evidence: Vozrozhdeniya Island formed from the end of the 16th to the beginning of 17th centuries due to the decrease of the Aral Sea level. Vozrozhdeniya Island was first discovered in 1848 during a Russian marine expedition of the Aral Sea commanded by naval officer and investigator Alexei Ivanovitch Butakov. One of the members who served as the expedition’s artist was Taras Shevchenko. [...] Vozrozhdeniya Island’s located in the middle of the Aral Sea was chosen for its characteristics: sparse vegetation, high temperature in summer, dry climate, and sandy soil which reduced the odds that pathogenic microorganisms would survive and spread. Additionally, this Island, approximately 125 kilometres from the coast, allowed scientists to believe that open-air testing on the island did not pose a threat to the rest of the country.