Exhibition dedicated to International Day against Nuclear Tests opens in Astana

Astana is hosting an exhibition of paintings by the famous Kazakh artist and activist of the anti-nuclear movement Karipbek Kuyukov, dedicated to the International Day against Nuclear Tests.

According to Report's correspondent sent to Astana, the exhibition is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.

Speaking about his work, the author noted that Kazakhstan is one of the few countries that abandoned nuclear weapons in the early 1990s: "The USSR has been holding tests at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site for many years, my parents and relatives became victims of these tests."

He also noted that nuclear tests carried out earlier still continue to adversely affect people's health: "The main problem is radiation, which is transmitted from generation to generation."

The artist paints with lips and toes. He was born without arms as a result of radiation exposure to which his parents were subjected during tests at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. His paintings reflect the terrible consequences of nuclear tests in people's lives.

Deputy Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Roman Vasilenko noted that in 1949-1989 at least 468 nuclear tests were carried out at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, more than 1.5 million people received radiation exposure, so the date of August 29 is special for Kazakhstan.

"Kazakhstan adheres to the position of not using nuclear weapons and stands for the abolition of nuclear tests," he said.

On December 2, 2009, at its 64th session, the United Nations General Assembly, by unanimously adopting resolution 64/35, declared August 29 the International Day against Nuclear Tests. The resolution calls for more active education and awareness of people "about the consequences of nuclear weapons test explosions and any other nuclear explosions and the need to stop them as one of the means to achieve the goal of building a world free of nuclear weapons." The Republic of Kazakhstan took the initiative to adopt this resolution, which has a large number of sponsors and co-authors, in order to mark the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site on August 29, 1991.