50hrs in The Most Nuked Place on Earth Erased from Maps ☢️
Summary
TLDRThis gripping video script takes us on a harrowing journey into the Semipalatinsk Test Site, the most nuclear-bombed place on Earth, where the Soviet Union detonated 456 nuclear and hydrogen bombs during the Cold War arms race. Through firsthand accounts from locals who lived through the devastating tests, abandoned radioactive sites, and the staggering scale of destruction at the 'Atomic Lake' crater, the script sheds light on the terrifying consequences of nuclear warfare and humanity's relentless pursuit of destructive power. Ultimately, it leaves a poignant message of hope, as one survivor gifts a medal symbolizing the closure of the test site, urging the world to embrace peace.
Takeaways
- 💥 The script explores the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan, where the Soviet Union conducted 456 nuclear weapon tests during the Cold War arms race with the United States.
- 🏭 The city of Kurchatov, named after a prominent Soviet nuclear scientist, was a top-secret town that served as the Soviet Union's equivalent to Los Alamos, the birthplace of the American nuclear program.
- 👥 The video features firsthand accounts and stories from locals who lived through the nuclear testing, providing a unique perspective on the impact and secrecy surrounding the tests.
- ☢️ The crew visits the site of a massive 140-kiloton hydrogen bomb test, which created a crater so large that a nearby river was diverted to fill it, forming the radioactive 'Atomic Lake'.
- ⚠️ Despite the immense destructive power of the nuclear tests conducted at the site, the script highlights the existential question of why such weapons were developed in the first place.
- 🌍 The script contrasts the current tensions and potential for a new Cold War with the message of peace and nuclear disarmament shared by one of the locals who participated in dismantling the Soviet nuclear program.
- 🎖️ At the end, the crew is gifted a medal commemorating the closure of the test site, symbolizing the importance of spreading messages of peace and disarmament.
- 🤔 The script raises thought-provoking questions about the justification for developing such destructive weapons and the potential consequences of their use, encouraging viewers to reflect on the importance of peace and nuclear disarmament.
- 🌄 The surreal and desolate landscapes of the test site, shaped by the nuclear explosions, serve as a haunting reminder of the lasting impact of nuclear weapons on the environment.
- 📺 The script provides a unique opportunity for viewers to gain insight into a largely untold chapter of history, offering a rare glimpse into the secretive world of the Soviet nuclear program and its lasting legacy.
Q & A
What is the purpose of this expedition?
-The purpose of this expedition is to explore and document the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan, which was a major nuclear test site for the Soviet Union during the Cold War era. A total of 456 nuclear and hydrogen bombs were detonated in this region, making it one of the most nuclear-contaminated areas on the planet.
Why was the Semipalatinsk Test Site chosen by the Soviet Union?
-The Semipalatinsk Test Site was chosen by the Soviet Union due to its remote location and low population density, with less than one person per thousand square kilometers. This allowed them to conduct nuclear tests in secrecy and minimize the risk of civilian casualties.
What was the significance of the town of Kurchatov?
-Kurchatov was a highly secretive town that was never shown on maps and served as the Soviet Union's equivalent to Los Alamos, the birthplace of the American nuclear program. It was named after Igor Kurchatov, a prominent Soviet scientist who was the technical leader of the Soviet atomic project.
What happened to the locals living in the area surrounding the test site?
-The locals living in the surrounding villages were largely unaware of the nuclear testing activities taking place nearby. Many of them were later exposed to the consequences of nuclear radiation, bearing the health effects for the rest of their lives.
What is Lake Chagan, and why is it significant?
-Lake Chagan is a radioactive lake formed after a particularly powerful hydrogen bomb test in 1965. The bomb was detonated underground, creating a massive crater that was later flooded by diverting a nearby river, forming the lake. It serves as a lasting reminder of the destructive power of nuclear weapons.
What precautions were taken when approaching Lake Chagan?
-To approach Lake Chagan, the team had to wear protective gear, including heavy-duty suits and respirators, to avoid exposure to radioactive dust and contamination. They were also instructed not to pick up any objects from the ground and minimize kicking up dust as much as possible.
What was the scale of destruction caused by the nuclear tests?
-The scale of destruction caused by the nuclear tests was immense. During one test, a bomb 11 times stronger than the one dropped on Hiroshima was detonated, creating a crater nearly half a kilometer wide and 100 meters deep, throwing soil up to 1.2 kilometers into the air.
What was the attitude of the locals towards the nuclear testing program?
-Many of the locals who agreed to share their stories expressed sadness and regret over the nuclear testing program and the destruction it caused. One local, who was gifted a medal for closing the test site, expressed a wish for all countries to behave in a similarly peaceful manner.
How did the expedition team feel about their experiences at the Semipalatinsk Test Site?
-The expedition team seemed deeply affected by witnessing the aftermath of such immense destructive power firsthand. They expressed feelings of existential contemplation and questioned the motivations behind developing such weapons of mass destruction.
What message did the locals have for future generations regarding nuclear weapons?
-The locals who shared their stories emphasized the importance of promoting peace and avoiding the development and use of nuclear weapons. They expressed a desire for young people to understand the devastating consequences of nuclear warfare and work towards a more peaceful future.
Outlines
🌍 The Soviet Union's Secret Nuclear Testing Ground
This paragraph introduces a seemingly ordinary patch of land in Kazakhstan that was secretly used by the Soviet Union during the Cold War arms race with America to test and detonate 456 nuclear and hydrogen bombs. It discusses the impact on the unaware local population and highlights that this site, now referred to as the Semipalatinsk Test Site, was the Soviet equivalent of the Los Alamos facility in the United States. The paragraph sets the stage for exploring the abandoned bunkers, a radioactive lake, and firsthand accounts from locals who witnessed the tests.
🏙️ Exploring the Abandoned Secret Soviet Town
This paragraph describes the group's journey to the city of Kurchatov, named after a prominent Soviet scientist involved in the nuclear program. The city, once a top-secret settlement established in 1947, was the center of the Soviet nuclear project, comparable to Los Alamos. The group explores abandoned KGB buildings, military infrastructure, and a deserted town that once housed 11,000 people, offering insights into the secrecy and magnitude of the Soviet nuclear program during the Cold War era.
⚠️ The Devastating Power of Nuclear Weapons
This paragraph highlights the staggering destructive potential of nuclear weapons developed during the Cold War arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. It reveals that the accumulated nuclear arsenals of both nations had the capability to destroy all life on Earth more than 600 times over and literally crack the planet. The guide expresses sadness and raises questions about the justification for such excessive destructive power, provoking existential thoughts about the consequences of fear and enmity driving humanity's greatest minds toward creating such devastating weapons.
☢️ Visiting the Radioactive Ground Zero
In this paragraph, the group ventures into the heart of the Semipalatinsk Test Site, donning protective gear to approach the radioactive Lake Chagan. The lake was formed after the Soviet Union detonated a 140-kiloton hydrogen bomb in 1965, creating a massive crater that was later filled by diverting a nearby river. The group walks on the very grounds where the nuclear explosion occurred, surrounded by unnatural hills and dust formed by the displaced soil, witnessing firsthand the devastating aftermath of nuclear testing.
💭 Reflections on Nuclear Destruction and Peace
This paragraph captures the group's reflections on witnessing the aftermath of nuclear testing and the existential questions it raises about humanity's pursuit of such destructive power driven by fear and enmity. The guide shares stories of locals affected by the tests and expresses concern about the current state of the world descending into another Cold War-like situation with rising nuclear threats. The paragraph concludes with a poignant message from a local elder to the younger generation, advocating for peace and disarmament, as Kazakhstan voluntarily gave up its nuclear arsenal after the Soviet Union's collapse.
🕊️ A Gift of Peace and Remembrance
In this concluding paragraph, the group is gifted a medal commemorating the closing of the Semipalatinsk Test Site by a local elder. This gesture serves as a powerful symbol of the desire for peace and the importance of preserving the memory of the nuclear tests' impact. The group expresses their commitment to protecting the medal and spreading the message of peace as far as possible, reflecting on the significance of Kazakhstan's voluntary nuclear disarmament after the Soviet Union's collapse.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Nuclear Testing
💡Cold War
💡Secrecy
💡Environmental Consequences
💡Human Cost
💡Nuclear Proliferation
💡Deterrence
💡Legacy
💡Disarmament
💡Peace
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 hydrogen 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 Oppenheimer would create here would change the course of history as we know it.
We'll be heading to this desolate wasteland called the Semipalatinsk Test Site located in the northeast of Kazakhstan, the most nuked place on the planet, with the scientist and expert, and the only person allowed to legally take people to this site.
This settlement was established in 1947, it was never shown in maps, it was kept secret, it was not possible to buy train tickets for it. Local guys being recruited to the 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.
This was the KGB headquarters, they were in charge of the secrecy of this nuclear project.
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 its soldiers and families, now reminiscent of Chernobyl.
The woman they interviewed is the last to live in this abandoned military town, and most who have never shared their stories ever before.
The criteria for choosing the land for the nuclear test site was as slow as possible density of population, here it is less than 1 person per thousand square kilometers.
In 1953, the first hydrogen bomb in the world was blasted, between 400 and 500 kilotons. 6 months earlier, the USA already tested hydrogen technology but it was not a real bomb, it was just a hydrogen device.
All accumulated arsenals of the USA and USSR were able to kill everything, all life on Earth more than 600 times and literally crack the planet into pieces.
This is the entrance to an underground laboratory 86 meters down, where the equipment is still there, just flooded by groundwater.
On January 15, 1965, the Soviet Union tested a hydrogen bomb 11 times the strength of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima by the United States military in 1945. The 140-kiloton device was buried nearly 180 meters in the ground and upon detonation, the blast created a crater 454 meters wide and 100 meters deep, throwing soil nearly 1 and 2 kilometers 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.
Kazakhstan abandoned all of its nuclear weapons. It also had the fourth biggest nuclear arsenal in the world. The speaker wishes all countries would behave the same way.
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
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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
[Music]
snow rock rock rock
rock
[Music]
[Music]
fore
[Music]
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
[Music]
fore MH
[Music]
m
[Music]
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
[Music]
you have a great grandson here and your
grandson what is your message to all the
young people in the
[Music]
world
he runs he runs every day and he goes to
the swimming pool still
day
[Music]
for
[Music]
[Music]
for
[Music]
[Music]
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
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