A TRAVEL ACROSS SIBERIA. The Rossiya, the real Transsib

" I order to start building the continuous railway across all the Siberia,; I want it to connect Siberian regions rich in natural resources with the rest of the russian railway infrastructure. I want you to declare this as my will after my return from the countries of east. I also want you to start building in Vladivostok the Ussuriysk distance of Great Siberian Rail Way using funds from russian treasury".

Alexander the third ordered in this way the beginning of construction works of one of the most important events in the history of Russian Empire, the Ussuriyski distance of the siberian railway. He wrote it in his rescript to the heir of the Russian throne. On May 19 1891, at 10:00 Nicolai Alexandrovich followed the will of his parent.That's how the great and complicated railway building began.

Therty four years before the railway foundation, in 1857. N.N.Murav'yov-Amurskly, general-governor of the eastern Siberia set up a question of railway construction on the siberian outlets of Russia.This job was given to the miltary enginner D. Romanov. He had to make some research and create a project of building a railway that would lie from Amur river to the De-Kastri Bay. During the second half of the XIX century Russian especialists developed several new projects of railways' building in Siberia. However all of them found no support from the side of the Russian goverment. Only in the middle 80's Russian goverment started working in this question. There were many suggestions from foreiing enterpreneurs. But Russian goverment was afraid strengthening foreing influence on Sibera and the far East Russia by letting foreing industrial companies and capitalists build railway there. Therefore, it decided to use its own money.

The first real impulse to start construction on the new railway was given by tha Emperor of teh Russian Empire Alexander III. In 1886 he wrote a resolution on the report of general-governor from Irkustsk. In this resolution he wrote: "I have read so many reports from the siberian governors that now I can admit with sadness that goverment did almost nothing to satisfy the needs of this rich, but neglected region. It is time to correct this mistake.." Shortly after that he asked A.N. Korf about his opinion on importance of railway for the Far Eastern regions. He also ordered to "present ideas" on preparing for railway construction.

In 1887 trhee espeditons were send to find parths for Zabaikaiskaya, Middle Sbierian, and south-Ussuriyskaya railways. This expeditions were led by engineers N.P.Mezheninov, O.P. Vyazemskly,A.I. Ursati. Almost all of them completed their mission till 90's. In 1891, Siberian railway construction Committe was formed. It declared that "Siberian railway construction is a great national event; it should be built by Russian people with Russian materials". In February 1891. minister's comitttee found it possible t start Great Siberian Way constructon from two directions: Vladivostok and Chelyabinsk.

Is one of the most famous trains on the world, but the Transsib Express doesn't exist. The only one which drive along Moscow and Vladivostok is the Rossiya train .

Before the railway constructions, Perm was the begining of the Great Siberian Post road. It was a dusty road that ended in Irskutsk at Baikal lake. Just few kilometers after Pervoraisk, there is a white obelisk.In one side is written in Russian the word Asia, in the other one Europe. 1818 kilometers later the train arrives to Ekaterimburg cross. The place where in 1917 the Tzar Nicholas II and his family were killed. Ekaterimburg is an industrial town in the middle of the Urals; and then: Siberia " The asleep land", plenty of birch's woods. One of the largest tunnels is placed in Elansj, 130 kilometres from Ekaterimurgo.

Beyond the river Yenisei, the train penetrate in the Taiga, A vast wooded spaciouness that occupy almost 40 per cent of Russia. The writer Anton Chejov said once about it :" Its strength and its magic doesn't lie in the size of its gigantic trees, nor in the depth of its gloomy silence. But in the fact that the migratory birds are the only one who kwnos its boundary."

When the traveler leave Irkutsk there is a letter that say you are in the middle of the route between Moscow and Vladivostok. Shortly after the line get into a tunnel, the first one from Moscow, and continue running along the southern bank of the great lake, snaking across a thick birchs wood. Through this strech the line reach the highest point:1025m.

Starting from Jabarovsk the Rossiya turn off the south over a flat and morshy land. Along this section, of double rail, there are mountains at the left side, whereas the wide Ussuri river and the chinesse border can be seen across the other one. Finally, a week and two hours after the departure, the traveller arrives to Vladivostok, an ugly picture surrounded by a nice frame.The ugliness is in the concrete town. The beauty comes from the seven kilometers of harbour, and the mountains behind them.

Transsib railway was built under really hard conditions:difficult climate, low populated or not populated areas, tense forests. The road goes across many strong siberiàn rivers, meets many lakes. The most difficulr for builders was the section abourt the Baikal( Baikal station-Mysovaya station). Hera they had to blast rocks, to make tunnels, to build additional structures on the rivers that go into Baikal lake.

The construction required big capital expenditures. According to the Railway Construction Commitee calculations estimated cost of road building was 350 millions of gold rubles. Therefore, to lower the cost and to build the road faster, Commitee established special simplified technical concitions, base for the Ussuriysk and Western Siberia sections of the road. For example, according to the committe's recommendation, the width of the earth bed in such places as mounds and excavations was decreased, ballast layer was made thinner, lighter rails were used, the number of sleepers for 1 km was decreased. Major construction works were planed only for the bigs bridges. Smaller bridges were build of wood.

The sharpest problem was the way to attracting labor. The need of qualified workers was satisified by hiring them in the center and tranporting to Siberia. Most of the builders were convicts and soldiers.

Almost all the works were fulfilled by hands.Instrument were very simple and primitive.Many Russian talented and experienced in railway building engineers participated in the Trans-Siberian railway building.

Finally Europe got an access to the Pacific Ocean.

Once upon the time departure was solemn: carriages almost empties started putting in motion in front of a red guardians row, singing " The Orient is red". The restrained pace of the train pay to contemplation. Finnally a numeness take hold of the passengers. It's neither boredom nor tiredness, but a mix of dreams, reading,conversations, confidences, privileged moments gaved to the time, that seem to be forgotten. The Steppe extends across a thousand kilometres until the horizon. Inside the carriages, the lights deleted the outside world. A strange privacy overcame the compartments. Cards and chess games fill the time before the rest.The couchettes are placed on tree heights.

The morning come back again, and with her the platforms becames flea markets. Women, men and childrens slide under the trains, pulling sacks crowded by all kind of strange items.The locomotive whistle ended roughly all the transactions, while the last passengers get into the carriages, thinking about the next stop. Wandering characters traveling among two old continents.