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{{Coord|50|26|N|80|16|E|region:KZ_type:city(400,000)|display=title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2011}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name = Semey
| native_name = Семей
| motto =
| image_skyline = Semey_central_square.jpg
| image_flag =
| image_seal = Semey Seal.png
|image_map =
| map_caption =
|pushpin_map = Kazakhstan
|pushpin_label_position =bottom
|pushpin_mapsize = 280
|pushpin_map_caption =Location in Kazakhstan
|subdivision_type = [[Countries of the world|Country]]
|subdivision_type1 = [[Regions of Kazakhstan|Region]]
|subdivision_type2 = Urban okres
|subdivision_name = [[Kazakhstan]]
|subdivision_name1 = [[East Kazakhstan Region]]
|subdivision_name2 =
| established_title =
| established_date =
| established_title2 = Founded
| established_date2 = 1718
| established_title3 = Incorporated ([[city]])
| established_date3 = 1782
| government_type =
| leader_title = Akim <small>([[mayor]])</small>
| leader_name =[[Ermak Salimov]]
| area_magnitude =
| area_total_sq_mi =
| area_total_km2 = 210
| area_land_sq_mi =
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_sq_mi =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_urban_sq_mi =
| area_urban_km2 =
| area_metro_km2 =
| area_metro_sq_mi =
| population_as_of=2009
| population_footnotes =
| population_total = 299264
| population_urban =
| population_metro =
| population_density_sq_mi =
| population_density_km2 =
| timezone = [[Almaty Time|ALMT]]
| utc_offset = +6
| timezone_DST =
| utc_offset_DST =
|coordinates = {{coord|50|26|0|N|80|16|0|E|region:KZ|display=inline}}
| elevation_footnotes=
| elevation_m =
| elevation_ft =
| postal_code_type = [[Postal code]]
| postal_code = 071400
| area_code = +7 7222
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
[[File:Semey Bridge.jpg|thumb|right|220px|New bridge in Semey.<ref>[http://wikimapia.org/148785/ The New bridge in Semey on Wikimapia]</ref>]]
[[File:Landsat semei.jpg|thumb|right|220px|NASA satellite photo of Semey.]]

'''Semey''' ([[Kazakh language|Kazakh]] and {{lang-ru|Семей}}), until 2007 known as '''Semipalatinsk''' ([[Kazakh language|Kazakh]] and {{lang-ru|Семипалатинск}}) and in 1917–1920 as '''Alash-kala''' ({{lang-kz|Алаш-қала}}, ''Alaş-qala''), is a city in [[Kazakhstan]], in [[East Kazakhstan Region]], and in the Kazakhstan part of [[Siberia]], near the border with [[Russia]], around {{convert|1000|km|sp=us}} north of [[Almaty]], and {{convert|700|km|sp=us}} southeast of the Russian city of [[Omsk]], along the [[Irtysh River]]. Population: {{kz-census2009|299,264|;}} {{kz-census1999|269,574|.}}

==History==
[[File:Mosque Semey.jpg|thumb|[[Tatar Mosque of Semey]]]]

The first Russian settlement in the area dates from 1718, when [[Tsardom of Russia|Russia]] built a fort beside the river [[Irtysh River|Irtysh]], near a ruined Buddhist monastery. The monastery's seven buildings lent the fort (and later the city) the name ''Semipalatinsk'' ([[Russian language|Russian]] for "Seven-Chambered City"). The fort suffered frequently from flooding caused by the snowmelt swelling the Irtysh, and in 1778 the fort was relocated {{convert|18|km}} upstream to less flood-prone ground. A small city grew around the fort, largely servicing the river trade between the nomadic peoples of [[Central Asia]] and the growing [[Russian Empire]]. The construction of the [[Turkestan-Siberia Railway]] in the early 20th century added to the city's importance, making it a major point of transit between Central Asia and Siberia. On 19 May 1854 Semipalatinsk became the capital of the [[Semipalatinsk Oblast, Russia|Semipalatinsk Oblast]] within the Russian Empire.

Between 1917 and 1920 the city operated as the capital of the largely unrecognized [[Alash Autonomy]], a state (1917-1920) after the outbreak of the [[October revolution]] in Russia. The city was called '''Alash-qala''' during the Alash Autonomy years. [[Red Army]] forces loyal to [[Petrograd]] took control of the area in 1920. It was the center of the {{Interlanguage link multi|Semipalatinsk Governorate|ru|3=Семипалатинская губерния}} until 17 January 1928, then of the Eastern Kazakhstan Oblast between 17 January 1928 and 14 October 1939 and finally of the Semipalatinsk Oblast between 1939 and 1997.

In 1949 the [[Soviet atomic bomb project|Soviet atomic bomb programme]] selected a site on the [[steppe]] {{convert|150|km|mi|abbr=on}} west of the city as the location for its weapons testing. For decades, [[Kurchatov, Kazakhstan|Kurchatov]] (the secret city at the heart of the test range named for [[Igor Kurchatov]], father of the Soviet atomic bomb) was home to many of the brightest stars of Soviet weapons science. The [[Soviet Union]] operated the [[Semipalatinsk Test Site]] (STS) from the first explosion in 1949 until 1989; 456 nuclear tests, including 340 underground and 116 atmospheric tests, took place there.

Semey has suffered serious environmental and health effects from the time of its atomic prosperity: nuclear fallout from the atmospheric tests and uncontrolled exposure of the workers, most of whom lived in the city, have given Semey and neighboring villages high rates of [[cancer]], childhood [[leukemia]], [[impotence]] and [[birth defect]]s.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/08/30/btsc.chance.nukes/index.html "Inside the nuclear underworld: Deformity and fear"], [[CNN]], retrieved 2007-08-31</ref>

Modern Semey, a bustling university town, has a population exceeding 300,000. Its proximity to the Kazakh border with the Russian Federation, and the large expatriate scientific community attached to the university and to the STS labs, allegedly gives Semey a more Russian character than other Kazakh cities.

[[Semipalatinsk Oblast, Kazakhstan|Semipalatinsk Oblast]] merged with the larger [[East Kazakhstan Region]], whose capital city is [[Oskemen]], on 23 May 1997.

The [[Semipalatinsk Bridge]], a suspension bridge across the Irtish River, connects the two major parts of Semey. It has a main span of {{convert|750|m}} and a total length of {{Convert|1086|m}}.<ref>
{{cite web |url= http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0001312 |title= Semipatalinsk Irtysh River Bridge (2002) |work= en.structurae.de |accessdate= 16 August 2011
}}
</ref> Construction began in 1998 and the bridge opened to traffic in November 2000.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.jica.go.jp/english/our_work/evaluation/oda_loan/post/2007/pdf/project39_full.pdf | title=Irtysh River Bridge Construction Project / Field Survey | publisher=Japan International Cooperation Agency | date=September 2006 | accessdate=8 January 2016 }}</ref>

In 2007 the Semipalatinsk City Council voted unanimously in favour of changing the name of the city to ''Semey''. The Chairman explained that existing name had negative associations with the atomic test-site.<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://lenta.ru/news/2007/06/19/name/
| title = Семипалатинск исчезнет с карты Казахстана [Semipalatinsk disappears from the map of Kazakhstan]
| date = 2007-06-19
| department = Byvshiy SSSR [The former USSR]
| website = Lenta.ru
| publisher = Lenta.Ru
| access-date = 2015-09-10
| quote = Депутаты городского собрания Семипалатинска единогласно проголосовали за переименование города в Семей. [...] 'Прежнее название немного отпугивало инвесторов, так как ассоциировалось с полигоном. [...]', - пояснил решение депутатов председатель сессии горсовета Куат Мирашев. [The representatives of the city corporation of Semipalatinsk voted unanimously for renaming the city as Cemey. 'The former name rather discouraged investors, since it was associated with the [atomic] test-site. [...]', said the chairman of the session of the city council, Kuat Mirashev, in explaining the decision.]
}}
</ref>

==Climate==

Semey has a [[semi-arid climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''BSk'') with warm summers and very cold winters. Precipitation is low for the whole year, except for July which has an average of {{convert|50|mm|in}} compared to less than {{convert|30|mm|in}} in other months. Snow is common, though light, in winter. The lowest temperature on record is {{convert|-48.6|°C|°F}}, recorded in November 1938, and the highest temperature is {{convert|42.5|°C|°F}}, recorded in August 2002.<ref name="pogoda" />

<div style="width:75%;">
{{Weather box
|location = Semey
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 5.3
|Feb record high C = 6.8
|Mar record high C = 24.5
|Apr record high C = 33.0
|May record high C = 37.6
|Jun record high C = 39.5
|Jul record high C = 42.1
|Aug record high C = 42.5
|Sep record high C = 38.2
|Oct record high C = 29.5
|Nov record high C = 19.5
|Dec record high C = 7.6
|year record high C = 42.5
|Jan high C = -9.4
|Feb high C = -7.6
|Mar high C = -0.3
|Apr high C = 13.4
|May high C = 22.1
|Jun high C = 27.1
|Jul high C = 28.6
|Aug high C = 27.0
|Sep high C = 20.6
|Oct high C = 12.0
|Nov high C = 0.6
|Dec high C = -6.7
|year high C = 10.6
|Jan mean C = -14.2
|Feb mean C = -13.3
|Mar mean C = -5.8
|Apr mean C = 6.6
|May mean C = 14.8
|Jun mean C = 20.1
|Jul mean C = 21.7
|Aug mean C = 19.5
|Sep mean C = 12.7
|Oct mean C = 5.2
|Nov mean C = -4.3
|Dec mean C = -11.1
|year mean C = 4.3
|Jan low C = -19.2
|Feb low C = -18.8
|Mar low C = -10.9
|Apr low C = 0.3
|May low C = 7.2
|Jun low C = 12.6
|Jul low C = 14.9
|Aug low C = 12.0
|Sep low C = 5.3
|Oct low C = -0.3
|Nov low C = -8.5
|Dec low C = -15.7
|year low C = -1.8
|Jan record low C = −46.8
|Feb record low C = -45.3
|Mar record low C = −39.1
|Apr record low C = -26.1
|May record low C = -9.9
|Jun record low C = -1.0
|Jul record low C = 4.3
|Aug record low C = -0.7
|Sep record low C = -8.2
|Oct record low C = -20.8
|Nov record low C = −48.6
|Dec record low C = −45.8
|year record low C = -48.6
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 15
|Feb precipitation mm = 15
|Mar precipitation mm = 16
|Apr precipitation mm = 16
|May precipitation mm = 28
|Jun precipitation mm = 29
|Jul precipitation mm = 50
|Aug precipitation mm = 22
|Sep precipitation mm = 15
|Oct precipitation mm = 21
|Nov precipitation mm = 26
|Dec precipitation mm = 22
|year precipitation mm = 275
|Jan rain days = 1
|Feb rain days = 1
|Mar rain days = 3
|Apr rain days = 9
|May rain days = 13
|Jun rain days = 12
|Jul rain days = 15
|Aug rain days = 12
|Sep rain days = 10
|Oct rain days = 11
|Nov rain days = 6
|Dec rain days = 1
|year rain days = 94
|Jan snow days = 18
|Feb snow days = 18
|Mar snow days = 14
|Apr snow days = 4
|May snow days = 0.4
|Jun snow days = 0
|Jul snow days = 0
|Aug snow days = 0.03
|Sep snow days = 0.1
|Oct snow days = 5
|Nov snow days = 14
|Dec snow days = 19
|year snow days = 93
|Jan humidity = 75
|Feb humidity = 75
|Mar humidity = 76
|Apr humidity = 59
|May humidity = 53
|Jun humidity = 53
|Jul humidity = 60
|Aug humidity = 59
|Sep humidity = 60
|Oct humidity = 67
|Nov humidity = 74
|Dec humidity = 75
|year humidity = 66
|Jan sun = 108
|Feb sun = 139
|Mar sun = 199
|Apr sun = 243
|May sun = 303
|Jun sun = 335
|Jul sun = 342
|Aug sun = 307
|Sep sun = 242
|Oct sun = 144
|Nov sun = 111
|Dec sun = 94
|year sun = 2567
|source 1 = Pogoda.ru.net<ref name="pogoda">{{cite web
| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20161125144250/http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate/36177.htm
| archivedate = 25 November 2016
| url = http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate/36177.htm
| title = Weather and Climate - The Climate of Semipalatinsk (Semey)
| accessdate = 25 November 2016
| publisher = Weather and Climate (Погода и климат)
| language = Russian}}</ref>
|source 2 = NOAA (sun, 1961–1990)<ref name= NOAA>{{cite web
| url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/RA-II/KS/36177.TXT
| title = Semipalatinsk Climate Normals 1961-1990
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| accessdate = 25 November 2016}}</ref>
}}

</div>

==Famous residents==
*[[Abay Qunanbayuli]], father of modern Kazakh poetry, received his Russian schooling at Semey.
*Writer [[Fyodor Dostoyevsky]], whose exile included five years military service as a corporal in the Seventh Line Battalion at the Semipalatinsk garrison, beginning in 1854. Residents claim the details of particular descriptive passages in Dostoyevsky's subsequent books, including his highly acclaimed ''[[The Brothers Karamazov]]'', are recognizable as taken from his time in Semey.
*Writer [[Pavel Bazhov]] was a member of the Party Committee of the province of Semipalatinsk from 1920 to 1923.
*[[Stanislav Kurilov]] (1936-1998) grew up in Semipalatinsk. An oceanographer and a good swimmer, he defected from the USSR in 1974 by means of jumping off a cruise liner in the open ocean and swimming to the [[Philippines]].
*The [[Ukrainians|Ukrainian]] boxer [[Wladimir Klitschko]], who was born there in 1976.
*The Russian saxophonist [[Sergey Letov]] was born there.

The city has a museum to commemorate [[Abay Qunanbayuli]], and has both a museum of and a street named after Dostoyevsky.

==Population==
{|class=wikitable
!Year!!Population
|-
|1881 ||17,820
|-
|1897 ||26,353
|-
|1910 ||34,400
|-
|1926 ||56,100
|-
|1939 ||109,700
|-
|1959 ||149,800
|-
|1979 ||270,400
|-
|1989 ||317,100
|-
|1999 ||269,600
|}

==Higher education==

Semey is famous for its intellectual medical community with leading [[Semey State Medical University]] which provides region and country with highly professional health specialists.

==International relations==
{{see also|List_of_twin_towns_and_sister_cities_in_Asia#Kazakhstan|l1=List of twin towns and sister cities in Kazakhstan}}

===Twin towns and sister cities===
Semey is [[twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
*{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Ypres]], [[Belgium]]

==See also==
*[[Anti-nuclear movement in Kazakhstan]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Semey}}

*[http://www.akimsemey.gov.kz Official site]
*[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/533881/Semey Britannica.com]

{{East Kazakhstan Region}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Populated places established in 1718]]
[[Category:Populated places in East Kazakhstan Region]]
[[Category:Science and technology in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Semipalatinsk Oblast]]
[[Category:1718 establishments in Russia]]

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