21 September 2026: Exhibition/Culture : Radioactive Patriarchy

To this day, millions of people worldwide are living with the consequences of nuclear weapons testing. Particularly in Kazakhstan – one of the Soviet Union’s largest nuclear test sites – the health, environmental and social impacts continue to be felt across generations. At the same time, the experiences of those affected often remain invisible – especially the perspectives of women.<?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

To launch the exhibition ARTISTS AGAINST THE BOMB, we are screening Aigerim Seitenova’s documentary JARA – Radioactive Patriarchy, which examines the personal experiences of female survivors of nuclear weapons testing in Kazakhstan. In the following discussion, the filmmaker and activist, along with survivor Dmitriy Vesselov, will speak with Juliane Hauschulz, who is a board member of ICAN GERMANY, about the politics of remembrance, gender equality and the responsibility of the international community.

We want to examine the long-term consequences of nuclear weapons testing and discuss why women, in particular, are often at the center of care and memory work. How can the experiences of survivors be made more visible? And what political responsibility does Germany bear for supporting those affected and for global nuclear disarmament? We look forward to discussing these questions with our guests and with you.

Following the discussion, we will open the exhibition. At the reception, you'll have the opportunity to chat with the guests and tour the exhibition together.

Participants in the discussion are:

●     Aigerim Seitenova, Qazaq Nuclear Frontline Coalition

●     Dmitriy Vesselov, Third-generation survivor and activist from Kazakhstan

●     Juliane Hauschulz, ICAN Germany

Introduction: Katja Voigt, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation

The event will be held in English with simultaneous translation into German.

Registration (see above) is required to attend in person. Doors open at 5:45 p.m.

◾Aigerim Seitenova is a human rights expert, researcher and nuclear justice activist from Kazakhstan. As a third-generation survivor of Soviet nuclear testing and co-founder of the Qazaq Nuclear Frontline Coalition, her own experiences shape her work about nuclear justice, epistemic injustice, nuclear colonialism and militarism. Her research and activism combine legal analysis, participatory community-based approaches, and creative methods to examine how knowledge, lived experience and resistance emerge and are shaped in communities affected by nuclear testing.

She has led civil society initiatives, secured funding for nongovernmental organizations and contributed to political, academic and public debates on nuclear justice and disarmament. Beyond that, she is the creator of the documentary “JARA – Radioactive Patriarchy: Women of Qazaqstan”, which has been screened in North America, Europe and Asia.

Aigerim was featured in the Forbes Kazakhstan 30 Under 30 list and is a Chevening Scholar. She holds an LL.M. in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex as well as an EU-funded M.A. in European Studies.

◾Dmitriy Vesselov is a third-generation survivor and activist from Kazakhstan who advocates for greater recognition of the ongoing health and social consequences of Soviet nuclear testing.He was born in 1976 in Semipalatinsk (now Semey), about 100 kilometers from the former Semipalatinsk nuclear testing site. He advocates for the affected communities and speaks out about the intergenerational consequences his family has experienced.

Vesselov was diagnosed with cleidocranial dysostosis, a genetic disorder that affects bone development – including that of the collarbones. He also suffers from instability in his cervical spine and attributes these health issues to the broader legacy of radiation exposure within his family and community.

He works with Polygon-21, a local organization that supports survivors of nuclear tests, and is a member of the Qazaq Nuclear Frontline Coalition. As part of his work, he has spoken at international conferences about the humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons.

Vesselov also appears in the documentary “I Want to Live On”, which depicts the experiences of communities in Kazakhstan affected by nuclear testing and has been screened internationally.

◾Juliane Hauschulz is currently pursuing a master’s degree in peace studies at the University of Tübingen and wrote her thesis on the role of emotions in the discourse regarding nuclear weapons. She has been involved with ICAN since 2019, completed an internship there in early 2023, and subsequently worked briefly for the organization. Today, she works as a nuclear disarmament officer at International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW).