Kazakhstan is set to create a large-scale defense industry center based on Central Asia’s only tank repair plant, located in Semey. The announcement was made by Kazakhstan’s Defense Minister Ruslan Zhaksylykov during a conference of the Association of Defense Industry Enterprises the facility will go beyond its current role of repairing and modernizing military equipment and will also begin producing weapons This initiative aims to enhance Kazakhstan’s defense capabilities and reduce the country’s reliance on imported military hardware specializes in servicing armored personnel carriers (APCs) Transforming it into a defense industry hub will allow Kazakhstan to expand its military production and strengthen its position in the regional defense sector 124 companies operate in Kazakhstan’s defense industry Some exist only to receive funds from state defense contracts without producing anything,” Zhaksylykov stated the minister proposed establishing a special commission comprising representatives from both the Defense Ministry and private sector businesses Zhaksylykov also underscored the importance of localizing military production He emphasized that even if advanced military technologies are sourced from abroad their adaptation and manufacturing should take place within Kazakhstan to ensure technological independence and sustainability Baptiste Castets: Patience (Fresh Sound New Talent 694) | Naomi Gee Wright: Meteor Trails (Oti-O 009) | Teis Semey: En Masse The New Talent imprint of the Spanish Fresh Sound label puts relatively unknown artists in the spotlight and their releases rarely if ever disappoint I was not familiar with drummer Baptiste Castets and his French compatriots Castets presents seemingly simple melodies expanded and refined by diverse rhythmic discoveries and excellent solos Rue De Paris is a textbook case of Castets’ unassuming approach a staccato line that is expressively coloured by saxophonist Frédéric Boret trombonist Sébastien Clado and pianist Edouard Monnin It positively evokes a stroll through enchanting Montmartre with Le Figaro tucked under one’s arm watching a girl in a Peugeot park her car the Parisian way: nonchalantly bumping against hostile bumpers Title track Patience is a similarly attractive melody Repertoire varies between melancholic and mildly turbulent Castets expresses admiration for songwriters Nick Drake and Blake Mills Castets’ crystal clearly recorded compositions are quite pleasant to the ear British artists with Indian connections enthusiastically embrace the Indian aesthetic The minimalist songs of this all-round cellist from London blending the voice of Brigitte Beraha and tabla of Ben Hazelton a concoction of delicately and precisely performed melodies and improvisations Wright’s creativity in a self-created setting that doesn’t allow for endless improvising (the essence of Indian classical music is being able to vary extensively and in an individual way the moods of hundreds of ragas of choice) is quite admirable a skilful alternation between arco and pizzicato She says upon request: “The Indian strain comes from some visits to India that I made and from playing with an oud player for a few years I feel very connected to Indian culture and I love the space that Indian classical music and sufi music can create with the use of the drone tabla rhythms and improvisational elements.” The timbre of the cello is close to the human voice and Gee Wright’s cello connects sympathetically with Beraha’s snake-charming Gentle Silence reveals empathy with pop music Frida and Joni are homages to female artistic giants as Gee Wright explains: “I adore Frida Kahlo’s paintings I am quite visually influenced as well as sonically I was very influenced by Joni Mitchell and her Hejira album and I love her amazing and different guitar tuning.” Teis Semey is a young Danish guitarist based in Amsterdam The resemblance with Johnny Rotten is striking; a piece of information that is less trivial than you might think Nonconformist and rebellious are his middle names I’ve seen him play solos with feverish energy sometimes temporarily at a bewildering dead end Among words that have been used to describe his approach There’s no such thing as chaos in Semey’s music as one can safely conclude after listening to En Masse his latest album of uninhibited indie jazz Semey entertains us with such titles as Atlanta Airport Medium Rawdog and Hippity Hippity Abolish Private Property an unashamed leftist slogan one rarely encounters in contemporary music Shouldn’t be long before some sardonic conservative cat comes up with Lawdy Let’s See How Your Reintroduction Of The Kolkhoz Works Out It rattles like a battered Dodge on cobblestones Jesse Schilderink’s wildly explosive contributions on tenor sax elevate it to one of the unforgettable tunes of 2024 kicking the Dodge from back road to the bank of the Interstate Band mates from the Dutch scene such as South-Korean drummer Sun Mi-Hong are sympathetic to Semey’s vision which also includes rigorous noise and free form Semey allows himself an album climax of soft-hued short field recordings from countries as Germany and Slovenia don’t hesitate to buy a ticket – satisfaction guaranteed Rarely if ever does one hear neo-hard bop performed as jubilantly and energetically as on drummer Ulysses Owens Jr.’s first live album A perfect translation of The Jazz Messengers to the 21st century Emily Remler: Cookin’ At The Queens (archive) Live work of the ill-fated guitarist from 1984 and 1988 in Las Vegas is testament to her greatness as heir to the classic bebop guitarists Mike LeDonne Groover Quartet: Wonderful! (Cellar Music 032323) (new) The undisputed king of vintage organ-jazz mixes soul jazz with gospel choir inspired by his mentally and visually impaired daughter Mary © Unless otherwise indicated, all content copyright Jazz Journal 1948-2025 Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kanat Bozumbayev with a working trip visited Abay region where he familiarised himself with fire protection measures on the territory of the state nature reserve Semey Ormani Since the beginning of the fire-hazardous season of the current year 5 cases of forest fires have been registered on the territory of the state forest reserve The total area covered by fire was 1040.49 hectares of which 277.8 hectares were forested areas the damage requiring restoration of forest plantations totalled 36 ha In order to restore forest areas in the reserve on the area of 2.8 thousand hectares more than 9 million seedlings of common pine have already been planted it is planned to carry out reforestation works on an additional area of 4.8 thousand hectares Following the inspection Kanat Bozumbayev instructed to expand mineralised firebreaks both on the territory of the state forest fund and in adjacent areas Deputy Prime Minister also visited Batpayevskoye lesnichestvo of Borodulikha district where the keys to 26 low-forest fire complexes were handed over to forest protection officers Within the framework of leasing financing in 2025 it is planned to purchase 39 units of fire trucks for the needs of the reserve 34 forestry units are functioning within the reserve In remote settlements bordering the territory of the reserve They are equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles and satellite communications work is underway to install a forest fire early detection system (EDS) throughout the reserve It is planned to install 36 mast structures to cover up to 600,000 hectares Commissioning of the system is scheduled for early July Stay updated about the events of the Prime minister and the Government of Kazakhstan - subscribe to the official Telegram channel You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed The International SAMBO Federation (FIAS) is a non-governmental non-profit organization that unites National SAMBO Federations FIAS is the only internationally recognized organization responsible for the development of SAMBO worldwide The FIAS website regularly features SAMBO news as well as SAMBO videos and photos from SAMBO competitions It also includes the official competition calendar of the International SAMBO Federation and other documents regulating tournaments in Sport SAMBO An official website of the United States government A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website Share sensitive information only on official Emergency Information for American Citizens Waxman enjoyed learning about Abay Qunanbaiuly’s legacy at Abay Museum in Semey Ambassador Rosenblum greeted students learning English through the Access Microscholarship program Mission proudly sponsors the Access program to open opportunities through English language learning Ambassador Rosenblum visited KazPolygraph to see U.S.-sourced machinery in action on the packaging production line Equipment sales make up an important part of the growing U.S Ambassador Rosenblum visited Shakarim University and enjoyed meeting with students Waxman enjoyed exploring Semey’s cultural heritage on a recent trip to the region Ambassador Rosenblum visited the Stronger than Death Monument in Semey dedicated to peace and nuclear non-proliferation For the most recent information about visas please visit: https://ustraveldocs.com/kz_ru/index.html For information about Education Opportunities please visit the Education & Exchanges page: https://kz.usembassy.gov/education/ For information about Funding Opportunities please visit: https://kz.usembassy.gov/grants/ For information about Employment Opportunities please visit the Job Opportunities page: https://kz.usembassy.gov/jobs/ To learns about U.S. citizens services please visit the U.S. citizens services page: https://kz.usembassy.gov/services/ Hosted in local libraries in Kazakhstan, American Corners provide access to high\-quality English language resources, English-conversation clubs, information about education in the United States, a large research database, American books, movies, games and much more. 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Designed by Shota Valikhanov and erected on an island in the Irtysh River 2002, the “Stronger than Death” monument recalls Kazakhstan’s history as the fourth largest nuclear power by capacity and its leaders’ astonishing willingness to eventually give up that massive power.  From 1949 to 1989, nearly 500 nuclear tests were conducted at the Semey site known as “The Polygon,” but following independence in 1991 decided to end the nation’s nuclear programs by signing the START I treaty.  Unfortunately the fallout from such extensive testing continues to this day as attested by this giant monument The terror of the monument’s mushroom cloud silhouette is punctuated by the marble centerpiece of a mother protecting her child while overhead a giant atomic model hangs like a sword of Damocles The true number of nuclear testing victims can never be known since elevated radiation has been recorded throughout Kazakhstan and its neighbors but at least one million people in the Semipalatinsk region have been affected.   The tragedy of Kazakhstan’s nuclear history is perhaps mitigated somewhat by its advocacy for nuclear disarmament was popularly organized in 1989 and led directly to the shutdown on the Polygon.  Nazarbayev followed this with the establishment of the ATOM project ("Abolish Testing Our Mission”) in 2012 which organized an international coalition to combat nuclear proliferation the honorary ambassador for this program is Karipbek Kuyukov an award-winning Kazakh painter born without arms as a result of exposure to radiation from the Semey site The largest funeral ever held was for one of Tamil's most influential politicians The steep slope known as “Ob Hill” overlooks an Antarctic research station A memorial overlooking a busy roadway is linked with the story of a 17th-century noblewoman’s legal battle for her inheritance An inverted staircase above the entrance to the Bethnal Green Underground Station functions as a memorial for people who lost their lives during the worst civilian disaster in the U.K A memorial dedicated to the 29,000 Istrian freedom fighters of World War II A curious stone in a public square commemorates the victims of witch-burning A monument to one of Croatia's famous freedom fighters A ghostly cabin attempts to reverse the erasure of enslaved people through poetry Concrete structures are pictured approximately 650 feet away from the site of the first Soviet nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site A remote area of Kazakhstan was once home to nearly a quarter of the world’s nuclear testing The impact on its inhabitants has been devastating was home to nearly a quarter of the world’s nuclear tests during the Cold War but several small agricultural villages dot its perimeter Though some residents were bussed out during the test period The damage that continues today is visceral Photographer Phil Hatcher-Moore spent two months documenting the region and was struck by the “wanton waste of man’s folly.” His project ‘Nuclear Ghosts’ marries the wasted landscape and intimate portraits of villagers still suffering the consequences The figures are astonishing – some 100,000 people in the area are still affected by radiation which can be transmitted down through five generations But with his intimately harrowing pictures Moore sought to make the abstract numbers tangible “Nuclear contamination is not something we can necessarily see,” he says but I find it more interesting to focus on individuals who encapsulate the story.” Moore interviewed all his subjects before picking up his camera and learned that secrecy and misinformation plagued much of their experience sits in his home in the village of Saryzhal "Testing started in 1949 when I was five years old."Photographs by Phil Hatcher-MooreKapiza Mukanova sits in her home in the village of Saryzhal in eastern Kazakhstan Kapiza has lost three of her children which she attributes to effects of the Polygon nuclear testing “[During the 50s] one guy was packed up with his tent and told to live out in the hills for five days with his flock He was effectively used as a test subject to see what happened,” says Moore certainly not the dangers that they may be in.” Moore also documented the scientific test labs that are still uncovering the damage The juxtaposition of these labs alongside portraits of people disfigured by radiation makes for uncomfortable viewing “There was a history of humans being used as live subjects,” says Moore “I wanted to marry these ideas together; the way people were used by researchers at the time and how that trickles down into every day life - what that looks like Birds fly over the cemetery on the outskirts of Semey during a winter storm While some of Moore’s subjects are severely deformed many suffer from less visible health issues like cancer insidious nature of the thing is what is perhaps most troubling “For a long time there hadn’t been much nuclear development but it is a very real issue right now,” says Moore “But we don’t talk about what it takes to renew these weapons These people are legacy and testament to what was done to meet those ends.” See more of Phil Hatcher-Moore's work on his website and follow him on Instagram. sits at the kitchen table in the apartment he shares with his mother in Semey Berik was born with birth defects after his pregnant mother was exposed to radiation from a nuclear test blast conducted by the Soviet Union in the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan and has had several operations to reduce the swelling in his face Alijan suffers from epilepsy and learning difficulties inspects a rat used for research testing in the State Medical University of Semey in eastern Kazakhstan Staff here are researching the effects of radiation on the rats' organs The animals were exposed to radiation through small manganese particles they breathed in to simulate radioactive dust A family passes derelict housing blocks in the town of Kurchatov The population of the town is half of what it was at the end of the nuclear testing Archive photographs of atomic mushroom clouds are pictured on a wall in the Museum of the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kurchatov at her home she shares with her mother and siblings in the village of Shakaman in eastern Kazakhstan Zulfiya was born with cerebral palsy which doctors say was due to the nuclear testing conducted at the Semipalatinsk test site herds sheep and goats at the Semipalatinsk Test Site The area was used for 456 nuclear tests between 1949 and 1989 and some areas are still heavily contaminated with radiation Mass is performed at the Voskresenskij Cathedral in Semey A woman walks through Soviet-era housing blocks in Semey receives treatment via a drip at the Institute for Radiation and Ecology in Semey Balkiya has suffered from heart disease and high blood pressure for over 10 years Doctors say even though she was not directly exposed to the testing at the Semipalatinsk test site she received a chronic dose of radiation living in Semey during that period A patient is prepared for gamma ray treatment for skin cancer in the Oncology Centre in Semey Passengers prepare to board the train in Semey a village on the edge of the former Semipalatinsk Test Site scientists would come to the village and measure radiation levels Residents remember seeing many animals losing their fur following the tests An X-ray pulse may be able to vaporise the surface of an asteroid and change its trajectory according to a proof-of-concept paper published in Nature Physics Head of the Government Olzhas Bektenov checked the works on improvement and creation of comfortable environment for the residents of Semey city familiarized with the progress of construction of a new road bridge and plans to reconstruct the suspension bridge Olzhas Bektenov inspected the new public space in the left-bank part of the regional center The unique project was implemented in order to create a comfortable environment for living and realization of the concept “City for People” more than 12 thousand m2 of territory is covered with landscaping Basketball and soccer fields with stands for fans have been installed An amphitheater and a stage for events and concerts have been built Architectural lighting with the installation of 250 lanterns is provided More than 1500 m2 of walls were covered with artistic painting 5 thousand m2 were asphalted and 370 m of sidewalk was built The territory has become a favorite place of recreation of citizens and guests of Semey Semey Nurbol Nursagatov reported on further plans for improvement and the current status of the development of a new General Plan of the city The project has been developed and is under consideration of comprehensive urban planning expertise The general plan is based on the key directions of development of the territory of the regional center In September this year the document is planned to be placed on the portal “Open NPAs” with subsequent submission to the Government for approval Olzhas Bektenov familiarized with the reconstruction of the road bridge The total length of the new four-lane structure will be 1.3 km As of today the works on erection of piers arrangement and concreting of bored piles have been completed A total of 9 supports and 8 spans will be built It is also planned to reconstruct the suspension bridge - the visiting card of Semey As a result of the survey the condition of the object was assessed as unsatisfactory At the stage of development - design and estimate documentation which takes into account all the necessary repairs: replacement of the roadbed rearrangement of engineering networks of cables painting of metal structures and repair of drainage With obtaining the status of a regional center in Semey increased the intensity of vehicle traffic and bridges are connecting links of transport communication which has no analogues in any of the CIS countries Prime Minister gave a number of instructions to complete the reconstruction in due time Special attention was paid to the importance of construction of a bypass road to bypass Semey a bypass road of II technical category with a length of 51.5 km is envisaged from the western side of Semey The regional center is a transit city through which international highways pass In this connection it is necessary to unload streets and transit corridor connecting Semey-Pavlodar Semey-Almaty and Semey-Ust-Kamenogorsk highways Akimat of Abay region together with the Ministries of Transport Finance and National Economy was entrusted to work out the issues of realization of this project For reference: According to the draft General Plan: the projected population of Semey by 2040 is expected to be 385 thousand inhabitants Housing stock - 11.2 million m2 (existing - 5.9 million m2) - an increase of almost 2 times Taking into account demographic calculations up to 2040 it is necessary to build: 22 new schools for 1200 places in addition to 82 existing schools; 58 new kindergartens for 240 places in addition to 35; 12 polyclinics with a total capacity of 6249 visits per shift Head of the Government Olzhas Bektenov during his working trip to Abay region monitored the progress of modernization of the emergency CHPP in Semey city as well as checked the state of engineering infrastructure and readiness for the heating period Prime Minister was reported on the situation and plans for the development of the energy sector and housing and communal services in general Abay region is among the regions of the “red zone” The degree of wear and tear of heat networks in the region reaches 64.2% reconstruction and repair of 37.9 km of networks and 17 heat sources are underway Over 10.9 billion tenge has been allocated for modernization of energy infrastructure Deputy Akim of the region Dimitriy Garikov reported that as a result of the ongoing work at the end of this year is expected to reduce the wear of communications to 57.7% During the visit Olzhas Bektenov familiarized with the results of repair work at CHPP-1 modernization of the fourth boiler of the hot-water boiler house and pumping group was carried out The heat source with 90-year history is included in the list of objects of “red zone” at the same time it is the largest in the city today CHPP-1 is a part of the State Enterprise “Teplokommunenergo” The enterprise also includes 76 heating stations and 21 boiler houses which provide heat to more than 70 thousand subscribers Given the active housing construction and high wear of existing heating networks there is a deficit of heat and electric capacity heat supply of the left and right banks of Semey is autonomous CHPP-1 provides heat to the residents of the left bank on the right bank this function is performed by 21 boiler houses Head of the Government reminded about the start of the project for the construction of CHPP-3 and supply main networks The launch is planned in 3 stages - up to 2030 boiler houses will operate in the mode of pump-and-filter stations which is currently 146.99 Gcal/hour on the right bank Taking into account the intensive development of the Karagaily district a school for 1200 places and a nephrology center are planned to be commissioned this year the Prime Minister was presented a project of construction of a block-modular boiler house with a capacity of 21.5 Gcal/hour Works on the construction of the energy facility worth about 5.9 billion tenge have been started at the expense of the developer "The situation with heat supply in Abay region and Semey city in particular is critical According to the wear and tear of engineering networks and the condition of the local CHPP the region belongs to the “red zone” The Head of State instructed to carry out qualitative modernization of heat sources with completion by the end of this year Thegovernment keeps the issue under special control,” Olzhas Bektenov emphasized A number of instructions on modernization of heat networks reducing wear and tear and improving the performance of infrastructure were given The Ministries of Energy and Finance have been instructed to work out a mechanism for financing the construction of main networks from CHPP-3 Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov within the framework of his working trip to Abay region flew over the territory of the natural reserve “Semey Ormany” where he checked the fulfillment of the instructions of the Head of State on the restoration of the burnt pine forest and fire prevention in order to eliminate the consequences of a large forest fire that occurred in June last year in which the fire affected about 66 thousand hectares of forest area the work on forest reproduction is being carried out Prime Minister inspected the complex of forest nursery and forest seed station on the territory of the natural reserve where using modern Swedish equipment pine seedlings with closed root system are grown using accelerated technology The specialists harvest twice in one year - up to 3 million plantings in total The quality of seedlings with a closed root system is higher than those grown in the traditional way which ensures high survival rate of forest crops projects are also being implemented for the cultivation and restoration of ribbon forests of the Irtysh region more than 70 thousand saplings were planted on the territory of the reserve “Semey Ormany” within the framework of the ecological action “Taza Kazakstan” in order to preserve and protect healthy plantations from the spread of stem pests and the formation of new centers of dying forest In order to utilize and process burned wood the region attracted investments in the amount of 7.5 billion tenge for the construction of a wood processing complex with the production of finished products - LDPE Today the procedure of registration of the land plot in the industrial zone of Semey city with the area of 55 hectares is underway 38.3 thousand cubic meters of round wood were harvested on the territory of the natural reserve last year Prime Minister emphasized the need for strict control over the observance of law and order on the territory of “Semey Ormana” employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Security Committee with the coordination of the Prosecutor's Office have already revealed facts of illegal logging and theft of timber "Last year there was a very serious fire - 66 thousand hectares we lost This is the tenth part of the Seme Ormana of the entire area so the prevention of forest fires is a very serious task we started a program to equip with equipment the structures of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and forestry We will continue this program and equip you with modern equipment One more important point I wanted to mention is about those organized criminal groups that work on illegal logging I know that there are even threats to individual employees to allow them to engage in illegal logging without hindrance The Ministry of Internal Affairs needs to pay very serious attention here as well Those who engage in illegal logging are enemies of the state Here the whole state should take up and strike a blow on principle and the task of law enforcement agencies,” Olzhas Bektenov emphasized Olzhas Bektenov also raised the issues of updating the material and technical base within the framework of the Comprehensive Plan for 2023-2027 years on the step-by-step strengthening of material and technical equipment for the reserve “Semey Ormany” last year purchased 37 units of special vehicles for a total amount of 1.4 billion tenge In order to support workers of forestry and environmental protection organizations on the instructions of the President last year the salaries of 12,876 employees of the state forest guard were increased by 100% employees of forestry and nature protection organizations of the country started to receive salary increments nature protection and forest surveying organizations receive up to 100% salary increments about 3.3 thousand employees are covered by the additional payment 8.4 billion tenge is provided from the national budget for these purposes Head of the Government emphasized the importance of fire safety and instructed to ensure constant combat readiness of forces and means of firefighting services of the reserve “Semey Ormany” Emergency Situations Department of the region and Akimat "We pay special attention to the issue of preservation of forest areas and firefighting measures We must not allow the tragedy to repeat itself It is important to implement preventive measures in full - not on paper including the installation of early detection system of forest fires,” Olzhas Bektenov emphasized The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources together with the Akimat of Abay region and interested state bodies are instructed to continue work on material and technical equipment and forest reproduction in “Semey Ormani” as well as to provide support in the implementation of the project for the development of the burned area 32 mobile groups numbering 132 people have been created in Abay region for prevention of natural fires and timely response The Kazaviaspass helicopter is on duty and patrolling of the territory is carried out 109 violators were brought to administrative responsibility SubscriptionOffers Give a Gift Subscribe nearly a quarter of all the world’s nuclear testing took place in Kazakhstan a high-profile disaster in Ukraine changed that an explosion in a far-flung corner of Soviet-ruled Kazakhstan set off an arms race that took the world to the brink of nuclear Armageddon the US had ended the Second World War by dropping atomic bombs on Japan Joseph Stalin’s USSR was hellbent on catching up The blast at the Kremlin’s secret Semipalatinsk nuclear testing site was the first of 456 atomic explosions conducted there over the next 40 years Codenamed Pervaya Molniya (First Lightning) by the Soviets and Joe-1 by the Americans (after ‘Uncle Joe’ the first explosion released 22 kilotons of nuclear energy the bombs detonated at Semipalatinsk released energy 2,500 times greater than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 It was that ruthless display of US military might that launched the Cold War arms race with Washington’s new rivals in Moscow as the panicked Soviets – helped by spies within the US arms programme – scrambled to split the atom and become a superpower in the newly polarised world which became synonymous with Semipalatinsk have traumatic memories of mushroom clouds exploding on the horizon during their childhood We saw mushroom clouds: big and terrifying ones’ recalled an old lady called Galina Tornoshenko she shared her memories with me in a village called Znamenka It was a dazzlingly sunny but bitterly cold winter’s day in March (spring comes late to this part of Kazakhstan although since the Soviets concealed the existence of the Polygon and lied about the nature of the blasts it was only with hindsight that they recognised what they had experienced ‘On the radio they’d say: go out into the streets there’s going to be an earthquake,’ a villager called Serikkazy Baribayev told me explaining how people would be ordered outside ahead of the explosions The tests moved underground after a ban on atmospheric testing in 1963 into tunnels bored into some nearby mountains His friend remembered teachers covering children with felt during the blasts in an attempt to protect them from what locals had begun to suspect was a health hazard – even if they had no idea they were being exposed to life-threatening doses of radiation the existence of the Polygon in Kazakhstan near Semipalatinsk was top-secret Its HQ was in a town named Semipalatinsk-21 Most people had no idea the nuclear test site was there and anyone harbouring suspicions about the explosions on their doorstep was advised to keep quiet a Semipalatinsk resident who recalled being sent flying into the air by what he now knows was a nuclear blast in the 1970s How did the Soviets select Semipalatinsk as their test site they settled on the north-east part of what was then the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic one of 15 Kremlin-ruled entities making up the USSR the secret police chief in charge of the atomic weapons programme He was wrong: the 18,500-square-kilometre Polygon lay in Kazakhstan’s industrial heartland 120 kilometres from the city of Semipalatinsk (now Semey) within striking distance of other towns in Kazakhstan and southern Russia and near many rural communities Their inhabitants became human guinea pigs in a disastrous atomic experiment as the blasts hurled radioactive fallout over northern eastern and central Kazakhstan and Russian Siberia exposing hundreds of thousands of people – at a minimum – to toxic radiation innocuously named Anti-Brucellosis Dispensary Number 4 which ostensibly studied an infectious disease found in cattle actually existed to research how radiation affected the human body Almost three decades after the Polygon was closed the full impact of the blasts on human health and the environment remains unknown Information lies buried in archives in Moscow which takes no responsibility for the legacy of nuclear testing on its former colony and its people Available evidence suggests the tests caused spikes in many types of cancer and other diseases and disorders Studies also suggest that victims of nuclear testing in Kazakhstan suffer from hibakusha the Japanese word for the psychological trauma endured by survivors of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Nuclear testing at Semipalatinsk destroyed the lives of people not even born when they ceased in 1989 She was born in a village called Olzhabay in 1992 the year after the Polygon closed down completely a neurological condition which hampers brain development curvature of the spine so severe that she is paralysed When Zhannur was diagnosed with these radiation-related conditions her mother Mayra had never heard of the Polygon But it had been exploding nuclear bombs nearby for her whole life which has been irrevocably shaped by the fallout ‘I didn’t even know the Polygon existed until Zhannurka was 15 months old’ using her daughter’s pet name as she massaged her immobile limbs to prevent them from seizing up ‘Everyone said I should abandon her – the doctors I’m going to look after her.’ Now a single mother Mayra has spent every day of the last 27 years caring for her disabled daughter eking out a living on disability benefits in a small Debating the pros and cons of the Kremlin’s atomic weapons programme or its use of nuclear power was totally taboo – until an accident 4,000 kilometres away from Semipalatinsk made the atomic topic explode into the public consciousness ‘The odds of a meltdown [at a Soviet nuclear power plant] are one in 10,000 years,’ Vitaliy Sklyarov the minister of power in Soviet-ruled Ukraine Ukraine’s Chernobyl atomic power station went into meltdown causing what has gone down in history as the world’s worst nuclear disaster scattering radiation for thousands of kilometres and killing at least 31 people in the immediate aftermath only admitting what had happened when elevated radiation levels were detected in Sweden The authorities had just begun a belated evacuation of local people We still do not know how many fell ill or died – or will die – as a result of radiation exposure from the Chernobyl catastrophe Studies have put the figure anywhere from 4,000 to 200,000 The Chernobyl tragedy put the nuclear debate on the agenda in the USSR where a policy called glasnost (openness) launched by Mikhail Gorbachev – the reformer who would preside over the USSR’s collapse in 1991 – was under way Glasnost lifted taboos on debating controversial aspects of life in the Soviet Union – including its nuclear programme The impact of glasnost was felt in Kazakhstan where a groundswell of opposition to nuclear testing arose fuelled by revelations of a radioactive gas leak from Semipalatinsk in 1989 called Nevada-Semipalatinsk (after the Soviet and US test sites) and headed by a poet who led public rallies against nuclear testing The movement secured the backing of Kazakhstan’s most powerful politician then a rising star in the Soviet political establishment who became the Kazakh republic’s Kremlin-appointed leader in 1989 After leading Kazakhstan to independence in 1991 he ruled for three decades until his resignation in March 2019 Semipalatinsk exploded its last nuclear device four decades after testing its first and having staged nearly a quarter of all nuclear tests conducted in the entire world two years after the moratorium was imposed on testing at Semipalatinsk and with the Soviet Union collapsing and Kazakhstan’s independence beckoning He also agreed to give up Kazakhstan’s nuclear arsenal – the world’s fourth largest The rest of the world sighed with relief as a proliferation threat was removed in the new post-Cold War world Kazakhstan brands itself as a global leader in nuclear non-proliferation with its flagship project ATOM: ‘Abolish Testing – Our Mission’ an artist who paints with his feet and mouth because he was born without arms as a result of exposure to radiation from Semipalatinsk but life stories like his are an expressive reminder that Joanna Lillis is the author of Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan (I.B Here you can see the webcast of the BMW Group Press Conference at the Auto Shanghai 2025 You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience a Fulbright Fellowship took Associate Professor Mary Jo Kietzman Gifford to Kazakhstan where she spent six months teaching English classes and running a drama club there would be no more literature lessons at Semey State Pedagogical Institute where she was teaching "The idea came to me walking home from the Russian Orthodox Church one day… Why not get UM-Flint graduate students to help me run an online book club.  If this could be, then my Kazakh girls could continue to study." recalled Kietzman Gifford. Her idea is to get graduate students working in an experimental online group with Kazakhstani students. They would discuss coming-of-age novels written in English. The students would also write about the books. The online book club would provide further educational opportunity for students from Semey, give UM-Flint graduate students teaching experience, and provide a mutually energizing cross-cultural experience. For the students in Kazakhstan, Kietzman Gifford believes the book club represents hope for the future:  to continue developing their language skills, to have a community with whom to exchange ideas, and to develop themselves for future professions, and for their own sense of fulfillment. She points to one major problem in launching the project, "There are only two book stores in Semey with a very limited selection, and no books in English. Internet is too expensive for most students to have at home. Job prospects are dim." In the meantime, she has set up a Google Group. "We are scanning and uploading the first novel which is Lorrie Moore's Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?" Because of economic situation in Kazakhstan, she is hoping to locate a sponsor to assist with future book purchases/donations and shipping costs.  She recently received some good news, the UM-Flint English Department, the English Master's Program, and the College of Arts and Sciences will fund the purchase and shipment of the second novel. "Many feel that it would be great if we could buy books for the participating students. Since books are hard to come by, they really are treasured. If the project is successful, it will no longer be taken as independent study credit but will be its own course, "Literary Pedagogy." Researchers say that it is extremely important to take into account the voices and opinions of the local population when developing a socio-economic development strategy at the former Semipalatinsk nuclear test site and in the newly formed Abay region. In July 2023, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the Law “On the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Safety Zone”, aimed at ensuring nuclear and radiation safety in Kazakhstan during the rehabilitation of the territory of the former Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. According to Article 3 of this law, it was adopted to solve the following tasks: 1) preparing land for further economic use, 2) fulfilling Kazakhstan’s obligations in the field of nuclear safety and non-proliferation, 3) effective infrastructure management, reducing radioactive contamination, 4) monitoring pollution levels, and 5) development of science and technology in the field of peaceful use of atomic energy and radioecology. The Abay region, newly formed in 2022, ceased to be part of the East Kazakhstan Region. In turn, this administrative and territorial change can give a new breath and stimulate the development of the economic potential of the region. One of the most serious problems in the region is the legacy of nuclear tests conducted at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. The local population still suffers from the effects of radiation pollution, which leads to numerous health and social problems. Development of the region: How will the new law affect development? In order to answer this question, this year the “Komitet Polygon 21” NGO conducted a research project entitled “Development of Proposals for the socio-economic development of the region taking into account the Nuclear Past: Public Opinion” in the cities of Semey and Kurchatov. This study is one of the few that made it possible to assess citizens’ attitudes towards socio-economic and other aspects of the region’s development. The main purpose of the study was to gather information needed to develop proposals for improving policies related to the former landfill site, as well as to ensure local community participation in the decision-making process. The main question of the study was how local residents perceive the impact of the Semipalatinsk test site on the socio-economic development of the region. Thus, a key aspect of the study was to interact with the local population and explore their local views on this issue. As mentioned above, the nuclear past has a negative impact on the economic prospects of the region. Radioactive contamination caused by nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk test site has led to serious environmental and health problems that hinder socio-economic development. High levels of radiation in soil, food and water continue to affect the health of local populations, reducing their productivity and ability to work. Moreover, the policy towards rethinking the nuclear past has not yet achieved visible results. Local residents still lack development and support from the state, which prevents them from fully participating in the economic activities of the region. What do the local population think about the nuclear past? Despite the fact that almost more than 40 years have passed since the closure of the nuclear test site, people still have health problems, not to mention how many there were during the nuclear explosions. The most common diseases due to radiation exposure are mainly called radiation sickness. There were also those who described the situation of people over 40 years of age, formerly representatives of the working class, who currently do not have the opportunity to work due to poor health caused by radiation. Even though nothing has changed outwardly, the consequences of nuclear explosions still affect their lives. These people remain unnoticed: their problems do not attract adequate attention from the state, which does not show sufficient concern for the victims. That is, it is the working class that currently cannot work due to the fact that they have a very poor state of health. That is why I say that this had a huge impact. Yes, now there are no such echoes because no one sees that anything has changed. It hasn’t changed, because the state doesn’t care much about our problem.” (Marina, medical worker, 01/31/2024) Residents also believe that the distribution of compensation across regions is not fair and adequate enough, since the amounts provided by law do not provide them with adequate support. This is disappointing and bewildering as the compensation given does not even cover basic living needs such as a month’s travel expenses for one person. I, like everyone else, know that the law (On social protection of citizens affected by the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site) was adopted in 1992 on December 18. It describes by region and by measure what amount should be paid from the state. This is, you know, funny. An amount that is not enough even for a month’s travel (Aigul, teacher, 01/31/2024) Thus, the analysis of the interviews conducted (48 interviews) indicates several existing problems among residents. One of them is social isolation and stigmatization. Lack of public attention and support increases feelings of helplessness and alienation. Narratives of fear of radiation only contribute to stigmatization, especially among those outside the region. Hence, it can be assumed that external stigma has a negative impact on the self-perception of the local population. To solve the problems associated with the former nuclear test site in the Semipalatinsk region, and its impact on the local population, a comprehensive government policy is needed. Important directions of such a policy should be social support with rehabilitation and employment programs, environmental measures for monitoring and restoration of contaminated areas, and raising public awareness. The problems of social isolation, stigmatization, and lack of public support faced by residents of the Semipalatinsk nuclear safety zone can be solved using an integrated approach covering several aspects: The functioning of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Safety Zone should be aimed at ensuring strict compliance with international standards in the field of nuclear and radiation safety. This includes not only control over nuclear facilities but also maintaining the nuclear non-proliferation regime, which helps build confidence in the international community. An important part of creating the zone is also the organization of effective infrastructure management, including the modernization and reconstruction of facilities, which helps improve living conditions and the safety of residents. Carrying out active measures to limit the spread of radioactive contamination and rehabilitate land, as well as constant monitoring of radiation levels, help minimize risks and prevent further environmental contamination. An important aspect is also the revision of government policies regarding compensation and social protection for victims, which helps to reduce the feeling of helplessness and alienation among the population. Thus, the creation and effective functioning of the Semipalatinsk nuclear safety zone represents a necessary step for a comprehensive solution to the social, environmental and economic problems faced by the residents of this territory. This will ensure not only the safety and health of the population but will also contribute to the sustainable development of the region in the long term. If government measures are effectively implemented, this could attract investment, improve infrastructure and create conditions for the growth of high-tech industries. It is also important to strengthen international cooperation to exchange experiences and best practices in radiation risk management. The implementation of these measures will help improve the living conditions and social situation of people suffering from the consequences of nuclear tests and the operation of test sites. notify us by selecting that text and pressing Ctrl+Enter Sent to a remote border town in a strange country Lutfi Bin Ali describes an isolated existence haunted by 13 years in the world’s most notorious prison which by this point has faded from its infamous orange colour to more of a salmony pink reminds him he was once worse off than he is now he wonders if his current predicament might actually be even worse than the 13 years he spent in the notorious prison the 51-year-old Tunisian has found life since his release from Guantánamo no easier than life inside “At least in Guántanamo there were people to talk to. Here I have nobody,” Bin Ali said during the Guardian’s two-day visit to his new home, a dusty town in northern Kazakhstan famed for being a Soviet nuclear testing site where he had lived for more than a decade previously According to a leaked Guantánamo internal assessment Bin Ali was recommended for release or transfer to another country for continued detention in June 2004 intelligence value and risk level” the US defence department judged Bin Ali to pose a “low risk” It was more than a decade before he would finally be freed As the Obama administration has attempted to shut down Guantánamo, increased efforts have been made to transfer the detainees to their home nations, or third countries Bin Ali said he could not go back to Tunisia after being branded a terrorist by the Americans – he risked jail there have been transferred to third countries where they are placed in rehabilitation programmes Usually they are funded by the host country but the Kazakhstan programme is financed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) The two-year programme was meant to see the former prisoners slowly integrate into Kazakh society Bin Ali has a serious heart condition that required an operation to install an artificial valve in 1999 said he had persuaded Bin Ali to accept the transfer to Kazakhstan based on what US authorities told him “They explained to me that Kazakhstan was a Muslim country and they had a programme to take care of him None of what I was told turned out to be true,” Denbeaux said When I arrived, it was -30 outside and I was still in Guantanamo flip-flopsLutfi Bin AliLutfi Bin Ali at his home in Semey Photograph: Shaun Walker/The GuardianAt the end of 2014 along with another Tunisian detainee and three Yemenis The five were flown out on a military aircraft and two days and several changes of transport later Bin Ali and one of the Yemenis arrived in Semey a town near Kazakhstan’s border with Russia hundreds of miles away in southern Kazakhstan Bin Ali was taken to a temporary apartment in Semey late on New Year’s Eve Outside there were fireworks and drunken celebrations “It was minus 30 outside and I was still in Guantánamo flip-flops because none of the shoes they had were big enough I was expecting a Muslim country and it wasn’t what I expected,” he said is a sleepy town of dilapidated Soviet-era apartment blocks home to around 300,000 people more than 500 miles from Kazakhstan’s largest city It is mainly known for its location next to the “poligon” an area of steppe where the Soviets carried out nuclear tests Radiation levels are still well above average in the area and many believe the tests have led to all manner of health problems The town’s isolation and its climate of hot dusty summers and punishingly cold winters drove Fyodor Dostoevsky to distraction during the five years he spent in exile in the town where he had seizures and sank into depression Life has become intolerable for me,” the novelist wrote in a letter in 1858 Bin Ali has similar feelings about the town Few people speak English and he has found only one person he is a foot taller than most of the town’s residents the Guantánamo five were told they would not be able to leave the confines of their host cities and Bin Ali was not given proper care for his heart condition Four months after the men were transferred “He was more and more ill but they didn’t believe it,” said Adel Hkimi I asked to stay overnight to look after him but they wouldn’t let me Finally, when it became clear just how serious the condition was, Khalaqi was taken to hospital. He died the next day The town of Semey Photograph: Shaun Walker/The GuardianSuffering from worsening heart palpitations that kept him awake at night he was given an operation to install another artificial valve in Astana The whole week he was there he was guarded by police and threw him away,” said Denbeaux of the US treatment of Bin Ali He said while the conditions in Kazakhstan might be intolerable the Kazakhs had been “doing the Americans a favour” by agreeing to take the detainees and it was the US who must bear responsibility for the situation they are leaving people who are released in unsustainable circumstances.” Some Kazakh officials resent the complaints Bin Ali could well be a dangerous terrorist as far as they know access to medicines and a spacious flat that is luxurious by local standards with green faux-leather sofas and imitation malachite columns handwritten Kazakh docket saying he is “a person seeking refugee status” and he is explicitly banned from leaving the confines of the town They demanded information on the visitor and took down passport and accreditation details “I think they have good conditions in their daily life and that has to do with the restrictions of the Kazakh government,” said Jens-Martin Mehler of the ICRC’s regional delegation in central Asia It is understandable that the Kazakhs are suspicious. A report issued last week suggested nine Guantánamo detainees have rejoined militant groups since 2009 and the lack of any trials means it is hard to officials to distinguish between real terrorist masterminds and those arrested in error Bin Ali insists there is no truth to allegations that he had links to al-Qaida He readily admits he got into scrapes with the law before his arrest but says they were all about petty crime rather than extremism he left school at 12 and worked as a furniture maker As he turned 20 he moved to Italy on the suggestion of friends and relatives and began a 14-year period moving around the country from Milan to Brindisi “I did business with a lot of Pakistan people I heard there was lots of good business there.” When he got there he had problems with the police and fled to Afghanistan He said he spent only a month in Afghanistan during which time he had no contact with any terrorists and never handled a weapon He had decided the whole venture was pointless and wanted to return to Italy He was arrested by Pakistani forces in a town just across the border Lufti bin Ali wants to open a small restaurant selling Italian food some day Photograph: Shaun Walker/The GuardianIt is possible that Bin Ali’s portrayal of himself as a wheeler dealer and occasional petty criminal could be a cover but little in the leaked Guantánamo documents seems to suggest any hard evidence against him and he has never been brought before any kind of court to answer any charges he has almost no company except Sabri al-Qurashi He has learned basic Russian but locals are afraid of talking to him although he wishes he had more people to cook for For a visiting Guardian journalist he cooked numerous imitations of Italian dishes which were impressive given the limitations of locally available ingredients He also wants to write a Guantánamo memoir but he struggles to concentrate and has trouble using a computer due his poor vision “It feels like there is a football match going on inside my head,” he said His toes are mangled from years of walking barefoot on prison floors and being held in stress positions incongruous figure as he shuffles through the streets of Semey Sometimes he thinks about putting on his orange suit and going into the main square to announce he is on hunger strike until he receives a transfer somewhere else on the basis that it would probably land him in a Kazakh jail and he is not sure anyone would notice anyway Will I ever have the chance to live a normal life?” Kazakhstani authorities need to pay more attention to the consequences of nuclear testing in the Semipalatinsk region a national expert on children’s rights A brief study conducted in September 2022 in the field of education revealed that there has yet to be an attempt at the state level to assess the damage done to the region and the people About 1.6 million people living in the districts and cities of Semipalatinsk oblast and the corresponding districts of Pavlodar East Kazakhstan and Karaganda oblasts are recognised as victims of nuclear tests conducted by the Soviet military-industrial complex between 1949 and 1989 In 50 years of nuclear testing, more than 450 nuclear and thermonuclear explosions have been carried out at the Semipalatinsk test site, including 30 above-ground, 86 atmospheric, and 348 underground.[1] In comparison, in the United States, only 1,030 nuclear tests were carried out at the Nevada Test Site from 1945 to 1992, including 210 above-ground, 815 underground, and 5 underwater.[2] The Semipalatinsk test site included 18,000 square metres of land, the Irtysh River, and 340,000 people in the city of Semipalatinsk (present-day Semey – Ed. note).[3] According to residents of the region the issue of education for the children of the affected region was not raised during the closure of the test site in 1990 and subsequent years Many children who could not access education and related services for health reasons were educated at home and were unable to socialise some of whom have already died in adult boarding schools the problems and needs of the Semipalatinsk region as well as the consequences of the nuclear test site were intentionally or unintentionally silenced Nuclear testing was halted in 1989, and the nuclear test site was closed after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 on 29 August.[4] The remaining 1,216 nuclear bombs (until 1995) were gradually removed to Russia, with the remaining uranium, almost 600 kilograms, also gradually ( up until 2004) taken to the US.[5] There is less and less discussion about the consequences of the nuclear tests, the topic arises most often on 29 August, the day nuclear tests begin and end. More than 700 materials have been published over the past 30 years, including those commemorating the day of the closure of nuclear tests,[6] but the lives of local people affected by nuclear tests and their descendants have not improved A short research study on securing the right to education for children and grandchildren of victims of nuclear testing in the Semipalatinsk region was conducted over a six-month period from September 2022 to February 2023. This was part of a three-year initiative by four universities around the world (Ulster, Cape Town, Nazarbayev and Sussex) to undertake a political-economic analysis of education in conflict-affected Central Asian countries.[7] The method of original data collection for this study was a qualitative semi-structured interview Practitioners and professionals as well as civic activists working with children or involved with the Nevada-Semipalatinsk social movement took part in the study The research received ethical approval from the University of Ulster Participants were selected from four regions: Abai Oblast (former Semipalatinsk Oblast) including two villages and the city of Semey A total of 30 participants were interviewed More than ten enquiries to the Ministry of Education Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and other ministries and local executive bodies in charge of social welfare the central executive bodies do not have information on which it would be possible to compare the number of children with SEN including those related to the effects of radiation on adult residents of the region and/or children over the past thirty years with similar data from other regions for various reasons This may be because health and radiation effects are not monitored separately for the Semipalatinsk region or the affected regions mentioned above The status of the regional centre was returned to Semipalatinsk Accessible statistics are available only for East Kazakhstan region State and public figure Keshrim Boztayev in 1992 in his book about the Semipalatinsk test site wrote about the opening of the Institute of Radiation Medicine and Ecology in the city the purpose of which was to diagnose diseases of the inhabitants of the region in terms of connection with nuclear testing and the corresponding provision of benefits the list of diseases that are associated with nuclear testing has been reduced and access to the institute has been restricted Below are excerpts from some of the interviews with specialists in the region (names changed to ensure confidentiality and anonymity) — As a mother of a child with cerebral palsy says 7 circles of hell you have to go through… Pretty much if you’re lucky… If you have some strings to pull and if you prove that the polygon is specifically connected with radiology – 110 thousand tenge — We have about 10 children in our school who have been determined to have disabilities due to nuclear testing The Institute’s management refused to take part in the study without finding a link between their activities and issues of access to education for children affected by nuclear testing both in Soviet times and at the present time on this issue remains more closed and underestimates indicators This is stated in almost every published article and also by the participants in this study — They don’t talk about the polygon whatsoever the results of the study showed that significant improvements in education health care and social protection are needed in the region to ensure that the rights of children affected by nuclear testing in the Semipalatinsk region to education are respected medical and pedagogical counselling room (hereinafter referred to as PMPC) of Semey city available at the time of conducting the research also serves 3 remote regions of the Abay region which totals more than 200,000 children’s population according to the recommendations stipulated by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan there should be one PMPC per 50,000 children population the number of children in the country has quadrupled since 2010 and the number of children with SEN has increased accordingly but it has not been possible to establish how many children with SEN are affected by nuclear testing should be considered at the early developmental stage of a child’s life the involvement of health professionals is vital including early diagnosis and correction of child development Health and social care professionals do not recognise the important role of early intervention in a child’s development and subsequent access to the general education programme only two professionals from social protection and five from healthcare services participated in the study Analysis of available data shows that inclusive education is underdeveloped in the country as a whole more than half of school-aged children with SEN in East Kazakhstan region (in 2021 Semipalatinsk region was part of East Kazakhstan region) do not attend inclusive classes (see Table 1) children remain in home-based education and are deprived of opportunities to develop social skills due to a lack of places in special schools and preschool organisations or a lack of trained teachers in schools to work with children with SEN At the regional level, the stigmatisation of residents of the Semipalatinsk region also has a negative impact on public health.[8] More research is needed in this area to deconstruct such stigma and radiophobia — We Semey people are used to hearing such things People from other regions are afraid of us They say you can’t marry a girl from Semey They say that it is better not to marry girls from the East — We have a woman in our village who is 40 years old has oligophrenia and has had only 7 years of education She perceives it as stigmatisation… She does not have her own social worker as she is not recognised as disabled The study also showed that the topic is still highly relevant but it has been silenced for a long time.  In general we would like to draw attention to the needs of the region The government should develop reforms and public policies according to the needs of each region individually It is symbolic that by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan the former Semipalatinsk region was reestablished and renamed to Abai region exactly 25 years later According to the Comprehensive Plan of Socio-Economic Development of the Abay Region for 2023-2027, presented by the Ministry of National Economy, the region plans to build six small schools, additions to existing schools, a schoolchildren’s palace, a boarding school, as well as nine kindergartens and three children’s camps.[12] In 2023 education officials also announced plans to open another PMPC in the near future and a new rehabilitation centre has already opened in the city of Semey the inhabitants of the Semipalatinsk region suffered as a result of the Cold War and then the collapse of the Soviet Union and subsequent threats of separatism in the early nineties — I have been to different countries… I remember when I spoke at the UN I was approached by NGOs from other countries They offered the services of lawyers against Russia Those who caused harm should be compensated is a step in recognising colonial policies on the part of countries that have been subjected to such policies                                                     not all children affected by nuclear testing have access to education or quality education the generation of those children of independent Kazakhstan who stayed within 4 walls or died in institutions is missing in society (among the active adult population) The rights of local residents were violated not only during the Soviet period but also nowadays No special conditions were created in the field of education for children and teachers The economic crisis in the region after the collapse of the Soviet Union had a negative impact on people who had already suffered from radiation poverty and unemployment have contributed to a deeper marginalisation of affected children (institutionalisation of children Some have already died within the four walls of boarding schools while others remain confined without a chance to fully develop their potential The echo of the Cold War and the colonial policy of the Soviet Union is still reflected in the descendants of the inhabitants of the Semipalatinsk region (Abay district) The stigmatisation and radiophobia among people is evidence of the lack of reconciliation measures including education/awareness work in the region and the country the region finally got a chance to develop with the granting of regional status in 2022 This stage of the region’s development can be attributed to the beginning of the decolonisation policy which gave the people of the region the opportunity to speak with full confidence about their concerns can also be attributed to the de-colonial stage in the field of research in which there is a need for government interest and cooperation in obtaining administrative data for analysis As part of the region’s revitalisation policy there are hopes that the central government in conjunction with the regional authority will be able to properly assess the needs of all areas of the region including education and the needs of children with SEN Recognition of the consequences of the nuclear test site and radiation can help to shatter stigmas against the region’s residents and radiophobia among residents and build trust in the government 1) It is necessary to accurately identify the needs of children in the region and then build the work on closing these needs 2) Create/build family support centres so that families and parents have a place to approach 3) Expand the network of PMPCs and psychological-pedagogical correction rooms in the city and region at the rate of 1 PMPC per 50,000 population of children 4) Create conditions and invite qualified education specialists to the region to improve the quality of services 5) Create conditions and invite qualified medical professionals to the region to improve the quality of services; 6) Expand the network of rehabilitation centres in the city and region; 7) Conduct a comprehensive study on the impact of nuclear testing on children living in the region and inform the population of the results; 8) Revise the activities of the Research Institute of Radiation Medicine and Ecology; 9) Consider paying for accommodation and transport costs of parents for the period of assessment / rehabilitation of children with SEN Media in collaboration with the civil society and Ministry of Information and Social Development: 10) Conduct community outreach on zero tolerance of stigmatisation of children/people with developmental delays and diseases and to shatter radiophobia both in the region and in the country [1] Werner (2006) ‘After the Cold War: international politics domestic policy and the nuclear legacy in Kazakhstan’ (2016) ‘“I am a radioactive mutant”: Emergent biological subjectivities at Kazakhstan’s Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site’ [2]  United States Deaprtments of Energy Nevada Opeerations Office (2020) “United Sates Nuclear Tests  July 1945 throght Septrember 1992 (DOE/NV—209-REV 15, December 2000) http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2015/ph241/ukropina2/docs/DOENV_209_REV15.pdf [3] Kassenova (2022) Atomic Steppe: How Kazakhstan Gave up the Bomb [4] Boztaev [5] Werner [6] Mukanova Z. 30 years since the closure of Semipalatinsk polygon: bibliographic index [7] PEER Network Project Overview, https://peernetworkgcrf.org/ru/%d0%be-%d0%bd%d0%b0%d1%81/%d0%be%d0%b1%d0%b7%d0%be%d1%80-%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%be%d0%b5%d0%ba%d1%82%d0%b0/ [8] Atchabarov ложь и истина по вопросу оценки влияния на здоровье людей испытания атомного оружия на Семипалатинском ядерном полигоне: научное издание (2016) ”I am a radioactive mutant’: Emergent biological subjectivities at Kazakhstan’s Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site’ [9] https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/P1900000990 [10] https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/P1900000742 [11] https://16news.kz/news/oblast/Neuzheli-Semey-deystvitelno-hudshiy-gorod-v-Kazahstane-po-kachestvu-zhizni-4394 [12] https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/economy/press/news/details/493885?lang=ru [13] Korostelev P Процесс деколонизации в XX веке как одна из форм прав народов на самоопределение //Актуальные проблемы конституционного [14] These recommendations were presented at a roundtable with the participation of the local city administration, civic activists, parents and the media, in Semey on 10 February 2023. the largest community near the former Soviet nuclear test site of Semipalatinsk There we visited a home for the elderly and disabled many of whom had been exposed to the health consequences of nuclear testing Carl Robichaud, Program Officer in International Peace and Security, is traveling with a group of journalists as part of the International Reporting Project’s trip to Kazakhstan After a brief tour we were invited to observe the residents’ commemoration of Hiroshima Day which involved local folk songs and a film on nuclear testing Over the years the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have formed a special bond with residents of Semipalatinsk as a result of their shared history as innocent victims of war We heard stories from several residents who had lived in villages near the zone of maximum risk around the site everyone in her school was told to exit the building and lie down in the adjacent field Presumably this was a precaution to avoid damage from structural collapse or shattered glass But leaving the building also exposed the children to an increased dose of radiation Others recounted witnessing the mounting evidence of illness and suffering caused by test radiation even as Soviet officials prevaricated about the danger It is extremely difficult to assess the full human cost of these tests The health effects of radiation remain subject to fierce debate and Soviet records from the era remain spotty While it is virtually impossible to pin any particular illness to radiation exposure scientists have linked higher rates of certain cancers and heart diseases to post-irradiation effects We were told by one scientist that cancer rates in the region were 2.5 times the national average though there are other environmental conditions that may contribute to these levels we were embraced by the residents and each presented with a paper crane The crane echoes the story of Sadako Sasaki a young girl exposed to the Hiroshima bomb who is remembered for making a thousand origami cranes before her death from leukemia The residents of this home for the elderly in Semey are among the last living survivors of nuclear testing and a living monument to a tragic era that is slipping from memory There are similar victims of atmospheric testing by other nuclear weapon states This year marks the 50th anniversary of the signature of the Limited Test Ban Treaty which banned atmospheric testing between the United States and Russia Since then we have strengthened the global norm against nuclear testing It is my hope that we will see a ban to all nuclear testing before the last witnesses of this tragic chapter perish from the earth You don't have permissions to access this page You can explore Bunkyo campus with Virtual Tour Proposing a New Corona Test Method that is Rapid First Nagasaki-Taiwan Medical Symposium was held at the Scho[…] In Memory of Pope Francis: We Are Deeply Saddened to Hear of[…] Songkran Cultural Experience Event Held at Nagasaki Universi[…] Activity Report of the Sakura Science Program:'Scientific Ex[…] Visiting professor of Nagasaki University Dr Mu-Chang Shieh,[…] Inquiry "I saw it from the street in front of my house," said Proskovya Koloskova "There was a flash like white lightning then a great cup of fire rising into the sky with black smoke spilling out from the sides and tongues of red flame." The year was 1954 and Koloskova, a farm worker, was witnessing one of the Soviet Union's first detonations of an atomic bomb. Between 1949 and 1989 the Red Army tested more than 450 nuclear weapons here on the vast sun-scorched steppes of eastern Kazakhstan Erratic winds blew streamers of toxic fallout toward villages on the edge of the test ground the horrors of the Semipalatinsk test site are still palpable their eyes flutter upwards into their sockets Nurses believe they are victims of contamination caused by the nuclear experiments organised and paid for by the Kazakh government the Guardian was shown a cancer clinic where a new "nuclear medicine" department is soon to be built — and a cabinet of misshapen babies in pickling jars at the city's medical university The genetic consequences of radiation exposure are disputed but doctors say cancer rates in eastern Kazakhstan are 50% higher than the national average Koloskova's youngest son died aged 44 after severe kidney problems "Maybe the tests were to blame," she said But while Kazakhstan laments its grisly nuclear past it is rapidly constructing a nuclear future This week the country has been flaunting its energy wares as leaders from 56 countries – including Angela Merkel for a summit of the regional security organisation Russia and Europe are already jockeying for access to the Central Asian state's huge reserves of oil and natural gas Now bountiful supplies of uranium to fuel a new generation of nuclear power plants are another energy target Last year Kazakhstan leapfrogged Australia and Canada to become the world's largest producer of uranium The metal is extracted by leaching from boreholes concentrated and then converted into yellowcake In 2009 the country produced 13,900 tonnes of uranium Kazakhstan's rebranding comes at a time of reviving interest in nuclear power worldwide with even some prominent greens calling it a crucial source of carbon-free energy At times the sinister legacy of the Semipalatinsk explosions feels like a sideshow the former closed town on the edge of the poligon that was once home to thousands of researchers working on the Soviet bomb scientists offer visitors an excursion through the former test ground The spot where blasts were detonated is now a quiet patch of steppe dotted with wormwood Fanning out from the epicentre are disintegrating concrete towers that housed equipment to measure the force of the explosions Round pebbles of molten rock lie scattered on the ground A dosimeter shows radiation at the epicentre is 30 times higher than background level says there is little danger: "You could suffer more from the stress of worrying about coming here than from radiation itself." Some of the scientists swim and catch fish in a nearby pond called Atomic Lake A long-term project to monitor contamination of grasses is largely redundant because herders already graze their animals on the poligon without censure While the painful nuclear past occupies a hallowed place in national identity what Kazakhstan really cares about now is its nuclear rebirth President Nursultan Nazarbayev ordered an end to testing in 1991 three years before the country gave up its nuclear weapons arsenal the Russian nuclear physicist – was left almost deserted Today many of the town's apartment blocks are still boarded up The stuccoed buildings in the central square have been spruced up and work is trickling back "Kurchatov is coming alive again," says Dzhambulat Gilmanov the chief specialist at the National Nuclear Centre engineers are testing a Tokamak materials reactor a bus-sized grey cylinder festooned with pipes and wires Next door is a sprawling "nuclear technopark" where employees irradiate building materials and sterilise medical equipment using an electron accelerator The uranium business is the real muscle behind the revival The World Nuclear Association said in a report last year that it expects a global shift to nuclear projects will lead to a 59% increase in demand for uranium by 2030 Canadian and Japanese companies have already signed joint ventures to exploit Kazakhstan's reserves Some investors may yet be cautious of following suit In March a court in Astana sentenced Mukhtar Dzhakishev the former head of state nuclear firm Kazatomprom to 14 years in prison for embezzlement and the illegal sale of assets to foreign companies Kazakh politics are vapid – President Nazarbayev has preserved his authoritarian rule for 19 years and shows no sign of budging – but observers say Dzhakishev was probably the victim of a clash between factions inside government many are ambivalent about the nuclear renaissance which includes plans to store enriched fuel in the east of the country "I'm against it," said a military officer in Semey This issue is preventing our website from loading properly. 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LOGIN Downloadable PDFs are a benefit of an FP subscription This article is an Insider exclusive Contact us at [email protected] to learn about upgrade options unlocking the ability to gift this article Kazakhstan—In the remote steppe grasslands of Kazakhstan where Soviet military scientists detonated 456 nuclear bombs tourists from around the world can don white hazmat suits and rubber boots and pay guides around $1,000 for a one-day tour of the testing complex where the former Soviet Union established itself as a nuclear superpower beginning in the late 1940s The Semipalatinsk Test Site, known as the Polygon, helped usher in the nuclear age—and exposed a reported half million to 1.5 million people to high doses of radiation and no signs warning that the 7,065-square-mile territory remains radioactive stands on the nuclear bomb test fields in Kazakhstan on Sept wearing a hazmat suit as protection against radiation.Cheryl L It’s a perilous situation that some critics have blamed on Kazakhstan’s neglect and even greed—a combination of government ineptitude lack of money to secure the enormous territory and a desire to open the site up for business by leasing the land for mining Some people even believe the neglect arose from the government wanting to push away disturbing memories of a time when Kazakhstan was at the mercy of Moscow’s atomic whims it has gotten so bad that looters have begun ripping up the remains of the bombing fields for rebar erasing visible reminders of the site’s history—and of the risks it continues to pose and an issue of trying to forget the past,” said Magdalena Stawkowski assistant professor of cultural and medical anthropology at the University of South Carolina “It’s easier to simply ignore the situation and do something else with the land rather than securitizing it There’s no money in securitizing anything.” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threats over the past year to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine have only highlighted the dangers of letting a territory like the Polygon be forgotten President Harry Truman announced that the Soviet Union had conducted its first nuclear weapons test Right: The blast at the Semipalatinsk Test Site is seen in Kazakhstan on Aug 1949.Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images the Polygon is on many so-called dark tourism lists along with other notable historical sites known for their death and the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and its abandoned city of Pripyat But the Polygon is not just a tourist destination Although the site was closed to testing bombs in 1991 the area still serves as a giant laboratory for scientists around the world who examine the effects of radiation exposure on everything from plants and animals to underground and surface waterways as well as nearby populations and their descendants Kazakhstan’s Institute of Radiation Safety and Ecology also cooperates with foreign organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and many others and hosts scientific conferences as well as publishes research articles At the top of the Polygon is the small city of Kurchatov which is the administrative and research headquarters for the former bombing test fields Many of Kurchatov’s residents work for the Institute of Radiation Safety and Ecology or its parent organization including its two nuclear reactors that are used for scientific research The city is named after Soviet physicist Igor Kurchatov who ran the nuclear tests there and is considered the father of the Soviet Union’s atomic bomb There’s a large statue of him in town as well as others at the headquarters a strange honorific given the immense memorial to the victims of radiation in the nearby city of Semey Kurchatov’s main industry of radiation research is housed amid a sprawling compound of laboratories and administrative buildings that cover more than 51 acres in the city The nearest bombing site was 31 miles from Kurchatov but radiation fallout still affected the residents there and in other villages surrounding the Polygon the Soviets exploded more than 50 megatons of nuclear weapons at Semipalatinsk the equivalent of 3,333 bombs the size of the one dropped on Hiroshima according to documents distributed by the National Nuclear Center Despite ongoing research on radiation in the area few precautions are required to visit the Polygon compared with similar sites around the world I had to provide my passport in advance and pass through several checkpoints including two where machines checked for signs of radiation on clothes and shoes and guards and military patrolling the area Access to former nuclear bombing sites in the United States is also strictly controlled White Sands Missile Range’s Trinity Site in New Mexico where the world’s first nuclear bomb was exploded is open once a month for a tightly controlled tour As we walked along the steep banks of the Atomic Lake a 328-feet deep crater lake formed from a nuclear explosion our Geiger counters continually beeped at radioactive ranges 13 times above normal Because the greatest danger at the lake is kicking up radioactive dust on clothes or inhaling the dust we were completely covered by our hooded suits and wore masks The Atomic Lake at the Polygon nuclear bombing test fields is seen in Kazakhstan on Sept The lake was created with an explosion nine times greater than the one in Hiroshima.Cheryl L We wandered the radioactive and contaminated grounds of the experimental fields and underground bunkers and command centers But we also saw structures reduced to rubble as well as the bulldozers and cranes of looters who were either unaware of or unbothered by the radiation “It’s beyond our capabilities to guard the territory,” said Assan Aidarkhanov director of the Institute of Radiation Safety and Ecology “We talk to people and say that such activities might not be safe Securing the Polygon is largely the responsibility of three regional governments that consider the bombing territory as “reserve lands,” Aidarkhanov said “But I’m not sure how the whole area is patrolled.” When asked if he thought the government was trying to forget about the site’s past The government leases “clean lands” in the Polygon to various companies that mine coal But some of those industries are operating in or near areas that the government labels “dirty lands,” such as the coal plant near the Atomic Lake “People shouldn’t be allowed to dig in this stuff It’s kind of like digging in the Red Forest,” Stawkowski said referring to the highly radioactive territory near the Chernobyl nuclear reactor the NNC should erect fences around the most radioactive areas and post warning signs She and other researchers believe the center should disseminate maps to farmers so they know which areas are safe to graze cattle and horses “The National Nuclear Center’s goal for the Polygon is ultimately to open for business,” Stawkowski said Plutonium [one of the elements used in nuclear weapons] has a half-life of 24,000 years.” A hospital built by the Soviets in 1978 near the Polygon test site is seen on Nov The hospital’s director says 20 percent of the patients have symptoms related to radiation disease.John van Hasselt/Corbis via Getty Images Radiation from the bombings has long contaminated crops, land, and livestock as well as caused severe health problems. Stawkowski and other researchers have found higher incidents of rare cancers among those who live near the Polygon It’s not an isolated problem. Kazakhstan is the world’s top producer of uranium, supplying nearly half the global total. Many villages and towns are built on top of uranium mine tailings, Stawkowski said. Experts estimate the country holds 230 million tons of radioactive waste in 529 locations losing the Polygon’s past poses great danger “This Soviet legacy must be preserved,” said Dmitriy Kalmykov a nearby environmental museum that focuses on the dangers of pollution and radiation Kalmykov once dreamed of setting up a museum at the Polygon where visitors could learn about the perils of nuclear weapons “But I’m afraid it may be too late,” he said “The biggest materials are being dismantled now No one is interested in changing the situation.” There is one small museum on the Institute of Radiation Safety and Ecology’s grounds but it houses only a small number of artifacts left by the Russians the Russians packed up most of their equipment and research data and took it back to Moscow to the regret of scientists at Kurchatov getting access to the museum is far more difficult than visiting the testing site I had to apply to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy the Institute of Radiation Safety and Ecology granted an official invitation for an hour-and-a-half tour that carried the signatures of six top institute and NNC officials which once housed people who worked on the Soviet Union’s construction of the atomic bombs 2007.John van Hasselt/Corbis via Getty Images I was escorted around the museum’s large room by a translator and a woman in pink go-go boots who never spoke but appeared to write down everything we said A catalogue of photos depicted mushroom clouds of various sizes from bombings A large diorama showed how the Soviets created simulated towns with houses and military equipment to test how they would fare from the impact of explosions I was able to push buttons that set off a mock explosion The museum briefly addressed the radiation’s fallout on local communities On display were jars of animals preserved in fluid that had suffered mutations as well as a small photo of a man with facial deformities from radiation The artifacts and photos on display provided a glimpse into why some Kazakhs in the region see the Polygon as a painful reminder of a Soviet past in which they were largely governed by Russians who did not consider how radiation fallout would affect the lives of thousands of Kazakhs “Most villagers only know that they saw a mushroom cloud and then people came to take their blood,” said Kaisha Atakhanova a biologist in nearby Karaganda who specializes in the genetic effects of nuclear radiation “They call themselves ‘white mice’ because scientists have studied them so much.” who grew up near the Polygon and had several family members die of cancer doesn’t care if the bombing site is destroyed We’ll never know … how much of the land is polluted.” Yet as Kazakhs debate the value of preserving the site, Moscow hasn’t forgotten about its nuclear legacy in the country. On Dec. 2, 2022, Russia tested a new missile-defense system rocket launching it just 300 miles south of the Polygon Cheryl L. Reed is a journalist and recent U.S. Fulbright scholar in Central Asia. She was previously a Fulbright scholar in Ukraine. X: @JournoReed Commenting on this and other recent articles is just one benefit of a Foreign Policy subscription Join the conversation on this and other recent Foreign Policy articles when you subscribe now Please follow our comment guidelines The default username below has been generated using the first name and last initial on your FP subscriber account Usernames may be updated at any time and must not contain inappropriate or offensive language FP’s flagship evening newsletter guiding you through the most important world stories of the day Specialty rates for students and faculty. Lock in your rates for longer. Unlock powerful intelligence for your team. but thanks to a partnership with another business of the tanning segment and an investment fund The Investment Fund of Kazakhstan JSC announced on June3rd that it signed the agreement with Semey Tannery LLP tannery that is part of conglomerate Kusto Group The agreement includes the tannery in Semey but it also includes the option to purchase said location after the site and machinery has been restored the location has reopened its doors and production levels should return to normal levels As reported by Kazinform,there are currently 60 people working in the plant but once it’s fully operational there will be 200 “We have received the first shipment of materials and have worked to release an experimental sample of 3,000 square-meters of wet blue” explained the executive director of Semey Tannery LLP The company ended up managed by the fund in 2014 after the previous ownership had gone bankrupt Your plant occupies a surface of 16,600 square-meters and will mostly tan bovine hides Reopening is allegedly part of a wide strategy to develop livestock farms and manage the by-products that are created (including the hides to make leather) in Kazakhstan Image taken from ifk.kz All you need to know about the leather industry .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Staten Island Advance StaffSTATEN ISLAND -- Nicole Semey of Arden Heights and Anthony DeSantis of Annadale are engaged The announcement has been made by the couple’s parents Diane and Arthur Semey and Grace and Vincent DeSantis She earned a bachelor of arts degree in special and general education from Monmouth University and a master of arts degree in special education from the College of Staten Island She is a special education teacher on Staten Island DeSantis is a graduate of Monsignor Farrell High School and earned a bachelor of science degree in management from the College of Staten Island He is an operations analyst with Bank Leumi USA The couple is planning an August 2014 wedding Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices but it's haunted by the lasting impacts of Soviet testing decades ago these steps are proud evidence of the country's developing status as a major player in international nuclear policy also a painful reminder of the Soviet-era nuclear traumas that continue to haunt millions of Kazakhs today "Kazakhstan's people and environment have endured tremendous suffering as a result of Soviet nuclear weapons testing," said Dr an associate in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace would express support for global nuclear disarmament and would display pride of Kazakhstan's own record in shutting down its nuclear testing site and removing all nuclear weapons from its territory." "The nuclear threat strikes a deep chord within Kazakhstan. For four decades, our country was used as the backdrop for nuclear tests," wrote Nazarbayev in a 2012 op-ed for the New York Times "Although it has been over 20 years since the last test their devastating impact is still being felt." Japanese and Kazakh scientists determined that symptoms experienced by people exposed to nuclear radiation in the Semipalatinsk region were not dramatically different than the ones suffered by survivors of the nuclear attacks at Hiroshima and Nagasaki an estimated 300,000 square kilometers of land were environmentally affected by the tests "A ninth of Kazakhstan's territory, comparable with the territory of Germany, was turned into a nuclear wasteland," said Nazarbayev in a speech at the 20th anniversary of the Semipalatinsk closure in 2009 that campaign put significant pressure on the Soviet and Kazakh governments to destroy all nuclear facilities Their eventual success when Kazakhstan became the first country on earth to close a nuclear test site set the tone for the country's continued role as a responsible voice in global nuclear policy over the following decades "It is the experience of the Semipalatinsk nuclear testing and the long-lasting tragic consequences of it that explain why the population was overwhelmingly supportive of the government's decision to get rid off the Soviet nuclear weapons left on its territory," said Kassenova Today, Kazakhstan's nuclear legacy and ambitions to position itself as a " model nonproliferation citizen" remain at the heart of the country's foreign policy Although the human and environmental tolls of nuclear testing at Semipalatinsk remain an open wound for most citizens that experience did arm Kazakhstan with the credentials to play an active role in global nuclear politics "Kazakhstan's nuclear history and how it dealt with it is a very important part of its national identity The Soviet past did a lot of damage," Kassenova said part of Kazakhstan's current strength in the field of nuclear energy and even in its ability to contribute to nonproliferation projects is due to the infrastructure and expertise rooted in the Soviet program." For more than 40 years the Soviet-era nuclear test site of the Polygon located in eastern Kazakhstan about 60 kilometers from Kurchatov witnessed more than 450 test nuclear detonations location of the Polygon test site and formerly called Semipalatinsk Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev headlined the Peace Mission 2009 rally held ahead of the 20th anniversary of the moratorium at Semipalatinsk where the last test took place on October 19 David Trilling is the Central Asia news editor for EurasiaNet David Trilling is Eurasianet’s managing editor 　滋賀県の三日月大造知事が広島県庁を訪れ、山根健嗣副知事と平和施策を巡って意見交換した。三日月知事は次世代に戦争や被爆の悲惨さを伝えるため被爆地との連携を強める.. 　今回の調査では、壁画制作が実現しなかった主な理由として、広島訪問から２年と経（た）たない間にヘリングが他界したことが挙げられるという結論に至った。５月１８日ま.. 　「核廃絶は使命。このままでは死ねない」。その決意を胸に、広島で被爆した金本弘さん（８０）＝名古屋市＝が４月３０日、米ニューヨークの国連本部に集った各国の外交官.. 　１９４６年５月１日。中国新聞社が雑誌「月刊中国」を創刊した。広島市上流川町（現中区）の本社で印刷。「雑誌と言へば中央と考へられてゐた旧観念を脱し、地方文化の昂.. 　いつからだろうか。喜びあふれる光景が大通りになじんできたのは。広島市中心部を東西に貫く平和大通りは今月、鶴見橋から新己斐橋までの約４キロが全通して６０年を迎え.. 　私は長崎で生まれ育ったが、反戦・反核に対する思いが絶えず心の中で燃えていたかといえばそうではない。平穏に、平凡に暮らしてきた。それでも、先人たちの話を聞きなが.. 　中村キース・ヘリング美術館で５月１８日まで開催中の「Ｋｅｉｔｈ　Ｈａｒｉｎｇ：　Ｉｎｔｏ　２０２５　誰がそれをのぞむのか」展は、ヘリングの幼少期を振り返ること.. 　１９６６年、１９歳で中学を卒業した川下ヒロエさん（７９）＝広島市東区＝はこの年、被爆者健康手帳を取得した。当時住んでいたのは北九州市。母兼子さん（２０１４年に.. 　国際社会は危機感を持ち、歯止めの議論に入るべきだ。スウェーデンのストックホルム国際平和研究所（ＳＩＰＲＩ）が、２０２４年の世界の軍事費支出を発表した。２兆７１.. 　動物文学で知られる椋鳩十（むくはとじゅう）に、おどろおどろしい題名の異色作がある。「地獄島とロシア水兵」だ。舞台は萩の沖合４５キロに浮かぶ見島。１２０年前の５.. 　全ての命を守るため―をテーマに掲げていた。ローマ教皇フランシスコによる６年前の来日である。被爆地広島、長崎のほか、地震・津波・原発事故という三重の災害に見舞わ.. 俳優の吉永小百合さんは、これまで胎内被爆者の芸者を演じた「夢千代日記」などに出演してきたほか、原爆詩朗読CD「第二楽章」を制作しています。中国新聞創刊１３０周年記念として、３編の朗読映像を公開します。(写真は三浦憲治氏撮影) 中国軍管区司令部で被爆した八木さんの革脚絆＝１９７３年、八木実さん寄贈（撮影・山田尚弘） Rector Yesrin Zhunussov from Semey Medical University (SMU) in Kazakhstan and his colleagues visited our Higashi-Hiroshima Campus and met with President Mitsuo Ochi The meeting was also attended by Executive Vice President Toshiyuki Sato (in charge of International Hiroshima University (HU) concluded an inter-university exchange agreement with SMU in 2002 and both universities have promoted research exchange especially in the fields of medicine and dentistry since then the delegates from SMU visited our Kasumi Campus in Hiroshima city where they observed the Hiroshima University Hospital and the Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine HU and SMU renewed the inter-university exchange agreement It is hoped that exchange between the two universities will flourish even further Rector Zhunussov (left) and President Ochi (right) renewing the inter-university exchange agreement Copyright © 2003- Hiroshima University speaker and visual anthropologist Shishani recently teamed up with 17 other artists as part of a new album titled ‘Vigil’ The album is a collaborative project by several international artists in response to the recent murder of Salvadoran Victoria Salazar in Tulum Salazar died after a Mexican police officer kneeled on her neck some of the artists who bring their talents to the album are Chiquita Magic (Canada/Columbia) Fuensanta Mendez (Mexico) Gabriel Milliet (Brazil) Jort Terwijn (Netherlands) and Brodie Jarvie (UK/ Scotland) The compilation was organised by Teis Semey This is partially because of macho-culture and systemic oppression Two-thirds of women in Mexico will experience domestic abuse Indigenous women are more likely to lose their child at birth,” Semey said The album is also aimed at raising money for feminist struggles in Mexico All of the funds raised will go towards Fondo Semillas a non-profit organisation focusing on improving women’s lives in Mexico “At first I wanted to sell my own album to raise money for feminists in Mexico but then I thought that maybe others also wanted to be part of the project I made a calling and many artists were excited to take part and help,” he said Shishani’s contribution to the album is her song ‘Clean Country’ “Through the song I wanted to let people know that without Mother Nature we have nothing I wanted to link it to how we are mistreating our mothers Shishani said she decided to be part of the project because she feels that sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a serious problem around the world “I will support whatever project there is to raise awareness and support the fight against the violence against women I think everyone should be passionately against SGBV boys and men reflects our values as a society,” the founder lead vocalist and composer of Miss Catharsis Shishani said that the project also serves as a reminder of how important the arts are in raising awareness on global issues art has the power to raise awareness and touch people in a way that nothing else can It is a powerful communicator and it makes us feel regardless of our language or cultural difference,” Shishani said whose music transcends genres and cultures confirmed that she is currently working on several new projects that she plans to release later this year “I am busy in the studio now recording new solo material the more I realise the love and support I have received in Namibia and I can’t wait to be back,” the artist copyright in the content of this website vest in The Free Press of Namibia (Proprietary) Limited (Registration No 85/058) The unauthorized making of copies or use of this material constitutes a copyright infringment under the Namibian Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Protection Act Powered by PageSuite © 2025 The Namibian This site asks for consent to use your data We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only 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