“The Baikal Ferry” movie about the forgotten chapter of Russian history — at the Presidential Library Cinema Club

The premiere screening of a movie directed by Mikhail Chumak entitled “Breaking the ice of oblivion: the Baikal Ferry” was held at the Presidential Library Cinema Club at its next in turn scheduled meeting, after which the participants of the event have discussed it, revealing one of the little-known pages in the history of our state.

“The complex and ambiguous processes of Russian history sometimes a cause an unfair oblivion of many outstanding phenomena of our past, such as, say, the Baikal Ferry crossing, — film director Mikhail Chumak said. — The easiest way would be to blame it on the closure of the Soviet archives, but I testify — in the course of our work there was no any restrictions on the special authorization to the documents. The problem of the historical memory of generations lies deeper and still waits for its interpretation. Our film revives those distant years, when icebreaker ferry named “Baikal” cruised between the shores of the sea-lake. A vessel connected two parts of the Trans-Siberian Railway, the most important geopolitical mission of which was to defend our lands in Eastern Siberia and the Far East. If Russia did not have this crossing in 1900—1905, the geography of the country could be quite different today.”

It is not a mere coincidence that the movie, the first frames of which are showing us a scale and a beauty of the forestlands of Siberia, begins with the quote of the philosopher Ivan Ilyin: “Our first burden is the burden of the earth — a boundless, disobedient, expanding space: a sixth of the land, in a solid huge piece; three and a half Chinas; forty-four German empires. We did not “take” this space: the flat, open, defenseless — it imposed us itself; it forced us to take it, from century to century sending here the hordes of nomads and the armies of settled neighbors invading us from everywhere. Russia had only two ways: either to be erased and not to be; or to reconcile its vast borders with arms and state power… Russia bore this burden and carried it; and implemented the only phenomenon in the world.”

A full-length documentary, including old newsreels and technical details, reveals the history of the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway and its most important part — the legendary Baikal Ferry Terminal.

The initiator of the grandiose project was Emperor Alexander III, who hurled all the resources on its implementation, and at the head of the Committee of the Siberian Railway put his son, the prince Nicholas.

To implement such the construction, a great scientific research was required. Baikal has peculiarities typical to the seas, and therefore it required the large-scale hydrographic studies, for which specialists of the Marine Ministry of Russia were invited. Hydrographic expedition of F. K. Drizhenko from 1895—1903 still remains the largest and the longest on Baikal. No less famous was the expedition of A. S. Botkin, the son of the famous physician S. P. Botkin. The Minister of Railways of Russia Count M. I. Khilkov, who under another name worked as a locksmith of a locomotive plant in Liverpool and also incognito studied the experience of building a transcontinental road in the United States, put into the highway constraction a lot of efforts.

Based on research, on the shore of the lake a shipyard with all necessary for salared employees and workers from the entire Russia structures was established. On June 17, 1899, official launching of the ferry-icebreaker “Baikal,” carrying out a transportation of railway trains and other dimensional cargoes.

A run-up to the XX century was marked by the chief event — the opening in 1900 in Paris of the World Exhibition, where the latest technological achievements were demonstrated. 25 states opened their pavilions, the Russian one was nicknamed the Siberian Palace. The center of our exposition was the watercolors of the artist Pavel Pyasetsky, whish were extended over a canvas almost 900 meters long. Interest was also evoked by the way of demonstration: spectators were taken along the panorama on a cart-car — that way the effect of traveling through Great Russia was created. The theme of the Siberian railway was also included in the large-scale panorama. Panorama itself, as well as the final report of the expedition of F. K. Drizhenko, was awarded the Gold Medal of the World Exhibition in 1900. The artist Pyasetsky was given the Order of the Legion of Honor.

On January 27, 1904, Japan, declared war on Russia, attacked the Russian squadron in the outer anchorage of Port Arthur. In this critical situation, the task was set to maximize the carrying capacity of the Transsib, which shipped military cargo. The former Minister of Railways M. I. Khilkov in his 70 years spent almost the whole 1904 in the terrible Siberian frost, supervising the work of the crossing. At that time, the “Baikal” icebreaker was capable to take on board up to 2,500 people and 250 horses. The dedication of the Russians taking care of operation of the main railway line made it possible to deliver 10 submarines of various types to the Far East.

For many years, the Russian-Japanese war for our country was considered an inglorious loss, as Russia lost most of its fleet. However, as the movie shows, in a year the offensive pressure of Japan dried up. For its leadership it became clear that it would be impossible to defeat Russia. In the increasing assistance, running along the Transsib thread, the Russians had all the odds of winning. However, with the mediation of the US, Russia signed a peace treaty with Japan. Subsequently, many world politicians considered this war not lost by the Russians, but interrupted by them. Yes, the fleet was defeated, but on the continent our army gained the necessary power and could fight further…

Undoubtedly, the decisive role in this was played by the Trans-Baikal Ferry crossing.

During the Civil War in 1918, the Baikal crossing ceased to exist. For a hundred years, it remained in the shadow of oblivion, as well as the outstanding personalities, one way or another connected with it: the Minister of Railways Prince M. I. Khilkov, the artist- watercolorist P. Y. Pyasetsky, A. S. Botkin and many others.

In 2017, a historical and memorial complex “The Baikal Ferry” was opened in Tankhoy settlement. The initiator of its creation was the Baikal State National Park. Together with the “Russian Railways” Joint Stock Company the military wagons were installed, the station house was reconstructed, and an exposition of historical reconstruction of the port of Tankhoy was created.

In the course of the historical-memorial project “The Baikal Ferry,” to participate in which, among other institutions, the organizers invited the Presidential Library, the film by Mikhail Chumak was also released to tell how the Baikal crossing was constructed, and what physically and emotionally did it take to its builders.

“The theme of the railway is immense, and I would like it to continue developing in documentary and feature films, — director of the Central Museum of Railway Transport of the Russian Federation Vladimir Mitelenko said at the end of the discussion. — The Trans-Siberian Railway has become the backbone of Russia, giving a powerful impulse to the development of the cities with a population of one million, making them the scientific and technical centers of the country — its mighty defense from the East.”