History and culture: The exhibition “Great Siberian Route”, dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the Trans-Siberian Railway, in Moscow

The Department of cartographic publications, the department and the department of manuscripts of fine arts editions of the Russian State Library (Moscow) are invited to visit the exhibition dedicated to the 125th anniversary of Transsib "Great Siberian Route". It takes from 12 May to 27 August 2016 the reading room of the Department of Cartographic Editions (the Pashkov House).

May 31, 2016 Russia celebrates the 125th anniversary of the start of the construction of the Siberian railway (the so-called first Trans-Siberian Railway). Trans-Siberian Railway or Great Siberian Route – is Railway through the European and Asian part of Russia, connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg with the largest industrial cities in Eastern Siberia and the Far East. The line length is about 10 000 km. It is the longest railway in the world. 

The Russian State Library stores numerous manuscripts, maps and illustrative material on the Great Siberian Way. Projects of laying of roads, maps, site plans and sketches of the surrounding area can be seen at the exhibition. 

Of particular interest is the watercolor "View of the left bank of the river Shilka", made by Major General Miroshnichenko during the production of astronomical observations in the course of designing Siberian Railway", the length of which is 44 meters. Interesting projects and areas of the Ussuri and Siberian railways are inflicted on the map manually. A "Schedule of distribution of works on laying the track on the Siberian railroad" reflects the progress of highway construction in the period 1893-1904.

The exhibition is complemented with plans and types of stations of Trans-Baikal Railway, Trans-Siberian kinds of bridges and tunnels.