Overall Image of Nuclear Tests among Inhabitants in the Semipalatinsk Area

Hirabayashi Kyoko

Satoh Kenichi

Muldagaliyev Talgat

Apsalikov Kazbek

Kawano Noriyuki

IPSHU English Research Report Series

The present paper is an attempt at describing overall image of nuclear tests for the residents at Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan. Our research team conducted the survey by interview from 2002 to collect testimonies of inhabitants. We analyzed testimonies using the hierarchical clustering method and the multi-dimensional scaling method. The result showed that there are two different types of appeal in residents' mind. One is the complaint for the present condition — especially about the health of one's family and one's own. The other is the memory at the testing time.

Our results suggest that the most impressive memories for the inhabitants are "mushroom cloud", "flash light", "waving of the ground" and "Evacuation to the outside". The experiences of "waving of the ground" and "evacuation to the outside" are peculiar to the Semipalatinsk residents. For the residents near the SNTS the greatest concern at present is their health problems. They still struggle with their diseases, family's death even though 20 years has passed since the last nuclear test.

Peace Science [ 319 ]

eng

広島大学平和科学研究センター

Copyright (c) 2012 Institute for Peace Science, Hiroshima University

[NCID] AA10456537