RFE/RL's Kazakh Service has contributed a video glimpse into the plight of villagers living near the site of an "atomic lake" in northeastern Kazakhstan. The 100-meter-deep lake was created in the 1960s when Soviet scientists were testing grand plans to harness the power of the "peaceful atom" for infrastructure and other megaprojects.
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5
Kazakhstan's Atomic Lake
And just so it's clear that no one's accusing the Soviets of being alone in their misplaced faith, the video begins with U.S. video from "Operation Plowshare," when Americans were equally enamored of the "peaceful atom: a tool to move a mountain." (Here's an extended version of the U.S. film outlining the plans.)
