Stop four
The forgotten voices
Semipalatinsk differed from most of the world's military testing grounds in one terrifying detail: even though the area was believed to be uninhabited, people had always lived there! Thousands of families watched the flashes of explosions on the horizon, unaware that, along with the bright light, radioactive dust - invisible, silent, and deadly - penetrated their homes.
No one can convey the truth about life at the Semipalatinsk test site better than the residents themselves. One such testimony is the work of kazakh journalist and director Zhana Kurmasheva - the documentary 'We Live Here'.
About the movie
The movie takes place in the Kazakh steppe, on the site of the former Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. While environmentalists map hazardous zones, an ordinary family continues to live in a village near the site of nuclear explosions. The parents are convinced that their daughter's illness is related to radiation and are searching for evidence. Meanwhile, the girl is torn between her love for her native land and the sense of threat it emanates.
The steppe becomes an ominous metaphor for our planet, balancing on the brink of turning into a nuclear wasteland.
History of origins and international recognition
The work on the movie lasted three years. In 2023, the project received support from the State Center for Support of National Cinematography (SCSNCC). Beginning of 2025, the movie was selected to be shown at Hot Docs (Kanada), one of the largest and most prestigious documentary movie festivals in Northern America. The official premiere in Kazakhstan took place in Almaty at august 15, 2025. Today everyone can see the movie - so that the world can hear the stories of those who were forgotten.
The work on the movie lasted three years. In 2023, the project received support from the State Center for Support of National Cinematography (SCSNCC). Beginning of 2025, the movie was selected to be shown at Hot Docs (Kanada), one of the largest and most prestigious documentary movie festivals in Northern America. The official premiere in Kazakhstan took place in Almaty at august 15, 2025. Today everyone can see the movie - so that the world can hear the stories of those who were forgotten.
The history of the Semipalatinsk test site through the eyes of Bolatbek Baltabek
In the village of Sarzhal, right on the site of the former Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, lives schoolteacher Bolatbek Baltabek. He was born during the years when explosions thundered across the steppe and the sky lit up with the blinding flashes of nuclear tests..
Bolatbek remembers adults hiding their children in their houses, closing windows and doors, and rumors swirling through the village about "strong winds" and "dirty rain." Few knew then that these tests could forever change people's health and destinies.
Over the years, Bolatbek began to notice that many of his fellow villagers were sick, and that congenital disorders were common among children. This became a personal challenge for him. He began collecting eyewitness accounts, studying materials about the test site, and telling the public the truth about his land's past.
Bolatbek remembers adults hiding their children in their houses, closing windows and doors, and rumors swirling through the village about "strong winds" and "dirty rain." Few knew then that these tests could forever change people's health and destinies.
Over the years, Bolatbek began to notice that many of his fellow villagers were sick, and that congenital disorders were common among children. This became a personal challenge for him. He began collecting eyewitness accounts, studying materials about the test site, and telling the public the truth about his land's past.
Today, Bolatbek Baltabek is not only a teacher but also a custodian of the memory of the Semipalatinsk test site tragedy. He helps researchers and journalists from around the world who come to understand what happened on this land and the consequences the tests left on people and nature.
Bolatbek is also the author of the manuscript "Semipalatinsk Test Site," which intertwines personal memories with historical facts, creating an honest and emotional eyewitness account.
Bolatbek is also the author of the manuscript "Semipalatinsk Test Site," which intertwines personal memories with historical facts, creating an honest and emotional eyewitness account.
About the book
In his manuscript, he describes the atmosphere of his childhood during the nuclear tests: the roar of explosions, bright flashes in the sky, the anxiety of adults, and the silence of the authorities. His story addresses the health effects of radiation, loss and illness in his native village, and the psychological impact on generations living in the risk zone.
Particular attention is paid to the importance of preserving the memory of these events, the need to educate young people, and preventing the recurrence of such tragedies. Baltabek's story combines historical facts and personal memories, filled with pain, hope, and the belief that something like this will never happen again.
Particular attention is paid to the importance of preserving the memory of these events, the need to educate young people, and preventing the recurrence of such tragedies. Baltabek's story combines historical facts and personal memories, filled with pain, hope, and the belief that something like this will never happen again.
Bolatbek dreams of publishing his manuscript so that the story of the Semipalatinsk test site will be told not only in Kazakhstan but around the world.
He believes that knowledge is a weapon, but a weapon of creation.
It protects the truth, gives people strength, and helps prevent new tragedies.
Find out how you can help publish the book and become part of history that changes the future.
He believes that knowledge is a weapon, but a weapon of creation.
It protects the truth, gives people strength, and helps prevent new tragedies.
Find out how you can help publish the book and become part of history that changes the future.
What do you think is the most terrible thing in the history of the Semipalatinsk test site?
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This online course was developed by the EcoMuseum
within the framework of the impact partnership with Alternativa Film Days