50hrs in The Most Nuked Place on Earth Erased from Maps ☢️

Summary

Este documental revela la historia oculta de la zona de pruebas nucleares de Semipalatinsk, en el noreste de Kazajstán, conocida como el lugar más bombardeado nuclearmente del planeta. A través de una expedición al corazón de este páramo, se descubren los restos abandonados de la carrera armamentística de la Unión Soviética, incluyendo bunkers y un lago radiactivo. Los relatos de primera mano de los lugareños, que vivieron las consecuencias de las 456 detonaciones nucleares, ofrecen una perspectiva inédita. A medida que se exploran ciudades secretas y se escuchan historias de quienes trabajaron en el sitio, se plantea una reflexión sobre el legado de destrucción y las lecciones para el futuro.

Takeaways

• 🔍 El lugar más bombardeado del planeta es el sitio de pruebas nucleares de Semipalatinsk, en el noreste de Kazajstán, donde la Unión Soviética detonó 456 bombas nucleares.
• 🤐 La ciudad de Kurchatov, nombrada por el científico soviético líder del proyecto atómico, fue mantenida en secreto y nunca apareció en los mapas.
• 🚫 Las estrategias de secreto y seguridad fueron extremadamente estrictas, involucrando incluso al KGB para proteger la naturaleza de las operaciones.
• 🌆 La ciudad abandonada de Chagan, que alguna vez tuvo una población de 11,000, es ahora un testimonio del abandono y saqueo posterior a la caída de la Unión Soviética.
• 💣 Los criterios para la selección de Semipalatinsk como sitio de pruebas nucleares incluyeron la baja densidad de población y el aislamiento geográfico.
• 🌍 Las potencias nucleares de la época, incluidas la URSS y los EE.UU., acumularon arsenales suficientes para destruir la vida en la Tierra múltiples veces.
• 🛡️ La estructura y seguridad alrededor de los lugares de detonación estaban extremadamente reforzadas para resistir ataques directos.
• 🏞️ El lago Átomo, formado por una detonación nuclear, es un símbolo crudo de la era de las pruebas nucleares y aún hoy se necesita equipo de protección para visitarlo.
• 📢 Los testigos y trabajadores del sitio de pruebas nucleares comparten sus historias por primera vez, subrayando el impacto humano y ambiental de estas pruebas.
• 🕊️ El mensaje final resalta la importancia de la paz y el desarme, inspirado por el ejemplo de Kazajstán que renunció a su arsenal nuclear.

Q & A

¿Cuál es la ubicación del sitio de pruebas nucleares que se muestra en el video?

El sitio de pruebas nucleares mostrado en el video es el Sitio de Pruebas Semipalatinsk, ubicado en el noreste de Kazajstán. Se menciona que es el lugar más bombardeado con armas nucleares en el planeta, donde los soviéticos detonaron 456 bombas nucleares e hidrogenadas durante la carrera armamentista con Estados Unidos.

¿Qué papel jugó el científico soviético Igor Kurchatov en este proyecto nuclear?

Igor Kurchatov fue el líder técnico de todo el proyecto nuclear soviético. La ciudad donde se encontraba la instalación de pruebas nucleares lleva su nombre. Fue contraparte de Robert Oppenheimer en el proyecto nuclear estadounidense.

¿Qué medidas de seguridad se tomaron para mantener en secreto este proyecto nuclear?

La ciudad donde se llevó a cabo el proyecto nunca apareció en los mapas y era completamente secreta. Los reclutas del ejército soviético eran transportados en avión a Moscú y luego llevados al sitio sin saber su ubicación real. La seguridad estaba a cargo de la KGB.

¿Qué tan poderosas eran las bombas nucleares probadas en este sitio?

Se menciona que el arsenal nuclear acumulado por Estados Unidos y la Unión Soviética tenía el poder de destruir toda la vida en la Tierra más de 600 veces y literalmente partir el planeta en pedazos.

¿Qué efectos tuvo la detonación de una bomba de hidrógeno en el Lago Shagan?

En 1965, los soviéticos detonaron una bomba de hidrógeno de 140 kilotones (11 veces más potente que la bomba de Hiroshima) en el Lago Shagan. La explosión creó un cráter de 454 metros de ancho y 100 metros de profundidad, y la nube de polvo tardó 50 días en asentarse, formando las colinas actuales alrededor del cráter.

¿Cómo se protegieron los miembros del equipo de filmación al visitar el Lago Shagan?

Para visitar el Lago Shagan, que aún tiene niveles de radiación, el equipo de filmación tuvo que usar equipo de protección pesado, como trajes y máscaras. También tuvieron que tomar precauciones para no levantar polvo contaminado del suelo.

¿Qué impacto tuvieron las pruebas nucleares en la población local?

Se menciona que la población local tuvo que soportar las consecuencias de las pruebas nucleares para siempre, sin ser conscientes de lo que estaba ocurriendo en ese momento. Algunos de los entrevistados en el video compartieron sus experiencias de primera mano.

¿Qué mensaje comparte uno de los entrevistados veteranos con las generaciones más jóvenes?

Uno de los entrevistados veteranos, al hablar con su bisnieto presente, enfatiza la importancia de la paz y desea que todos los países se comporten como Kazajstán, que abandonó todas sus armas nucleares después del colapso de la Unión Soviética.

¿Qué simboliza la medalla que el veterano entrega al equipo de filmación?

El veterano entrega al equipo de filmación una medalla que conmemora el cierre del sitio de pruebas nucleares, como un regalo y un símbolo de su deseo de difundir un mensaje de paz.

¿Qué reflexión final se plantea en el video sobre el desarrollo de armas nucleares?

El video plantea una reflexión existencial sobre cómo el miedo a los enemigos llevó a algunas de las mentes más brillantes de la humanidad a crear tanta destrucción en forma de armas nucleares. Cuestiona la justificación de tener la capacidad de destruir la Tierra y la vida varias veces.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 El sitio de pruebas nucleares más bombardeado del mundo

Este párrafo introduce la ubicación secreta en Kazajistán donde la Unión Soviética probó y detonó 456 bombas nucleares durante la carrera armamentista con Estados Unidos. Explica que esta área, casi desconocida, fue crucial para el desarrollo del programa nuclear soviético. Menciona que se encuentran evidencias como búnkeres abandonados, un lago radiactivo y testimonios de personas que lo vivieron y que serán entrevistadas por primera vez en cámara durante este viaje.

05:01

🏙️ La ciudad secreta detrás del proyecto nuclear soviético

Este párrafo describe la llegada al equipo a la ciudad secreta de Kurchatov, comparable a Los Álamos en Estados Unidos, que fue el centro del proyecto nuclear soviético. Explica el nivel de secretismo que rodeaba a esta ciudad, la cual no aparecía en mapas y a la que nadie podía viajar. Se exploran edificios abandonados del KGB y viviendas militares, muchos de ellos saqueados tras el colapso de la Unión Soviética. Se entrevista a algunos de los últimos residentes que acceden a compartir sus historias.

10:15

⚛️ El comando central del programa de bombas nucleares y de hidrógeno

Este párrafo describe la llegada al comando central desde donde se detonaban las bombas nucleares y de hidrógeno soviéticas. Explica los estrictos criterios para seleccionar esta ubicación remota y despoblada, y da detalles sobre la potencia destructiva de las bombas probadas allí, suficientes para acabar con toda vida en la Tierra más de 600 veces. Se explora un búnker y laboratorio subterráneos utilizados para las pruebas.

15:17

☢️ Visitando el cráter del lago radiactivo formado por una bomba de hidrógeno

En este párrafo, el equipo visita el lago Shagan, un cráter formado por la detonación de una bomba de hidrógeno soviética 11 veces más potente que la de Hiroshima. Describen las precauciones de seguridad necesarias para acercarse al lago radiactivo y caminan sobre el suelo y las colinas formadas por el desplazamiento de tierra de la explosión nuclear. Reflexionan sobre la escala de destrucción causada y por qué se llegó a tales niveles de armamento.

20:27

🕊️ Reflexiones sobre las armas nucleares y un mensaje de paz

Este párrafo captura las reflexiones del equipo y las personas entrevistadas sobre la escalada de armamento nuclear y la amenaza de una nueva Guerra Fría. Un científico local comparte su perspectiva y un anciano les regala una medalla de cierre del sitio de pruebas, enviando un mensaje de paz a las generaciones futuras para que no repitan tales niveles de destrucción.

25:37

🌍 Un mensaje final de esperanza por un mundo sin armas nucleares

En el párrafo final, el científico local destaca que Kazajistán abandonó por completo su arsenal nuclear, siendo el cuarto más grande del mundo, como un ejemplo a seguir. Comparte su deseo de que todos los países hagan lo mismo para lograr la paz mundial. El equipo promete proteger y difundir el mensaje de paz del anciano y su medalla.

Keywords

💡Carrera armamentista

La carrera armamentista se refiere a la competición entre dos o más estados nacionales para tener superioridad militar, específicamente en el ámbito de armamento nuclear. En el guion, se menciona este término en el contexto de la rivalidad entre la Unión Soviética y Estados Unidos durante la Guerra Fría. Esta competencia llevó a la realización de pruebas nucleares y al desarrollo de un gran arsenal de armas nucleares por ambos países, ejemplificado por las 456 detonaciones nucleares realizadas por los soviéticos en el sitio de pruebas de Semipalatinsk, en Kazajistán.

💡Pruebas nucleares

Las pruebas nucleares se refieren a los experimentos realizados para determinar la efectividad, rendimiento y capacidad explosiva de las armas nucleares. En el guion, se describe cómo la Unión Soviética llevó a cabo 456 pruebas nucleares en el sitio de pruebas de Semipalatinsk. Estas pruebas tuvieron consecuencias devastadoras para la población local y el medio ambiente, ilustrando el alto costo humano y ecológico de la carrera armamentista.

💡Lago radiactivo

El lago radiactivo mencionado en el guion es un resultado directo de las pruebas nucleares, siendo un cuerpo de agua formado en el cráter de una explosión nuclear. En el caso del sitio de pruebas de Semipalatinsk, se menciona un lago creado por la detonación de una bomba de hidrógeno. Este lago sirve como un sombrío recordatorio de las pruebas nucleares y sus duraderas consecuencias ambientales.

💡Secreto militar

El término 'secreto militar' se refiere a la práctica de ocultar información y actividades relacionadas con la defensa y la seguridad nacional. En el guion, se menciona cómo las pruebas nucleares y ciudades enteras, como la comparada con Los Álamos en EE. UU., fueron mantenidas en secreto por la Unión Soviética, borradas de mapas y aisladas del conocimiento público para proteger los detalles de su programa nuclear.

💡KGB

La KGB, mencionada en el guion, fue la principal agencia de seguridad del estado en la Unión Soviética, encargada de la inteligencia exterior, la seguridad interna, y la protección del régimen. En el contexto del guion, la KGB jugó un papel crucial en mantener el secreto alrededor del programa nuclear soviético y en la represión de cualquier oposición política, mostrando el alcance del control estatal durante la Guerra Fría.

💡Ciudad secreta

Una 'ciudad secreta' se refiere a una localidad que no es reconocida oficialmente y se mantiene oculta para proteger actividades sensibles del gobierno, como la investigación y desarrollo de armas nucleares. El guion describe cómo estas ciudades, incluida una nombrada en honor a Igor Kurchatov, fueron fundamentales para el programa nuclear soviético y permanecieron ocultas al mundo exterior.

💡Desmantelamiento nuclear

El desmantelamiento nuclear es el proceso de desactivación y eliminación segura de las armas nucleares. En el guion, se menciona cómo Kazajistán abandonó su arsenal nuclear, el cuarto más grande del mundo, como un acto de paz. Este gesto destaca la importancia de los esfuerzos globales para la no proliferación nuclear y la reducción del riesgo de un conflicto nuclear.

💡Testimonios

Los 'testimonios' en el guion se refieren a las historias personales de personas que vivieron y trabajaron en el sitio de pruebas nucleares de Semipalatinsk y sus alrededores. Estas narrativas ofrecen una perspectiva única y humana sobre las consecuencias de las pruebas nucleares, subrayando el impacto personal y comunitario más allá de los aspectos técnicos y políticos del programa nuclear.

💡Consecuencias ambientales

Este término se refiere a los efectos negativos en el medio ambiente resultantes de actividades humanas, en este caso, las pruebas nucleares. El guion ilustra las graves consecuencias ambientales, como la contaminación radiactiva y la creación de un lago radiactivo, que resultaron de las detonaciones nucleares en Semipalatinsk. Estos efectos subrayan los peligros a largo plazo de la contaminación nuclear para la ecología y la salud humana.

💡Era post-soviética

La 'era post-soviética' se refiere al período después de la disolución de la Unión Soviética en 1991. En el guion, se menciona el impacto de este cambio geopolítico en las ciudades secretas y las instalaciones militares soviéticas, incluido el abandono y saqueo de las mismas. Este contexto ayuda a comprender las transformaciones sociales, económicas y políticas que siguieron al fin de la Guerra Fría.

Highlights

This seemingly uninteresting patch of land with its few surrounding Villages, is one of the most important places on Earth but almost no one has ever heard of it kept completely secret, erased from any maps for decades.

This area we're heading straight into right now is where the Soviets during the arms race with America invented, tested and detonated 456 of their nuclear and Hy Ren bombs, the unaware locals of the region having later to Bear its consequences forever.

Equivalent to the Los Alamos of the United States what the Soviet open Heimer would create here would change the course of history as we know it.

We'll be heading to this desolate Wasteland called a semi palatin test site located in the northeast of Kazakhstan the most nuked place on the planet with the scientist and expert, yand the only person allowed to legally take people to this site.

This settlement was established in 1947, it was never shown in m, it was Kept Secret it was not possible to buy train tickets for it local guys being recruited to Soviet Army first were transported by airplane to Moscow, and landed there and then transported back here and many of them truly served that there somewhere near Moscow wow, this was top top secret.

The KGB was at the epicenter of the Soviet Union serving both for domestic security and foreign intelligence as a highly secretive organization they were notorious for their surveillance tactics, used for censorship and a repression of political opposition amongst many other purposes they were in charge of the secrecy of this nuclear project and this was their headquarters.

Besides the nuclear project this area was also hiding a highly strategic and crucial long range bomber base as well as a city that housed all of his soldiers and families now reminiscent of Chernobyl.

After weeks of preliminary work, from urand we found four people who agreed to share their stories including one woman who is the last to live in this abandoned military town she please, and most who have never shared their stories ever before as we make our way towards the exact places 456 bombs were detonated would first hear four people's shocking stories who saw them in the sky.

So he basically disconnected the last the last Warhead that was, for MH so there was just a a bomb here, after the Soviet Union broke down yes it stays there for four years, more.

I don't think I've ever been a part of telling a story of such amplitude, that has never really been told before, like Chernobyl people had told that story before but here people are speaking speaking to us for the very first time.

Criterias were quite strict to choose the land first criteria was as slow as possible d dity of population, here it is less than 1 person per thousand square kilm in 1953 first hydrogen bomb in the world was blasted, between four 4 and 500 kilotons 6 months earlier USA already tested hydrogen technology but it was not a real bomb it was just a hydrogen device.

All accumulated arsenals of USA and USSR were able to kill everything, all life in the earth more than 600 times and literally crack the planet into pieces then we could do what, destroy destroy all life in the planet six more than 600 times and crack the planet literally, 600 rigging times to destroy the Earth.

If if if someone decides to press a button human civilization is pretty much now headed to the command center, where they detonated the bomb so it's it's a bunker that is about 12 km, Sou, wow they used some thick steel here so, well enforced so it was designed to Bear direct Atomic bombing you see the walls are about 2 m thick and as well as ceiling.

Lake shagan which we will need protective gear for on January 15 1965, the Soviet Union tested hydrogen bomb 11 times the strength of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima by the United States military in 1945 the 140 kilon device was buried nearly 180 m in the ground and upon detonation the blast created a crater of 454 M wide and 100 m deep throwing soil nearly 1 and2 km up in the air the blast was so large that it took the dust nearly 50 days to settle forming the current Hills that now surround the crater shortly after the test a nearby River was diverted to fill the crater, and turn it into what locals Now call the atomic Lake.

Kazakstan abandoned all of its nuclear weapons also it had fourth biggest nuclear Arsenal in the world wow I wish all countries behave the same, way it's his, no what present present wow gift thank, you wow we, will you can tell him that we will protect it and spread peace as far as possible with his messages.

Transcripts

[Music]

this seemingly uninteresting patch of

land with its few surrounding Villages

is one of the most important places on

Earth but almost no

one has ever heard of it kept completely

secret erased from any maps for decades

this area we're heading straight into

right now is where the Soviets during

the arms race with America invented

tested and detonated

456 of their nuclear and Hy Ren bombs

the unaware locals of the region having

later to Bear its consequences forever

equivalent to the Los Alamos of the

United States what the Soviet open

Heimer would create here would change

the course of history as we know it

today and there is evidence Left Behind

of the work that was done abandoned

bunkers a radioactive Lake but most

importantly firsthand stories from the

people who lived through it who have

never spoken to anyone on camera before

until

now we'll be heading to this desolate

Wasteland called a semi palatin test

site located in the northeast of

Kazakhstan the most nuked place on the

planet with the scientist and expert

yand the only person allowed to legally

take people to this site I don't think

that any of us going into this trip

however had fully grasped the importance

of where we were heading

[Laughter]

[Music]

to

how are you the best Smiles

ever it's a video

ah yeah their energy is amazing their

smiles very beautiful You Give Good

Hugs looks like how Chernobyl started

everyone was very jolly until we got

there and you are a scientist I am going

to the entally both tour guide and also

I have education in this field I studied

in The Institute that was uh related to

Soviet Atomic industry but the in

Institute itself was established as a

part of Soviet Atomic

project to start our Expedition and

before our more intense exploration of

the radioactive Lake we set course what

was likely the most secretive town in

the USSR the Los Alamos of the Soviet

Union strangely enough even though Los

alos was completely dismantled most of

this town Still

Remains what's the name of this town

that we're in right now the city is

named after prominent Soviet scientist

Eiger kurchatov who was technical leader

of whole Soviet Atomic

[Music]

project how would he compare to

Oppenheimer on he was a counterpart or

peer to Robert Oppenheimer before the

war he had quite different interest he

was engaged mainly in electricity

research in physics he always dreamed

about getting electricity and all kinds

of energy releasing other kinds of

energy his great big true passion was to

using nuclear energy peacefully he was

engaged in nuclear research only due to

the world global

politics this settlement was established

in 1947 it was never shown in m

it was Kept Secret it was not possible

to buy train tickets for it local guys

being recruited to Soviet Army first

were transported by airplane to Moscow

and landed there and then transported

back here and many of them truly served

that there somewhere near Moscow wow

this was top top secret

yeah so we're going to step into an

abandoned KGB building one of the most

secretive cities of the Cold

War the KGB was at the epicenter of the

Soviet Union serving both for domestic

security and foreign intelligence as a

highly secretive organization they were

notorious for their surveillance tactics

used for censorship and a repression of

political opposition amongst many other

purposes they were in charge of the

secrecy of this nuclear project and this

was their

headquarters

all of these abandoned Soviet buildings

were looted everything was stripped for

Metals Parts whatever was left behind

when the Soviet Army left and people

took advantage of that so this is what's

left whole floor is falling apart You'

say that this city was comparable to Los

Alamos I I mean this town yes but

secrecy was much stricter here much

stronger and also much uh more

effective it's uh strange to think about

how powerful the Soviet Union once was

and to now be standing in its literal

ruins of especially the KGB building was

like the most powerful secretive wing of

it we are driving into the place that

was dedicated to where the Soviet

soldiers lived at the time the whole

place was deserted as you can imagine in

an area with such a strategic importance

there was a lot of military

infrastructure surrounding it they said

like oh this town's abandoned but this

is like a mini City this is massive way

bigger than I expected was town of

chagan in its best time population was

11,000 people and after us collapsed in

1994 we withdrew so it was a secret city

as well

yeah

[Music]

besides the nuclear project this area

was also hiding a highly strategic and

crucial long range bomber base as well

as a city that housed all of his

soldiers and families now reminiscent of

Chernobyl what

the

wow they stole anything and everything I

mean the floors cuz they they're the

most enforced with steel that's why they

took the floors literally everything is

gone it is really strange to be like

we've been to a lot of abandoned

buildings but they usually just left you

know they're not looted for the steel in

the concrete MH it almost resembles this

complete imbalance of using resources

and and time and material to put in

something that eventually meant nothing

and ultimately people's own people

wanted to Fe to feed their kids and do

better economically especially at a time

where communism fell as the Soviet Union

fell everybody must have been in just

like the state of like wanting to just

collect any resources that can help

Elevate their them and their families

out of the state that that they were

[Music]

in

although the soldiers of this unmarked

Town left some of the locals who lived

here and others who worked directly at

the nuclear test site at the time still

remain given the secrecy they lived in

for so long many refused to talk to us

however after weeks of preliminary work

from urand we found four people who

agreed to share their stories including

one woman who is the last to live in

this abandoned military town she please

and most who have never shared their

stories ever before as we make our way

towards the exact places 456 bombs were

detonated would first hear four people's

shocking stories who saw them in the

[Music]

sky what year did you move

[Music]

here6

[Music]

nor

for you look

younger and was he aware of the world

politics that drove all this

activity

for

uhh

[Music]

uhhuh so he basically disconnected the

last the last Warhead that

was

for MH so there was just a a bomb here

after the Soviet Union broke down yes it

stays there for four years

more I don't think I've ever been a part

of telling a story of such amplitude

that has never really been told before

like Chernobyl people had told that

story before but here people are

speaking speaking to us for the very

first time

[Music]

yeah we arrived what we're staying

tonight where has he taken us welcome in

USSR first Soviet building still

interior is preserved as Soviet

interior is it more people staying here

nobody except it is uh not commercial at

all it is Corporate

Hotel

[Music]

what

guys please get your passports passports

she'll be she'll return in the morning

okay

okay time to check in our

rooms right here

[Music]

damn why am I

scared oh wow I have two beds in here

then I guess we're sleeping in here

because I don't dare to sleep

alone hello my friends being able to

make videos and short documentaries like

the one that you're currently watching

is literally everything that I want out

of life right now so I feel very

grateful that you are here watching and

hopefully enjoying and learning Lots but

they also would not be possible without

sponsors and in today's video that is

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the rest of our

story it was now time to drive into the

Frozen desert to explore the semi

palatin nuclear test site on this vast

plane of dust was where more nuclear

tests were conducted than any other

place on Earth the most nuked place on

the

[Music]

planet criterias were quite strict to

choose the land first criteria was as

slow as possible d dity of population

here it is less than 1 person per

thousand square kilm in 1953 first

hydrogen bomb in the world was blasted

between four 4 and 500

kilotons 6 months earlier USA already

tested hydrogen technology but it was

not a real bomb it was just a hydrogen

device all accumulated arsenals of USA

and USSR were able to kill everything

all life in the earth more than 600

times and literally crack the planet

into pieces then we could do what

destroy destroy all life in the planet

six more than 600 times and crack the

planet literally

600 rigging times to destroy the Earth

yeah that makes me so so sad yeah I can

feel it in the whole group what point do

you stop at what point do you go we have

enough you know like I mean is there any

justification for having any ability to

destroy the Earth once you know he said

we have enough to crack the

Earth in half that's how many bombs we

have and and that's in the power that's

in the hands of people that seem more

and more erratic sometimes I'm not sure

if the people who hold the the launch

but for those like fully comprehend

their own you know their own consequence

right well if if if someone decides to

press a button human civilization is

pretty

much now headed to the command center

where they detonated the bomb so it's

it's a bunker that is about 12 km

Sou

wow they used some thick steel here so

well enforced so it was designed to Bear

direct Atomic bombing you see the walls

are about 2 m thick and as well as

ceiling so even the locals around here

didn't know that this was happening here

nobody knew no

who

so this is the entrance to an

underground laboratory 86 M down you see

the hall it is a door entrance and the

cabin of the elevator a guy descended

there by rope he says the equipment is

still there just flooded by ground

[Music]

Waters

[Music]

you're is this where they detonated the

bomb

from but you had to lay down because

because of shock wave can smash you oh

what are you feeling right now it's just

so sad that we've spent all these

resources and human power into just

such and we still do it simple nuclear

test site is the only place in the world

where you can walk literally on nuclear

test side in all other places you would

visit only Museum and even in those

museums you will be required to leave

your cameras and

smartphones it was time to head to the

epicenter of it we're on our way to one

of the only accessible yet still

radioactive testing sites in Kazakhstan

Lake shagan which we will need

protective gear for on January 15 1965

the Soviet Union tested hydrogen bomb 11

times the strength of the bomb dropped

on Hiroshima by the United States

military

in

1945 the 140 kilon device was buried

nearly 180 m in the ground and upon

detonation the blast created a crater of

454 M wide and 100 m deep throwing soil

nearly 1 and2 km up in the air the blast

was so large that it took the dust

nearly 50 days to settle forming the

current Hills that now surround the

crater shortly after the test a nearby

River was diverted to fill the crater

and turn it into what locals Now call

the atomic

Lake do not pick anything from the

ground when walking try to eras it as

little dust as possible I realize we're

putting on heavy duty stuff yeah let to

avoid uh having any anything contaminate

our clothes before we get back in the

car we're going to have to take

everything off going to put it in a

trash

bag the most heavily contaminated areas

of the test sites are completely fenced

off from the public this Lake however

has levels safe enough to approach with

protective gear on we must be careful

about our time spent here and making

sure we don't inhale or kick up any of

the Dust below the

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snow rock rock rock

rock

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fore

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it's so crazy that we're like we are in

where the nuclear explosion happened all

this is unnatural all this dust that

you're seeing all these Hills it's just

the displaced soil that was inside the

crater

ready

ready

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fore MH

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m

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no

because of dust it was so black that it

looked like in the

night

it's crazy the scale of it when you're

in it how did one

explosion make all of this and why and

why yeah exactly why that's a great

question

why have you ever heard anyone being

affected by the nuclear

test

for

any any colleagues in work who did

similar work to him that have had health

complications that affected them in a

negative

way

me the Ordinary People

suffered on the very spot we are walking

blew a bomb that could have incinerated

an entire city as we walk on the ashes

of the very definition of Destruction

one cannot help but feel existential

about how our fear of those we consider

our enemy drove some of Humanity's

greatest Minds to bring such Carnage

into existence having all been up close

to such destruction we wanted to know

how they all felt about the current

state of the world I still want who

participated in kind of dismantling the

system after Soviet Union collapsed what

do you feel seeing the world kind of

descend into another Cold War and the

threat of nuclear war Rising again and

being at an all-time high since

then

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you have a great grandson here and your

grandson what is your message to all the

young people in the

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world

he runs he runs every day and he goes to

the swimming pool still

day

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for

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for

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kazakstan abandoned all of its nuclear

weapons also it had fourth biggest

nuclear Arsenal in the world wow I wish

all countries behave the same

way it's his

no what present present wow gift thank

you wow wow

amazing just gifted us the medle of

closing the test site are you

[Laughter]

sure

wow we

will you can tell him that we will

protect it and spread peace as far as

possible with his messages

yeah