USSR Nuclear Testing Ground

The Daily Record from Scotland has a fantastic article about a small village near the Polygon in Kazakhstan. The Polygon was the USSR's main nuclear weaponry testing ground from 1949 to 1990, the site for 607 nuclear detonations during that time. I haven't read much about the Polygon, but according to this article, the Soviets would wait until the wind was blowing toward small villages in the east to detonate the weapons for testing. Consequently, the villages in eastern Kazakhstan are highly irradiated.

This particular article discusses European Parliament Member Struan Stevenson's many visits to the area. He first went to visit Kazakhstan when he heard about the Polygon and has become very charitably involved with the villages affected by the nuclear testing ground. Along with actress Kimberley Joseph (Lost), who photographed the villages, he has written a book entitled Crying Forever: A Nuclear Diary. All the profits from the book will go to the Children’s Hospital in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan.