Am doing my midterm on the deforestation and struggles of Russia’s northern old growth forests. I do know that the USSR performed multiple nuclear tests in Russia, but did they perform nuclear tests specifically in the Siberian region? Any history of nuclear contamination and Siberia would be greatly appreciated!
The USSR tested its nuclear weapons primarily in two places: Novaya Zemyla, above the Arctic Circle in Western Russia, and Semipalitinsk Test Site, in Kazakhstan. They also did some atmospheric testing in Western Russia.
They did some nuclear testing in Siberia, but it was all underground. I do not have details on those, but I doubt they had a significant environmental effect: the nuclear tests that have major environmental effects are almost exclusively atmospheric tests, not underground ones. It is possible some of the underground ones had some venting of radioactive materials, but these would have been quite minor with regards to the environment compared to the other degradations that the Soviet state enacted on those environments.
My understanding — which is not complete — is that most of the Soviet nuclear facilities with major contamination issues (like Mayak) are in Western Russia, not Siberia. For Siberian contamination and destruction I would look to things like forestry, mining (including uranium mining), and other mostly non-nuclear activities.
If you haven't looked at his work yet, I would definitely check out the work of Stephen Brain, as it is all about the environmental history of Russia and the USSR.