Trans-Siberian Railway. Trans-Siberian Railway: Millennium Road Where does the Trans-Siberian Railway begin and end?
(historical name) is a railroad connecting the European part of Russia with its median (Siberia) and eastern (Far East) regions.
The actual length of the Trans-Siberian Railway along the main passenger route (from Moscow to Vladivostok) is 9288.2 kilometers and, according to this indicator, it is the longest on the planet. The fare length (according to which ticket prices are calculated) is somewhat larger - 9298 km and does not coincide with the real one.
The Trans-Siberian Railway passes through the territory of two parts of the world. Europe accounts for about 19% of the length of the Trans-Siberian, Asia - about 81%. The conditional border between Europe and Asia is the 1778th kilometer of the highway.
The issue of building the Trans-Siberian Railway has been brewing in the country for a long time. At the beginning of the 20th century, vast areas of Western and Eastern Siberia and the Far East remained cut off from the European part of the Russian Empire, so there was a need to organize a route that could get there with minimal time and money.
In 1857, the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, Nikolai Muravyov-Amursky, officially voiced the need to build a railway on the Siberian outskirts of Russia.
However, it was not until the 1880s that the government began to address the issue of the Siberian railway. They refused the help of Western industrialists, they decided to build at their own expense and on their own.
In 1887, under the leadership of engineers Nikolai Mezheninov, Orest Vyazemsky and Alexander Ursati, three expeditions were organized to find the route of the Central Siberian, Transbaikal and South Ussuri railways, which by the 90s of the XIX century had basically completed their work.
In February 1891, the Committee of Ministers recognized that it was possible to start work on the construction of the Great Siberian Route simultaneously from two sides - from Chelyabinsk and Vladivostok.
The beginning of work on the construction of the Ussuri section of the Siberian railway, Emperor Alexander III gave the meaning of an extraordinary event in the life of the empire.
The official start date for the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway is May 31 (May 19, old style) 1891, when the heir to the Russian throne and future Emperor Nicholas II laid the first stone of the Ussuri railway to Khabarovsk on the Amur near Vladivostok. actual start construction took place a little earlier, in early March 1891, when the construction of the Miass - Chelyabinsk section began.
The construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway was carried out in harsh natural and climatic conditions. For almost the entire length, the route was laid through sparsely populated or deserted areas, in impenetrable taiga. She crossed the mighty Siberian rivers, numerous lakes, areas of increased swampiness and permafrost.
During the First World War and civil wars The technical condition of the road deteriorated sharply, after which restoration work began.
During the Great Patriotic War, the Trans-Siberian Railway carried out the tasks of evacuating the population and enterprises from the occupied regions, uninterrupted delivery of goods and military contingents to the front, without stopping intra-Siberian transportation.
AT post-war years The Great Siberian Railway was actively built and modernized. In 1956 the government approved general plan electrification of railways, according to which one of the first electrified directions was to be the Trans-Siberian in the section from Moscow to Irkutsk. This was done by 1961.
In the 1990s - 2000s, a number of measures were taken to modernize the Trans-Siberian Railway, designed to increase the throughput of the line. In particular, the railway bridge across the Amur near Khabarovsk was reconstructed, as a result of which the last single-track section was eliminated
In 2002, full electrification of the main line was completed.
At present, the Trans-Siberian Railway is a powerful double-track electrified railway line equipped with modern information and communication facilities.
In the east, through the border stations of Khasan, Grodekovo, Zabaikalsk, Naushki, the Trans-Siberian Railway provides access to the railway network North Korea, China and Mongolia, and in the west, through Russian ports and border crossings with former republics Soviet Union- in European countries.
The highway passes through the territory of 20 constituent entities of the Russian Federation and five federal districts. More than 80% of the industrial potential of the country and the main natural resources, including oil, gas, coal, timber, ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. There are 87 cities on the Trans-Siberian, of which 14 are centers of subjects of the Russian Federation.
More than 50% of foreign trade and transit cargo is transported via the Trans-Siberian Railway.
The Trans-Siberian Railway is included as a priority route in communication between Europe and Asia in the projects of international organizations UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe), UNESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific Ocean), OSJD (Organization of Cooperation between Railways).
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources
Our country can be proud of many achievements in various branches of the national economy. One of these is the Trans-Siberian Railway, which is rightfully considered the longest railway in the world. Its construction took more than one decade even during the existence of the Russian Empire, continued under the USSR and came to an end already during the existence of Russian Federation. The direction of the Trans-Siberian Railway allows you to get from the European part of Russia to the Far East. But first things first.
Construction idea
The Siberian lands possessed a huge amount of natural resources. However, their delivery to the European part of the country was difficult. The idea of building a railway was expressed by the governor of Eastern Siberia N. N. Muravyov-Amursky back in 1857. However, the government approved the project only by the 80s. This was due to the fact that the idea found a very large number of opponents. They criticized everything - the labor intensity, the cost, and even offered those who support the need for construction to check with psychiatrists. However, the decision was made, and in 1886, Alexander III imposed a resolution on the letter of the governor that it was necessary to start building the railway.
For these purposes, in 1887, three expeditions were organized under the leadership of O.P. Vyazemsky, N.P. Mezheninov and A.I. Ursati to find the best ways for laying rails. According to the project, the Trans-Siberian Railway (Great Siberian Way) was to consist of three sections - South Ussuriysky, Central Siberian and Transbaikal. The expeditions were completed in a few years, and in 1891 the Committee for the Construction of the Siberian Railway approved the lightened technical conditions for the construction and decided to start work. However, the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway was not limited to these three sections. The West Siberian and Amur sections and the China-East Railway. Such a composition of the Trans-Siberian Railway made it possible to connect Europe and Asia with a continuous railway track.
Start of construction. Stage one
So, Alexander III instructed the heir to the throne, Nicholas II, to lay the foundation stone for the construction of a railway through the Siberian possessions. Despite the high cost and the need for a large number of labor, it was decided to involve only the funds of the Russian treasury and domestic specialists in the work. In 1891, on May 31, a prayer service was held in connection with the event and the laying of the first stone was made by the future heir to the throne, Nicholas II in Vladivostok. In fact, the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway began in March on the section between Miass and Chelyabinsk.
A. I. Ursati was appointed construction manager, but due to conflicts with local city governors, he had to refuse to work in the project. O.P. Vyazemsky was appointed instead of him. He was an engineer, as they say, from God and was able to optimize construction, shortening the path by 17 kilometers. This significantly reduced the time and cost of laying rails.
The construction of the Ussuri section was completed in November 1897. Its length was 729 kilometers. The railroad tracks stretched from Vladivostok to Khabarovsk.
West Siberian section
In parallel with the Ussuri direction in 1892, the construction of the West Siberian railway from Chelyabinsk to the Ob began. K. Ya. Mikhailovsky was given the job of supervising the work. The length of the rails was 1417 kilometers. Their laying took only 4 years thanks to the use of earthmoving equipment. In 1894 it began labor movement to Omsk, and a year later the road was already partially operated. In 1897, bridges across the Ob and Irtysh were completed, and the site was expensively accepted for permanent use.
The golden mean of the Transsib
Two years after the start of construction of the West Siberian Railway, the laying of tracks for the middle part of the great project - the Central Siberian one - began. Its length was 1830 kilometers: from the Ob River to Irkutsk. This is a rather difficult segment, since the laying of the road was for the most part over mountainous terrain. Construction proceeded from two places in an easterly direction - from the Ob and from the Yenisei. The road was laid on the permafrost, because of which some changes had to be made to the project. But, despite all the difficulties, in December 1895 the first train arrived in Krasnoyarsk. All this became possible thanks to the head of the construction site - N.P. Mezheninov. Bridges across the rivers were designed by L. D. Proskuryakov, an outstanding bridge builder of that time. The Central Siberian Railway was put into operation in 1899.
New site and new challenges
The Trans-Baikal Railway cost the Russian Empire ¼ of the cost of the entire Trans-Siberian Railway. It was supposed to run from the southern coast of Lake Baikal to Khabarovsk itself. Construction began in 1895 and progressed very slowly due to floods and permafrost. The line for 5 years was completed only to Sretensk (1105 kilometers).
Further difficulties began to arise on an even greater scale. Political divisions began to escalate Far East, and the state treasury experienced not better times and could not fully finance the construction. In 1900, work was suspended. It was also decided to create a ferry railway across Lake Baikal due to the fact that where the Trans-Siberian Railway was laid, the natural conditions turned out to be too difficult. And this slowed down the progress of all work. It was decided to lay further routes through the territory of China in order to quickly join the Ussuri section.
However, due to the poor capacity of the ferry in 1903, construction work was resumed. Paths were laid along the southern shore of the lake. The section from the port of Baikal to Kultuk was the most difficult - it is a continuous rocky ridge for more than 80 kilometers
friendship with China. Not all beginnings end well
The proposal of the Minister of Finance S.Yu. Witte was met favorably and after the creation of the Russian-Chinese Bank in 1895, in 1896 an agreement was signed with the government of the Celestial Empire on the construction of the Chinese-East Road through the territory of Manchuria. Work on the construction of tracks with a length of 3016 kilometers ended in 1903.
It would seem that the construction of the road is almost completed, there was only a section on the coast of Baikal, which needs to be completed, since the crossing could not cope with the growing needs of transporting people and goods. And indeed, along the railway in Manchuria, new cities appeared due to immigrants from other areas of the Chinese Empire. As a result, overpopulation led to the fact that the Chinese began to move to the region of Primorsky Krai. This provided the territory with an unworthy labor force.
But in 1905, in the war with Japan, Russia was defeated, and most of the railway passing through Manchuria was obliged to transfer to the winner (according to the Portsmouth Treaty). However, such a loss only contributed to the fact that it was necessary to build the Amur railway in order to connect the Ussuri and Trans-Baikal sections of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
The last stage of historical construction
The decision to lay tracks on the last section of the track was made in 1908. The road began to stretch from the Kuenga station, which is located between Chita and Sretensk. At this stage, it was necessary to master new ways of laying the embankment under the sleepers, laying a tunnel in the frozen ground. The completion of the grandiose project was the bridge across the Amur. It should be given special attention. It was designed by engineer Proskuryakov, like the rest of the bridges of the Trans-Siberian Railway. In 1916, this section was put into operation and the construction of the highway was completed.
Directions of the Siberian Way
Despite the fact that the work was completed back in 1916, the railway was rebuilt several times, new branches and nodes appeared. So, today there is not one direction of the Trans-Siberian Railway, but four. This is due to the fact that it was necessary to expand the approaches to the railway to increase the volume of cargo transportation. It includes the main course, which the Trans-Siberian Railway has, - the nodes of the largest industrial cities of Russia - Moscow, Yaroslavl, Kirov, Perm, Yekaterinburg, Tyumen, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk and Vladivostok. This direction is also called the North. The following transport hubs of the Trans-Siberian Railway are included in the historical course - Moscow, Ryazan, Ruzaevka, Samara, Ufa, Miass, Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Petropavlovsk. The rest of the stations correspond to the main course.
Significance of the Trans-Siberian Railway
Both at the time of construction and today, the social and economic significance of the Great Siberian Way cannot be overestimated. First of all, thanks to this railway route, it became possible to connect the European part of Russia and the exit to Europe with the East of the country. The railway passes through 87 cities, crosses 14 regions, 3 territories and two republics that are part of the Russian Federation. This path allowed for the migration of the population and the redistribution of human resources.
From an economic point of view, the Trans-Siberian Railway (the natural conditions of which are not conducive to rapid transportation by other modes of transport) made it possible to move resources from Siberia, which is rich in them, to places of production and consumption. Huge volumes of cargo for various purposes are transported annually.
The railway across almost the entire territory of Russia is important even on an international scale. It made it possible to move goods and people from the East to European countries and to reverse side. This has undoubtedly improved the international economy.
Development through electrification
On the Trans-Siberian Railway, steam locomotives were engaged in the transportation of goods and people. Naturally, their capacity was limited, and the amount of cargo was also limited to it. In 1929, the electrification of the railway began, which ended only in 2002. Just like the construction of the highway itself, the work was carried out in sections. This limited capacity, as sections without electricity had to change the locomotive and reduce the number of freight cars. Because of this, transportation was delayed in time, which negatively affected economic ties both within the country and outside it. However, thanks to electrification, the development of the Trans-Siberian Railway continued.
In 2014, a plan for the reconstruction and modernization of Russian railways was approved. It is expected to be implemented by 2018-2020. Such measures are being taken in order to further increase the capacity of the Trans-Siberian Railway for the transport of goods and passengers.
What will the investment bring? At a minimum, they will entail an increase in the capacity of the Trans-Siberian Railway, and at a maximum, they will make it possible to upgrade locomotives, wagons, tracks, modernize various sections and self-sufficiency. Such prospects for the Trans-Siberian Railway will help the further development of the regions through which it passes.
Some interesting facts
First of all, the Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest railway in the world. This path connects two continents - Europe and Asia. A memorial sign was erected on their border (near the city of Pervouralsk). The most severe climatic conditions are observed on the Skovorodino-Mogocha section. The longest railway bridge is located on the Amur River. The largest station on the route is located in Novosibirsk. The most intense, fast and dull section is located between Omsk and Novosibirsk. And at the Slyudyanka-1 station, the only marble station in the world was built as a monument to the labor of the builders of the highway.
From publishers
Transsib. A word familiar to millions of people not only in Russia, but all over the world. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Transsib is one of the most recognizable domestic brands. And this is not surprising: the longest railway in the world, connecting two continents, was built in record time and amazed contemporaries with innovative engineering solutions. Another thing is surprising: there is still only one domestic guidebook on this famous highway, published in 1900 in St. Petersburg on the initiative of the Ministry of Railways. More than a hundred years have passed since the publication of the Guide to the Great Siberian Road. The road was reconstructed, tunnels were laid, bridges were erected, new railway lines were built. Some of its sections, such as the Circum-Baikal Road, have already become exclusively tourist routes. Probably, it's time to look at the Trans-Siberian through the eyes of a modern traveler. The Trans-Siberian is the largest railway artery in the country. In the 21st century, the journey by road will take only six days, but they will be unusually eventful. In less than a week, you will change your clock seven times and see more than 20 Russian regions. Central Russian landscapes will be replaced by the Ural Mountains, beyond which the boundless expanses of Siberia lie. You will drive along the shores of Lake Baikal, cross 16 major rivers, rise more than a thousand meters above sea level, and finally arrive in Vladivostok, Russia's outpost on the Pacific Ocean.
With this book, you can travel the Trans-Siberian Railway without even leaving your home. Departing from the Yaroslavsky railway station in Moscow, you will cover more than nine thousand kilometers and end your journey on the platform of Vladivostok, at the milestone on which the number 9288 is inscribed. Kilometer after kilometer you will “pass” through 20 regions, territories and republics, the chapters of this guide. Each chapter is accompanied by a diagram showing the stations of the Trans-Siberian road that lie within the given territory. The Trans-Siberian is more than two thousand "points": major cities, small stations, sidings, posts and dismantled stations that no longer exist today. Not all of them are reflected in the guide's scheme, it only shows a part of the settlements, platforms within the boundaries of large cities, rivers and tunnels. We tried to choose for the reader the most interesting places of the Trans-Siberian Railway, first of all, paying attention big cities- the historical centers of the region. These settlements supplied with separate maps and diagrams detailed description attractions. However, the names of little-known stations sometimes hide the amazing history of the settlement, the fate of a famous person, or rare monuments. Thus, the Transsib guide is not only detailed information about the famous railway, but also an opportunity to get to know our vast country, learn more about its inexhaustible cultural and natural wealth and take a fresh look at already familiar places.
Transsib: history, modernity, how to organize a trip
History of the Transsib
Without driving from the capital to the Far East, it will be impossible to be called a true Russian ...S.Yu. Witte, Minister of Railways
Construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. End of the 19th century
What is Transsib?
Today, if you follow the formula of S. Witte, you can get the right to "be called a genuine Russian" for 9,670 rubles. - this is the price of a compartment ticket from Moscow to the Pacific Ocean. A 6-day trip along the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Vladivostok is perhaps one of the best ways to get to know the country, to realize the true scale of Russia. Of course, there will be nothing sensational in going to Vladivostok along the Trans-Siberian Railway - there will be nothing for anyone, except for those who make this trip. For them, this will be a discovery - a discovery of the country, its history, its significance. This book is not for those who simply go from point "A" to point "B" on the longest railway in the world. It is for those who want to realize their involvement in one of the grandiose human creations - the Great Siberian Road. The Trans-Siberian Railway, or Trans-Siberian, is a railroad that connected European Russia with Siberia and the Far East. The Trans-Siberian Railway has turned into a single economic organism, into a single military-strategic space, a huge country spread over 7 time zones. If the highway had not been built, it is likely that Russia would not be able to keep the Far East behind it, just as it was not able to keep Alaska, which was not connected with the empire by stable means of communication. During the design, the line was called the Siberian Railway. Later, both in Russia and abroad, it was called the "Great Siberian Way". The term "Trans-Siberian" literally means "passing through Siberia" (Trans-Siberian). This name - "Trans-Siberian Railway" - was given to the road by the British, it took root and took root. In the narrow sense of the word, the Trans-Siberian Railway is the main route of the highway with the main strongholds Moscow - Yaroslavl - Yekaterinburg - Omsk - Irkutsk - Chita - Vladivostok.
Emperor Alexander III
The birth of the project
The problem of how to shorten the route from the capitals to the Pacific Ocean has long been relevant for Russia. But only with the beginning of the construction of railways appeared at least a theoretical opportunity to solve it. In 1858, the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia N.N. Muravyov-Amursky presented to the tsar a project for the construction of a railway from the Volga to Baikal. But then it was a truly fantastic plan, the reality of which few believed. However, N.N. Muravyov-Amursky was not the founder of the project to create the Siberian Railway. Even earlier, such an idea was promoted by an official of the Ministry of Internal Affairs E.V. Bogdanovich, a man of versatile talent and indomitable energy. He proposed to build a highway across the Urals to Tyumen, and then to lead it along the watersheds of the rivers to Eastern Siberia. Bogdanovich calculated that the construction of a railway of 700 versts would cost the treasury about 48 million rubles, that is, 1/20 of the revenue part of the empire's budget. This figure plunged many dignitaries and ministers into horror. However, Bogdanovich did not back down, he began to prove, with the help of the press, that the plight of the mining industry in the Urals after the abolition of serfdom could only be corrected by the construction of a railway. Thanks to his efforts, a flurry of letters fell upon the capital demanding the construction of a railway line in Siberia.
Start of work on the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway
In 1872–1874 the first exploration work began. The reaction to them puzzled the government. Local authorities, a number of governors-general argued that the road would lead to an increase in prices, an influx of swindlers, buyers, and the peace of the empire would be disturbed. However, by that time in government circles, few doubted that the railway for Siberia was not only important, but vital. For its construction, in particular, the military advocated. They proposed to build a highway to Vladivostok, they argued that it was the port of Vladivostok that, in the event of war, would become “the target of the actions of our European enemies” and that it should be made a “second Sevastopol”. In addition, they pointed out the need for a rapid transfer of troops to the Pacific Ocean in the event of an invasion from outside or rebellions of the local population. The need for the construction of the road was justified by another circumstance: Russia sought to increase its influence in China, hoping to become the mistress of Asia.
In March 1881, Emperor Alexander II died at the hands of terrorists, and his son and successor Alexander III took up the problems of building the highway. It was he who was destined to become "the main builder of railway lines on locomotive traction" in Russia. In 1883–1885 The Yekaterinburg-Tyumen branch line was built. Rail track first reached Siberian land. This event was not accompanied by special celebrations, since the main gate to Siberia was not planned here, although this road meant a lot: it connected the basins of two large rivers - the European Kama and the Siberian Ob - and greatly facilitated the movement of migration flows beyond the Urals. Meanwhile, in government circles, debate continued about which route the great highway should take, at the same time survey work was carried out, and various construction projects were created.
In 1886, on the report of the governor-general of Eastern Siberia, Alexander III drew a resolution: “I have read so many reports of the governors-general of Siberia and I must confess with sadness and shame that the government has so far done almost nothing to meet the needs of this rich man, but launched edge. And it's time, it's time!"
And in the same year, having familiarized himself with the opinion of the Governor-General of the Amur Territory A.N. Korf about the importance of the railway for the Far Eastern regions, Alexander III ordered to "submit considerations" regarding the preparation for the construction of the steel line. On June 6, 1887, the government decided to build the Siberian Railway, the construction of which was declared a "great people's cause."
In 1887–1890 surveys were carried out on the future route, and all these years the Yekaterinburg-Tyumen branch was considered as the head section of the Trans-Siberian Railway. But in 1891, it was decided to make the Chelyabinsk station the starting point of the road through Siberia, since by that time the Samara-Zlatoust railway had approached it from the central provinces. "With dizzying speed" in 1896, a branch line Yekaterinburg - Chelyabinsk was built, and it connected the Ural Railway with the Trans-Siberian Railway under construction.
Railway bridge over the Ob. 1890s
However, the cost of building the highway to Vladivostok and its length still seemed colossal. Then the idea came up to “straighten” it beyond Baikal. Rear Admiral N.V. was the first to speak out for the implementation of such a project. Kopytov. He proposed to bring the Siberian railway beyond Irkutsk to the border Kyakhta, and then lay it through the territory of Northern China to the village of Nikolskoye, now Ussuriysk.
Beginning of work
Wanting to give the beginning of the construction of the Ussuri section of the Siberian railway the significance of an extraordinary event in the life of the empire, Alexander III signed a special rescript addressed to the heir to the throne. “I order now to start building a continuous railway through the whole of Siberia,” it said, “with the goal of connecting the abundant gifts of nature in the Siberian regions with a network of internal rail communications. I instruct you to declare such my will upon entering the Russian land again after reviewing the foreign countries of the East. At the same time, I entrust you with laying foundations in Vladivostok for the construction of the Ussuri section of the Great Siberian Railroad, which is allowed for construction, at the expense of the treasury and by direct order of the government. The official ceremony that marked the beginning of the "great people's cause" took place in the eastern point roads - in Vladivostok. Tsesarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich (future Emperor Nicholas II), who was there on his way from a trip to the countries of the East, on May 19 (31 according to a new style) on May 19 (31 according to a new style) at 10 am 2.5 km from Vladivostok, in the area of Kuperovskaya padi, after performing a prayer service, loaded a wheelbarrow of earth with his own hands and took her to the embankment. This event is considered the official start of the construction of the Great Siberian Route. Then, on the same day, the Tsarevich, to the sounds of an orchestra, laid the first stone in the foundation of the station and fixed a commemorative silver plate made in St. Petersburg according to a model approved by the emperor. It should be noted that by this time the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway had already begun on the Miass-Chelyabinsk section. On April 19, 1891, the Petersburg steamer brought rails, a group of railway engineers and 600 convicts to Vladivostok - they became the first builders of the highway. In Vladivostok, a railway station was already being erected and a 2.5 km railway was laid, along which Tsarevich Nikolai reached the place of the solemn laying. And the Tsarevich delivered the wheelbarrow with earth to the embankment, which had a length of more than 2 versts. Back in February 1891, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to simultaneously start work from opposite ends - from Vladivostok and from Chelyabinsk.
From Vladivostok, paths were led towards Khabarovsk immediately after the official start of construction, laid down by the Tsarevich. A year later, the construction of the route from Chelyabinsk began.
Ridge of Russia
In August 1892, an important event for the Siberian road took place: S.Yu. was appointed Minister of Finance. Witte, an extremely active person, an ardent supporter of the construction of the highway.
Emperor Nicholas II
As Minister of Railways for some time, Witte thoroughly studied the construction project, and becoming the all-powerful head of the finance department, he took matters into his own hands. Unlike his predecessor P.A. Vyshnegradsky, Sergey Yulievich was a staunch supporter of the fastest construction of the road: he seemed to foresee on the historical horizon Japanese war Without delay, Witte proposed the order of construction. The first stage is the design and construction of the West Siberian section from Chelyabinsk to the Ob (1,418 km), the Middle Siberian section from the Ob to Irkutsk (1,871 km) and from Irkutsk to the station. Baikal (80 km), as well as South Ussuri - from Vladivostok to the station. Grafskaya (408 km).
The second stage included the construction of a branch from the station. Cape on the eastern shore of Lake Baikal to Sretensk on the river. Shilka (1,104 km) and the North Ussuri section from Grafskaya to Khabarovsk (361 km).
The third stage of the Trans-Siberian Railway was the Amur Railway from Sretensk to Khabarovsk (2,130 km) and the most difficult part of the route - the Circum-Baikal Way from the station. Port Baikal (at the source of the Angara) to the station. Mysovaya (261 km).
On all sections (except for the Amur and Circum-Baikal railways, the construction dates for which have not yet been established), work was to be launched at full strength from the summer of 1893. The main was intended to be opened for full operation in 10 years - in 1903.
At the beginning of 1893, the Committee for the Construction of the Siberian Railway was established, which, like a locomotive, pulled the entire huge construction industry at full speed. It included the chairman of the cabinet of ministers, the ministers of finance, communications, internal affairs, state property, military, naval ministers and the state comptroller. The sovereign appointed the heir to the throne, Nikolai Alexandrovich, as the Chairman of the Committee, who, as time showed, was a little more than a year before the coronation.
Temporary station on the Trans-Siberian. 1890s
The Great Siberian Route set off to the east from Chelyabinsk rather quickly. After 2 years, the first train was already in Omsk, a year later - at the station. Krivoshchekovo in front of the Ob. Due to the fact that the construction of the road from the Ob to Krasnoyarsk was carried out at once in 4 sections, almost at the same time the first train arrived in Krasnoyarsk. And in 1898, 2 years ahead of schedule, - to Irkutsk. At the same time, the rails reached Baikal. And on the opposite side, from Vladivostok, the South Ussuri railway to the station. Grafskoy (now the station Muravyov-Amursky) was put into operation in 1896, and the North Ussuri road to Khabarovsk - in 1899.
Many foreign companies and entrepreneurs expressed their desire to participate in the construction of the road. But the Russian government, fearful of increasing foreign influence in Siberia and the Far East, rejected their proposals. The highway was built on its own, from Russian materials and at the expense of the treasury. It was not only a matter of prestige, but also of security.
Almost all work was done by hand, the tools were the most primitive - a shovel, a pick, a wheelbarrow, an ax, a saw. The workers lived in plank barracks knocked together by themselves, which were heated by stoves-potbelly stoves. Despite this, about 500–600 km of railway track was laid annually. History has never known such a pace of construction. The road was rented out in separate sections, along which the movement of trains immediately began. Stations (stone - in large cities, wooden - in small ones) and station buildings, as a rule, were erected in advance, before the arrival of the first train.
Bridges, train stations, locomotive depots and water towers not only corresponded to their practical purpose, but also met high aesthetic requirements. Many of them were subsequently recognized as monuments of architecture. The spiritual needs of the population were not forgotten either. By 1901, 167 churches and 107 schools were built along the Trans-Siberian Railway using funds from the Emperor Alexander III Foundation for Settlers, some of which are still in operation today.
Geological exploration was carried out along the route - the search for minerals in the area of \u200b\u200bthe future road. As a result, Anzhero-Sudzhensky, Cheremkhovo, Suchansky coals were discovered.
Thanks to the construction of the road, riverbeds were cleared and deepened, steamboats began to move, fields were plowed up and sown. In villages and cities, new working professions appeared - switchmen, stokers, and travel watchmen. Many commercial enterprises sprang up, sending bread, meat, pine nuts, furs, and wool to the West.
Impregnable Transbaikalia
AT Western Siberia the builders did not experience any particular difficulties: the flat terrain with slight slopes did not create significant obstacles. Only giant rivers, such as the Irtysh, Ob, Yenisei, and even then not for long, stopped the advance inland. But beyond Baikal, a completely different Siberia began - deserted, impassable, wild. The route crossed the impassable taiga, endless swamps, unpredictable rivers, numerous mountains and rocks, areas of permafrost. In conditions of almost complete impassibility, a lot of time and money was spent on the delivery of the necessary building materials (and in fact everything had to be imported except timber). The deadlines for putting the sites into operation were disrupted, and in the end the construction of the Amur railway was suspended. For the time being, they also decided not to build the Circum-Baikal Road, but to transport trains and goods across the lake by ferry. A 73-kilometer ferry crossing was established along Baikal From England, with great difficulty, the ferries-icebreakers "Baikal" and "Angara" were brought in parts, which fell within 5 years to transport trains. The Baikal, with a displacement of 3,470 tons, was launched in 1897, and in the spring of the following year it began cruising on the lake. For the flight, he carried 25 loaded wagons and 200 passengers. Angara helped him. During the day, icebreaker ferries made 2 voyages.
Railway station in Omsk. Early 20th century
Construction of the Circum-Baikal Railway
In the winter of 1903–1904 On the ice of Lake Baikal between Tankhoy and the port of Baikal, a 45 km long rail track was laid on the ice, along which wagons and steam locomotives were “rolled” by horse traction. But the ferry across Lake Baikal proved to be inefficient for transporting a huge mass of cargo, this was especially acute during the Russo-Japanese War.
Ferry-icebreaker "Angara"
Ferry across Lake Baikal
Ferry-icebreaker "Baikal"
Minister of Railways S.Yu. Witte
Chinese Eastern Railway
In the spring of 1901, the Trans-Baikal section of the Trans-Siberian Railway reached Sretensk. To connect European Russia with the Pacific coast by rail, it was necessary to build a road 2,000 km to Khabarovsk. Due to the extreme complexity of construction on the Amur site, as well as for political reasons, the government decided to build a railway from Transbaikalia to Vladivostok - a route through Manchuria. This is how the Kaidanovskaya branch to the border with China and the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER) arose. The linkage of rails along the entire length of the Great Siberian Route was carried out on October 21 (November 3, according to a new style), 1901. But the policy immediately made its own tough adjustments: as a result of the bloody Ihetuan (or Boxer) uprising, 2/3 of the already built CER railway was destroyed, as well as most of the outbuildings. The uprising was crushed, but on the road much had to be rebuilt.
Manual punching of tunnels of the Circum-Baikal road
Regular rail communication between St. Petersburg and the Pacific ports of Russia - Vladivostok, Port Arthur and Dalniy - was established on July 1 (14 according to a new style) July 1903. This date also marked the beginning of the operation of the Great Siberian Route throughout its entire length. However, there was still a gap on the highway; trains across Lake Baikal, as before, were transported on an icebreaker ferry.
As it turned out later, the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway, in which colossal money was invested (more than 400 million rubles, not counting private investments), did not justify itself. 40% of the funds were irretrievably lost when the constructed South Manchurian line had to be given to Japan under the Treaty of Portsmouth in September 1905. And after another 2 decades, the road began to work for the economy of China and Japan. Ultimately, the Amur road, which nevertheless had to be built, cost the country less than the CER (157.1 thousand rubles per 1 km against 172.6 thousand rubles).
Trans-Siberian Express
In August 1903, reports appeared in the world press about the opening of through passenger traffic to Vladivostok, which made a great impression on the then European society. Express trains that ran from the Baltic to the Pacific Ocean consisted exclusively of class I and II cars and were distinguished by increased comfort, as they would say today. In particular, they provided restaurants and a variety of amenities for passengers. Despite the fact that a ticket for such an express was not cheap, traveling along the new route provided significant savings in time and money. For example, getting from London to Shanghai by the Trans-Siberian Railway turned out to be 1.5 times faster and almost 2 times cheaper than by steamboat through the Suez Canal or Canada.
Trans-Siberian Express car
Unprecedented pace: the flip side
The highway grew at an astounding pace. Due to what such unprecedented rates of construction were achieved? The fact is that many works were carried out using simplified technology. The Committee for the Construction of the Siberian Railway developed special recommendations, following which the builders saved time and money. According to these recommendations, for example, the width of the subgrade in embankments, cuts and mountain areas, as well as the thickness of the ballast layer, were reduced, workers used lightweight rails and shortened sleepers, small bridges were built of wood, etc. Transsib designers even went for such step: they increased the distance between railway stations up to 50 km.
All this really accelerated and reduced the cost of construction, but as a result, the throughput of the road turned out to be insufficient. The mainline could pass 3 pairs of trains (i.e., 3 trains in different directions) per day. 1 of the 3 trains was supposed to be passenger, and the other 2 - commodity. The passenger train developed a speed of only 20 km per hour, the freight train and even less - 12 km per hour. In peacetime, this could be put up with, but with the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, it became obvious that the road needed to be reconstructed: the highway could not cope with the influx of troops and military cargo. The matter was further complicated by the fact that it was necessary to transport equipment, cargo and troops across Lake Baikal on ferries.
The train of the head of the construction of the Circum-Baikal Railway B.U. Savrimovich. 1898
Baikal question
In 1898, by decree of Nicholas II, survey work was carried out on the shores of Lake Baikal, which made it possible to begin construction of the eastern section of the Circum-Baikal Railway from Mysovaya towards Kultuk.
In 1900, the Engineering Council of the Ministry of Railways approved the final version of the route.
This construction site turned out to be the most difficult along the entire route from Chelyabinsk to Vladivostok. The shore of the lake between St. Port Baikal and st. Kultuk for 81 km was a rocky ridge of the Sayan Mountains with an elevation of up to 400 m above the lake level. The coast of Baikal was interrupted by numerous bays and capes with steep slopes and cliffs. The Trans-Siberian Railway approached the Circum-Baikal road from the west in 1898, from the east - in 1900, and the Circum-Baikal road itself, left for the 3rd stage because of its frightening impregnability, began to be built in 1902. Its laying was led by the railway engineer B.U . Savrimovich. The railway track along the shore of Lake Baikal was built in a little over 2 years - a year ahead of schedule. Contrary to the name "Circum-Baikal Railway", the path did not run around the lake, but only closed its western end in a semicircle. In September 1904, the first train with the Minister of Railways, Prince M.I., passed along the lake from Slyudyanka to Port Baikal. Khilkov on board, which marked the establishment of a continuous rail track across the entire continent, without the use of ferries. A year later, the commission for the inspection of the section Port Baikal - Slyudyanka found it "finished and fit for transfer to proper operation", and regular trains were able to follow the rails from Western Europe to Vladivostok itself. S.Yu. Witte, a great specialist in the field of railway construction, believed that Russia could be proud of the engineering solution of the Circum-Baikal Railway.
On March 29, 1891, Emperor Alexander III signed a decree on the construction of the Great Siberian Way, better known as the Trans-Siberian Railway.
The anniversary date is not widely celebrated in Russia. Society and the state treat the Trans-Siberian without any emotions: there is, and it's good.
Meanwhile, contemporaries called the Trans-Siberian one of the greatest technical achievements of mankind, compared its launch with the laying of the Suez Canal and even with the discovery of America.
According to the modern historian Alexander Goryanin, Russia has no less reason to be proud of the Trans-Siberian Railway than the first satellite.
Interesting facts about the Transsib and not only
The first steam locomotives in Russia were called steamboats.
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For 40 pre-revolutionary years, 81 thousand kilometers of railways were built in the country, and from 1920 to 1960 - 44 thousand kilometers. More than half of the main lines now at the disposal of RAO "Russian Railways" are the royal heritage.
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For a vast country, railway construction was a vital necessity. In the middle of the 19th century, the delivery of a pood of coal from England to St. Petersburg cost 12 kopecks, and from the Donbass - a ruble. Periodic outbreaks of famine occurred mainly not because of a physical shortage of bread, but because of the inability to bring it from productive provinces to lean ones.
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Having built railways from St. Petersburg to Tsarskoye Selo (1842) and from St. Petersburg to Moscow (1851), Nicholas I further development did not welcome. "Railways are not a consequence urgent need, and more often an object of artificial needs and luxury. They encourage unnecessary movement from place to place,” said Finance Minister Yegor Kankrin.
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Alexander II revised his father's policy, because Crimean War showed that the lack of transport infrastructure weakens military power.
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The Ministry of Railways in Russia was established on June 15, 1865. The total length of railways at that time did not exceed 3 thousand km.
The state corporation "Main Society of Russian Railways", created to build a route from Moscow to the Crimea, did not build anything and went bankrupt, causing a loss of 130 million rubles to the treasury, but its director bought himself a mansion in St. Petersburg and an estate in the Oryol region.
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In 1866, it was decided to transfer railway construction, as well as the production of rails, steam locomotives and wagons, to private hands. Over the next three years, investors received 139 licenses.
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The world's first electrified railway was supposed to appear in Russia. In 1913, it was decided to launch electric trains from St. Petersburg to Helsinki, but the war prevented the implementation of the plan.
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The Trans-Siberian project was born in 1837. A certain Nikolai Ivanovich Bogdanov (nothing more is known about him) proposed to stretch the railway to Kyakhta, the main transshipment point for Russian-Chinese trade.
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The idea had opponents who called it madness and swindle. The Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan Durnovo, two years before the start of construction, argued that the creation of the Trans-Siberian Railway would lead to a mass resettlement of peasants in Siberia, and labor costs would rise in the internal provinces.
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“The first thing to be expected from the road is an influx of various swindlers, artisans and merchants, then buyers will appear, prices will rise, the province will be flooded with foreigners, it will become impossible to maintain order,” the Tobolsk governor was worried.
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Anton Chekhov traveled three months from Moscow to Sakhalin in 1890.
Construction officially began on May 31, 1891. The heir to the throne, Nikolai Alexandrovich, in the tract of Kuperov Pad near Vladivostok, personally filled a wheelbarrow with earth and poured it onto the canvas. The builders began to move towards each other from Vladivostok and Miass ( Chelyabinsk region), to which the path was laid earlier.
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The future Nicholas II was appointed chairman state committee for construction supervision. Sergei Witte, then Minister of Railways, claimed in his memoirs that the proposal came from him. Alexander III was allegedly surprised: “The heir is still a boy, how can he head the committee?”, And Witte replied that if you do not entrust anything important to the crown prince, he will not learn.
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The initiators of the creation of the Trans-Siberian Railway were inspired by the example of the Union Pacific, the longest railway at that time from Omaha to San Francisco, commissioned in 1870 and also breathed life into underdeveloped lands. But the length of the Union Pacific was 2974 km, and the Trans-Siberian - 7528 km (together with the section from Moscow to Miass - 9298.2 km). Together with branches, 12,390 km of tracks were laid.
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The American road was technically more difficult in one respect: the builders had to overcome higher mountains (the Donner Pass in the Sierra Nevada has a height of 2191 meters above sea level, and the highest point of the Trans-Siberian, Yablonovaya station, is 1040 meters).
The Trans-Siberian Railway cost 1 billion 455 million rubles (about 25 billion modern dollars). Unlike most Russian railways, government funding was also involved.
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The average laying speed was one and a half kilometers per day.
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Construction took 25 years. The last object, a 2.6 km long bridge across the Amur, was put into operation on October 18, 1916.
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Regular traffic began much earlier, on July 14, 1903, but trains from Chita to Vladivostok did not follow the unfinished Trans-Siberian Railway, but along the Chinese Eastern Railway through Manchuria.
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An agreement on the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway was reached during the arrival of Chinese Premier Li Hong Zhang to Moscow for the coronation of Nicholas II in May 1896. The Great Soviet Encyclopedia of 1935 stated without reference to the source that Li Hong Zhang allegedly received a million-dollar bribe from the tsarist government.
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The Chinese Eastern Railway shortened the route by several hundred kilometers and was considered an outpost of Russian influence in Manchuria, however, according to some researchers, it did more harm than good, because, passing through Chinese territory, it was a constant source of problems and conflicts. After the communists came to power in 1949, the road was donated to the PRC.
In addition, at first there was a gap in the Trans-Siberian: trains crossed Baikal on ferries, and in winter the rails were laid on ice. October 20, 1905 was put into operation the Circum-Baikal road with a length of 260 km with 39 tunnels.
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At the same time, a monument was opened in Irkutsk Alexander III in the form of a railway conductor, and at the Slyudyanka station - the only station in the world built entirely of marble.
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Up to 20,000 workers were employed in the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. For political reasons, Chinese and Korean guest workers were not involved. Common in Soviet era the opinion that the road was built by convicts is a myth.
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The highest paid workers, bridge riveters, received a ruble for each rivet and hammered seven rivets per shift. Overfulfillment of the plan was not allowed so that the quality would not suffer.
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Part of the cargo was delivered by the Northern Sea Route. Hydrologist Nikolai Morozov took 22 steamships from Murmansk to the mouth of the Yenisei.
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The Amur Bridge was under construction for three years. The ship carrying steel spans from Odessa sank in Indian Ocean German submarine, and the work dragged on for 11 months.
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The world's first tunnel in permafrost was laid on the Amur site.
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Steam locomotives, wagons and a 27-arshin model of a bridge across the Yenisei became the highlight of the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 and received the Grand Prix there. French journalists called the Trans-Siberian "the backbone of the Russian giant" and "a grandiose continuation of the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries."
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Vladimir Lenin argued that "the road was great not only in its length, but also in the boundless robbery of state money, in the boundless exploitation of the workers who built it."
The passenger express went from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok for 12 days (now, thanks to electric traction and the elimination of single-track sections, the travel time has been reduced to seven days).
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A 1st class ticket cost 148 rubles 15 kopecks (the average salary of an industrial worker for half a year); 2nd class - 88 rubles 90 kopecks; 3rd class - 59 rubles 25 kopecks.
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At the service of passengers of the 1st class there were a saloon car with a library and a piano, bathrooms and gym. Carriages trimmed with mahogany, bronze and velvet are exhibited at the Railway Museum in St. Petersburg.
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In the 1930s, Japanese diplomats traveling along the Trans-Siberian Railway to Europe and back took turns counting the oncoming military trains for days on end, so a lot of dummies moved along the road.
The electrification of the Trans-Siberian Railway was fully completed in 2002.
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The capacity of the road, according to experts, can reach 100 million tons of cargo per year.
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The time of delivery of containers from the Far East to Europe by rail is an average of 10 days, about three times faster than by sea, however, the Trans-Siberian Railway serves less than two percent of the international trade turnover in this direction, primarily due to the lack of powerful transshipment seaports.
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In 1999, Nikolai Aksenenko, then Minister of Railways, lobbied for the construction of an 8-kilometer tunnel from the port of Vanino to Sakhalin to later link Russian railways to Hokkaido. The project is currently on hold.
The Trans-Siberian Railway, formerly known as the Great Siberian Railway, today surpasses all railway lines on earth. It was built from 1891 to 1916, that is, almost a quarter of a century. Its length is just under 10,000 km. The direction of the road is Moscow-Vladivostok. These are the starting and ending points for trains. That is, the beginning of the Trans-Siberian Railway is Moscow, and the end is Vladivostok. Naturally, trains run in both directions.
Why was the construction of the Trans-Siberian necessary?
The giant regions of the Far East, Eastern and at the beginning of the 20th century remained cut off from the rest of Russian Empire. That is why there is a need to create a road by which one could get there with minimal cost and time. It was necessary to build railway lines through Siberia. Governor-General of all Eastern Siberia, in 1857 officially announced the issue of construction on the Siberian outskirts.
Who funded the project?
It was not until the 1980s that the government allowed the construction of the road. At the same time, it agreed to finance the construction on its own, without the support of foreign sponsors. Enormous investments required the construction of the highway. Its cost, according to preliminary calculations carried out by the Committee for the Construction of the Siberian Railway, amounted to 350 million rubles in gold.
First works
A special expedition, led by A. I. Ursati, O. P. Vyazemsky and N. P. Mezheninov, was sent in 1887 in order to outline the optimal location of the route for the passage of the railway.
The most intractable and acute problem was the provision of construction. The way out was the direction of the "army of a permanent labor reserve" for compulsory work. Soldiers and prisoners made up the bulk of the builders. The living conditions in which they worked were unbearably difficult. The workers were housed in dirty, cramped barracks, which did not even have a floor. Sanitary conditions, of course, left much to be desired.
How was the road built?
All work was done by hand. The most primitive were tools - a shovel, a saw, an ax, a wheelbarrow and a pick. Despite all the inconveniences, about 500-600 km of track were laid annually. Carrying out an exhausting daily struggle with the forces of nature, engineers and construction workers coped with honor with the task of building the Great Siberian Way in a short time.
Creation of the Great Siberian Route
Almost completed by the 90s were the South Ussuri, Transbaikal and Central Siberian railways. The Committee of Ministers in 1891, in February, decided that it was already possible to start work on the creation of the Great Siberian Way.
It was planned to build the highway in three stages. The first is the West Siberian road. The next one is Zabaikalskaya, from Mysovaya to Sretensk. And the last stage is the Circum-Baikal, from Irkutsk to Khabarovsk.
From the two final points, the construction of the route began simultaneously. The western branch reached Irkutsk in 1898. At that time, passengers here had to transfer to a ferry, overcoming 65 kilometers on it along Lake Baikal. When it was ice-bound, the icebreaker made a path for the ferry. This colossus weighing 4267 tons was made in England to order. Gradually, the rails ran along the southern shore of Lake Baikal, and the need for it disappeared.
Difficulties during the construction of the highway
In severe climatic and natural conditions, the construction of the highway took place. The route was laid almost along its entire length through a deserted or sparsely populated area, in impenetrable taiga. The Trans-Siberian Railway crossed numerous lakes, the mighty rivers of Siberia, areas of permafrost and increased swampiness. For builders, the site located around Lake Baikal presented exceptional difficulties. In order to build a road here, it was necessary to blow up the rocks, as well as erect artificial structures.
The natural conditions did not contribute to the construction of such a large-scale facility as the Trans-Siberian Railway. In the places of its construction, up to 90% of the annual precipitation fell during two summer months. The brooks turned into mighty streams of water in a few hours of rain. large areas fields flooded with water in areas where the Trans-Siberian Railway is located. natural conditions made it very difficult to build. The flood did not begin in the spring, but in August or July. Up to 10-12 strong rises of water happened during the summer. Also, work was carried out in winter, when frosts reached -50 degrees. People warmed up in tents. Naturally, they often got sick.
In the mid-50s, a new branch was laid - from Abakan to Komsomolsk-on-Amur. It is located parallel to the main highway. This line, for strategic reasons, was located much to the north, at a sufficient distance from the Chinese border.
Flood of 1897
A catastrophic flood occurred in 1897. For more than 200 years there was no equal to him. A powerful stream with a height of more than 3 meters demolished the built embankments. The flood destroyed the city of Dorodinsk, which was founded in the early 18th century. Because of this, it was necessary to significantly adjust the original project, according to which the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway was carried out: the route had to be moved to new places, protective structures were built, embankments were raised, and slopes were strengthened. Builders first encountered permafrost here.
In 1900, the Trans-Baikal Mainline began to operate. And at the Mozgon station in 1907, the first building in the world was built on permafrost, which still exists today. In Greenland, Canada and Alaska adopted new method construction of facilities on permafrost.
Location of the road, the city of the Trans-Siberian Railway
The next route is made by a train departing along the Trans-Siberian Railway. The road follows the direction Moscow-Vladivostok. A train departs from the capital, crosses the Volga, and then turns towards the Urals to the southeast, where it passes about 1800 km from Moscow. From Yekaterinburg, a large industrial center located in the Urals, the path lies to Novosibirsk and Omsk. Through the Ob, one of the most powerful rivers in Siberia with intensive shipping, the train goes on to Krasnoyarsk, located on the Yenisei. After that, the Trans-Siberian Railway follows to Irkutsk, along the southern shore of Lake Baikal overcomes the mountain range. Having cut off one of the corners of the Gobi Desert and passing Khabarovsk, the train departs for its final destination - Vladivostok. This is the direction of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
87 cities are located on the Trans-Siberian. Their population is from 300 thousand to 15 million people. The centers of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation are 14 cities through which the Trans-Siberian Railway passes.
The regions it serves account for more than 65% of all coal produced in Russia, as well as about 20% of oil refining and 25% of industrial wood production. About 80% of deposits of natural resources are located here, including timber, coal, gas, oil, as well as ores of non-ferrous and ferrous metals.
Through the border stations of Naushki, Zabaikalsk, Grodekovo, Khasan in the east, the Trans-Siberian Railway provides access to the road network of Mongolia, China and North Korea, and in the west, through border crossings with the former republics of the USSR and Russian ports, to European countries.
Features of the Transsib
Two parts of the world (Asia and Europe) were connected by the longest railway on earth. The track here, as well as on all other roads of our country, is wider than the European one. It is 1.5 meters.
The Trans-Siberian Railway is divided into several sections:
Amur road;
Circum-Baikal;
Manchurian;
Transbaikal;
Central Siberian;
West Siberian;
Ussuri.
Description of road sections
The Ussuriyskaya road, which is 769 km long and has 39 points on its way, entered into permanent operation in November 1897. It was the first railway line in the Far East.
In 1892, in June, construction began on the West Siberian. It passes, except for the watershed between the Irtysh and Ishim, through flat terrain. Only near bridges major rivers she goes up. The route deviates from a straight line only to bypass ravines, reservoirs, and river crossings.
In 1898, in January, the construction of the Central Siberian road began. Along its length there are bridges over the Uda, Iya, Tom. L. D. Proskuryakov designed a unique bridge across the Yenisei.
Trans-Baikal is part of the Great Siberian Railway. It starts on Baikal, from the Mysovaya station, and ends on the Amur, at the Sretensk pier. The route runs along the shore of Lake Baikal, on its way there are many mountain rivers. In 1895, the construction of the road began under the leadership of A. N. Pushechnikov, an engineer.
After the signing of an agreement between China and Russia, the development of the Trans-Siberian Railway continued with the construction of another road, the Manchurian, connecting the Siberian Railway with Vladivostok. Through traffic from Chelyabinsk to Vladivostok was opened by this route, the length of which is 6503 km.
The construction of the Circum-Baikal section was the last to begin (because it was the most expensive and difficult area. Engineer Liverovsky led the construction of its most difficult segment between Capes Sharazhangai and Aslomov. The length of the main line is the 18th part of the total length of the entire railway. A fourth of the total costs required its construction A train passes through 12 tunnels and 4 galleries along this route.
The Amur road began to be built in 1906. It is divided into the East Amur and North Amur lines.
The value of the Trans-Siberian
The great achievement of our people was the creation of the Trans-Siberian Railway. The construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway took place on humiliation, blood and bones, but the workers nevertheless completed this great work. Great amount this road allowed transporting goods and passengers around the country. The deserted Siberian territories were populated thanks to its construction. The direction of the Trans-Siberian Railway contributed to their economic development.