The Great Siberian Way. The Beginning (1857-1891). We are alone here in Siberia, Lord...

The Russian merchant class was also interested in the idea of such kind of building. So, in one of the letters from a merchant class to the Tsar, there were the following lines: “We are alone here in Siberia, Lord. Far away from You not by our hearts, but by the distance. From this, we suffer a lot. The riches of our fields lay with no use for Your throne as well as for us. Grant us a railway and, thus, make us, estranged from you, closer to Your Majesty. Join Siberia to Your kingdom”.

At the same time there were ardent critics of the railway idea. They were trying to intimidate encouraged people with rotten swamps and thick taiga, corrupted swindlers and crooks. Some were even trying to pose to a mental test those, who eagerly wanted to build the way as soon as possible. The prime minister of the Tobolsk district, Mr Sologub, was assuring that because of the road, the Russian Empire would soon get filched and all its treasures would secretly pass to cunning foreigners.

Nevertheless, the idea of connecting the Siberian part of Russia to its European side was getting new supporters. In January 1870 a discussion of the Siberian railway plan took place. The meeting caused further controversies and arguments.

Summer 1880. The major-general Bogdanovich went again to visit possible location of the railway and calculate its pros and cons. Because of the increasing tensions of the English-Russian relationships in Central Asia, because of a process of mass colonization of the Siberian territories and a formidable need of transportation roots in the area, the final decision was getting even more evident.

All the calculations, estimations, projects and letters, received from Bogdanovich, forced the Minister of Communication lines Prosiet to send another letter to the emperor Alexander III with a new request on building of the Siberian railway line.

In April-May of 1882, the Committee of Ministers took into consideration a new plan of building of the Siberian railway, offered by Mr Prosiet. The minister thought that the best way of building the line would be, if passing through 51°- 56° of northern latitude. This latitude represented better conditions for industrial and economic development. The extreme eastern point would be represented by the Omsk city, while the extreme western point would be Samara, as the most important Volga’s quay. The line was thought to be passing the most settled zones, compensating the need of builders force.

The plan was not argued at all, but the Committee of Ministers advised on choosing another route.