Kazakhstan. Dolon. Russian graveyard from the time of former Soviet Union. The village of Dolon is near the Semipalatinsk Polygon ( called today National Nuclear Center of Kazakhstan). The deceased young men and the child are third generation victims of the 456 atomic testing - 116 atmospheric, 340 underground - from 1949 to 1989. The regions high frequency of deaths is primarily due to fallout from nearby nuclear test sites. The dead persons show the human and environmental effects of nuclear radiation, genetic contamination and pollution from atomic tests programs of the former Soviet Union. The Eastern Orthodox cross (also known as Crux Orthodoxa, the Byzantine cross, the Eastern cross, and the "Russian" cross) can be considered a modified version of the Patriarchal cross. The Patriarchal cross is a variant of the Christian cross, the universal religious symbol of Christianity. Similar to the familiar Latin cross, the Patriarchal cross has sometimes a short, slanted crosspiece near its foot. Dolon is located in the Eastern Kazakhstan Province. © 2008 Didier Ruef