CHAGAN NUCLEAR BOMB TEST 1965
The Chagan nuclear bomb test was conducted on January 15, 1965, in the then-Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan. The test was part of the Soviet program for the peaceful use of nuclear explosions. The explosion took place in an artificial lake created by the detonation crater of the 140-kiloton device. The aim of the test was to investigate the possibility of using nuclear explosions for large-scale geological projects, such as creating reservoirs. The Chagan explosion left a crater 100 meters deep and 400 meters wide, which filled with water and became known as „Atomic Lake (Атом Көлі).“ However, radiation levels in the area remained very high, leading to significant health and environmental concerns. The Chagan test is an example of the controversial practice of using nuclear weapons for civil engineering purposes.
Shinrau, Kazakhstan
Semipalatinsk Test Site, Polygon
Lake Chagan, Atomic Lake
49°56’07.8″N 79°00’30.6″E
My vision for a nuclear bomb memorial at Lake Chagan is a 2-meters floating buoy.
It consists of an arrow-shaped sheet of steel, reminiscent of a location pin or the tail fins of a bomb; a plastic air tank labeled “Атом Көлі” — Kazakh for “Atomic Lake”; and a chain that anchors the structure to the lakebed at the center of Lake Chagan.
A laser-cut “X” symbol on the arrow-shaped steel sheet carries multiple meanings across different fields and contexts:
- Mathematics (an unknown variable, coordinates, multiplication)
- Science (X-rays, the X chromosome)
- Culture and media (a symbol of the unknown or mysterious, rating systems)
- General use (crossing out, marking, selection, or agreement)
2024
