Semipalatinsk — now officially called Semey — is a city on the Irtysh River in northeastern Kazakhstan. It is best known for the Soviet nuclear testing site that operated nearby from 1949 to 1989, but the city itself is older than the Cold War, founded in the 18th century as a Russian frontier fort.
The city was a place of exile during the Tsarist era. Fyodor Dostoevsky lived here for five years after his release from a Siberian labour camp, and his house is preserved as a museum. Abai Qunanbayuli, Kazakhstan's most revered poet, also has strong connections to the region — he studied in Semipalatinsk as a young man.
The former Semipalatinsk Test Site, known as "The Polygon," lies about 150 km west of the city. It saw 456 nuclear explosions over four decades, and the health and environmental consequences for the surrounding population remain severe. The site is partially accessible to visitors, though independent travel there requires permits and a guide. A nuclear testing museum in the city documents the testing programme and the Nevada-Semipalatinsk anti-nuclear movement that ultimately brought the tests to an end.
Semey itself is a mid-sized Kazakh city without much tourist infrastructure. The Irtysh riverfront is pleasant, dominated by a striking Japanese-funded suspension bridge built as a gesture of solidarity after the nuclear era. The city makes a logical stop on overland routes between Almaty and the Altai Mountains.