The need to connect Sakhalin Island with the mainland of Russia with the help of a tunnel laid under water was already discussed at the end of the 19th century. However, the construction of the tunnel was then considered inappropriate due to the huge costs. In the 30s, the Soviet government returned to discussing this issue, but the final decision was made only in 1950. JV Stalin himself was the initiator of the implementation of the "project of the century".
The depth of the shaft is about 55 meters, the diameter is about 9 meters, the walls of the barrel are concreted and lined with cast-iron tubing, each weighing 300 kg.
The essence of the project to create a tunnel
On May 5, 1950, by a decree of the USSR Council of Ministers, a secret project for the construction of a railway line between Komsomolsk-on-Amur and the village of Pobedino, located in the central part of Sakhalin Island, was approved. At the same time, it was planned to build a railway tunnel under the Nevelskoy Strait, connecting the Tatar Strait with the Amur estuary. The length of the underwater part of the tunnel was supposed to be 8-10 km. It was supposed to be built from the mainland Cape Sredny to the island Cape Pogibi (in the narrowest part of the strait). It was assumed that both industrial and military cargo will be delivered to Sakhalin. It was planned to complete the construction of a strategically important facility at the end of 1953, and it was planned to put the tunnel into operation in 1955.
Approximate layout of the tunnel under the Nevelskoy Strait.
How was the construction carried out
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Approximately 27,000 people were employed in the construction of the surface railways adjacent to the tunnel. In addition to civilian specialists and military personnel, over 8,000 GULAG prisoners were sent there, on parole from serving their sentences.
Construction of a railway on Sakhalin, a forced labor camp, 1948-1954.
At first, the builders worked in extremely difficult conditions that did not even meet the minimum standards. People were massively ill, scurvy raged. The delivery of equipment and building materials was carried out with great difficulties. The construction was supervised by highly qualified specialists sent from Moscow. The work was supervised by Major General of the NKVD Yermolov, who daily contacted Stalin via a specially laid telephone line and reported on the state of affairs.
In some places there are rails with the stamp "KMZ named after Stalin 118kg IV 1950"
Gradually, the quality of life of the builders improved somewhat, earnings grew (and payments were never delayed).
After Stalin's death, a shocking order came to close the "construction site of the century." Even today, people worked with full dedication, and the next day it was announced to them that all work would stop. Interior Minister L. Beria made a statement that "the project did not meet the needs of the national economy."
The remains of the artificial island, which have survived to our time, the dams piled up to the island were eroded.
By this time, 120 km of railway tracks on the mainland had already been built, an artificial island with a diameter of 90 m 1.5 km from the coast was created, dams were poured, a technical shaft was dug, and the construction of piers was being prepared.
Reasons for closing a grandiose project
It was said that the construction of the tunnel was stopped due to a lack of human resources. After the change of power in 1953, an amnesty was announced for prisoners, and most of those released on parole allegedly left the construction site. However, according to the memoirs of the engineer Yu. A. Koshelev, who supervised the work on laying the mine, out of 8000 former prisoners, only 200 people left, the rest waited with hope for the resumption of work for 8 months. Experts considered it an absurd mistake to stop construction, in which almost a billion post-reform (1947) rubles were invested. The hardest work of tens of thousands of people was wasted.
On the mainland, 120 km of railway tracks were laid from the station. Selikhino to st. Black Cape, along the right bank of the Amur.
Later, military engineers hinted at a mistake in the project itself. The developers allegedly did not take into account the strength of the current in the narrowest part of the strait. Water began to seep into the tunnel, and further work was too dangerous.
Modern experts believe that the main reason for the termination of the construction of the Sakhalin Tunnel was the short-sightedness of the economic policy pursued by the Soviet leadership after the death of Stalin.
Death of Stalin.
Currently, Fr. Sakhalin is connected to the mainland only by a ferry crossing. Moreover, in winter the Tatar Strait freezes over, and icebreakers are required for transportation, and during storms, communication is generally impossible. Currently, the issue of building the Sakhalin bridge with a length of 6 km or an underwater tunnel is being discussed.