In the remote northeastern region of Kazakhstan, not far from the city of Semey, lies Lake Chagan. This expansive body of water, resembling a natural pond, conceals a story both fascinating and haunting.<\/p>\n
Lake Chagan, also known as Atom-Kol (translated from Kazakh as the “Atomic” Lake), holds secrets buried deep beneath its placid surface.\u00a0The lake, with a crater depth of 100 m and a diameter of 400 m, stands as a testament to the unimaginable power unleashed by the nuclear experiment. It is astonishing how something so artificial can appear deceptively natural.<\/p>\n
The Chagan test was an unprecedented endeavor. Conducted on January 15, 1965, it was the inaugural experiment in the Soviet Peaceful Nuclear Explosions (PNE) Program.<\/a> This test had a dual objective: to gather data on the application of nuclear explosives for creating craters and to demonstrate the practical utility of nuclear explosives in the construction of water storage reservoirs. The Soviet intention was to leverage nuclear detonations for a range of industrial objectives, and the Chagan test served as a crucial trial.<\/p>\n Employing a 140 kiloton device strategically placed in a 178-meter deep hole on the dry bed of the Chagan River, Soviet researchers intended to utilize the crater lip as a natural dam during periods of high river flow. Subsequently, a channel was created, enabling the crater to fill up with water and form a reservoir behind it.<\/p>\n During the test, Soviet scientists used a type of nuclear explosive called a low-fission design. It had two parts: a primary fission component and a secondary thermonuclear component. When they set it off, it released energy equivalent to about 5\u20137 kilotons.1<\/a><\/sup>The History of Soviet Nuclear Weapons, Draft Outline VNIIEF\/VNIITF, Moscow, 1992.<\/span>,<\/sup>2<\/a><\/sup>USSR Nuclear Weapons Tests and Peaceful Nuclear Explosives, 1949 Through 1990, RFCN-VNIIEF, Sarov, 15RN5-85165-062-1, 1996.<\/span><\/p>\n Unfortunately, around 20% of the radioactive materials produced during the explosion escaped into the atmosphere. This led to higher radiation levels on the crater’s edge, reaching 200\u2013300 millisieverts (mSv)\/hr (a unit to measure radiation) a few days after the test. For reference, in the United Kingdom, Public Health England has estimated that the average annual radiation exposure for individuals is approximately 2.7 mSv; this exposure primarily results from cosmic irradiation. The main source of this radiation was a substance called Cobalt-60 (60<\/sup>Co) which stays radioactive for about 5.26 years.3<\/a><\/sup>Nordyke, M.D. \u201cThe Soviet Program for Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Explosions,\u201d July 24, 1996. Link.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n In a comprehensive study conducted in 2017, soil activity concentrations of various radionuclides were assessed in the vicinity of the Atomic Lake. The results revealed maximum concentrations of 4000 Bq\/kg, 17,000 Bq\/kg, 7500 Bq\/kg, 22,000 Bq\/kg, 10,000 Bq\/kg, 16000 Bq\/kg, and 6000 Bq\/kg, respectively. The primary soil contamination was concentrated in close proximity to the crater of the Atomic Lake, limited to an area within 1\u20132 km downstream from the crater ridge. The level of contamination is significantly higher than global fallout levels.4<\/a><\/sup>Lukashenko, N. N. 2017. “Topical Issues in Radioecology of Kazakhstan. Optimization of Study of the Semipalatinsk Test Site Lands for the Purpose of Their Transfer into Economic Turnover.” Dom Pechati, Issue 5. Kurchatov.<\/span><\/p>\n The enduring consequences of the Chagan test are glaringly evident in the radioactive levels present in the lake water that now occupies the crater. The concentrations of radioactive substances in this water, particularly tritium (3<\/sup>H), surpass permissible levels by hundreds of times. The primary human health concern lies in the soil heap zone surrounding Atomic Lake, which extends to a radius of 3\u20134 kilometers. This zone should be viewed as a significant potential source of secondary environmental contamination, affecting water, vegetation, and air quality.5<\/a><\/sup>Nurpeisova, M. B., A. B. Umirbaeva, E. V. Fedorov, and N. A. Miletenko. \u201cIntegrated Monitoring-Based Assessment of Deformation and Radiation Situation of Territorial Domains.\u201d Eurasian Mining<\/i>, no. 1 (2021): 83\u201387. Link.<\/a><\/span> It is no wonder some locals call it the “dead” lake.6<\/a><\/sup>\u201cAtom-Kol. Through the Eyes of an Eyewitness. Nuclear Lakes Nuclear Explosion Chagan.\u201d Accessed July 30, 2023. Link.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Two Soviet newspapers described the test:<\/p>\n \u0412 \u0440\u0435\u0437\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0430\u0442\u0435 \u0431\u044b\u043b\u043e \u0441\u043e\u0437\u0434\u0430\u043d\u043e \u043f\u0440\u0435\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u043e\u0437\u0435\u0440\u043e \u0427\u0430\u0433\u0430\u043d \u0441 \u0447\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0439 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0437\u0440\u0430\u0447\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0432\u043e\u0434\u043e\u0439. \u041c\u0435\u0441\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044c \u043f\u0440\u0435\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0437\u0438\u043b\u0430\u0441\u044c. \u041d\u0430 \u0431\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0433\u0443 \u043c\u044b \u043d\u0430\u0445\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0431\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0448\u0438\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0437\u0440\u0430\u0447\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u043a\u0440\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043b\u043b\u044b \u0433\u0438\u043f\u0441\u0430, \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u044b\u0435 \u0431\u044b\u043b\u0438 \u0432\u0441\u043a\u0440\u044b\u0442\u044b \u0432\u0437\u0440\u044b\u0432\u043e\u043c.<\/span><\/p>\n [As a result, the beautiful lake Chagan was created with clear, transparent water. The terrain has been transformed. On the shore we found large transparent gypsum crystals, which were uncovered by the explosion.]<\/span><\/p>\n …\u041f\u0440\u043e\u0438\u0437\u043e\u0448\u043b\u043e \u0441\u043e\u0431\u044b\u0442\u0438\u0435, \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0435 \u0442\u0430\u043a \u0434\u043e\u043b\u0433\u043e \u0436\u0434\u0430\u043b\u0438. \u0421\u0442\u043e\u044f\u043b\u0430 \u043e\u0431\u044b\u0447\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0434\u043b\u044f \u044d\u0442\u0438\u0445 \u043c\u0435\u0441\u0442 \u0436\u0430\u0440\u0430. \u041b\u044e\u0434\u0438 \u0438\u0437\u043d\u044b\u0432\u0430\u043b\u0438. \u041f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0434\u0430, \u043d\u0430 \u0431\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0433\u0443 \u0431\u044b\u043b\u043e \u0447\u0443\u0442\u044c \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0445\u043b\u0430\u0434\u043d\u0435\u0435, \u043d\u043e \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043c\u0430\u043d\u0438\u043b\u0430 \u044d\u0442\u0430 \u0431\u0435\u0437\u043c\u044f\u0442\u0435\u0436\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0432\u043e\u0434\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0433\u043b\u0430\u0434\u044c! \u041f\u043e\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0438\u043d\u0435, \u0431\u043b\u0438\u0437\u043e\u043a \u043b\u043e\u043a\u043e\u0442\u044c, \u0434\u0430 \u043d\u0435 \u0443\u043a\u0443\u0441\u0438\u0448\u044c… \u041f\u043e\u043a\u0430. \u041d\u0430\u043a\u043e\u043d\u0435\u0446 \u043c\u0435\u0434\u0438\u043a\u0438 \u0434\u0430\u043b\u0438 \u201c\u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u201d, \u0438 \u0432\u0441\u0435 \u043e\u0431\u0438\u0442\u0430\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0438 \u043f\u043e\u0441\u0435\u043b\u043a\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u0431\u0435\u0436\u0430\u043b\u0438 \u043d\u0430 \u043f\u043b\u044f\u0436. \u041a\u0443\u043f\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0441\u044c \u0434\u043e\u043b\u0433\u043e, \u043e\u0442 \u0434\u0443\u0448\u0438…7<\/a><\/sup>Atomic Lake. 2011. “Two Patrons.” Accessed from Link.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n […The long-awaited event has happened. The heat was just as it usually is for these places. The people were weary (note: likely from the heat). True, it was a little cooler on the shore, but oh how this serene water surface beckoned! Indeed, the elbow is close, but you couldn’t bite it… at least not yet (an expression: the water may seem so close, but you couldn’t reach it\/interact with it quite yet). Finally, the doctors gave the go-ahead, and all the inhabitants of the village ran to the beach. They bathed for a long time, from the soul (with great enthusiasm)…”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Efim Pavlovich\u00a0<\/span>Slavsky, First Deputy Minister of Medium Machine Building8<\/a><\/sup>The government ministry of the Soviet Union that supervised the Soviet nuclear industry, including production of nuclear warheads.<\/span>, <\/span><\/span>was proud of this creation, <\/span>commissioning a color film to be made for wide screening.9<\/a><\/sup>Atomic Lake. 2011. “Two Patrons.” Accessed from Link.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n