A tunnel to Sakhalin: a history of the secret construction

The twentieth century was a time of incredible breakthroughs of humanity, innovative technical solutions, which have divided the world into 2 parts: the primitive past with its wooden carriages and oil lamps and the digital future, which was so eager inventors, bringing his discovery after discovery.

The share of the Soviet Union had a large number of Grand technological advances, often the country has been in a particular sector “world first”. However, it was in the Soviet Union, large-scale projects under the heading «secret», which for some reason failed to implement in full, and they remained on the drawings or initial stages of construction. One such “construction of the century” was the tunnel to Sakhalin (photo and information about him in the article).

History of ideas and the first idea

The earliest mention of how to connect Sakhalin island with the mainland transport (not air) from the late nineteenth century. However, while the idea was quickly rejected due to the shortage of funds, but also because inappropriate from an economic point of view. The next time the topic of tunnel construction on Sakhalin under the Tatar Strait was raised at the turn of the 20-30-s of the last century, and again the idea have been unsuccessful. And so, in the beginning of 1950 on the ferry started talking again, this time seriously, officially and in the main office of the country.

Stalin

The idea made personally by Stalin. Anticipated rail service through the construction of a bridge or tunnel to Sakhalin. Around the same time from Sakhalin to Moscow on an emergency basis was caused by the first Secretary of the Sakhalin regional Committee of the CPSU(b) D. N. Miller. Of course, the diplomat gathered all the reports about the situation in the region and ongoing works, but the true reasons for such an urgent call not know. However, worry comrade Miller it was about, because his presence at the meeting held on 26 March 1950 in the Kremlin walls, has become a formality. The question of whether to build a tunnel or not, has been resolved positively, and in a time when Stalin just thinking about it.

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The Purpose of the meeting was a decree on the development of the project. And all the same issue from the mouth of the leader sounded. Having heard the report of Miller, Stalin asked: “As a treat to connect Sakhalin with the mainland railway?”. Stunned Secretary, of course, knew what to say should not, but still tried to hint to Stalin that the construction will require enormous resources, both human and monetary. Needless to say that the response of Miller, the leader is perceived as a “flimsy”... You can imagine what I had to say regional Secretary Stalin, to be convincing, and to carry a head on your shoulders? The question is rhetorical.

The Secret of the century

The Practical part of the grandiose construction will not keep itself waiting long, and may 5, 1950, the Council of Ministers of the USSR issued a secret decree on the construction of the railway line “Komsomolsk-on-Amur - Pobedino”, part of which was supposed to be a tunnel to Sakhalin island. The secrecy was not only due to the fact that the implementation of such ideas in the 50 years was on the verge of something fantastic, the mystery still covers the strategic component of the construction. After all, from a military point of view the tunnel section of the highway would be a very attractive object, being invulnerable “artery”. In particular, the resolution included a paragraph mandating the construction of a false reference points of an imaginary tunnel in a radius of 50 kilometers from the works on the construction of this tunnel.

Project

Events moved very rapidly, and already in September the Council of Ministers of the USSR approved the technical regulations for the design and construction of the Stalin tunnel to Sakhalin with adjacent Railways. From Sakhalin the length of the paths project was 327 kilometers. The beginning of a tunnel was planned in the area of the Cape of Deflection. While on the mainland it was planned to build a railway from Cape Lazarev to the station «Selikhin”, near Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Accordingly, the tunnel was supposed to connect the most close to each other point of the island and the mainland, it is the project length was about 10 kilometers. The cost of the grandiose construction was estimated at 723 million rubles. The timing for the carrying out of works established severe. By design, the first loaded train had to pass through the tunnel at the end of 1955, and this despite the fact that detailed engineering studies and geological surveys on the territory of the future tunnel was not carried out. However, in those days, orders were not accepted to discuss, and then – approved project had to be implemented in time, regardless of what human and material resources this will require.

Who did not, and in what conditions was the implementation

Go back a little. Just a week after the publication of the secret decrees, may 12, 2 are unit codenamed “Building 506” and “Building 507”, withcenters on both sides, in the Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalin and at De-Kastri, respectively. To implement the construction and laying of the tunnel was formed a special unit, which was called “the Construction of No. 6 of the USSR».

Construction crews who were to lay the railway track to the tunnel, consisted mainly of prisoners of the Gulag, while in the composition “the construction of No. 6” were the military, parolees, hired experts and engineers, focused on distribution. Because of the dramatically small terms the first stages of implementation began as soon as prisoners were brought to the place. The project has not yet been finalized and builders sometimes have nowhere to live. However, when the housing and the basic conditions appeared sweeter to not getting. Equipped it was, like people have brought for a week, not 5 years. Plywood, tent-like buildings, which were often leaking roof, the lack of adequate number of canteens, warm clothes, baths and wash basins were created the conditions of this prison. Dirt and dampness in the barracks often meant that workers were ill with scurvy. Not surprisingly, as a result, the mortality rate among prisoners was high.

Managed build

The Realization of his ideas, Stalin personally supervised, periodically calling from the Kremlin, and Recalling the construction Manager on the timing and their personal responsibility. However, to see a Grand idea brought to life, Joseph Vissarionovich was not meant to be. March 5, 1953 it became known about death of the leader. By the time from the mainland was built about 120 miles of railroad track, in place of the expected start of the tunnel (Mys Lazareva) managed to dig a mine shaft and was created an artificial island at a distance of 1.5 kilometers from the shore. From Sakhalin for almost 3 years has failed to build even one kilometer of railroad. This is due to the worse conditions of work than on the mainland. All that managed to do that – a dirt road with the message "Deflection – Nysh”.

The Fate of the tunnel

With Stalin died and large-scale project, which if successful, could become one of the most important world events of the twentieth century. March 27, 1953 was declared a mass Amnesty, during which the unit is “Building 506" very quickly lost a significant amount of labor.

However, the main cause of freezing and, subsequently, termination of construction, was the statement of the Minister of internal Affairs L. P. Beria, which stated that the construction of large scale projects such as Railways and enterprises caused by the needs of the national economy. The Council of Ministers of the USSR statement was approved, and on may 20 of the same year the construction of the railway line “Komsomolsk-on-Amur - Pobedino” was completely closed. Curled up project with the same lightning speed that has been deployed.

Memoirs of participants

The known published recollection of the construction of the Sakhalin tunnel belongs to Yu. a. Koshelev. Then, during work on implementation, he was a young engineer, is sent to distribution, and acting master's major works. In his statement Yury enthusiastically tells us about the big plans of the building and is very sorry about that huge project fell into oblivion. Tells how after the death of Stalin wrote to Moscow, literally begging for permission to further work. And if in submission Kosheleva was about 12 construction crews, as it would be interesting to read the memories of ordinary workers who live and work in inhuman conditions! As if happily they would have told us about “the construction of the century”? Again, a rhetorical question.

More than 60 years Later

Today, the message of the Sakhalin island with the “mainland” is still carried out only by air and ferry. Of course, perhaps such funds to cope with traffic in the region. However, evidence that the construction of a tunnel to Sakhalin will be resumed is not received. There is only a project to connect the island to the mainland will be bi-directional rail bridge. The timing of this project is not indicated.