Vitaly I. Khalturin, Tatyana G. Rautian, Paul G. Richards, William S. Leith, "A Review of Nuclear Testing by the Soviet Union at Novaya Zemlya, 1955-1990," Science & Global Security, 13, no. 1-2, (2005): 1-42.
The Novaya Zemlya Test Site was used by the Soviet Union for many different types of nuclear weapons tests and nuclear effects tests. Taking our information principally from numerous books and papers in Russian published from 1988 to 2003, we describe the test site history and facilities, the early underwater tests, the many atmospheric tests from 1957 to 1962, and the underground tests in adits and shafts from 1964 to 1990. Each test often entailed several nuclear explosions fired simultaneously. We describe the largest group underground test (about 4.2 mt on 12 September 1973), which was conducted in a unique combination of horizontal adit and vertical shaft; and comment briefly on radioactive releases, which were substantial for some tests. In many but not all cases, the Soviet Union's nuclear tests at Novaya Zemlya followed similar tests conducted by the United States.
Article access: Taylor & Francis Online | Free PDF
Article access: Taylor & Francis Online | Free PDF
