A new BBC documentary has revealed the horrific story of the Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS) in a small Kazakhstan town, where the Soviet Union detonated 456 nuclear bombs over the course of 40 years.
Images VIA
For four decades this town lived in the shadow of a consistent mushroom cloud, making this the ‘most nuked place on Earth’. Between the years of 1949 and 1989, locals lived in constant fear while having to deal with open-air explosions. And now, 27 years later, some of the residents are still suffering from the horrific effects of exposure to radiation from the site, known as ‘The Polygon’.
The documentary, called ‘The Polygon People’, follows journalist Rustam Qobil as he visits the former nuclear testing site and looks at the scientists who helped make the area habitable again following its closure. Despite the testing site shutting down, dangerous amounts of nuclear materials including plutonium were left behind, taking Russian and Kazakh scientists 17 years to clear up. These photos taken from the documentary show the devastating effect nuclear material has had on this area of the world: 
If you’re interested in watching ‘The Polygon People’, you can catch it now on BBC World Service.
With the way things are going in world politics at the moment, it wouldn’t be surprising if we were headed for a huge nuclear war. If that ever does happen, you might find use in the Sick Chirpse guide to surviving a nuclear apocalypse. You’re welcome.
