Polygon Semipalatinsk Test Site and Museum: open or not?

[steven]

Just got a message: the Polygon and the museum will be closed for the whole summer due to maintenance works

[Chris33]

I'll have to go back to Kazakhstan next year then.

Thank you very much for the info.

[steven]

There is pressure mounting from tour operators to open it up anyway, so keep an eye on this topic, things might still change over the coming days/weeks.

We talked to the head of the Polygon, and he said he had no idea of any maintenance works, so clearly just an underling who is looking for a bribe or wants to stay at home this summer instead of writing permits.

Will update as we know more.

[Els]

Any updates? And is it possible to obtain the permission only to visit the museum?

[steven]

For June all the confirmed tours will run, but no additional tours can be booked for now. Maybe after June? We are still waiting. They are going to have a big meeting soon where there will be a lot of shouting and finger-pointing and maybe something will resolve after that.

Update: there will be a court case.

[semmel]

update:
I am in contact with a local tour guide... He told me the museum is closed, but the test site and the atomic lake are visitable.

btw: We are doing a tour on 24th + 25th august (if someone wants to join just hit me a message)

[duffydj]

update:
I am in contact with a local tour guide... He told me the museum is closed, but the test site and the atomic lake are visitable.

btw: We are doing a tour on 24th + 25th august (if someone wants to join just hit me a message)

Hi there. I'm going to be there at the beginning of September.

Did you manage to do the tour? Could you share rough costs or guide contacts?

Many thanks!

[semmel]

update:
I am in contact with a local tour guide... He told me the museum is closed, but the test site and the atomic lake are visitable.

btw: We are doing a tour on 24th + 25th august (if someone wants to join just hit me a message)

Hi there. I'm going to be there at the beginning of September.

Did you manage to do the tour? Could you share rough costs or guide contacts?

Many thanks!

Yes we attended the tour! It was an awesome and really interesting tour.

We hired this guide: https://indy-guide.com/en/yerlan Originally he asked for ~ 1500$ for the 2day tour. In the end we paid 1050$ (for 3 people, so 350$ each) for the 2-day tour.

bad news for you: he wrote me recently, that visiting the test site is now prohibited and we were some of the last visitors

[steven]

update:
I am in contact with a local tour guide... He told me the museum is closed, but the test site and the atomic lake are visitable.

btw: We are doing a tour on 24th + 25th august (if someone wants to join just hit me a message)

Hi there. I'm going to be there at the beginning of September.

Did you manage to do the tour? Could you share rough costs or guide contacts?

Many thanks!

Yes we attended the tour! It was an awesome and really interesting tour.

We hired this guide: https://indy-guide.com/en/yerlan Originally he asked for ~ 1500$ for the 2day tour. In the end we paid 1050$ (for 3 people, so 350$ each) for the 2-day tour.

bad news for you: he wrote me recently, that visiting the test site is now prohibited and we were some of the last visitors

Guess he got caught. Plenty of cowboys around.

[duffydj]

So, no visits at all at the moment?

BTW, the link to the tour is broken

https://caravanistan.com/tour/semipalatinsk-test-site/