Soviet Development Medals

[Guest Darrell]

I only have one of these so far. This one is for the Developement of the Virgin Lands:

[Chris S]

This is the complete series....quite a gathering of soviet imagery...

Chris

[Alfred]

Medal for Construction of the Baikul-Amur Railroad

The medal was established at 8. October 1976 and was awarded to active participants for no less than 3 years distinguished labor in the construction of the Baikul-Amur Railroad (BAM).

Arround 70.000 pieces were awarded.

The BAM is a railway line through Siberia from Ust-Kut near Krasnojarsk to Komsomolsk at the river Amur (green on the picture). It is nearly 4.000 km long. The BAM runs parallel to the Trans Sibiria railway line (red on the picture).

First plans to develop the Baikal Amur - room/country/region were made at the beginning the 1920th years. The official decision to built a railway line was made 1937. In the year 1938 a first small part of the railway line was opened.

During the second World War the project was stopped and some iron tracks were used to built railway line in the european part of the Soviet Union. For example to provide supply goods to Stalingrad.

After the second World War the railway line through the Baikal Amur Region was enlarged.

The day of "completion" is the 27 October 1984, but till 2001 a little distance was driven by car. The last break was closed in 2001.

Originally the BAM project was slave work project of the STALIn time. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 the inhabitans of the region decrease from 1 million to 600.000 people. In 2001 presisent Putin rediscovered the project and said it is a strategic project for the future development of the region and Russia.

It is planed to expand the BAM with a railway line to Yakutsk (see second map north at the river Lena) to develop the coal region around Enginskij and around Nerjungrinskij. The coal reserves should range for about 100 years. And in the north are lying 1/3 of the worlds known gold reserves.

At the same time they build a motorway between the cities of Chita und Khabarovsk parallel to the BAM railway line.

Edited September 6, 2005 by Alfred

[Alfred]

another map

[Alfred]

A few pictures of the railway line.

[Gerd Becker]

Amazing information, Andreas

Ricky and you are a the masters of interesting and informative posts

[SergioV]

Good evening gentlemen I would like to contribute with my humble medal

for the development of virgin lands Var 1 with the document Var1

« За освоение целинных земель »

The document

[SergioV]

Assigned to:

Ничиков ......... Nichikov

Владимир ......... Vladimir

Александрович ......... Aleksandrovich

Conferred by:

Секретарь ......... Secretary of the

Oблисполкома ......... Executive Committee

Е. Серикбаев .......... E Serikbaev

[Paul R]

Another great set Sergio!! I would love to find one of these documents as well.

[SergioV]

Another great set Sergio!! I would love to find one of these documents as well.

if I see one I'll whistle