large expatriate scientific community attached to the university and the STS labs, gives Semey a more Russian character than other Kazakh cities.
The oblast of Semipalatinsk has been merged with the bigger East Kazakhstan Province, whose capital city is Oskemen.
The Semipalatinsk Bridge, a suspension bridge across the Irtish River, connects two major parts of Semey. It has a main span of 750 meters (2,460 ft) and a total length of 1,086 meters (3,563 ft). It was built between 1998 and 2002 and is currently in use by road traffic
