Golden buckle kbzhd. "Golden Buckle" of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Security of the tunnel on the newly built Circum-Baikal Railway during the Russo-Japanese War
I present to your attention the final post from my August trip to Baikal. We will spend the whole day on the Circum-Baikal Railway - a unique monument of engineering art. In this report we will find out why guides don’t like the Chinese, find out which migrant workers built this road in Russia, see seals in their natural habitat and, of course, enjoy the magnificent views of Lake Baikal.
1. The horizon merges and it’s hard to understand where the sky is and where Baikal is
2. We set off on this trip from where I was a few days ago. We were simply incredibly lucky and saw a seal swimming a hundred or two meters from the shore. I tried to increase the size of the photo as much as possible so as not to completely destroy the quality. But my lens is certainly weak for such long-range shooters :) 
3. While we were sailing on the ferry to the port of Baikal, which is located on the other side of the Angara, islands floated past the porthole... 
4. ... and closer to the port itself we were met by time-worn ships 
5. We only had to travel 100 kilometers on this train, but taking into account all the stops and the return journey, this trip takes more than 13 hours 
6. A group of Chinese were traveling with us in the carriage. We immediately understood the special attitude towards guests from Asia when we heard information from the guide of the entire train over the speakers: “On an excursion along the Circum-Baikal Railway, you cannot dig up plants or pick flowers. Especially for guests from Southeast Asia: EATING plants at the root is STRICTLY prohibited.” 
7. We barely had time to set off from the port of Baikal and immediately noticed a house with an interesting roof 
8. I wonder what these abstract images mean? 
9. At the first stop, Ulanovo, we were told about the nature of Baikal and shown an old abandoned boiler house 
10. There is no further road 
11. You can’t imagine how difficult it was to take a shot where there are no people on the tracks to the train :) 
12. At the next stop we were sent on foot through the tunnel. I found a bag of chips that everyone was stepping over - I had to take on the role of a fighter for the cleanliness of Lake Baikal. Amazing disgusting of course 
13. The views are amazing. In my opinion, the stone buildings fit very well into the natural composition. In total, about 470 bridges of various sizes and 6 viaducts were made on the Circum-Baikal Railway. 
14. Here’s a shot to help you understand what kind of small company we were traveling with:) 
15. There is another option to look at the beauty of the Circum-Baikal Railway - arriving from Irkutsk on such a ship. But I’m very glad that we traveled by train - at least we didn’t have chanson screaming throughout the whole area :) 
16. The water in Baikal is like glass 
17. Probably the most beautiful place on the Circum-Baikal Railway from an architectural point of view is the Italian retaining wall. It was named so because the project was developed by the Italian Ferrari. And in general, many Italians were involved in the construction of the Circum-Baikal Railway, as well as Poles and Albanians. In total, about 15,000 people built the Circum-Baikal Railway, most of whom were convicts, in contrast to freely hired foreigners. 
18. Beautiful masonry - but you could just make a smooth wall like in other places. I wonder if these arches have some kind of reinforcing function or just for aesthetics? 
19. Do you remember how many people were with us on the train? Now imagine how much work it took to make this and the previous two frames :) 
20. Driving past a small village, a miracle of technology was discovered. Who knows what this is and why? 
21. This is the train stop 
22. On the other side of the train Baikal 
23. Notice how “frequently” the trains travel here :) 
24. This was probably the longest stop of the entire trip. 
25. A Chinese hipster was found eating grapes and watching with a smile. And what was happening in the background was swimming in the water and shouting in a drunken voice: “Guys, why aren’t you swimming, aaaargh? Let’s all get into the water. Where is my Natalya? Natalya come here. Aaaargh.” 
26. For tourists they made open-air cafes and trade with what Baikal and China sent. In three-liter bottles, Kuril tea is a delicious drink. 
27. And the samovar is heated with pine cones and the smell is simply magical 
28. The longest (778.4 meters) and straight tunnel is located exactly in this place. Nearby is the shortest one - 29.8 meters. Punching such tunnels was carried out with explosives. No more than 40-50 cm were penetrated per day. 
29. The Circum-Baikal Railway is considered the most beautiful among the railways in the world. And looking at Baikal on the one hand, and the amazing nature on the other, it’s hard to disagree with this 
30. Vintage American steam locomotive as a museum exhibit 
31. Photo taken at the next stop. When I took this photo, I realized how much I missed my daughter and wife and was glad that I had to see them the next day. 
32. Kirikei complex. A very difficult section of the road - constant landslides, a river - so they made 2 tunnels at once. The river flows through a channel in the center of the frame between two tunnels. 
33. There is soot from steam locomotives and some kind of snot on the ceiling :) 
34. In total, 41 tunnels were built, of which 40 remained. For every kilometer of the road, approximately a carload of explosives was used. The total length of all Circum-Baikal Railway tunnels is about 9.5 km. 
35. Calm 
36. And behind you is a symbiosis of nature and stone architecture 
37. In total, about 270 retaining walls of varying complexity were built 
38. Previously, the Circum-Baikal Railway was called the “Golden Buckle of the Steel Belt of Russia”, the buckle - because it connected the Trans-Siberian Railway, broken by Baikal, and the golden one - because in terms of the cost of work it surpassed all existing roads in Russia. 
39. Calm part two:) 
40. It is difficult for the naked eye to understand where the horizon line ends and the sky begins. Only a thin strip of mountains in the distance hints that there is a transition from earth to sky 
41. Abandoned engineering structure 
42. International friendship - a Chinese boy fell asleep in the arms of a Russian guide :) 
43. On the Circum-Baikal Railway there are also buildings for elite recreation. Tennis courts were also spotted. They say that he himself came here more than once :) 
44. The final point of the route is Slyudyanka station. From here our train went to Irkutsk 
45. By the end, we were completely bold and asked the hipster to take a photo together. He handed over the omul, because... Otherwise, he refused to be photographed and scared us with Kim Im Sung if something happened. Also in the frame was a girl carrying a pink horse by the mane. This is such a surreal thing :) 
46. We already saw the sunset on the way to Irkutsk 
47. Thanks to this photo, you learned that we spent the whole day in carriage number 3. I almost forgot to tell you about the conductors’ dislike for the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom. When we went out in Irkutsk, under the seats where these amazing and smiling citizens with expensive cameras were sitting, the level of garbage went off scale. Sadness. 
48. The Irkutsk sun winked at us all the way back :) 
The trip would not have been so interesting if it had not been for the company I was traveling with. For which special thanks to everyone again :)
I think that now you should definitely visit Baikal in winter, admire the ice patterns and ride on ice boats across the expanses of the deepest lake in the world.
The Circum-Baikal Railway is a unique place not only on Lake Baikal, but, perhaps, throughout the world. In terms of the number of different types of work per 1 km of track, the difficulty of their implementation and cost, the Circum-Baikal Railway has surpassed all built rail tracks in the world and is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful railways in the world.
This is a place where, on the steep slopes of the eastern Baikal coast, amazing architecture and powerful rocks miraculously merged together. The slopes facing Baikal are very steep in many places, cut by narrow but deep valleys, sometimes rising almost vertically above the lake.
The Circum-Baikal Railway is a unique monument of engineering skill.
A little history:
On May 17, 1891, Tsar Alexander III issued a decree to begin construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
It was built mainly by convicts exiled to Siberia. In total, about 15,000 people were involved, working 14-16 hours a day. Accidents often occurred, up to 100 people died per year, the main causes of high mortality were scurvy and injuries. That is why this section is called the “road of bones.”
Punching of tunnels was carried out mainly manually, using explosives. The daily rate of advancement was 40-50 cm. Stone laying specialists from Italy and Albania worked as freelancers, using elements of cyclopean masonry in construction, in which the stone is placed without a binding mortar, by selecting it according to its shape.
For every kilometer of track, on average, one carload of explosives was used and excavation work was carried out in a volume equal to the capacity of approximately 400 cars, which is comparable to the volume of work on the construction of the Suez Canal.
During the construction of this section of the Trans-Siberian railway (from Kultuk to the port of Baikal), builders built 41 tunnels. Of these, 40 have survived. The total length of the tunnels is about nine and a half kilometers. 15 stone galleries and 3 reinforced concrete ones were built. About 470 large and small bridges and 6 viaducts were thrown across rivers, streams, valleys, hollows, and bays of Lake Baikal. To protect the route, about 270 different fortifications were built: retaining walls, paving and others. 18 stone pipes and flumes were built. According to some estimates, for every 100 meters of track on the Circum-Baikal Railway there is one engineering structure.
In terms of volume, complexity and cost of work, this section had no equal among Russian railways. Before the revolution, this short section of the route was called the “Golden Buckle of the Steel Belt of Russia”, the buckle because it connected the Trans-Siberian Railway, which had been severed by Lake Baikal, and the golden one because in terms of the cost of work it surpassed all existing roads in Russia.
However, the legendary highway is famous not only for its huge capital investments. Today it is perhaps one of the most beautiful railways in the world. Thousands of tourists come here from everywhere, wanting to see this. After the construction of the Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Station in 1958, part of the Circum-Baikal Railway section (from Irkutsk to the port of Baikal) was flooded and the section became a dead end.
You can get acquainted with the Circum-Baikal Railway in different ways:
1. You can walk it, some part, or all of it, from beginning to end. This is the most radical way to get acquainted with nature, Lake Baikal and the most legendary railway in Russia. This option is chosen by travelers who want to enjoy nature and the unforgettable scenery of the Holy Sea away from tourist groups.
Considering the total length of the road - 84 km - it is necessary to allocate at least 4 days for a leisurely walking route. Considering the large number of picnic and camping areas with places for tents and ready-made wooden tables every 5 km right next to the lake, comfort of movement is guaranteed.
The most interesting section of the stop. Staraya Angasolka - port. Baikal.
At the main stations (10-15 km away) there are rural shops where you can buy provisions (dairy products, fresh bread, vegetables).
However, for this option, you must have a tent, a sleeping bag, a headlamp with spare batteries, trekking shoes, tick repellent (during the period of tick activity from May to July), and clothes for rain.
When walking the route, you can always leave the distance and get to any final station on a local train passing along the Circum-Baikal Railway - “Matana”, which runs at an average speed of 15-20 km/h and covers a distance of 84 km in 6-7 hours with many stops "on demand". The Matani schedule can be found by calling the Irkutsk-Pasazhirsky railway station, or from local residents, for whom the train is the only way to contact the mainland.
2. Travel along the Circum-Baikal Railway on a luxury excursion electric train (Circum-Baikal Express) with stops and sightseeing of the main attractions of the Circum-Baikal Railway. The electric train departs in the morning from Irkutsk to Slyudyanka station, from where the main route along the Circum-Baikal Railway begins to the final station, Port Baikal, and then, having crossed the Angara by ferry, the bus brings tourists back to Irkutsk in the evening.
The excursion runs year-round, takes up a full daylight hours and is full of sightseeing with stops and train stops every 15-20 km.
3. A water excursion along the Circum-Baikal Railway has been at the peak of popularity among tourists for two years now.
The water excursion is served by the hovercraft "Barguzin".
In two places - on Cape Polovinny and Cape Tolsty, the ship makes stops with the possibility of sightseeing. In the evening the ship returns to Irkutsk along the same route. The disadvantage of such a trip is the limited number of stopping places, the possibility of taking place only in the summer, and the need to book tickets 2 weeks in advance due to high demand.
4. In winter, a winter road (motor road) is laid along the entire Circum-Baikal Railway on the ice of the lake along the shore. Therefore, getting to the Circum-Baikal Railway and driving along it in both directions will not be difficult. The only condition is that you need to know the rules for driving on winter roads and not leave the beaten path, marked with special poles. Remember that about 70 cars drown on Lake Baikal every year.
Interesting objects:
1. Acquaintance with the Circum-Baikal Railway usually begins in Slyudyanka, a small town at the southern tip of Lake Baikal. It is here that the only stone station building is located, built of white and pink marble.
2. 149 km. Old Angasolka. Staraya Angasolka station is very interesting. After this station, the most saturated section of the road with architectural and engineering objects begins. The Angasolsky stone arched viaduct amazes with its beauty and power. There is also a museum of the world-famous artist, traveler, writer, philosopher - Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich. The museum is located in the house where the Roerich family stayed in 1926.
3. Next is the Shabartuysky complex of artificial structures. This is the iron bridge of the first track “riding on top”. Between the stone supports there are spans of 20 fathoms. In addition to this bridge, there is a reinforced concrete viaduct, two-span, arched.
4. 123 km. Kirkirei
The most delightful and mysterious place is the Kirkireisky complex. The builder had to work hard in this place. The indomitable nature of the Kirkirei River, as well as the mountain falls that constantly occur in these places, forced the builders in the second construction period to dig another tunnel parallel to tunnel No. 18, No. 18, and also to build a drainage system directly above the tunnel. In 1904, it was here that the East and West of Russia were closed into a single chain. In the presence of the Minister of Railways, the last spike on the Circum-Baikal Railway section was driven in.
5. 109 km. Polovinnaya station
One of the vacation spots that tourists love most is Polovinnaya Pad. The picturesque valley of the Polovinnaya River is located between Cape Polovinny and Chaikin Rock. There are two tunnels in these places - the longest (778 meters) and the shortest. Behind the tunnel on the Baikal side there are several secluded bays with cozy sandy beaches that are great for swimming. At the station there is a commemorative steam locomotive from the time the road was built. This locomotive was produced in the USA by order of the USSR, and now anyone can climb inside and touch the history.
6.02 km. Italian wall
And finally, one of the most beautiful places of the Circum-Baikal Railway is the “Italian” retaining wall. It received this name because its arches are very reminiscent of Italian architecture. Gallery No. 7 “Bolshaya Shumikhinskaya” is located nearby. It was built to protect the road from rockfall.
Regardless of the choice of direction for walking along the Circum-Baikal Railway, the opening landscapes of Lake Baikal, along with the beauty of unique structures made by human hands, make an indelible impression on any traveler for life.