How to visit Semipalatinsk Test Site

By Joan Torres Leave a comment Last updated on September 18, 2024

In 1949, the Soviet Union built a nuclear test site in the middle of the vast and remote Kazakh steppe.

They named it Semipalatinsk-21 – popularly known as The Polygon – the facilitaties of which stretch across more than 18,000km², a piece of land the size of Israel, and where more than 456 nuclear tests were conducted from 1949 to 1989.

The Polygon was officially closed in 1994 but today, you can still visit its remains, while learning about this dark yet fascinating episode of Soviet history.

This post will show you how to visit Semey.

The first atomic bomb ever detonated by the Soviet Union was in Semipalatinsk, and that would be just one of 456 tests carried out in The Polygon.

However, Semipalatinsk was not only used for testing atomic bombs; all manner of nuclear tests were conducted here, including hydrogen device detonations and nuclear missile launches.

Today, it’s still possible to see the massive craters produced by explosions as well as abandoned Soviet facilities scattered across this area of Kazakhstan.

Despite being relatively far from civilization, it is said that hundreds of thousands of people have been affected by the radiation produced by those nuclear tests.

The Soviet Union always hid all the problems stemming from radiation exposure, but the Government of Kazakhstan has publicly recognized that more than 1.5 million people have been affected by it, something USSR nostalgics will always deny, given that the actual number of people living in the surrounding areas is only a tiny fraction of that figure.

Either way, it has been clinically proven that the children of residents who lived in the area surrounding the test site in the 50s and 60s have a much higher rate of various of birth mutations, cancers and solid tumors.

As mentioned in the introduction, The Polygon is a massive area of 18,000km² located in the middle of the Kazakh steppe.

Approximate location:

Logically, there aren’t any means of public transportation to take you there, but you can get to a relatively big town located less than 2 hours away from The Polygon.

That town is called Semey.

Semey is located 760km east of Astana, very near to the border with Russia.

The best way to travel to Semey is from Astana by train.

In fact, a train departs daily from Astana at around 6:25 pm, arriving in Semey at 7 am, which is very convenient if you book a bed in one of the sleeping cabins, as most Kazakhs do.

You can book your tickets directly online on this website.

For more information on trains in Kazakhstan, please read How to travel by train in Kazakhstan.

From Almaty, you can also fly to Semey (PLX) with the local airline FlyArystan.

From Semey, you will need to arrange a car but you can’t just take any random taxi because visiting The Polygon involves driving across the steppe, so the driver will need to know the area really well.

Be aware that a permit is required to visit the Polygon, which you can only obtain through a well-connected local Kazakh.

It takes at least 2 weeks to apply for the permit, so plan your trip to Semey accordingly.

Against the Compass Expeditions is finally offering tours into Kazakhstan, and we can easily get your permit for Semipalatinsk and organize the adventure to visit the test site. Contact us for more information.

Semey is a relatively big town, far better developed than many other towns across Kazakhstan, and the reason is that this 300-year-old town has always been sort of a trading hub linking the northern routes.

Budget Hotel – Semey Hotel: Old Soviet-style hotel. The experience is better than the facilities but it’s a good choice for budget travelers.

Mid-range – Turan Semey Grand Hotel: More comfortable but probably less epic than Semey Hotel.

In order to visit Semipalatinsk properly, you will need a minimum of 2-3 days.

This is how I planned my itinerary but you can do it differently.

Against the Compass Expeditions is finally offering tours into Kazakhstan, and we can easily get your permit for Semipalatinsk and organize this 3-day adventure to visit the test site. Contact us for more information.

On your first day, take the overnight train that departs from Astana at 6:25 pm, arriving in Semey at 7 am.

Train schedules might change, so make sure to check actual timings on this website.

Once in Semey, I recommend heading for The Polygon right away.

The beginning of The Polygon is around 200km from Semey, a 2-3 hour drive.

These are the things we visited, all highlighted on the above map.

Flooded explosion crater: this is one of the highlights in Semey, an incredibly giant crater created by the explosion of a nuclear hydrogen device, and which has been turned into an artificial lake.

Underground command base: an underground 80-floor silo from which all nuclear tests were conducted.

Nuclear missile testing silos: Semipalatinsk was used for all types of nuclear tests including the launch of nuclear missiles, and the remains of their silos are still visible: there are many of these.

Around 3 pm, we drove to Kurchatov.

Kurchatov is a small town that was exclusively built to host everyone who worked at The Polygon, from drivers to the most renowned scientists.

The town is named after leading nuclear physicist Igor Kurchatov but the town has had many names, deliberately changed over time to confuse everyone and keep the town shrouded in secrecy.

Kurchatov was once home to more 20,000 people but when the test site closed in 1994, it became the semi-abandoned town it is today.

Former KGB: The largest KGB office in all Kazakhstan was in Kurchatov, and today is an abandoned building –

Igor Kurchatov’s statue: monument to Kurchatov, the equivalent of Oppenheimer in the Soviet Union.

Former director’s house: This has been turned into a Russian Orthodox church.

Nuclear Peace monument: Advocating for a world free from nuclear weapons.

After lunch, we headed back to Semey.

Dostoyevsky House-museum: Dostoyevsky was one of the greatest Russian writers of all time. He was sent to Semey for enforced military service for 6 years.

Stronger than Death monument: Also advocating for a world free from nuclear weapons

Please note that the Anatomical Museum of Semey, which contains a collection of deformed foetuses, is no longer possible to visit. Some people claim the foetuses are a result of radiation but the museum denies it. Either way, the local government decided to restrict access due to all the controversial and misleading information posted online about it.

There are two different types of radiation: gamma and beta.

Gamma rays are the type of radiation measured with a dosimeter, which typically shows the amount of radiation you are exposed to per hour. This means that if your dosimeter is marking a particularly high radiation but you are only there for a short period of time, it will be fine. 

Gamma radiation at the actual test site – where the big atomic bomb was launched – registers crazy levels of radiation and today, it’s not possible to go there. Instead, you can visit the flooded crater, which has high levels of gamma radiation but not as high as the test site itself.

The other type of radiation is called beta particles, which translates into radioactive dust. This type of radiation may be present next to craters and places where explosions were conducted, and that’s why wearing a special suit is a must when visiting Semey. Your local guide should provide you with one.

For a better understanding of radiation, please check the safety section of our Chernobyl travel guide.

📢 In my Travel Resources Page you can find the list of all the sites and services I use to book hotels, tours, travel insurance and more.

• Travel Guide to Astana
• Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan border crossing
• Train Guide in Kazakhstan
• Kazakhstan Itinerary
• Travel Guide to Central Asia