The Irtysh is one of the great Siberian rivers, flowing northwest from the Altai into Russia before joining the Ob. In Semey it divides the city into two districts, and the embankment on the right bank is where local life comes for an evening walk. The riverside promenade is straightforward and pleasant — tree-lined paths, benches, views across the wide, brown river — and gives the city an ease it lacks in other parts.
The Semey Bridge dominates the view: a gravity-anchored suspension span of 1,086 metres built between 1998 and 2001, designed by Japanese engineers and funded largely by Japan. With a main span of 750 metres it is an impressive piece of infrastructure for a mid-sized Kazakh city, and the story of why Japan contributed so generously — a gesture of solidarity with a community scarred by nuclear testing — gives the crossing an added layer of meaning.