The first part of the book describes the experience of Kazakhstan during the period of nuclear weapons testing in the Soviet Union. The Soviet military tested an atomic bomb in the Kazakh steppes for more than forty years, causing enormous damage to the environment and local residents. Based on the documents and memoirs in the archive, we note that the Soviet authorities did not take into account the local population during the test, did not take them into account. (source: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Kazakhstan)

I worked on the cover of the book and presented few sketches.

 Our team wanted to include The Kazakh steppe, Shanyraq, mother and child, and also portray hope for the future. 

Out of options for color pallettes we chose a minimalistic contrasting one.

Instead of depicting a symbol of 'Home' as a yurt, we chose to have Shanyraq on the top, as if It protected the characters from the outside.

Layout by Steppe&World publishing designers Zharmukhamed Zardykhan and Ayaulym Shalbaeva.

Togzhan Kassenova. Atomic Steppe: How Kazakhstan Gave Up the Bomb. 

Project manager at the Friedrich Ebert Foundation's representative office in Kazakhstan:
Medet Suleyman
Text developed by-Steppe & World Publishing