History of Science and Engineering Annotation << Back Nuclear Weapons Tests and Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Yu.V. Dubasov The article presents the history of V.G. Khlopin Radium Institute participating in nuclear weapon tests ant in Programs for the use of underground nuclear explosions in national economy purposes. The article gives an account of developing of the radiochemical method for determination of atomic and thermo-nuclear charge characteristics, which represents the direct technique to determine explosion power and other characteristics. The participation of Institute’s staff in tests of the first soviet atomic bomb and other 40 tests is described in details. There is presented the overview of the staff participating in realization of the 55 various-purpose peaceful underground nuclear explosions and studying of their radiation effects, and in development of technique to recover specially prepared transuranium elements from products of underground nuclear explosions in rock salt. Key words: nuclear weapon tests; radiochemical method for determination of explosion characteristics; peaceful nuclear explosions; Semipalatinsk test site; Novaya Zemlya test site. Contacts: E-mail: dubasov@khlopin.ru Pp. 47-68.