Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

Tag: Kazakhstan

The Silent Fallout: The Legacy of Soviet Nuclear Testing in Kazakhstan and Its Modern-Day Impacts

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Article by Dinmukhammed Kairolda

How has Soviet nuclear testing at the Semipalatinsk Test Site shaped Kazakhstan’s public health, national identity, and global disarmament stance in the post-independence era?

Introduction

From 1949 to 1989, the Soviet Union carried out 456 nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk Test Site, also known as the Polygon, in northern Kazakhstan. Selected for its geographical remoteness and its subservience to Moscow, it was one of the most intensively used nuclear testing grounds on the planet. Over the course of four decades, the explosions irradiated an estimated 1.5 million individuals, frequently without alert or protection. Fallout poisoned land, water, and air, bequeathing a legacy of cancers, birth defects, and intergenerational trauma.

The cessation of testing in 1991 was contemporaneous with a renewed national consciousness of this history. During the final Soviet years, the Nevada–Semipalatinsk Movement, initiated by poet and parliamentarian Olzhas Suleimenov, organized popular resistance to nuclear testing. One of the initial mass civic movements in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, it was directly responsible for the shutdown of the site. Its impact was felt globally, putting Kazakhstan on the international disarmament agenda while generating a domestic identity based on peace and resistance.

This article considers the effects of Soviet nuclear testing at Semipalatinsk in three areas: public health, international diplomacy, and national identity. Based on historical research, policy reports, scientific studies, and opinion surveys distributed to young Kazakhs, the article examines how Kazakhstan turned its nuclear past into both an opportunity for global leadership and a source of national unity.

Public Health and Environmental Impacts

The human impact of nuclear testing in Semipalatinsk continues to be significant. From 1949 to 1989, regional populations were subjected to ongoing radioactive contamination with little protection. Radioactive soil, water, and air have had long-lasting consequences spanning generations, such as increased cancer rates, birth defects, immune disorders, and mental trauma (PMC, 2017).

These are not just statistics and numbers but experienced truths. One survivor remembered: “After the tests, there were awful headaches[…] children were born abnormally. There were a lot of cases of cancer.” Survey evidence corroborates this general impression: 94% of those questioned think testing did great harm to public health, and more than 91% know about the existence of the site (Figure 1).

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Figure 1 above shows the answers to the question, ”How much do you think the nuclear tests have affected the health of local people?” from the Survey “Public Opinion on Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Legacy.”

Although the government has recognized this legacy and issued targeted support, healthcare assistance and compensation remain insufficient. The nuclear legacy continues to have health consequences on a large population of Kazakhstan’s citizens, as well as the wider moral and political terrain on the country as a whole.

Nevada–Semipalatinsk Movement: Civil Mobilization and Moral Authority

In February 1989, at a televised poetry reading in Almaty, Olzhas Suleimenov demanded the immediate suspension of nuclear testing. His appeal gained momentum with the formation of the Nevada–Semipalatinsk Movement, which brought together Kazakh and American anti-nuclear activists. Hundreds of thousands of citizens, scientists, artists, and ecologists participated in peaceful protests for two years, shutting down the Semipalatinsk complex even before Kazakhstan declared independence (Astana Times, 2021).

The importance of this grassroots movement is not solely due to the outcome of shutting down of the Semipalatinsk Test Site, but also as that of the Soviet Kazakhstan first experiencing civic activism. Activists such as Sultan Kartoev and Kairat Umarov describe in interviews how moral indignation and collective action combined broke through the cover-up of the Soviet nuclear program (Astana Times, 2019).The movement also exposed Kazakhstan to the global anti-nuclear debate, opening opportunities to advocate for disarmament across national borders.

In spite of the focus of subsequent state reports on regional measures, the movement is a good example of peaceful resistance and civic courage, illustrating the potential of grassroots efforts to shape Kazakhstan’s future after the Soviet period.

Kazakhstan’s Role in Global Disarmament

Kazakhstan’s disarmament leadership in the world is based on its firsthand experience of the ravages of nuclear testing. Following independence, it was the first to shut down a principal test site and voluntarily give up one of the world’s largest inherited nuclear arsenals, establishing a precedent that security and sovereignty were compatible with disarmament. In a detailed and comprehensive account entitled The Atomic Steppe, Dr. Togzhan Kassenova describes both the effort to end nuclear testing, as well as to transfer the approximately one thousand weapons that Kazakhstan inherited after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Today, Kazakhstan is an active promoter of non-proliferation. It was among the first signatories of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and has chaired TPNW significant forums, including the Third Meeting of States Parties (3MSP) to the TPNW in 2025. As co-chair, with Kiribati, of the Working Group on Articles 6 and 7, it has influenced international norms for victim assistance and environmental remediation. Kazakhstan also chaired the 2024 Preparatory Committee for the 11th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

In addition to the work in ongoing multilateral disarmament processes, Kazakhstan and Kiribati introduced a historic resolution on nuclear justice at the 2023 Session of the UNGA First Committee. This was the first resolution that called upon member-states to submit their views on victim assistance and environmental remediation to the Secretary-General. A subsequent resolution in 2024 calls for the Secretary-General to convene an international meeting on victim assistance and environmental remediation at an appropriate time in 2026. (Nuclear Justice Resolution 2024)

Public opinion is consistent with this foreign policy: 74.3% of the respondents approve of Kazakhstan’s leadership in disarmament, and 77.1% are in favor of a worldwide prohibition of nuclear weapons (Figures 2 and 3). These findings indicate that the state’s position on nuclear disarmament is based on both strategic interests and collective memory.

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Figure 2, shows answers from the question, ”How much do you think the nuclear tests have affected the health of local people?” from the Survey “Public Opinion on Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Legacy.”

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F igure 3, shows the responses from the question, ”How much do you think the nuclear tests have affected the health of local people?” from the Survey “Public Opinion on Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Legacy.”

National Identity and Collective Memory

The heritage of Semipalatinsk has become a central element of Kazakhstan’s national identity. Defined as a “national tragedy,” it is used as a moral foundation for post-Soviet values and as a narrative of the shift from victimization to leadership. According to Nazerke Kanatbekova, state media, such as the 2020 TV series Polygon, often emphasizes the role of political leaders in ending the testing and underestimates the role of grassroots activism. This is symptomatic of a top-down approach to nation building.

There are also differences of generation in remembering. Older witnesses remember more diplomatic triumphs and acts of heroism, while younger participants, especially from traumatized areas, are recording emotional responses to trauma but lack an abundance of detailed history. Memorials such as Stronger than Death and nationwide commemorations establish connections between former suffering and present responsibility.

Opinion surveys indicate that 70.6% of the interviewed persons believe Kazakhstan’s nuclear past continues to be important to national identity (Figure 2). How the city of Semipalatinsk was transformed from a place of silence to a sign of survival attests to the fact that the collective memory may both serve as a warning and a site of civic unity.

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Figure №4, shows Pie chart, answers to the question, ”Do you believe that Kazakhstan’s history with nuclear weapons influences its national identity today?” from the Survey “Public Opinion on Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Legacy.

Conclusion

The Soviet nuclear testing legacy of Kazakhstan continues to impact its public health, identity, and foreign policy. The Nevada–Semipalatinsk Movement is the quintessential example of how civil society can convert national disaster into international activism.

Kazakhstan’s rapid ratification of the TPNW and leadership within disarmament communities are expressions of an experience driven by principled foreign policy. Under President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kazakhstan has continued to play its role as a strong supporter of nuclear non-proliferation and humanitarian resolution of nuclear legacies.

From a nuclear testing site to a global leader in disarmament, Kazakhstan’s transformation is a lesson in integrity and moral responsibility, demonstrating that a country can reconcile the legacy of pain with a vision for a nuclear-weapon-free world.

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September 10, 2025
Kiribati and Kazakhstan’s UN Resolution on Nuclear Justice

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The nuclear age began in 1945, with the United States developing three atomic bombs that year, using one in a nuclear test, called Trinity, in New Mexico, and two more in attacks on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since that time, many other countries acquired nuclear weapons and currently, nine countries posess them across three continents. The nuclear weapons development programs all involved testing of both atomic and hydrogen bombs. Over 2000 nuclear tests took place around the world, causing devastating humanitarian consequences. Many of the affected communities have been left to fend for themselves in face of physical and mental health impacts, and loss of land, culture, and sustainable practices.

Kiribati and Kazakhstan, two countries affected by Soviet and United Kingdom/United States nuclear testing programs, respectively, have been spearheading the fight for nuclear justice. As part of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), they have tabled a resolution entitled “Addressing the Legacy of Nuclear Weapons: Providing Victim Assistance and Environmental Remediation to Member States Affected by the Use or Testing of Nuclear Weapons.” The resolution seeks to utilize the framework of multilateral treaties to promote victim assistance and environmental assessment and remediation, requests support for affected states, and promotes public awareness and education around the International Day Against Nuclear Tests. It is currently under consideration by the First Committee of UNGA.

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is proud to support the work of the Republics of Kazakhstan and Kiribati. Our Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, Christian N. Ciobanu, serves as the TPNW Advisor for the Mission of Kiribati and has been deeply involved in every step of this effort. We see the issue of supporting victims of nuclear use and testing as intimately connected to nuclear abolition itself. It is about righting the historical wrongs, but also making sure that such harm and suffering never happen again.

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Read the text of the resolution HERE.

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October 13, 2023
International Day Against Nuclear Tests: Translating Words Into Actions

On behalf of ACA, I would like to thank the organizers of this meeting—the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and the Mission of Kazakhstan to the International Organizations in Geneva—for inviting me here today to speak.

It is particularly fitting for Kazakhstan to be represented here, as it was twenty years ago—in 1991– that the people of Kazakhstan succeeded in closing the former Soviet test site at Semipalatinsk. This was followed by Soviet President Gorbachev’s declaration of a moratorium on nuclear testing, and then the United States announced its moratorium in 1992. The CTBT was then negotiated and signed in 1996.

So in many ways it all began with Kazakhstan, and we owe them many thanks.

But of course, 15 years later our work is not done, and I am glad we have such things as “international days against nuclear tests” to remind us that we must still bring the CTBT into force.

Some might ask, why is the CTBT still important? Because the test ban is a crucial barrier to the spread of nuclear weapons to additional nations AND to the acquisition of nuclear weapons by terrorist groups.

Indeed, the treaty is more important today than ever.

By banning all nuclear tests, the CTBT prevents the established nuclear-weapon states from proof-testing new, more sophisticated warhead designs. And newer members of the nuclear club would not be able to perfect smaller, more easily deliverable warheads without testing.

The treaty also serves to reinforce the nonproliferation system by serving as a confidence-building measure about a state’s nuclear intentions, and it can help head-off and de-escalate regional tensions.

For these and other reasons, CTBT entry into force has long been considered a key part of fulfilling Article VI of the NPT.

With the CTBT in force, capabilities to detect and deter possible clandestine nuclear testing by other states will be significantly greater. Entry-into-force is essential to making short-notice, on-site inspections possible and for maintaining long-term political and financial support for the monitoring system.

How can we Accelerate Entry Into Force?

Now, 182 states have signed the CTBT, an impressive number, but the treaty must still be ratified by nine states before it can formally enter into force —the United States, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, and North Korea.

In three weeks, states parties will gather in New York to speak about the value of the treaty and the need for prompt entry into force. We appreciate this effort, but actions speak louder than words. That conference must help produce a serious diplomatic action plan for getting the remaining hold out states on board.

Ratification by the United States and China is particularly important. Given their existing nuclear test moratoria and treaty signatures, Washington and Beijing already bear most CTBT-related responsibilities, yet their failure to ratify has denied them—and others—the full security benefits of the treaty.

In April 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama pledged to “immediately and aggressively pursue U.S. ratification of” the CTBT. He said, “After more than five decades of talks, it is time for the testing of nuclear weapons to finally be banned.” We agree.

But now, President Obama must translate those words into action and mount a serious public campaign to win the support of two-thirds of the U.S. Senate for ratification of the treaty.

With the support of a wide array of NGOs in the United States and around the globe, the Obama administration can and must make the case that the Treaty enhances international security, is effectively verifiable, and is essential to curb the spread of nuclear weapons in the decades to come.

The technical and political case for the CTBT is much stronger today than it was in 1999 when the Senate briefly considered the treaty. The Senate must honestly review the new evidence for the treaty rather than arrive at judgments based on old information.

It is also time for China’s leaders to act. For years, Beijing has reported that the CTBT is before the National People’s Congress but has apparently taken no action on ratification. We note the January 19, 2011 Joint Statement by Presidents Hu Jintao and Obama stating that “… both sides support early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.”

Washington’s renewed pursuit of CTBT ratification opens up opportunities for China and other Annex 2 states—such as Indonesia—to lead the way toward entry into force by ratifying before the United States. Action by Beijing would increase its credibility as a nonproliferation leader and improve the chances that other states would follow suit.

India and Pakistan could advance the cause of nuclear disarmament and substantially ease regional tensions by converting their unilateral test moratoria into a legally binding commitment to end nuclear testing through the CTBT.

With no shortage of conflict in the Middle East, ratification by Israel, Egypt and Iran would reduce nuclear-weapons-related security concerns in the region. It would also help create the conditions necessary for a regional zone free of weapons of mass destruction.

Likewise, if Israel were to ratify, it would get closer to the nuclear nonproliferation mainstream and help encourage other states in the region to follow suit.

Iranian ratification could help reduce concerns that its nuclear program would be used to develop smaller, deliverable nuclear warheads. Iran’s failure to ratify the CTBT raises further questions about the nature of its nuclear activities.

North Korea’s nuclear tests undermine Asian security. The DPRK should declare a halt to further testing pending the resumption of the Six-Party talks. The participants in those talks should make North Korea’s approval of the CTBT one of the key steps in the process.

In closing, we sincerely urge all states that have not done so to ratify the CTBT. To those that have ratified, we thank you and ask you to contribute to the Article XIV Conference on Entry Into Force in September.

ACA and supporters of the CTBT the world over stand ready to help bring the treaty into force.

Thank you.

August 29, 2011