World’s Most Dangerous Roads | Russia - The Long Road to Siberia | Free Documentary

in the arctic circle in northern

russia

there are

road

s that only exist for a few weeks a year the conditions on the ice are extreme if you take the winter

road

you do it at home barrel in

siberia

many

roads

are not made of asphalt but of ice and snow the winter road that connects salihat and nadim is only passable from December to April when spring arrives on the border between the tiger and the tundra the temperatures increase from -50 to -20 degrees Celsius it is the beginning of the end for the ice road yuri zilbu knows this road like no other.

He is accompanying a heavy transport back to Salihart, his hometown, at a spring the water flows through the frozen ground, turning the road into an icy runway. The two drivers must cross a

dangerous

section. The top is

dangerous

. We could slide. and stay down stay down drive slowly in first gear no you just have to be careful stay on this track over there and keep going and keep going many people try to take the top of the road and slide down sometimes even tip over and fall to one side it is a really complicated part you have to be very precise when driving it specializes in heavy transport you have to maneuver the heavily loaded truck on the ice the truck al

most

reaches the small elevation but the last section the slope is too steep and slippery it is For moments like this that Yuri Zurubu is with him the articulated truck only crosses the hill with the help of the second vehicle as

long

as the improvised extension the trailer row is bolted on, we need to get the wheels off the ice and then try to go in second gear. speed the return trip from Salehart to Nadimon takes five days if the weather permits, only during the winter months can the men transport urgently needed goods between the cities at this time they need a steamroller In Salihat the drivers arrive by the later to the city founded as a Cossack fortress.

Salikar today lives off the vast gas fields of this region. The gas reserves are among the largest in the

world

and have made the city a thriving community despite extreme temperatures of around forty degrees. thousand people live here on the outskirts of the city the facilities of the Yamalav Todor company are located. The road construction contractor of the Todor region is responsible for the construction and maintenance of the few roads in the region. The company employs Leonid Padalka. and yuri zidbu as drivers are glad they did it it's a little colder with -30 degrees their job becomes easier before the temperatures rise again and the road sinks into the mud they have to go through with one last heavy horse They urgently need an asphalt paver at the other end of the winter road in Nadine before they can start the 15 ton machine it must be loaded onto the trailer to ensure the load does not slide on the road the men carefully secured it in the tow the least they can do to cross is a good preparation On the ice road you look for a way out, you grab at every straw to get out and reach your destination to solve your problem, but you are very afraid that the convoy will travel on this road without any contact with the outside

world

for several days.

There is no mobile phone reception If you want to take the winter road you have to be aware of the dangers that everyone perceives at the entrance The convoy is made up of four vehicles The truck with its heavy load is followed by a bulldozer that must clear the way In case of emergency, there is a truck with construction materials behind it and Yuri Zirbu is securing the convoy. Sarikat is located in the Yamalo Neniates Autonomous Region, right on the Ob River, in the Arctic Circle. The winter road to Nadim is about 300 kilometers

long

and leads through marshes and across several rivers, it is the only road connecting Salihat with the outside world.

On the other side of the road in Nadim Konya Prokhorov and Jagor Stefanenka want to risk crossing the winter road. The two share an unusual passion. They love to drive. country far from the usual roads during the summer they are planning an off-road trip through Russia they want to use the winter road to test themselves and their cars in the

most

extreme conditions they told us not to let any more trucks pass we will wait until tonight with the jeep yes you will do it why don't you let more trucks pass it's hot it's snowing until 6 in the afternoon it's fine thanks the two off-road drivers are from nadine and they have never come to the The neighboring city of Salihat now, at the end of winter, They have chosen the most unpleasant moment for their trip.

There is no accommodation or restaurants along these 300 kilometers. They have to take care of themselves. It started to rise. The snow is increasing. it will probably be colder than during the day it will be quite humid we have thought it through we are well prepared this is checking everything several times before embarking on a tour like this it is the only way we value our life and our health In reality, the road crosses a river, in a few weeks barges will arrive here instead of cars, but for now the ice remains firm, although the collapsed pylons and deformed tracks remind us of the fantasies of the starling superpowers who were frustrated by the eternal cold of the north .

siberia

after the second world war the dictator wanted to build a railway line along the arctic circle the secret project was called stalin's railway or the road of death more than 100,000 prisoners were exposed to the cold without protection the extreme driver jagor stefaninka took over the fields for the first time stalin's railway was never in operation two weeks after stalin's death work stopped at the other end of the winter road yuri zubu has strayed from the right path even experienced drivers find them It's hard to recognize where the road ends and the deep snow begins.

As the day goes by, it gets hotter again. There is no traction between the snow and the wheels. The snow is like soap. The wheels just spin because of the angle. It would take hours to get out of this situation. If only the edge of the hard snow makes it difficult to put the wheels back on solid ground, you must understand that the air, ground and snow temperatures are different at this time, you need less air in your tires, the road yuri takes him back to the deep snow he wants to do. The road is wider with its Russian Euro trunk that is specially designed for heavy territories.

You can change the air pressure in your tires while driving with less air. the tires are like a bear's paws when a bear steps on the branches you would think they would break but they don't or even make a noise this also applies to euro tires now the vehicle has created the necessary space for itself and It feels like a fish in water, you just have to stay calm and be patient. Don't get agitated every year in November. Yuri forges his path in the deep snow inch by inch day after day until he has made a new mark through the 300 kilometers from Salihat to Nadine Ivan and Grigori Ataman are on the way home were selling reindeer. meat at the Salikat market and bought some food the two brothers are tundra nomads and members of the Negnet people Ivan and Grigori live in a small settlement about 130 kilometers from Salihat right in the middle of the tundra they need a motorcycle snow or a sleigh to get to their tents snowmobiles are fast but exhausting after 40 kilometers the nomads stop to have a tea this is not just to recover the nanites they stop at sacred places a path is not just a path we always stop there and we make an offering sometimes we also throw coins as we pass there are no gas stations in the tundra that is why the Net brothers always carry a barrel of gasoline with them they want to reach their small settlement before nightfall the last 30 kilometers will take them through deep snow without this road It took us much longer to get to the city, sometimes up to two or three days in those days, when there was no road, our sleighs would get stuck in mountainous territory, today it is the road of life for us and their Colleagues in the convoy ensure that the road will remain passable on each trip by chaining pipes that must be welded to their trucks.

These makeshift 4-ton rollers level and compact snow that would otherwise break up and become impassable in a few few days to make a good road that is necessary build it on the tundra we want the winter road to be similar to a normal road once the road is above the level of the tundra you will no longer have to worry about blizzards and wind The best time to drive on a winter road is at night. With the headlights, drivers can distinguish the potholes before in the diffuse light of day the convoy is making good progress but then Yuri and his companions come across a truck that has suffered a accident the driver has been stuck since lunchtime no one has been able to help him his attempts to

free

himself have only driven him deeper into the snow I misjudged and went off the road there was a snow storm and I couldn't see anything so I rolled over and I slipped off the road Yuri wants to pull the truck out with the rope the wheel loader also pushes him from behind the truck doesn't move he tries to start the engine it's complicated if we could start it the power of the engine would help us right now it's like dead weight without the engine Low temperatures vehicles never turn off on the winter road, even during the longest breaks, drivers know that once the engine cools down, they can't do anything without outside help, everyone out of the way along the way, the rescue mission has considerably delayed the convoy on the highway. punctuality on the road in winter is a luxury car nowadays it's every man for himself the north doesn't forgive these mistakes you just won't get very far in the tundra with this kind of frost I don't know how strong a man has to be here to survive without help sooner or later everyone needs the help of a friend or a colleague ten kilometers further on there is another accident the fury does not surprise me the black eyes here have been the downfall of many drivers this truck has been stuck for three days Now several attempts to help him have failed.

The heavy load has pushed the truck further and further down the hill. He tries second gear. Yuri quickly realizes that they can't help him either, but the truck blocks his path. He needs to stay where he is, damn it. . We will pass it carefully so as not to crush it if we slip. We've cleared everything. The convoy carefully passes in front of the unfortunate vehicle. After a few meters, the wheel loader begins to slide. I told him that I had to drive very low down so that you don't slip and he responded very well just to continue on another route.

The convoy has been on the road for 14 hours, despite the fatigue, the drivers take advantage of the favorable night conditions that continue to find their way. path through the cold and snow until dawn very few creatures can survive the harsh environment of the arctic circle extreme temperature differences blizzards permafrost soil the people of negan have come to terms with the adversities of nature the brothers ivan and Grigori Ataman arrived at their small settlement. The night before, in three tents, they had tea and frozen raw reindeer meat for breakfast together. About forty thousand live in the Yamano region, which is named after them in their language.

Some of them have preserved the ancient culture. They live like tundra nomads with their tents they move from one place to another they deny them they practice a strict division of labor the women are responsible for the tent the food and the children the men take care of the reindeer and hunt the reindeer are the negative treasure that many nomadic families have thousands of animals at their disposal the tents and clothing are made of reindeer skins nothing else keeps you so warm the dogs are restless they may feel that they will be hunting today spring is coming and soon Grigori Ivan and Your friend will begin heading to the summer meadows to the north with their herds.

This means that the herd that has been living independently of its owners needs to be reunited. Grenigori owns 3,000 reindeer. They are able to withstand colder temperatures than any other animal in the world. farm first the men want to capture some individual animals the animals can smell trouble with their snowmobiles Grigori and his brother gathered the animals and listened to them towards the others who were waiting with their lassos they tried to catch the leading male animals. Reindeer hooves are very wide and they can move quickly in deep snow. As soon as they capture the first reindeer, they tie them to wooden slaves.

They need to get used to their task as work animals again. The rest of the pack willingly follows them. Soon it will be impossible to travel with snowmobiles. So we win. I won't be able to go to the city once it scratches everything is blocked with water the road becomes impossible now we take those reindeer to the herd then we catch the younger ones and train them toothe first sleigh is ready to leave soon the nanites will ride hundreds of kilometers north, always following the cold towards the vast tundra the drivers used the roof of yuri's euro as a refrigerator the convoy has driven until morning before they can continue they need to put a good meal on the table the northern delicacy is called muksum a fish whose home is the river ob yuri cuts the raw fish as indulgent tradition dictates into small dashes it is freshly frozen the fish is for internal use with salt and pepper the vodka too it is desirable without vodka it is not perfect but you can eat it anyway the night was cold the valves in the wheels are frozen we let the air out of the tires so that the car can better cope with the winter road so that it does not get damaged if there is less air in the tires it is easier to drive and you have better grip between the snow and the wheels halfway between the demons there is a yuri station and the others want to reach this station today many drivers take advantage of the last few days when the road is still passable It will soon be closed for the next eight months.

Transportation will have to be done by plane or boat. The road disappears as if it were the only remains of the unfortunate trucks. A driver coming in the opposite direction tells Yuri about the conditions on the rest of the road. They say that The road to Nadim is our bad will, the convoy does it, it will probably pass, although if not, use the ropes that you can cross on the tracks, have you been passing? Well, yes, have a good trip in northern Siberia. The permafrost soil is hundreds of meters deep. At the top there are vast.

The swamps that the winter road passes through melt when temperatures reach 15 degrees below zero, in some areas even experienced drivers like Yuri find it difficult to distinguish whether the road is still passable, is it still okay at the moment, a Sometimes the water comes. up to my feet in the cabin in some places the water is up to a meter and a half deep the difficult thing is that you don't know what is underneath in the spring there is water that comes from above and below so the ice is no longer solid but it breaks can sink at any moment really every time the convoy reaches the small station halfway between salekart and nadine many people take a short break there before facing the second part of the trip a reserve fund of gasoline helps the drivers who underestimated the high consumption of gasoline on winter roads yuri euro consumes more than 50 liters every hundred kilometers vasily volkov watches over the station and gasoline is a hermit on winter roads for eight months a year he is completely alone for the other four months when winter comes the road is in use his cabin is a popular meeting place for truckers one of the drivers tells of his accident this morning near the station his truck overturned he was carrying a load of gasoline his companions

free

d him from the disabled vehicle and they brought him here My first thought was: damn, this is what I thought was dead, yes, this was the end, then I asked myself: what does heaven look like?

Everything was upside down, you don't see anything, there is snow everywhere, are you still alive or not? You just don't know. yes, now we do it of our own free will, yes, the temperatures rise to 5 degrees below zero, blizzards are more and more likely, the wind picks up in a few hours, the road is covered with loose snow, the marks of The roads on both sides disappear, the off-road drivers are more aggressive and Jagor finds it increasingly difficult to drive his cars on the demolished road. The front axle of Collier's vehicle has encountered deep snow. He won't be able to go out alone again.

Igor has to help him. The wind has become very strong. it brings snow to the road so we can expect more snowdrifts we will have to keep pulling the other one out a few more times the jolt at first tears off part of the rope support but at least Collier's car has come unstuck. I drove quite a bit. The deep track here is only 30 meters on the other side of the snowbank. They could get there if they drive faster. Men are beginning to wonder if they will be able to return home this winter if they have to leave their vehicles behind.

They will never see it. again the convoy drivers also have a hard time keeping control over what is happening the snow is wet and slippery the truck transporting the asphalt machine cannot go up the hills on its own when it tries to tow it the wheel motor also starts to function they slide once they have dug it they start a second attempt to get the articulated truck over the hill they need to cross several hills in a row again the wheels start to spin after a few minutes 35 tons turning in place we need more speed if we go faster we can pull the truck up the hill the rope must remain stretched to the maximum if it stops at the bottom of the hill you can't go up it it's stuck you can only do it together I'll use fourth gear That way I'll be faster if I go in second gear I'll get stuck you're too slow there are several hundreds of weights of bottom ash in the truck is a survival aid for drivers on winter roads bucket by bucket drivers lay down a trail in the snow so that the wheels can grip on the next attempt the team rolls carefully to the end from the hill then both drivers will go at full speed simultaneously again the truck stops but just at that moment the wheels of the bulldozer get stuck stay in the snow in the negative settlement the problems on the winter road go unnoticed the nomads of the tundra have Been living in the arctic for thousands of years as each year they quietly prepare for spring some of the slaves need to be repaired once every two weeks Ivan and Grigori sacrifice a reindeer for their own use they need all hands on deck for that they have In addition to a source of income, Ivan and Grigori take the snowmobiles to the city ​​for the last time this year.

There they sell reindeer meat and frozen fish. They use the profits to buy supplies for the coming months. There is another one that got stuck. The poor people slipped. Try it from above The all-terrain vehicles Collier and Jagor are standing in front of a completely icy slope. Some trucks have slipped and blocked. I offer you my hand, sir. This hill is particularly treacherous if you go off track. Wants? driving around here yes, in the last few days when the winter road is still open no vehicle passes without problems the icy track becomes a slide for men and machines miners and yoga they do not want to wait several days until the road is free again they look for a alternative route around the blocked area see how much water there is we could sink here?

I can't imagine how we would get through that section with the two trees there, no idea on the right, centimeter by centimeter, jagor advances on the thin line of ice, secures the car to the side, at that moment a vehicle coming from the opposite direction blocks them. the road why they drive this way without first checking the area the road ahead is blocked but they can't get back there either There are very few options left to avoid having to leave the car until next year. The men want to try using a winch and lowered the car down the slope sideways.

We have overcome the complicated ice. I'm happy, I don't want to. I am no longer hungry or thirsty last week for the near future a modern railway is planned between salihat and nadine along stalin's old railway will there ever be a paved road to facilitate travel between the two cities no one knows fury and their colleagues made it the convoy arrives at the control station from there there are only a few more kilometers left to reach the city yuri cannot imagine a life without that road and the snow this road is like a gift for me the winter road will always continue winter being the way if you work here with good people you will never feel fatigued of course you will get tired but you are always in a good mood it is fun you do a job that sometimes you doubted you could succeed in you wonder how' I have achieved this but it is a done without much to do.