The Circum-Baikal Railroad 100 years' anniversary

This railroad loop, from Port Baikal station to Mysovaya station, was the final rail-link of the Great Siberian Way. Trans-Sib (end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century.) is one of the most outstanding technical and engineering constructions and its building has become an event of the world's significance.

"After America's explorations and the Suez Canal's building there was no such an event in the world's history, mentened as much more prominent and rich of the direct and circumstational after-effects then the building of Trans-Sib.
The Great Siberian Way, 7.500 km. of extent, has connected the European and Asian parts of Russia with "steel belt" and the Circum-Baikal section (260 km.) has become its "golden buckle".

in the period of 1902-1904, there were: 39 tunnels, 47 stone galleries, 1ots of metal bridges, stone viaducts, support-walls, water-defences, railroad stations and other constructions, built in the western part of the Circum-Baical loop, (84 km. of extent). Some of those permanent headworks mentioned above, have their own names like: "Listvenychny", "Tolsty", "Khatorzhansky", "Berezovsky", "Polovinny", "Dvoynaja Gooba" ets. The Circum-Baikal section from Port Baikal station to Khultouck station has no comparisson to the volume of the fulfilled works and the quantity of engineering constructions ever built on 1 km. of the road in Russia or even in Europe. And Trans-Sib's building has also been one of the first experiences of the international cooperation when the foreign workers from China and Albany or Italian engineers worked together with Russians.

Nowadays, the Circum-Baikal rail-road has been set out of the main route but its current location is getting more and more interesting for historians, tourists and for those who are in love for exotic natural spots. Till now the researcher, amateurs of the olden times and tourists cannot stop to be amazed by its mountaineous defensive sistem: trestlebridges, stone walls and galleries, that absorbed the basic firmness and extraordinary elegance. The creative strength and inspiration of the builders have been realized not only in the main contructions but in the others: the concrete drainages, gutters and dry masonry. Every little creak or even spring, falling into Baikal near the line, were ennobled around because the builders had every thing taken into consideration: the most complex relief of shores, conditions of mountain rocks and depth of water.

Only This railway bed was made out on the vertical slopes of clifs going down to the depth of the "Sacred Sea".
In truth the Circum-Baikal Railroad is an amazing creature of the human's labour and thought, worthy of your attention.

By: Sergey Vyhara