Vozrozhdeniya island, Former biological weapons test site in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan.
Vozrozhdeniya is a former island in the dried Aral Sea, now a peninsula shared between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The flat landscape stretches across wide expanses of sandy soil with sparse vegetation, where water once surrounded its shores.
The Soviet Union used the remote site as a biological weapons testing ground starting in the late 1930s. After the collapse of the USSR, military activities ended in the early 1990s and the site was abandoned.
The abandoned town of Kantubek contains deteriorating Soviet-era buildings that housed 1,500 military scientists and support personnel until 1992.
Access to the site is restricted due to potential health risks and requires special permits. Visitors should exercise caution and inform themselves about possible hazards before exploring the area.
The dried seabed now connects the mainland to what was once an isolated island, making it reachable on foot. The abandoned settlement of Kantubek still contains remnants of Soviet-era military infrastructure.
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