46 Stefan Guth
117. Ibid.
118. However, the project never left the planning stage. “Professional – eto zvuchit
gromko. Vladimir Velikotskii,” in: Ogni Mangyshlaka, September 10, 2013,
[November 11, 2013, no longer available].
119. L.S. Kaibysheva, Posle Chernobylia, vol. 1, Moscow 1995, 195.
120. GAMO, f. 506, istoricheskaia spravka, vol. 2, chapter 6.
121. GAMO, f. 506, op. 3, d. 213, l. 141.
122. GAMO, f. 506, op. 1, d. 349, l. 14; GAMO, f. 506, op. 1, d. 410, l. 40–41.
123. The NPP’s first annual environmental impact report was compiled in 1977 and
comprised 109 pages. GAMO, f. 506, op. 1, d. 412. On the reactor’s allegedly spotless
radiation record, see also GAMO, f. 506, istoricheskaia spravka, vol. 2, chapter 6.
124. Protocol of the assembly of the MAEK workers’ collective on May 30, 1989,
GAMO, f. 506, op. 1, d. 1220, l. 45–57 (l. 47).
125. Research Programme for an Appraisal of the Ecological Situation in Mangistau
Oblast’, 1992, GAMO, f. 486, op. 1–1, d. 15, l. 1–5.
126. GAMO, f. 330, op. 1, d. 1571, l. 46.
127. Ibid., l. 4.
128. M. Gubaidullin, chairman of the Committee for Ecology and Exploitation of
Nature of Mangistau Oblast, in response to the query by comrade N.N. Valitskii,
October 30, 1991, GAMO, f. 330, op. 1, d. 1571, l. 20; M.D. Nordyke, The Soviet
Program for Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Explosions, Springfield, VA 2000, 17–19.
129. GAMO, f. 330, op. 1, d. 1571, l. 54–56.
130. Ibid., l. 20.
131. Oleg Stepashin, “Neizvestnyi iadernyi poligon,” in: Izvestiia, February 22, 1991, 2.
132. On the Soviet PNE programme in general see Josephson, Atom, 243–252. The
USSR conducted PNEs from 1965 to 1988. Litvinov, “O budushchem.”
133. Nordyke, Soviet Program, 17–18.
134. Instead, a few years later, the Soviet military settled on a new weapons test site at
the southern end of Novaya Zemlya. Ibid.
135. See e.g. D. Gutenev, “Atomshchiki pokidaiut Mangyshlak: unikal’nyi reaktor
mozhet ostat’sia bezprizornym,” in: Pravda, September 11, 1993, 2.
136. Author’s interview with Sig Hecker, Stanford, 2013; see also “The Sum of All
Fears. ORNL Plays a Role in Securing Nuclear Materials in Kazakhstan,” in:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Review 44 (2011) 1, 10–12; “Delo zakryto,” in:
Ekspert Kazakhstan, November 22, 2010,
137. A.I. Kiriushchin, OKBM, Suggestions for Criteria and Procedures for Decommissioning the BN-350, August 3, 1990, GAMO, f. 506, op. 1, d. 1289, l. 44–60
(especially l. 52; l. 55–56). It was therefore suggested to leave it in place indefinitely
and cover it with an additional mantle, in view of its high activity. Ibid.
138. A.G. Iksanov/S.N. Pustobaev/Yu.P. Shirobokov/G.P. Pugachyev, “Development
of Devices for Handling with BN-350 Radioactive Waste,” in: Samuel A. Apikyan/
David J. Diamond (eds.), Nuclear Power and Energy Security. Proceedings of the NATO
Advanced Research Workshop on Nuclear Power and Energy Security in Yerevan, Armenia,
26–29 May 2009, Dordrecht 2009, 247–254 (247).
139. Iksanov et al., “Development of Devices,” 250, 252; Alevtina Donskikh, “S dozimetrom po uranovoi tsepochke,” in: Delovoi Kazakhstan, July 10, 2014,
no longer available].
140. Iksanov et al., “Development of Devices,” 247–248. Among other things, dealing with hundreds of cubic meters of highly radioactive sodium from the reactor
core and its primary cooling circuit poses particular headaches to international
117. Ibid.
118. However, the project never left the planning stage. “Professional – eto zvuchit
gromko. Vladimir Velikotskii,” in: Ogni Mangyshlaka, September 10, 2013,
[November 11, 2013, no longer available].
119. L.S. Kaibysheva, Posle Chernobylia, vol. 1, Moscow 1995, 195.
120. GAMO, f. 506, istoricheskaia spravka, vol. 2, chapter 6.
121. GAMO, f. 506, op. 3, d. 213, l. 141.
122. GAMO, f. 506, op. 1, d. 349, l. 14; GAMO, f. 506, op. 1, d. 410, l. 40–41.
123. The NPP’s first annual environmental impact report was compiled in 1977 and
comprised 109 pages. GAMO, f. 506, op. 1, d. 412. On the reactor’s allegedly spotless
radiation record, see also GAMO, f. 506, istoricheskaia spravka, vol. 2, chapter 6.
124. Protocol of the assembly of the MAEK workers’ collective on May 30, 1989,
GAMO, f. 506, op. 1, d. 1220, l. 45–57 (l. 47).
125. Research Programme for an Appraisal of the Ecological Situation in Mangistau
Oblast’, 1992, GAMO, f. 486, op. 1–1, d. 15, l. 1–5.
126. GAMO, f. 330, op. 1, d. 1571, l. 46.
127. Ibid., l. 4.
128. M. Gubaidullin, chairman of the Committee for Ecology and Exploitation of
Nature of Mangistau Oblast, in response to the query by comrade N.N. Valitskii,
October 30, 1991, GAMO, f. 330, op. 1, d. 1571, l. 20; M.D. Nordyke, The Soviet
Program for Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Explosions, Springfield, VA 2000, 17–19.
129. GAMO, f. 330, op. 1, d. 1571, l. 54–56.
130. Ibid., l. 20.
131. Oleg Stepashin, “Neizvestnyi iadernyi poligon,” in: Izvestiia, February 22, 1991, 2.
132. On the Soviet PNE programme in general see Josephson, Atom, 243–252. The
USSR conducted PNEs from 1965 to 1988. Litvinov, “O budushchem.”
133. Nordyke, Soviet Program, 17–18.
134. Instead, a few years later, the Soviet military settled on a new weapons test site at
the southern end of Novaya Zemlya. Ibid.
135. See e.g. D. Gutenev, “Atomshchiki pokidaiut Mangyshlak: unikal’nyi reaktor
mozhet ostat’sia bezprizornym,” in: Pravda, September 11, 1993, 2.
136. Author’s interview with Sig Hecker, Stanford, 2013; see also “The Sum of All
Fears. ORNL Plays a Role in Securing Nuclear Materials in Kazakhstan,” in:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Review 44 (2011) 1, 10–12; “Delo zakryto,” in:
Ekspert Kazakhstan, November 22, 2010,
137. A.I. Kiriushchin, OKBM, Suggestions for Criteria and Procedures for Decommissioning the BN-350, August 3, 1990, GAMO, f. 506, op. 1, d. 1289, l. 44–60
(especially l. 52; l. 55–56). It was therefore suggested to leave it in place indefinitely
and cover it with an additional mantle, in view of its high activity. Ibid.
138. A.G. Iksanov/S.N. Pustobaev/Yu.P. Shirobokov/G.P. Pugachyev, “Development
of Devices for Handling with BN-350 Radioactive Waste,” in: Samuel A. Apikyan/
David J. Diamond (eds.), Nuclear Power and Energy Security. Proceedings of the NATO
Advanced Research Workshop on Nuclear Power and Energy Security in Yerevan, Armenia,
26–29 May 2009, Dordrecht 2009, 247–254 (247).
139. Iksanov et al., “Development of Devices,” 250, 252; Alevtina Donskikh, “S dozimetrom po uranovoi tsepochke,” in: Delovoi Kazakhstan, July 10, 2014,
no longer available].
140. Iksanov et al., “Development of Devices,” 247–248. Among other things, dealing with hundreds of cubic meters of highly radioactive sodium from the reactor
core and its primary cooling circuit poses particular headaches to international