried and unheard for decades, their legacies overshadowed and neglected.
Two US researchers conducting interviews in the region write that in the memories of villagers who lived through the tests, military personnel would arrive in the village by helicopter a day before an impending test, giving them warnings of upcoming “military exercises.” However, the personnel never referred to the explosions as “nuclear tests” or “atomic bombs.” After each test, the military personnel would return to the village to monitor the situation and collect samples using specialized equipment.1Werner, C., & Purvis-Roberts, K. “Unraveling the Secrets of the Past: Contested Versions of Nuclear Testing in the Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan.” National Council for Eurasian and East European Research, Washington D.C., 2005. Accessed 28 July 2023. Link.
Oftentimes, they were issued vague instructions. They were also advised to lie down on the ground and avert their eyes from the bright clouds in the sky. In some villages like Dolon, soldiers instructed people to lie down in low-lying areas for safety. As they recount their experiences, many villagers admit that in their youth, they found the tests to be thrilling and exhilarating, paying little attention to the safety instructions provided by the military.
How could they know otherwise, after all, if they were never made aware of the the long-term health risks posed by the explosions? Some recall even being told that the tests were beneficial for their health. Others felt fortunate to live in what they believed to be a secret military zone of significance, even though they didn’t fully comprehend the purpose of these exercises.2Werner, C., & Purvis-Roberts, K. “Unraveling the Secrets of the Past: Contested Versions of Nuclear Testing in the Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan.” National Council for Eurasian and East European Research, Washington D.C., 2005. Accessed 28 July 2023. Link.
Other surveys corroborate these sentiments. A study done by Kawano and Ohtaki (2006) can be summarized as follows:
- 93% of the participants disclosed that they had a direct encounter with the nuclear tests, even in villages located up to 200 km away from the epicenter of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS). This widespread impact is attributed to the immense power of the detonated bombs during the testing.
- Within this group, an overwhelming 90% reported witnessing the brilliant flash of light, while 70% felt the shockwaves of the bomb blast. Additionally, 18% experienced the sensation of intense heat, 28% observed the distinctive mushroom cloud formation, and 16% described hearing a deafening roar accompanying the explosion. Notably, 7% of respondents mentioned witnessing animals with hair loss, a classic symptom of sub-acute radiation injury.3Kawano, Noriyuki, and Megu Ohtaki. “Remarkable Experiences of the Nuclear Tests in Residents Near the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site: Analysis Based on the Questionnaire Surveys.” Journal of Radiation Research 47, no. Suppl_A (February 1, 2006): A199–207. Link.
As reported by the villagers, it is clear that they were never provided with any information regarding the true nature of the tests or the potential dangers associated with them.4Ibid., pp. A201.
Dr. Saim Balmukhanov put it succinctly:
“The military team never once asked the opinion of the population, did not let them know of the possibility of expected dangers, kept secret and still keep secret the actual situation. Undoubtedly, the population in the region are [sic] worried, disturbed and are demanding, but people can only be calmed by the truth, and not half-truths and unfounded confirmations…”5Balmukhanov, S., G. Raissova, and T. Balmukhanov. 2002. Three Generations of the Semipalitinsk Affected to the Radiation. Almaty: Sakshy Publications.
Research findings later confirmed what many villagers had suspected all along—those living near the test site experienced higher rates of cancers, including leukemia6Bauer, Susanne, Boris I. Gusev, Ludmila M. Pivina, Kazbek N. Apsalikov, and Bernd Grosche. “Radiation Exposure Due to Local Fallout from Soviet Atmospheric Nuclear Weapons Testing in Kazakhstan: Solid Cancer Mortality in the Semipalatinsk Historical Cohort, 1960-1999.” Radiation Research 164, no. 4 (2005): 409–19., benign thyroid abnormalities7Markabayeva, Akbayan, Susanne Bauer, Lyudmila Pivina, Geir Bjørklund, Salvatore Chirumbolo, Aiman Kerimkulova, Yulia Semenova, and Tatyana Belikhina. “Increased Prevalence of Essential Hypertension in Areas Previously Exposed to Fallout Due to Nuclear Weapons Testing at the Semipalatinsk Test Site, Kazakhstan.” Environmental Research 167 (November 1, 2018): 129–35. Link., psychological issues8Semenova, Yuliya, Lyudmila Pivina, Almira Manatova, Geir Bjørklund, Natalia Glushkova, Tatyana Belikhina, Marzhan Dauletyarova, and Tamara Zhunussova. “Mental Distress in the Rural Kazakhstani Population Exposed and Non-Exposed to Radiation from the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site.” Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 203 (July 1, 2019): 39–47. Link., and birth abnormalities.9Chaizhunusova, Nailya, Madina Madiyeva, Kimio Tanaka, Masaharu Hoshi, Noriyuki Kawano, Yoshihiro Noso, Nobuo Takeichi, et al. “Cytogenetic Abnormalities of the Descendants of Permanent Residents of Heavily Contaminated East Kazakhstan.” Radiation and Environmental Biophysics 56, no. 4 (November 2017): 337–43. Link.
For some, it merely confirmed what they had long suspected, validating their concerns about the adverse effects of nuclear testing in their region. For many others, the news came as a complete shock.
Knowledge about the harmful effects of the tests mobilized the people of Kazakhstan. By March 1989, the Nevada-Semipalatinsk Movement had gathered over a million signatures of support, showing the widespread concern. Tens of thousands of people took part in anti-nuclear protests that same year.10Kassenova, Togzhan. Atomic Steppe: How Kazakhstan Gave Up the Bomb. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2022. pp. 82, 91.
As a result of the public outcry, several tests were canceled in 1989, the year of the last test. Finally, in August 1991, the test site was officially closed, marking a significant milestone in the fight against nuclear testing in the region.11Ibid., pp. 99.
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