Back in 1982,,, I was there on a Top Secret mission with Dr. Bainbridge and Dr. Greenbaum… We encountered some Russian resistance along the Duchambi trail. It was bitter cold…. We did actually accomplish out mission, stopping the missle launch..

Take your dossimetry kit.

quote: Take your dossimetry kit.

What for?

I was wondering about the dossimetry kit also. Can you explain, old lady?

My daughter will probably be moving there to teach English

Moscow used the area between Semey and Pavlodar as a testing ground for nuclear weapons between 1949 and 1989; around 40 million people have been adversely affected by radiation

If you think you need dosimetry kit in Karagandy, you should also take one when going to Kyoto and Osaka

I haven’t been to Kazakhstan but I’d like to go there some day. Here’s a site that may be helpful: http://www.times.kg/…

Oops, sorry about that…

Hubby was named on a grant application for a project in Kazakhstan about 15 years ago (about when National Geographic did it’s big feature on the radiation problems there) and we spent a fair amount of time looking into radiation issues. We decided that the seven week project was "safe." Didn’t get the grant, so I don’t have any first hand or much second hand knowledge of the place. I talked to a physics prof who’d been there on a project where they wore dossimetry badges (radiation detectors) and they rotated the Americans out every 3 weeks — obviously somewhere dangerous. I don’t recall WHERE specifically in Kazakhstan and I’ve lost track of the Prof since he retired.

I hadn’t even thought about radiation until I read oldlady’s warning. I know the area has coal mining, mountains, forests and a large lake. I wouldn’t have suspected nuclear testing in the region since the city has a population of 600,000. Would think it might have occured on the steppe (plains), perhaps.

Also, I found a transpacific cruise listing a port of call in Petropavlovsk near the northern border. It appears to be landlocked so I didn’t understand. I believe it was Princess Lines repositioning from Alaska to somewhere in Japan. Anyone familiar with this?

Andrew Runov, since you are from Russia, perhaps you have lots of first hand information on Kazakhstan. Any and all information (from anyone) will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I found another Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula on the Bering Sea so that would have to be the port of call on the cruise ship I mentioned. I’m sure the intenerary said Kazakhstan but that must be a mistake.

Thanks to Seraphim for the website. I’ve just begun to explore it.

Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman motorbiked through the country and it looked spectacular. It is episode 3 or 4 of the series Long Way Round. I am hoping to go sometime soon, destinations like this really appeal to me and I’ve had some of the best times when I havent seen tourists for weeks!

Andrew : Hiroshima and Nagasaki

just ask BORAT

you like, is good

shalom,salam,peace

sickboy – Semey area is on the same distance from Karagandy as Kioto and Osaka – from Hirosima and Nagasaki, that’s what I meant

Glad I live in Tokyo

Sorry bout that!