DECLASSHHED Authorit QNS 1qu Urjx RTf t INFORM CENTRAL I NTELLIGENCE AGENCY This muerial contains Information affecting the NINOMI Defaue 0 the Unued 5'13 within the meaning of the Espionage Laws 1 ide 13 Sea 793 and 79 the transmit-ion o revelation 0 which in any mane to an unauthorized pmon i by ammn COUNTRY USSR 4 4 957 W REPORT NO SUBJECT Alleged Nuclear Weapons Tests near DATE 0 5m 1 April 1957 Seuipz 3 1an 1 - N0 PAGES 7 I r REQUIREMENT I N0 RD one or -- E025xl CIA INFO PLACE - - ACQUMED - - SOURCE EVALUATIONS ARE oermmve APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE 1 WW ML M06 a Onthp 19551 n99 calendar 3001 83 munginaideomafthel buildingsaftheeodaplant Atapprazl nately 0900 ban-a local time Source experienced a significant change mnbletehear tremble an placate notviolen y hit as if anaer xquakaeuero beginning - alluorbratogomtaide - - mm Source believed themwmentatthe buildings wasemzsed mteidetheairwaa cracklingvith pressing iteumdedaeu tho a1rm $11133 sz push followed IV a series at smaller vibrations In 0 - swim Authorlty I By Dorothy Johnson Date 2-03 2017 APRI 6 1957 sun i iAuuv ii i Aw I Am iron 1 IAEC Ix I 155 IOSI Ix Noni dlurlbulmn by View disulbullon by i r A DocId 31432116 DECLASSIFIED Authority JI CZY9 70 _-Jr b Source and several COW'orkers first looked in the direction the ru pe be traveling northeQSt Semene shouted to the QS Source turned he B4II the upper third of a large -or e fireball on the eouthlMf st horizon The fireball appcorod in c or intensity 11ke a bright sun shinina throu lh a haze Source vas not blinded by this U lht am felt DO change in temperature Only the upper third of the fireball deSCribed as a sOmicircle IllS visible over tho forest Source stated that the fireball did DOt creQSe in au-e du r1ng his obeervation He vas unable to describe accuratcly the Ue of tho 1'1re ball but recalled that the end pointe of the chord of the upper third of the boll llll on the horUon between two sellll lnkeo lee Sketch 1 of Attnch oent A tV ' r c Source did not see the fireball pulse He guessed the olapsoo t1ce t roc the IlIC1ilBl1t he felt the lIIrock on his ears until he obeerved the fireball collapse and disappear to be approximately ti minutes ' d 1 0 mushroao aloud a ared QS a reoult of tho explOSion The weather alear and cold -30 the sun vas obscured l y a CtIIIplete cover of alouds at high altitude Source stated that this re l1en vas lllvays blanketed with a V9 - high cloud cover 110 chan le ocCUl'1'Od in the ve lthbi as a rasul t of the blast ' ' -' va - 2 Eftggts a and C Dj'lQ c l All lrl ndous in the large bulldiDeS of tho sooa factory see Sketch 3 of Attaeb ent Al vere destroyed rut SO U'Ce vas unable to fit the 1 8 at the windows into tho II lqU9ZIC I at evente and could not recall vbether the windova blml in or JI Campositicm shingles on the voodeD bu1ldings did not 8IJf'fir dacage nor did ths bulld1llgs th_l s 8IJf'for OIlY effecte The e bu1ldin s vere of frame cODIltruation with vlllls lla e of planldn appra d JMtely 7 8 inch thick The onlJ'dIJ Ioce observed SourO lias the fiak1ne off of d17 clay vlUch vas lIDed py the prisO lOre to caver theiraude livin quarters JlutomobUeo in the area vere not d looged Ho personnel were injured Iro leaves were torn tl'a l the trees Source pointed out that the tree are coniferous o t b The blast pressure 1mV9 traveled d010lD the stacks of the calcinin furnaces throueh a tunnel connecting the stack to theso furnaces and down the length of tho 1Urnace blouing Open the steel doom uoieht of door 220 Ibs coefficient of friction of hinges unlcnovn and spcu lnll the contenw out into tho ynrd seo Sketch08 4a and 4b of Attacbment A Ashes were lll 30 blow from the tireplaces of re8idences in Sooa Z ' od J l Source did not observo other dIu Jaee to the town of Soda Zavnd On 17 Dece Jber he traveled to l1al1nor c ' 'i PH' ' - J L a t Jf o cclt pt- cd i j r ' 1 2' 'r He did not observe orry damage to this tow rut pointed oat that in his excitement of eo1ng home he probably vwld not c d t Soda Zavnd and reportedj dSIIIBCe and loss of llGBPe in several of the IIIII8J 1 touna alona the lrtyah - Iver northwest of Sea1palllt1nsk Source did not learn spec1f1cally hoo the people had been kUled The aaakhs reported that the residents of o towns did Dot 8VIICUI1te the area becauso de888 VIIS not 1II11'i'1n ent to result in CIIlOS ralocation of the populace although s l1viDe quarters were destroyed Tho dacaee CIOIl81sted of the destruction of oltq overed 10 housos cl hnd be ripped orr and CID of the loga had fallen The dor Ioge cl1llsed q y the Deceeber 8 8%ploslon vas the f1mt Source had SeeD or heard of in this area 3 Post Test WiyiY a j33546 On the dq GBPo11O li the Decomber 8 test Source heard a VO l prO l1 lllll in thAt the USSR hs I explodod n bomb On the fo11ouing day December 10 the Soviet radio vh1ch Scurce believed to be Redio 1 0 alao aDDounoed that the USSR had detonated a b ydroean boab The radio reported that 17 graca of rocen bad be used in the span Several dqa atter the teat Souroe heard OIl the radio again bel18V'Bd to be RGdio Moecov that 1nd8lllllUlcatian VC Jld be paid to the re enta qy BS Dt mHll DOl wfITXJ ' taftt 'n t ho eren Ha did auoo1 lUlIIOUnQina R fff_ DOCld 31432i f 1 I l d b HIlS actuaUi lr------------ I On the day fOllOldng the te t 9 neither he nor his 1l890Cillt S hsdDec mber three Soviet nattic1als uIloiD questioned residente concerning thlIGen P atlSlJIlll't'ived in tho area 8IId ' and consequences at the A_ft even ot tho explosion and the CIIWIo except that they re g ll ource could not describe their un1f' unkn l 0 1 in color and hsd threo etars at o 0 1n C or on the slloulder bcnrds Source did not ale Idth __ articinls D o - 1 rumor c1reulBted one the people SodA Zavod that a IlCcond test had bean cancelled allegedly becauso of the dllmnge caused by the test on S De eober Source could not ampl1f 1 this statemant On 9 or 10 De6ember a general c 4 1GBP this Air AcUrltv fA thQ AmA a Source observed a single ng1ned jet' air rntt Bt the tine of the nuclear test IUId IlII8U II d it ' ooncerned with the te t Thi aircraft Was first observed by Source fl 1illg law on r the trees which Source located betweBll him IUId the fireball ccm1nc frQ the southwst and flying tcNard the ' northellSt Source reconstructed tho' night path of thi aircraft t a ' jet trail he s in tho sl y at the time of the lm'Bt Thie trail vas very h1 lb until the aircrntt V over the troos it then took a sharp doumrlll'd bend ending Hith the jet flying law aee Sketch 5 of At ' A o The appearance of the aircraft cllllood considerable exci tooont 8IId peculation the obaervers sumed that it hsd dropped an Btonic bmb 110 other aircrott WIll obselVod at the time of tho test bo The only other air activities Source hsd observed in the area were the daily nichts of three tH1n 81ned t port pl s which flew in the direction ot Soo1palat1llSk The airc n1't f lew several cdnutes apart botueen 0900 end 1000 hours ry d Each evening three s1nllBr aircraft nev fl' ll l the direction of 5 lmipolatinsk presumohly towlll'd 1larnau1 Source cannot recall seeing BDY m1lit axw aircraft such WI large jet baobers or other types 1'1y1ne in the ll1'8a E025xl CIA 5 Restiyicted ArpA Source first helll'd of atonic testing in the area Il8nr Sodn ZBvod in the fall of 1951 uben ODe of his Rusaian trienda in the tow told bin thet the USSR ha i the atan bomb SCUl'Ce had also he8l'd a radio enncuncement SO letino in 1949 thet the USSR had the atan bomb Source's friend aid 'th t the USSR had detonnted a bomb in 1951 Bnd that houses at an unknoIm looation not Soda Zavod had hod SO l8 cl flaked ofr as a result of the blrst $CUl'CO'S friend tald him thet at that t 1l IS the radio reported this incidont IlS an earthquake Iut that all the I uIsinns 11v1nc in the 'lr8a knmr it was the atan lIis triend said that he had heard frOll his Kazakh friends th4t large apons re be tested in the restricted area Source could su no further details of this convereation D o b ' SO l8tino prior to 1955 Source al ao hod cc tnct Idth Kazakhs wo 11ved alone the Irtysh iver DOI'theast at Semipalatinek These Kazakhs t ld him t hQt st of this rivor 1Ias 11 Inrgo restricted coa for the JlU1'POIIe of teoting woapons Tho Kazakhs stoted that hed hean explOSions in thio ll1'8a over several 111'8 S DB of ub1ch they belleved to be normal artillery apone F1 CII l conversations with residents of the 8lIIIIll tOllllS alone the river Source ostJmoted tho center of this restricted area to be not farth than 280 to 300 km sruthwest of 111khq10veki7 soe Sketch 2 of Attnchment A Source cloimed that all reaidunto alq the Irwah 'iver knsv of the restricted are o 0 Fra I June to t 1955 Scurce via1ted the east baDk at the IrI yah betuoon Sen1polaUnok nnd Podpuakoye to 1'1ab He obeernod on the st sido of the river u p laa bear1 nB red nap 30 to JI am in size ll-_____ J NW# 33546 Docld 31432116 --------r- _ DECLASSIFIED ' I - -__---JL r Authority AU I '7tJgI 70 I ' ' - ------l r 1 to these poles were plncod nt disto nces at 400 500 llllltara Residents at the area told Source that these nags marksd the restricted ana at the Soviet weapona testing ground Il11d that all heavy weapcms produced in the USSR vere testsd here Sauroe had IIlso heard tJoam IUssian residents in SOda Zavod that wapana were ass8l lbled and tasted in this are He had no Womo tion concem1nc production at w apGllS vithin the rastricted orea i tsolt or in the c1 t y at Sem 1pnlatil 8k which does not lle v I thin the rtlstricted area Source had no WOnDlltion ccmcern1ng the 1ns1do or the restricted lll'8a lIe did not sse fWJ' fences patrols or towe1'll near the area 6 othar Test A rt 1yit1es E025 CIA a Source clo 1med to ho ve experiencsd the effects at tVo ather SOotiet IIIlclear in tho winter possibly lecember at 1951 m - in ear13 1952 Source stated that the 1951 ofreot-ocaurrecl _ pl'OZSllate13 2000 hours he de cribod it as 11 l'WIh ot idr accompanied by a1 1cht lr NIId ovol lGnt He elN no nllSh no dam 69 ocourrod in the area '1b8 atteot in early 1952 vns at the e8llllt 'tntenait v in ground _ n t bzl ' accompanisd by a lees eevere ha%dl y noticeablo pres This sscond test occrurred be1 ll00n 1800 ond 1900 hCll%'8 but Source cculd not give 11 spec1tic date taste me ave b Saur adm1ttsd that at the t 1me he 8xper1enoed the above ettecte he did not 1m their cDllsse but thet Ilfter the teat 011 8 Dec ber 1955 wbich hs considered to be WlIlistakabl v an atomc testt he thOUGht back to ' previous experiencss or a s101l lr na and ooncluded thIlt the above si'tscte wore oJ so the result or llIlCleor teste He did not call 81f3 diecussion by the citizens in Sodn ZavccI of' the 1951 m 1952 events other trum that tram hie triend see parograph 5 o o I ' ' oo o ' Potsihle ' ' ' - '''gAthgr StntiOD Sonrce could describe only Il 8rolly what he bollsved to be a emalJ ather staticm located in the toun or SOda Zavod 'Ih1s station 118 o small on -Stor v wooden hClWJe adJoining en ar of' approx1matel3 15 x 15 llllltare fl tenced IlitJ barbed vire 'l'be encsd area ancloaed We metal poles appradmnto13 6 metors I1Dd 4 mete1'll in he1cltt TIlese poles Ulchored to the gftIWld b y lU1de II1ras and vera coneectsd by an overheed v I to the woodGll bulld1n outside the area SotIrce believed these to be antennae but he i ad o no evidencs to support this 'lb enclosed area I1lso contl11ned n wooden pole 2 etore in height vith a mall Wl1t raHl lbllng a portahle redio traIulmtter attllched to the base S 8 once SBlI a man Clpeftlting this u'n1t by tldating lmobs and l'elId1nc d1oJ e Sourco could not aas18n r1ZI3 function to this un1 t ' Source oJ so o rved vhnt appeared to be a IIUl'VV 11ng team wrId ng 0Ilt31de the tenoed areB' two n llith d m white P s1hle tripod palos oov1na thrwehout the areB plac1nc tho polos varUcoJ l3 on tho grcund ub1le third man cave 1II8tructions to the pole aarr1era and DIOde road1ngs b tran the poles thl'OU lh field slIlSSOS S mee observed the poles vith a T-eheped box on top the man hol ci1na the pole ra Biv1nB ed1np or unknoun chGracter to another man who DOted the read1 nga in a DOteboak Source never observed fWJ' bollOOl1ll being uoed o 'lbe station W8 lIIIllUled by three civUiana but vas not ccnttm lJ r oooupla4 Sauroe passed it aeveral t1mos when it appeared deaerted ne did not Imou 1t the stlltion vee operated dnr1na certain cma or whether i t occupied in lI ber and Decel lber 1955 d S o had no GV1d8llC8 to assign a rediosctiw DOII 1tor1n8 tnnct10n to this atlltion 8 RanTA' In grggMsm a Source never villitsd the cit v or SlIII1polatiD8k be he did not haft tot proper dOCUl l8nts n J UIIIlort J the ool r d- ent he poe ed NWtl 33546 S WS 1L-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ J Docld 31432116 WII o ' 1 60 d - - 5- plant pass for the soda factory He had he I I acme int 21 1onegaia yfighter K other than the 222$ an at the city otl'ths $118313 spectal security checks existed Source heard that a large vs I ry restricted military installation was directly southeast of Senipelatiusk He had no infomtim to asociate this installation with the testing ma Source never observed aw troop unit where nor did he ever see militu'y personnel in large numbers He could not recall the unit mmbero at the small body of troops located in Sade Zavod Source never observed em river traffic on the Irty-sh on his for Vinita there The river was-3 kntride and fast- owing 1 aim Souroe's hmhuction diagram of the appearance the in relation to the two-lakes was made oz y after considerable effort'and most prohahly emetimteo only a Vague guess 3 m In view lack of other damage this statement should be taken with reserve Emother source who lived in this area at the same time had denied knowledge at am brokenwindws I I km m5 phenomenon-Milan reported by a separate independent sourc'ei- has in Soda Zarod at the time 3 025x1 CIA DocId 31432116 Authorit I -- - DECLASSIFIED Authority Mc IQ 4% 70 oo ot ' I I i - ''' - - g - -'- A - F -tor To scq e LqsAUpp o rce gt F JVn ip JAU sa Idee GBP025x1 CIA ' ' Am' C 32'9 Z osJ m' hAl'R t Orgund ' ' W 33546 DocId 31432116 I - _ - _ o - - J DSla A _ _ _ _ _ _ _ DECLASSIFIED Autharily 14 IQ 'l % 70 JH -- Jlr -J tt o ' - y I E025x1 CIA it SQtsb' l' A L---_ _ ' J f --r------------- SJetsb 4 a Ski 4b r'3 dO Zt - ghAt at PnolUlP Hm go Furrw OI Skltgh n'vb' D'J nqM m ' - NWII 33546 at MrqmC Bezr t niew Dm W ' j 't L _ _ _ _- J Docld 31432116 at1 ' '1 J                     National Security Archive    Suite 701  Gelman Library  The George Washington University    2130 H Street  NW  Washington  D C  20037    Phone  202 994‐7000  Fax  202 994‐7005  nsarchiv@gwu edu