Tough Trains (2014) s01e02 Episode Script
Russia's Ice Trains
1 ANNOUNCER: FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM WAS PROVIDED BY SUBARU.
WOMAN: AT SUBARU, WE BUILD VEHICLES LIKE THE RUGGED OUTBACK.
WITH SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AND PLENTY OF CARGO SPACE.
FOR THOSE WHO PACK EVEN MORE ADVENTURE INTO LIFE.
SUBARU A PROUD SPONSOR OF GLOBE TREKKER ZAY: OH, MAN THIS ON THE VERGE OF TORTUROUS.
THESE TRAIN JOURNEYS ARE AMONG THE MOST EPIC AND HARDCORE ON THE PLANET.
IT'S LIKE ICE-PICKS STABBING AT MY STOMACH WALL.
TAKING PEOPLE THROUGH THE WORLD'S HARSHEST ENVIRONMENTS NO TRAIN HAS EVER GONE FURTHER NORTH THAN THIS ONE RIGHT HERE.
OVERCOMING HUGE TECHNICAL CHALLENGES.
THANK GOD THE TRAIN IS HERE, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'D DO THIS WITHOUT IT.
THESE TRAINS ARE A VITAL LINK TO REMOTE COMMUNITIES.
PEOPLE LIVE ALONG THE TRACKS, SO THIS IS THEIR ONLY MEANS HOME.
SUSTAINING A REGION'S ECONOMY I'VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY CUCUMBERS IN ONE PLACE IN MY LIFE.
AND EVEN CHANGING THE COURSE OF HISTORY.
IT'S BECAUSE OF THIS LINE THAT THE COUNTRY FEELS UNITED THESE ARE THE WORLD'S TOUGH TRAINS.
CROSSING ALL OF SIBERIA FROM EAST TO WEST, THIS IS THE TRANS-SIBERIAN, RUSSIA'S BEST KNOWN RAILWAY, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY NOT IT'S TOUGHEST.
OVER 1000 MILES NORTH OF THE TRANS-SIBERIAN, I'M TRAVELING DEEP INSIDE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, ON THE WORLD'S MOS NORTHERLY RAILWAY LINES.
AND I'M HERE IN WINTER, WHEN THE TEMPERATURES COULD DROP TO MINUS 50 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, OR MORE.
WISH ME LUCK.
THIS IS TOUGH TRAINS SIBERIA! AS WELL AS BEING THE WORLD'S LARGEST COUNTRY, RUSSIA ALSO HAS THE WORLD'S BIGGEST GAS RESERVES, MOSTLY IN REMOTE ARCTIC SIBERIA.
THE GAS FIELDS ARE SERVICED BY THE WORLD'S NORTHERNMOST TRAIN LINES, BUT DAMAGINGLY THERE'S A GAP BETWEEN EAST AND WEST.
TODAY RUSSIA IS TAKING STEPS TO BRIDGE THE GAP IN ONE OF THE TOUGHES ENVIRONMENTS ON EARTH.
CURIOUSLY, THE NEW RAILWAY WILL FOLLOW THE ROUTE OF AN ABANDONED TRAIN LINE BUIL BEFORE THE DISCOVERY OF GAS, DURING SOVIET TIMES, BY PRISONERS OF STALIN'S FORCED LABOUR CAMPS.
MY JOURNEY TO THE ARCTIC STARTS IN THE OLD SIBERIAN CAPITAL TOBOLSK, FROM WHERE I CATCH A TRAIN 750 MILES NORTH TO RUSSIA'S BIGGEST GAS FIELD AT NOVY URENGOYWHERE I SEE WHAT IT TAKES TO KEEP THE FUEL TRAINS MOVING.
AND THERE'S THE GAS THERE.
THAT'S WHAT THESE GUYS ARE WORKING TO GET OUT OF HERE.
REGULAR PASSENGER TRAINS GO NO FURTHER THAN NOVY URENGOY, BUT TO CONTINUE MY JOURNEY ON THE FREIGHT-ONLY LINE 150 MILES WEST TO NADYM, I GET TO TRAVEL ON MY OWN PRIVATE TRAIN.
ISN'T IT AMAZING THAT STALIN HAD THIS VISION TO BUILD THIS RAILWAY ACROSS THE ARCTIC, BU NEVER GOT TO SEE IT THROUGH, AND NOW IT'S ABOUT TO BE COMPLETED FOR DIFFERENT REASONS GAS.
TODAY, FROM THE END OF THE LINE AT NADYM, THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GE ACROSS THE 250 MILE GAP TO LABYTNANGI IS BY FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE ON A TREACHEROUS ICE ROAD THAT'S OPEN ONLY IN THE WINTER.
EN ROUTE I VISIT THE REMOTE AREA'S ONLY INHABITANTS, NOMADS WHO HERD REINDEER AND EAT THEM RAW.
MM-HMMMUCH MORE DOABLE WITH THE VODKA, YEAH.
FROM OBSKAYA, NEAR LABYTNANGI, I END MY TRIP BY HEADING NORTH 350 MILES ABOVE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE TO THE BOVANENKOVO GAS FIELD THE MOST NORTHERLY PLACE IN THE WORLD REACHABLE BY TRAIN.
THIS TRAIN LINE HAS TO KEEP RUNNING 24 HOURS A DAY, 365 DAYS A YEAR, TO KEEP THE GAS FIELDS RUNNING.
THIS REALLY IS THE TOUGHEST OF TOUGH TRAINS! OVER 1000 MILES SOUTH, I'M STARTING MY JOURNEY TO THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC IN THE HISTORIC FORMER CAPITAL OF SIBERIA, TOBOLSK.
BACK IN THE 18TH CENTURY, ALL OF THE VAST REGION OF SIBERIA WAS GOVERNED FROM HERE, STRETCHING AN INCREDIBLE 5000 MILES TO THE EAST, AND OVER 1,000 MILES NORTH TO THE ARCTIC.
JUST OPPOSITE TOBOLSK'S KREMLIN AND THE LOVELY ST.
SOFIA CATHEDRAL, THERE'S A MUCH GRIMMER SURVIVOR FROM THE PAST HERE, TOBOLSK PRISON.
DURING THE RULE OF THE TSARS, THOUSANDS OF POLITICAL DISSIDENTS WERE BANISHED EVERY YEAR TO EXILE IN SIBERIA, AND MANY OF THEM WERE IMPRISONED HERE.
AFTER THE COMMUNIST REVOLUTION, THE EXILE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS AND OTHER CRIMINALS TO SIBERIA CONTINUED MUCH INTO THE 20TH CENTURY.
MILLIONS WERE SENTENCED TO HARD LABOUR, AND WORSE, INTO THE INFAMOUS GULAG.
FROM HOLDING PRISONS SUCH AS THIS ONE, THE PRISONERS OF THE GULAG WERE SENT ALL ACROSS SIBERIA, AND PUT TO WORK, OFTEN IN MINES.
BUT ALSO ON BIG INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, SUCH AS BUILDING STALIN'S SO-CALLED 'RAILWAY OF DEATH' ACROSS THE ARCTIC.
THE RAILWAY THAT I'M TAKING TO THE ARCTIC FROM TOBOLSK, HOWEVER, IS A MORE MODERN LINE, COMPLETED IN THE EARLY 1980S AFTER HUGE AMOUNTS OF GAS AND OIL WERE DISCOVERED IN THE FAR NORTH.
ALRIGHT, MY TRAIN IS DUE AT 1:38, WHICH IS CONFUSING BECAUSE ON THE TIMETABLE, IT SAYS 11:38.
YEAH, AS IT TURNS OUT, ALL RUSSIAN TRAINS RUN ON MOSCOW TIME, WHEREVER THEY ARE, AND IN A COUNTRY THAT COVERS 9 TIME ZONES THAT'S IMPORTAN TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO AVOID MISSING YOUR TRAIN, OR FREEZING TO DEATH WHILE WAITING FOR IT! ALRIGHT, THERE IT IS.
THE TRAIN THAT'S GOING TO TAKE ME UP INTO THE COLD ARCTIC NORTH.
AM I READY FOR THIS? I DON'T KNOW, I REALLY DON'T KNOW, WE'LL HAVE TO SEE.
MY TRAIN HAS COME ALL THE WAY FROM MOSCOW, TWO TIME ZONES AND 1500 MILES TO THE WEST, AND IT'S TAKEN A DAY AND A HALF TO GET HERE.
WHICH MAKES THE 24 HOURS OR SO THAT MY JOURNEY NORTH IS GOING TO TAKE SEEM NOT TOO BAD.
ALRIGHT, 3RD CLASS, SEAT 40.
OH MAN, THAT'SO JUST A BODY ODOR, THAT'S A BODY OH DEAR! THAT COULD HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT.
OK, I'M OFF TO A GOOD START MADE MY FIRST TRAIN, ON TIME.
FROM TOBOLSK I'M HEADING 750 MILES NORTH TO THE EDGE OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, AND THE PASSENGER LINE'S FINAL STOP A NOVY URENGOY.
ALMOST ALL THE PASSENGERS ON THE TRAIN ARE WORKERS HEADING UP TO THE GAS FIELDS.
THEY COME FROM ALL ACROSS RUSSIA, ATTRACTED BY THE HIGH RATES OF PAY FOR WORKING IN SOME OF THE HARSHEST CONDITIONS ON EARTH.
HOW COLD DOES IT GET UP THERE? MAN: THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE WE HAVE IS AROUND MINUS 50 I'VE GOT USED TO I BEING THAT COLD IT CAN GET EVEN COLDER.
BUT WORKING AT MINUS 50 IS FINE FOR ME, NO PROBLEM.
ZAY: YOU GUYS ARE HARDCORE HERE IN RUSSIA, HUH? I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD DO IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COULD PAY ME ENOUGH TO WORK IN THOSE CONDITIONS.
I HAVE MAD RESPECT FOR YOU.
TODAY THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE IS AROUND MINUS 20 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, WHICH IS QUITE EASY TO FORGET, AS INSIDE THE TRAIN IT'S LOVELY AND WARM.
THE HEATING SYSTEM IS VERY EFFECTIVE, BUT IT ISN' EXACTLY CUTTING EDGE.
SO THIS IS HOW YOU KEEP THE WHOLE TRAIN WARM HUH? WOMAN: WE USE COAL TO KEEP THE CARRIAGES WARM IT'S BURNING REALLY WELL, SEE EVEN WHEN IT'S MINUS 50 DEGREES, IT'S ALWAYS WARM IN THE CARRIAGE.
ZAY: IT'S SIMPLE, DOESN' TAKE UP A LOT OF SPACE, AND IT REALLY DOES KEEP THE TRAIN WARM.
THERE HERE YOU HAVE IT, IT IS OLD FASHIONED AND TRADITIONAL, BUT IT WORKS.
IT KEEPS US WARM.
WOMAN: THIS IS OUR RUSSIA, OUR VERY STRONG INDUSTRIAL RUSSIA! [LAUGHS.]
.
ZAY: AS THE TRAIN PULLS UP FOR A SHORT STOP IN WHAT SEEMS LIKE THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, MY CHEERFUL CARRIAGE ATTENDAN HAS GOT SOME OTHER WORK TO ATTEND TO.
WHOO, STEPPING OFF FOR SOME FRESH AIR, GET A FEEL FOR HOW COLD IT IS.
I'VE GOT TO SAY IT'S PRETTY COLD.
WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE OUT HERE? OH LOOK AT THESE, ICICLES.
WOMAN 2: IF YOU DON' GET RID OF THE ICE, THINGS CAN GET JAMMED YOU NEED TO GET RID OF THE SNOW AND ICE SO THE WHEELS DON'T STICK.
ZAY: THESE THINGS CAN BECOME HAZARDS, HANGING DOWN LIKE THAT.
WOMAN 2: EVEN IF IT'S MINUS 40 DEGREES, THE TRAIN CAN STILL RUN.
BUT YOU MUST CLEAR THE RUNNING GEAR OR ELSE I WILL FREEZE UP.
ZAY: AREN'T YOU FREEZING? IT'S SO COLD UP HERE.
WOMAN 2: ARE YOU COLD? YOU WANT ME TO WARM YOU UP?! EVEN IF IT'S MINUS 50 DEGREES, WHEN TWO PEOPLE HUG, IT ISN'T COLD ANY MORE.
ZAY: THE BEST PART ABOU GIVING A HUG IS YOU GET ONE.
AS MY TRAIN CONTINUES ITS JOURNEY NORTH TOWARDS THE GAS FIELDS, WE CROSS PATHS WITH ONE OR TWO PASSENGER TRAINS, AS WELL AS LOTS OF CONDENSED GAS TANKER TRAINS, HEADING SOUTH TO FUEL RUSSIAN INDUSTRY, AND THE ECONOMIES OF MUCH OF THE REST OF EUROPE.
WE PASSENGERS NEED FUELING TOO.
ALONG THE WAY THE TRAIN MAKES A FEW STOPS LONG ENOUGH TO ALLOW 3RD CLASS TRAVELERS LIKE MYSELF TO BUY SOME CHEAP HOME-COOKED FOOD ON THE PLATFORM.
OH LOOK AT THAT, CHICKEN LOOKS DELICIOUS POTATOES, SAUSAGES, THIS IS MUCH MORE THAN I WAS THINKING.
THAT DUMPLING LOOKS REALLY GOOD.
WOMAN: SCULKA.
ZAY: SCOLPRA? WOMAN: SKULKA.
ZAY: SAUSAGE, YEAH THAT'S THE ONE.
PLENTY OF POTATOES, YEAH.
WHAT IS THAT? YEAH, WHY NOT.
OK.
THERE WE GO.
DINNER! LET'S GO FIND SOME VODKA.
THE THING ABOUT HAVING HO FOOD IN FRONT OF YOU IS YOU JUST WANT TO EAT I RIGHT AWAY WHILE IT'S HOT, AND THE THING ABOUT HAVING A BIG THING OF BEER IN FRONT OF YOU IS YOU JUST WANT TO DRINK IT BEFORE IT GOES HOT.
SO I COULDN'T FIND ANY VODKA, BUT I DID FIND SOME NICE RUSSIAN BEER HERE.
SEE HOW THAT IS.
I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING.
HOW IS THIS A PROGRAM ON TOUGH TRAINS, AND YOU'VE GOT REALLY GOOD CHICKEN AND NICE RUSSIAN BEER.
THE TRUTH IS IT'S GOING TO GE A LOT TOUGHER AS I GO NORTH REALLY THIS IS THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM, AND I'M GOING TO ENJOY IT WHILE I CAN.
MMM.
INDEED, AS EXPECTED, THE WEATHER STARTS TO GET WORSE THE FURTHER NORTH WE TRAVEL; WHAT LOOKS LIKE THE BEGINNINGS OF A SNOWSTORM IS SETTING IN AS WE HEAD INTO THE NIGHT.
ALRIGHT, I SUPPOSE I SHOULD GET READY FOR BED.
THE COOL THING ABOUT THIS SEA IS THAT IT IS ALSO MY BED.
AAH, NOT QUITE LONG ENOUGH, BUT DRINK ENOUGH BEER, AND I'LL JUST PASS OUT ANYWAY.
YOU CAN'T TURN THE LIGHTS OFF IN A CARRIAGE OF 50 PEOPLE.
I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT SOME EARPLUGS AND SOME EYECOVERS.
HOURS LATER, IN THE EARLY MORNING, AS WE NEAR THE GAS FIELDS AND THE TRAIN'S FINAL STOP A NOVY URENGOY, THE WEATHER HAS CLEARED UP, BUT THE SNOWFALL FROM LAST NIGHT'S STORM IS DEEP ON THE GROUND.
AH, I MADE IT THE GAS FIELDS! WHOO, PRETTY NIPPY.
NOW, THIS IS A VERY SENSITIVE AREA.
IF YOU FIGURE THA NEARLY THREE QUARTERS OF THE COUNTRY'S INCOME COMES FROM GAS AND OIL, AND THIS IS THAT AREA, SO YOU CAN'T JUST ARRIVE, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE ONE OF THESE.
IT'S A BORDER PERMIT, IT SEEMS JUST LIKE A SIMPLE PIECE OF PAPER, BUT WITHOUT I YOU WILL GET ARRESTED IF YOU'RE CAUGHT HERE.
SO, IT TAKES TWO TO THREE MONTHS TO APPLY FOR IT, PLAN AHEAD, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S HERE.
JUST A FEW MILES SOUTH OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, NOVY URENGOY TODAY IS A BIG CITY, WITH A POPULATION OF AROUND 100,000 BEFORE GAS WAS DISCOVERED IN THE REGION, HOWEVER, NOBODY LIVED HERE AT ALL, THERE WASN'T EVEN SO MUCH AS A VILLAGE.
THIS TOWN IS SO NEW, IT WAS ONLY IN 1982, BACK IN THE DAYS OF THE USSR, THAT THE VERY FIRST TRAIN ARRIVED, AND THIS IS IT.
WOW, IT IS GORGEOUS, AND IT GOOD CONDITION TOO.
I'D LOVE TO STICK AROUND AND LOOK AT IT SOME MORE, BUT IT'S ABSOLUTELY FREEZING, I KNOW YOU CAN'T REALLY TELL, BUT IT'S GOT TO BE LIKE MINUS 20 RIGHT NOW.
MY FINGERTIPS ARE NUMB, MY FACE IS HURTING, I'VE GOT TO PU ON SOME MORE GEAR! RUSSIA TODAY HAS THE WORLD'S BIGGEST RESERVES OF GAS, WORTH TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
AS A RESULT THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC HAS BEEN UTTERLY TRANSFORMED.
IT ALL BEGAN HERE, JUS OUTSIDE NOVY URENGOY, IN 1966, WHEN WHAT WOULD TURN OUT TO BE ONE OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST GAS FIELDS WAS DISCOVERED IN THE WILDERNESS.
ALRIGHT, NOW I'M PROPERLY KITTED OUT, I'M FEELING A LOT WARMER.
I'VE GOT MY THERMALS ON TOP AND BOTTOM, I'VE GOT INSULATED BOOTS, INSULATED PANTS, EXTRA JACKET, TRIPLE GLOVES, NECK GAITER, BALACLAVA IN MY POCKET, MY EARFLAPS FLIPPED DOWN SORTED.
WHEN THE POTENTIAL RESOURCES OF THIS REMOTE REGION WERE ORIGINALLY BEING INVESTIGATED BACK IN THE 1960S, THIS IS WHERE THE FIRS EXPLORATORY DRILLING HOLE STRUCK AN OCEAN OF GAS.
BINGO! NO WONDER THERE WERE CELEBRATIONS FOR THE SOVIET UNION, THIS ENORMOUS GAS FIELD WAS SOON MASSIVELY IMPORTANT ECONOMICALLY.
AND TODAY, MORE THAN 50 YEARS LATER, IT STILL IS FOR MODERN RUSSIA.
OVER 90% OF RUSSIAN GAS COMES FROM THIS REGION, AND WHILST MUCH OF IT IS EXPORTED THROUGH PIPELINES ALL THE WAY TO WESTERN EUROPE, THE RAILWAY IS ALSO VITALLY IMPORTANT TO RUSSIA'S ECONOMY AS A MEANS OF TRANSPORTING CONDENSED GAS.
AT NUMEROUS LOCATIONS LIKE THIS AROUND NOVY URENGOY, RAILROAD TANK CARS ARE LOADED UP.
RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE PREPARING THE TRAIN BY STEAM-CLEANING ALL THESE TANK CARS BEFORE THEY'RE FILLED WITH GAS CONDENSATE, WHICH IS THEN TURNED INTO FUEL, LIKE BENZENE AND KEROSENE, AND SHIPPED ALL THE WAY OU TO YOU GUYS.
BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH SNOWFALL AROUND HERE, THESE SNOW PLOW TRAINS HAVE TO WORK 24 HOURS A DAY JUST TO CLEAR THE TRACKS TO ALLOW THE TRAINS CARRYING THE REALLY VALUABLE GAS TO GET OUT OF HERE.
WOULDN'T WANT TO BE IN THE WAY OF THIS IT'S GOT BLADES AND POWER.
CLEARING THE DEEP SNOWFALL TAKES A TOLL ON THE TRAIN.
A PART OF THE SNOW PLOW IS BROKEN BY THE SHEER WEIGHT OF THE SNOW AND HAS TO BE FIXED.
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS RUBBER IS SHREDDING AND SO THEY'VE GO TO UNDO IT AND REPLACE IT.
IT'S SO HARD TO DO ANYTHING IN THE SNOW HERE, IT'S SO COLD.
YOUR HANDS GO NUMB.
IF YOU WANT ACCESS TO THEM I CAN'T REALLY GRAB ANYTHING WITH THIS STUFF YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE 'EM OUT, AND THEN RISK GOING NUMB AGAIN.
HERE GOES, CHOPPING THE RUBBER.
MOST OF THE TRACK CAN BE CLEARED BY THE SNOW PLOW TRAIN, BUT AROUND THE POINTS, THEY DON'T WANT TO DAMAGE IT, SO THEY CAN USE TRACTORS UP TO A CERTAIN POINT, AND THEN ALL THE RES HAS TO BE DONE BY HAND.
AND IF YOU ASK ME, THIS IS TOUGH STUFF ANYWAY IN WARM WEATHER, BUT TO DO IT IN THESE EXTREME CONDITIONS, THAT'S GOT TO BE SO TOUGH.
THIS HAS TO BE DONE EVERY TIME THERE'S A SNOWFALL.
I MEAN THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH WORK THAT IS JUST TO KEEP THESE TRAINS RUNNING.
YEAH, I'M FREEZING MAN, MY NOSE IS GOING TO FALL OFF.
I'M A WIMP, WHAT CAN I SAY, THIS IS EVERYDAY FOR YOU, HUH, YOU'RE NOT COLD, YOU'RE NOT COLD, WHOO? MAN: WHEN YOU WORK, IT'S NOT COLD.
IT'S COLD STANDING AROUND, NOT WHEN YOU'RE WORKING.
ONLY LAZY PEOPLE GET COLD.
I'M NOT LAZY, SO I DON'T GET COLD.
ZAY: UH-HUH, GOOD POINT.
WITH THE TRACKS CLEAR OF SNOW, THE FUEL TRAINS ARE FREE TO HEAD SOUTH WITH THEIR PRECIOUS CARGO OF CONDENSED GAS.
FROM NOVY URENGOY, THE GAS TRAINS CURRENTLY HAVE TO TRAVEL SOUTH VIA TOBOLSK TO REACH THE INDUSTRIAL MARKETS OF MOSCOW AND WESTERN EUROPE BEYOND.
BUT ONCE THE GAP FROM NADYM TO LABYTNANGI IS BRIDGED, THE JOURNEY TO MOSCOW AND BEYOND WILL BE SHORTER, QUICKER AND CHEAPER.
FOR NOW, THE DEAD-END TRACK FROM NOVY URENGOY TO NADYM IS BARELY USED.
THERE ARE NO PASSENGER TRAINS, AND JUST ONE FREIGHT TRAIN A DAY.
BUT IT'S THE DIRECTION I'M HEADING, AND SO I CAN STOP ALONG THE WAY, I'M GETTING SOME SPECIAL TREATMENT.
FOR THIS NEX LEG OF MY JOURNEY, I'VE GOT MY OWN PRIVATE TRAIN, HOW ABOUT THAT! HELLO.
FROM NOVY URENGOY, I'M TRAVELING 150 MILES OR SO TO WHAT'S NOW THE END OF THE LINE AT NADYM.
BUT FROM NADYM A NEW LINE IS SOON TO BE BUILT, ALONG THE ROUTE OF STALIN'S ABANDONED RAILWAY FROM THE 1950S, WHICH WILL FINALLY LINK TO THE LINE FROM LABYTNANGI.
AS A RESULT, THIS QUIE DEAD-END TRAIN LINE SHOULD SOON BECOME A VERY BUSY CROSS-ARCTIC LINK CARRYING LOTS OF GAS TANKER TRAINS.
SERGEY KRAVETS OF YAMAL RAILWAYS, WHO'S IN CHARGE OF MAINTAINING THIS SECTION OF LINE, HELPS ME UNDERSTAND MORE.
SO THIS IS ACTUALLY STALIN'S RAILWAY OF DEATH THAT THE GULAG BUILT? MAN: YES, WE'RE NOW TRAVELING ON A SECTION OF STALIN'S OLD RAILWAY.
UNFORTUNATELY DURING THE DAYS OF THE SOVIET UNION IT WAS NEVER COMPLETED.
DURING STALIN'S TIME, THE RAILWAY HAD MAINLY MILITARY PURPOSES, IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTING MILITARY CARGO, BUT NOWADAYS THE PLANNED RECONSTRUCTION IS CONNECTED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
ZAY: ISN'T IT AMAZING THA STALIN HAD THIS VISION TO BUILD THIS RAILWAY ACROSS THE ARCTIC, BUT NEVER GOT TO SEE IT THROUGH.
AND NOW IT'S ABOU TO BE COMPLETED FOR DIFFERENT REASONS GAS.
A FEW MILES BEFORE THE END OF THE LINE AT NADYM, SERGEY STOPS THE TRAIN TO SHOW ME WHERE STALIN'S ABANDONED LINE DIVERTED FROM THE EXISTING TRACK, EN ROUTE TO SALEKHARD AND LABYTNANGI.
MAN: THIS SECTION OF THE RAILWAY WILL REMAIN A DEAD END AND WON'T BE BUILT FURTHER.
THE NEW RAILWAY WILL BE CONSTRUCTED HERE ALONG THE ROUTE OF STALIN'S OLD RAILWAY IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO GO FROM HERE THROUGH NADYM TO SALEKHARD AND THEN ON TO MOSCOW.
ZAY: AH, SO THIS IS THE FORK IN THE ROAD WHERE THE FUTURE MEETS THE PAST.
IT'S GOING TO COMPLETELY OPEN UP THIS LINE TO THE WEST, AND THEN STALIN'S DREAM WILL BE REALIZED.
MAN: YES IT'S PLANNED TO START CONSTRUCTION WORK AT THE END OF THE YEAR, TO BUILD THE SECTION UP TO THE BRIDGE WHICH IS NOW ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
ZAY: WOW, IT'S AMAZING TO THINK THAT IN JUST A FEW YEARS' TIME THERE WILL BE GAS TRAINS GALORE JUST GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN THIS LINE RIGHT HERE.
JUST OUTSIDE NADYM, THE COMBINED ROAD AND RAIL BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION ACROSS THE RIVER IS A SIGN OF RUSSIAN DETERMINATION TO BUILD THE CROSS-ARCTIC RAILWAY LINK BETWEEN NADYM AND SALEKHARD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING A SHORTER ROUTE FOR THE GAS TRAINS, THE NEW RAILWAY WILL ALSO HELP GENERALLY DEVELOP THIS REMOTE REGION.
NADYM, WHICH WAS A SMALL VILLAGE UNTIL THE DISCOVERY OF GAS, HAS GROWN TO BECOME A CITY OF 50,000 PEOPLE.
BUT BETWEEN NADYM AND THE EQUALLY BIG CITY OF SALEKHARD, 230 MILES WEST, THERE IS NOT ONLY NO TRAIN LINE, BUT NO PERMANENT ROAD OR SETTLEMENT EITHER.
IT'S WILD TO THINK THAT THESE APARTMENT BLOCKS BEHIND ME ARE THE LAST FORM OF CIVILIZATION FOR OVER 200 MILES THIS WAY, NOT A SINGLE VILLAGE.
THIS PLACE REALLY IS A FRONTIER TOWN.
LOOK AT THIS PLANE THAT JUST FLEW IN, IT'S GOT SKIS ON IT! AND THIS GREAT WILDERNESS THA IT FLEW OVER IS THE TERRITORY THAT STALIN PLANNED HIS RAILWAY TO CROSS.
TO TRAVEL ACROSS THIS REMOTE WILDERNESS AND TRACE THE ROUTE OF STALIN'S ABANDONED RAILWAY, WHICH THE NEW CROSS-ARCTIC TRAIN LINE WILL FOLLOW, I'M JOINING VADIM GRICENKO, A LOCAL HISTORIAN.
MAN: HI ZAY, ARE YOU READY FOR AN ADVENTURE? ZAY: YEAH, CAN'T WAIT.
MAN: HAVE YOU EVER DRIVEN ON AN ICE ROAD? ZAY: NO.
MAN: DO YOU WANT TO? ZAY: YEAH, THAT'LL BE FUN, YEAH.
LET'S LET THIS BE A REAL.
UNTIL THE NEW TRAIN LINE IS BUILT ACROSS THIS REMOTE REGION FROM NADYM, THIS TRIP IS ONLY POSSIBLE IN WINTER, OVER FROZEN GROUND.
FROM NADYM OUR JOURNEY OF 230 MILES OR SO ACROSS THE WILDERNESS ISN' EASILY DRIVABLE IN ONE DAY ALL THE WAY TO SALEKHARD AND LABYTNANGI GIVEN THE NEED TO DRIVE SAFELY ON THE ICE ROAD.
SO BEFORE CHECKING OU STALIN'S RAILWAY LINE TOMORROW MORNING, WE'RE STAYING OVERNIGHT EN ROUTE WITH SOME FRIENDS OF VADIM.
HELLO YACOB.
JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE NO PERMANENT SETTLEMENTS IN THIS REMOTE REGION, DOESN' MEAN IT'S UNINHABITED.
IN FACT IT'S A STRONGHOLD OF THE NENETS, ONE OF EUROPE'S LAST NOMADIC TRIBES.
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF NENETS LIVE OUT HERE IN SMALL TEMPORARY CAMPS, AS THEY MIGRATE ACROSS THE WILDERNESS WITH VAST HERDS OF REINDEER.
WOW, THIS IS AMAZING.
LOOK AT THIS! WE'RE LUCKY THIS CAMP WASN' TOO FAR FROM THE ICE ROAD.
EACH NENET FAMILY GROUP SETTLE IN A PLACE FOR JUST A FEW DAYS OR WEEKS BEFORE MOVING ON TO FIND NEW PASTURE FOR THEIR REINDEER.
HI IVAN.
TO WELCOME US GENEROUSLY TO THEIR CAMP IN THE TRADITIONAL WAY, OUR HOSPITABLE HOSTS SACRIFICE ONE OF THEIR PRECIOUS REINDEER.
I LOVE EATING MEAT, BUT THIS IS THE PART THA I DON'T LIKE TO THINK ABOUT.
IT JUST SEEMS WRONG TO TAKE A LIFE.
MAN:THE NENETS ARE STRANGLING THE REINDEER BECAUSE THEY CONSIDER IT THE MOST HUMANE AND GENTLE WAY FOR IT TO DIE.
ZAY: IT'S GAGGING FOR ITS LAST BREATH, BUT SOON IT'LL BE ALL OVER FOR HIM, AND HE'LL BE PROVIDING NOURISHMENT FOR ALL OF US.
THEY'VE REALLY GOT IT DOWN TO A SCIENCE OF HOW TO BEST SKIN THIS ANIMAL TO PRESERVE AND UTILIZE THE FUR AGAIN.
ALL THEIR CLOTHES ARE MADE OUT OF THIS REINDEER FUR, THEIR WIGWAMS ARE MADE OUT OF THIS FUR, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO GE AS BIG PIECES AS POSSIBLE.
FOR THE NENETS, THE MOS DELICIOUS PARTS OF THE REINDEER ARE ITS KIDNEYS AND LIVER.
THIS IS THE LIVER.
OK, I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO MAYBE COOK IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE JUST EA IT RIGHT NOW WHILE IT'S RAW.
MM-HMM, IT'S TOUGH.
UGH.
MAN: I'M WAITING FOR VODKA, THEN I'LL EAT.
ZAY: YEAH, I'LL BE WELCOMING SOME OF THAT VODKA RIGHT NOW, OH MAN FIRST THIS, AND THEN THIS.
MUCH MORE DOABLE WITH THE VODKA, YEAH! WOW THEY GOT A LADLE IN THE BLOOD OVER HERE, DO YOU GUYS DRINK IT? YEAH? MAN: YES.
ZAY: OH GOD, WHY DID I ASK THAT? OK, HERE WE GO.
ALRIGHT, TO HEALTH.
NASDROVIYA.
MAN THAT IS SALTY, IT'S JUST LIKE STRAIGHT SALT.
WHOO! WITH NIGHTFALL APPROACHING AND THE TEMPERATURE DROPPING, WE ALL HEAD INDOORS TO WARM UP AND GET READY FOR BED.
OH MY GOODNESS, WOW, NOW YOU'RE SPOILING ME, WOW, WHO WOULD HAVE THUNK IT, IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, THESE BEAUTIFUL REINDEER COATS? AH, THIS IS THE LIFE.
I FEEL LIKE A KING.
I'M GOING TO SLEEP WELL TONIGHT.
IN THE MORNING OUR NENE HOSTS ARE UP EARLY TO TAKE THEIR REINDEER OFF FOR THE DAY TO FIND GOOD PASTURE, WHILE WE CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY ALONG THE ROUTE OF STALIN'S ABANDONED RAILWAY.
PARALLEL TO THE ICE ROAD, A FEW DILAPIDATED RAILWAY BRIDGES ARE THE FIRST SIGNS WE SEE OF THE TRAIN LINE THA ONCE RAN ACROSS THIS REMOTE WILDERNESS FOR JUST A FEW YEARS IN THE EARLY 1950S.
SO WHY DID STALIN WANT TO BUILD THIS RAILWAY OUT HERE? THIS WAS BEFORE GAS WAS EVEN DISCOVERED OUT HERE.
MAN: THERE WERE TWO MAIN REASONS.
ONE ECONOMIC, THE NORTH NEEDED DEVELOPMENT AND IT WASN'T POSSIBLE WITHOUT A RAILWAY AND SECONDLY THERE WERE MILITARY-STRATEGIC REASONS WITH THE BEGINNING OF THE ATOMIC ERA IN 1945 THEY WANTED TO BUILD NAVAL AND AIR MILITARY BASES IN THE POLAR REGION WHICH COULD BE SUPPORTED BY BUILDING A RAILWAY.
ZAY: I SEE, ICY, THAT'S FUNNY.
ALONG THIS STRETCH OF STALIN'S SO-CALLED RAILWAY OF DEATH, THE BEST PRESERVED REMINDER OF WHAT TOOK PLACE HERE BACK IN THE LATE 1940S AND EARLY 1950S, DURING THE DAYS OF THE COMMUNIST GULAG, IS LABOUR CAMP NUMBER 93.
MAN: IT'S VERY DEEP SNOW, SO I SUGGEST WE GE THERE BY SNOWMOBILE.
LET'S GET IT OU OF THE TRAILER.
ZAY: REMARKABLY, THIS CAMP WAS JUST ONE OF AROUND 150 CAMPS ALONG THE 800 MILE LONG TRAIN LINE, WHICH OVERALL, AT THE HEIGH OF RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION, HOUSED AN ESTIMATED 80,000 PRISONERS.
MAN: BE CAREFUL, IT'S DEEP SNOW, YOU CAN TURN AN ANKLE HERE ZAY, WE'LL GET THROUGH THE WINDOW TO THE KITCHEN.
HERE THEY COOKED FOOD FOR PRISONERS IN THESE BIG CONTAINERS.
ZAY: LOOK AT THIS, TOTALLY FROZEN.
THESE ARE BIG POTS, HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE BEING FED HERE? MAN: I ESTIMATE THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 300 PRISONERS IN THIS CAMP.
ZAY: QUITE A LOT.
WERE THEY EATING WELL, OR JUST LIKE THE BARE MINIMUM? MAN: THE PRISONERS DIDN'T STARVE, BUT THE FOOD WAS VERY SIMPLE.
ZAY: WE HEAD ON THROUGH THE HUTS WHERE THE PRISONERS SLEPT.
AMONGST THE 300 OR SO PRISONERS IN THIS CAMP, AND THE 80,000 OR MORE WHO WORKED ELSEWHERE ON STALIN'S RAILWAY, ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE WERE HARDENED CRIMINALS.
OVER HALF HAD BEEN SENTENCED FOR PETTY CRIMES SUCH AS STEALING A LOAF OF BREAD PUNISHABLE BY TWO YEARS OR MORE HARD LABOUR.
OTHER THAN THOSE, UP TO A QUARTER OF THE PRISONERS WERE SO-CALLED 'ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE' DISSIDENTS CHARGED WITH POLITICAL CRIMES AGAINST THE COMMUNIST REGIME.
MAN: HERE IS A CROSS PUT HERE IN MEMORY OF THE RAILWAY BUILDERS.
ZAY: STALIN WANTED HIS RAILWAY BUILT IN RECORD TIME, AND FOR THOSE PRISONERS WHO WERE JUDGED NOT TO BE WORKING HARD ENOUGH, OR WHO BROKE THE STRICT CAMP RULES, THE PUNISHMENT CELLS AWAITED.
THIS IS THE PRISON WITHIN THE PRISON, HUH.
THIS IS THE HELL WITHIN THE HELL.
EEKS, YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO END UP IN HERE, WOULD YOU? IT'S FREEZING IN HERE, IT'S MINUS 25 DEGREES CELSIUS RIGH NOW, AND THAT'S NO EVEN AS COLD AS IT GETS, I KNOW IT GETS DOWN TO LIKE MINUS 60, MINUS 65.
YOU'VE GOT AN OPEN WINDOW HERE.
HOW DID THEY NO FREEZE TO DEATH? MAN: THE THING IS THAT THERE WAS GLASS, AND THERE WAS A HEATING STOVE AND WARM AIR COULD GET IN HERE.
SO ALTHOUGH IT WAS COLD, IT WASN'T SO COLD THAT THE PRISONER WOULD FREEZE TO DEATH THEY DIDN'T WANT TO KILL THE PRISONERS AS THEY NEEDED THEM TO BUILD THE RAILWAY.
ZAY: BUT AS IT TURNED OUT, STALIN'S TRAIN LINE WAS NEVER COMPLETED.
WHEN HE DIED IN 1953, THE HALF-FINISHED LINE WAS ABANDONED BY THE NEW SOVIET LEADERSHIP, WHO WERE UNCONVINCED BY THE VALUE OF BUILDING A RAILWAY ACROSS VIRTUALLY UNINHABITED WILDERNESS.
MAN: ZAY, LOOK AT THESE REMAINS.
ZAY: LOOK AT THIS, COMPLETELY DERAILED.
IT'S KIND A METAPHOR, BROKEN RAILS, BROKEN DREAMS OF STALIN, HUH.
BEING UP CLOSE LIKE THIS, IT REALLY MAKES YOU APPRECIATE WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE TO BUILD IT, RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE THE CONSTRUCTION OF IT, THE NAILS.
AND I KEEP THINKING LIKE TODAY, IT'S CONSIDERED A NICE DAY, THE SUN'S OUT, THERE'S NO WIND, BUT IT'S STILL MINUS 24 DEGREES.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY COLD.
BUT IN THE DEAD OF WINTER, TRYING TO CONSTRUCT ALL THIS! SUCH A SHAME, WHEN YOU THINK OF ALL THAT WORK, ALL THA SUFFERING, FOR NOTHING.
AS MY JOURNEY ALONG STALIN'S ARCTIC RAILWAY COMES TO AN END, IT'S SHOCKING TO THINK THAT THE 80,000 OR SO PRISONERS WORKING ON THE TRAIN LINE WHEN IT WAS ABANDONED WERE JUST A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE DURING STALIN'S RULE WHO WERE IMPRISONED IN FORCED LABOUR CAMPS ALL ACROSS SIBERIA.
MORE THAN 200 MILES ACROSS THE WILDERNESS, THE ICE ROAD FINALLY BRINGS US BACK TO MODERN CIVILIZATION AND THE CITY OF SALEKHARD, HOME TO AROUND 40,000 PEOPLE.
IT'S THE FURTHES NORTH I'VE COME SO FAR, SLAP-BANG ON THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.
I'M SURE THERE MUST BE A TRADITION TO CELEBRATE CROSSING THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.
AND EVEN IF THERE'S NOT, I'M INVENTING IT! WOW I FEEL FIVE DEGREES WARMER ALREADY.
NOT IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.
WARMER STILL.
NOT IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.
JUST KIDDING! OF ALL THE NATURAL BARRIERS IN THE PATH OF THE NEW TRANS-ARCTIC RAILWAY LINK TO MOSCOW, THE GREATEST CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGE TO BE OVERCOME IS THE MORE THAN A MILE-WIDE RIVER OB WHICH FLOWS PAS SALEKHARDWHEN I ISN'T FROZEN SOLID FOR HALF THE YEAR.
BUT ONCE THE PLANNED BRIDGE OVER IT IS BUILT IN A FEW YEARS TIME, STALIN'S DREAM WILL FINALLY BE REALIZED, SINCE ON THE FAR BANK OF THE RIVER THERE'S A TRAIN STATION AT LABYTNANGI.
THIS IS WHERE RUSSIA'S EXISTING RAIL NETWORK BEGINS AGAIN, AND WHERE YOU CAN CATCH A PASSENGER TRAIN SOUTH TO MOSCOW, THIS IS ACTUALLY IT.
BUT I'M NO HEADING HOME YET.
FOR THE FINAL LEG OF MY JOURNEY, I'M HEADING EVEN FURTHER NORTH, HUNDREDS OF MILES INSIDE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, ON THE WORLD'S MOS NORTHERLY RAILWAY WHICH IS THIS WAY.
JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM LABYTNANGI, OBSKAYA IS THE STARTING POIN OF A BRAND NEW PRIVATE TRAIN LINE THAT SERVICES THE HUGE NEWLY-OPENED BOVANENKOVO GAS FIELD.
THE RAILWAY IS RUN BY GAZPROM, WHICH CONTROLS AROUND 90% OF RUSSIAN GAS RESERVES, AND IS THE WORLD'S BIGGEST GAS COMPANY.
THIS IS THE TRAIN, BU BEFORE I GET ON I'VE GOT TO GO THROUGH A SECURITY CHECK, LIKE AN AIRPORT OF SOMETHING, YOU KNOW CHECK MY BAGS, CHECK ME.
HIGH SECURITY! MAN: HELLO PASSPORT PLEASE.
ZAY: GAZPROM RUNS THREE OR FOUR PASSENGER TRAINS A WEEK UP TO THE BOVANENKOVO GAS FIELD, AND AS EVERYBODY ON THE TRAIN IS HEADING UP THERE TO WORK, IT TURNS OU ALCOHOL IS FORBIDDEN.
MAN: VODKA, WHISKEY, ALCOHOL? ZAY: VODKA? MAN: ALCOHOL IS NOT ALLOWED GOODBYE.
ZAY: GOODBYE.
DARN IT.
I CAN SEE WHY FOR SAFETY REASONS ALCOHOL IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED UP A THE GAS FIELDS, BUT I WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO CELEBRATING IN STYLE GETTING TO THE NORTHERNMOST TRAIN STATION IN THE WHOLE WORLD; I MEAN COME ON! I'LL HAVE TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO CELEBRATE WITH, YOU WATCH.
LOOK HOW POSH.
MAKES SENSE, IT'S PRIVATELY OWNED, BY ONE OF THE RICHES COMPANIES IN THE WORLD.
NICE AND WARM.
THIS IS MY HOME FOR THE NEXT 26 HOURS.
FROM OBSKAYA THE TRAIN TRAVELS 350 MILES FURTHER NORTH ABOVE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, AND WILL TAKE ALL NIGHT AND TOMORROW TO REACH THE END OF THE LINE AT THE BOVANENKOVO GAS FIELD.
[CLACKING.]
[YAWN.]
MORNING LOOK AT THIS.
ARE YOU SURE I WOKE UP? JUST FEELS LIKE I'M DREAMING, THIS IS REALLY BIZARRE NOT A SINGLE TREE ANYWHERE, THAT IS SO WILD, I'VE HEARD ABOUT THIS BUT NEVER SEEN IT LIKE THIS.
NOTHING BUT PERMAFROS FOR MILES, NOTHING.
FOR MILE AFTER MILE, HOUR AFTER HOUR, FAR ABOVE THE TREE LINE, WE CONTINUE ON THROUGH A SURREAL, ALMOST UNCHANGING LANDSCAPE.
IT'S NICE BEING OU IN THE OPEN AND ALL, BUT YOU START JUST CRAVING SOMETHING TO LOOK AT, WHEN THE STATIONS COME UP YOU GO AAH FINALLY SOMETHING, A BRIDGE AH SOMETHING.
I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW TOUGH I WOULD HAVE BEEN TO BUILD A TRAIN TRACK OUT HERE, AND TO OPERATE THE TRAIN CONSTANTLY YEAR ROUND.
IT'S NOT JUST WORKERS THIS TRAIN LINE IS BRINGING UP TO THE GAS FIELDS, IT'S ALL THE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, SUPPLIES, FOOD, ANYTHING, THERE'S NOTHING OUT HERE.
BUT SURPRISINGLY, A FEW MILES UP THE TRACK, THE TRAIN DOES CROSS PATHS WITH SOMETHING LIVING OUT HERE REINDEER.
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF REINDEER CROSSING RIGHT NOW, LOOK AT ALL OF THESE, ALL THE WAY FROM THERE, ALL THE WAY AROUND, EVERYBODY'S COMING OUT TO SEE AND TAKE PICTURES.
I'M GOING TO DO THE SAME.
I WAS WONDERING WHY WE WERE SLOWING DOWN AND I KEP HEARING THE HORN, 'WHOA, WHOA', SAYING GETTING OUT OF THE WAY OR WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HIT YOU.
LOOK AT ALL THESE, WOW IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
LIVING TOGETHER WITH THE REINDEER OUT HERE, OF COURSE, ARE SOME NOMADIC REINDEER HERDERS, LIVING A LIFE AS FAR REMOVED FROM THE MODERN SO-CALLED CIVILIZED WORLD AS IT'S POSSIBLE TO IMAGINE.
IT'S UNBELIEVABLE TO THINK THAT IN THIS VAST, ICY, OPEN, UNFORGIVING, FREEZING ENVIRONMENT, THESE NENETS CHOOSE TO LIVE OUT HERE.
I MEAN THIS TRAIN IS TOUGH, BUT THOSE GUYS ARE SUPER-TOUGH! IN CONTRAST, UP AT THE GAS FIELDS, MY FELLOW PASSENGERS ARE WELL-HOUSED IN CENTRALLY HEATED APARTMENTS, BUT TO BE FAIR THEY'RE ALSO VERY TOUGH, WORKING UP HERE IN WINTER IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS.
MAN: YOU SHOULD COME HERE WHEN IT'S MINUS 40 OR MINUS 50 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, OR WHEN YOU CAN'T SEE ANYTHING IN A BLIZZARD WE RUSSIANS AREN'T AFRAID OF ANYTHING AND CERTAINLY NOT OF THE COLD! ZAY: I BOUGHT A HAT, YOU KNOW, AND IT HAS THE OPTION TO COME DOWN, BUT ALL THE RUSSIAN MEN SAY NO, YOU LEAVE IT UP, IT'S TOUGHER.
YEAH? MAN: YES.
ZAY: SO YOUR EARS DO GET COLD, BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO ADMIT I BY FLAPPING THE FLAP DOWN, YOU WANT TO BE STRONG LIKE A STRONG, TOUGH RUSSIAN MAN? YOU'RE NOT EVEN COLD A LITTLE BIT UNTIL IT'S EXTREMELY COLD? MAN: EVEN IF IT IS, YOU JUST DO PUSH-UPS, AND EVERYTHING IS OK! ZAY: AH, SO YOU KEEP WARM BY DOING EXERCISES? MAN: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE FOR RUSSIANS! ZAY: TOUGH PEOPLE, THE RUSSIANS, AND THEIR TRAINS TOO! BUT I GUESS YOU MUST BE TO KEEP GOING UP HERE IN THE FROZEN WASTES OF ARCTIC SIBERIA.
WOW, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SUNSET! FEELS LIKE I'M RIDING OVER A SEA OF SNOW AND ICE.
I FEEL REALLY LUCKY I'VE GOTTEN TO DO THIS JOURNEY.
EQUALLY AS LUCKY WITH THE WEATHER, REALLY, I'VE IMAGINED MYSELF JUST ARRIVING IN A BLIZZARD BEING SO FAR NORTH.
MUST BE NEARLY THERE, THE FINAL STOP IS JUST AFTER DARK.
IMAGINE, NO TRAIN HAS EVER GONE FURTHER NORTH THAN THIS ONE RIGHT HERE, AND I'M ON IT.
THAT'S PRETTY COOL.
I CAN'T WAIT TO GET THERE.
ONCE NIGHT FALLS, THE TRAIN APPROACHES THE END OF THE TRACK AT THE HUGE BOVANENKOVO GAS FIELD, WHERE I'M ENDING MY JOURNEY.
AND TOUCHDOWN.
WOO-HOO! WE MADE IT, THE END OF THE LINE.
OOH, IT'S COLD.
IT'S INCREDIBLE TO THINK HOW MUCH THE DISCOVERY OF GAS HAS TRANSFORMED THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC.
AS A RESULT, THE TRAIN NETWORK IN THIS REGION IS EXPANDING ALL THE TIME, AND STALIN'S DREAM OF A TRANS-ARCTIC RAILWAY IS SOON TO BE A REALITY.
FOR ME, MY DREAM WAS SIMPLY TO GET TO THE MOS NORTHERLY POINT IN THE WORLD REACHABLE BY TRAIN.
AND NOW I'M HERE.
SO I THINK IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE.
I MIGHT NOT HAVE MY BOTTLE OF VODKA, BUT I STILL HAVE THIS.
IT'S WATER, I PROMISE! NAZDAROVYE CHEERS! ANNOUNCER: STAY TUNED FOR A SPECIAL GLOBE TREKKER EXTRA.
ANNOUNCER: FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED BY SUBARU.
WOMAN: AT SUBARU, WE BUILD VEHICLES LIKE THE RUGGED OUTBACK.
WITH SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AND PLENTY OF CARGO SPACE.
FOR THOSE WHO PACK EVEN MORE ADVENTURE INTO LIFE.
SUBARU A PROUD SPONSOR OF GLOBE TREKKER MAN: YOU CAN FIND MORE ABOU THIS SERIES ON OUR WEBSITES.
PROGRAMS FROM THE GLOBE TREKKER SERIES ARE AVAILABLE ON DVD.
OR VISI TO FIND OUT WHERE YOU CAN WATCH US ONLINE MUSIC FROM THE SERIES IS AVAILABLE ON CD.
YOU CAN ALSO ORDER GLOBE TREKKER BOOKS FEATURING INFORMATION ON FESTIVALS, EVENTS AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES TO ORDER GLOBE TREKKER PRODUCTS CALL 1-888-565-0361 OR VISI globetrekkertv.
com MEGAN: A GREAT WAY TO SEE GDANSK IS BY TRAM.
YOU ALSO GET TO FEEL YOU'RE A LOCAL.
OH, THERE IT IS! SO WHAT IS THIS VALIDATION THING? LET'S SEE WHAT A LOVELY DAY IN GDANSK! HERE'S A LITTLE TIIP FOR YOU.
PUNCH YOUR TICKED A REGULAR INTERVALS TO VALIDATE YOUR TRAVEL.
THIS? AND TAKE HEED.
STOPS AREN'T ANNOUNCED, SO KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING BEFORE YOU HOP ON ANY TRAM.
"GDANSK," MIDDLE AGE HANSEATIC CITY OF GERMAN PEOPLES IN THE 15TH CENTURY GDANSK PURRED WITH MERCANTILE TRADE.
AND IT ENJOYED A GOLDEN AGE WHICH IS SURVIVED BY THE AVENUES OF BAROQUE MANSIONS AND THE GOTHIC MONUMENT THAT IS THE CHURCH OF ST.
MARY'S, THE LARGES RED BRICK GOTHIC BASILICA IN THE WORLD.
BUT IT IS THE SHIPYARD WHICH IS THE ICONIC LANDMARK OF THIS GERMAN CITY.
FOR HERE, THE OPENING SALVOS WERE FIRED IN WORLD WAR II.
AND 41 YEARS LATER, IT WAS HERE THAT POLAND FOUND HER SOLIDARITY, HER LEGITIMATE VOICE TO AIR HER MANY GRIEVANCES AGAINST THE SOVIET-CONTROLLED COMMUNIST REGIME.
I MAKE MY WAY INTO THE OLD TOWN THROUGH THE DEFENSIVE TOWER.
THE TOWER WAS TURNED INTO A PRISON AND A TORTURE CHAMBER.
AND YOU COULD ACTUALLY HEAR THE BLOOD CURDLING SCREAMS OF THE CRIMINALS BEING TORTURED AND WHIPPED UP ABOVE.
AND STRANGELY ENOUGH, JUS ACROSS THE STREET IS THIS EXCUSE ME, OH, IT'S OKAY, I'LL JUST JUMP THROUGH IS THIS RESPLENDEN ROMAN TRIAMPLE ARCH CALLED THE GOLDEN GATE.
IT WAS ERECTED TO WELCOME THE KING OF PRUSSIA AND HIS COURT INTO THE CITY.
THAT IS WHAT THIS CITY LOOKED LIKE AFTER IT WAS BOMBED BY THE SOVIE OCCUPYING ARMY IN 1944.
IT WAS GERMAN THEN AND IT WAS KNOWN AS DANZIG.
BUT NOW LOOK, POLISH RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY AT ITS FINEST.
THE GOLDEN AGE HAS RETURNED! GDANSK, UNLIKE MOST POLISH CITIES, DOESN'T HAVE A PUBLIC SQUARE.
NO, INSTEAD WE HAVE THIS LONG STREET, CALLED THE DLUGY TARG A PAVED PROMENADE THAT LEADS ONE DOWN TO THE RIVER MOTLAWA.
IT'S LIKE THE POLISH VERSION LAS FERAMLESS IN BARCELONA OR REGENTS STREET IN LONDON.
A MAGNATE FOR TOURISTS.
AND TOURIST TAT! ONLY THE WEALTHIES MERCHANTS WOULD HAVE LIVED ON THESE STREETS.
AND THEY HAD A LUST FOR THE ZLOTY.
GOLD, REAL GOLD.
HELLO! WOMAN: HELLO! MEGAN: YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL! THIS IS BEAUTIFUL.
WOMAN: NICE, BEAUTIFUL! MEGAN: YES, IT'S ALL BEAUTIFUL! READY? NICE ONE.
THIS! NEPTUNE, THE GOD OF SEA IS THE SYMBOL OF GDANSK, THE SAME WAY THE MERMAID IS THE SYMBOL OF POLAND'S CAPITAL OF WARSAW.
NOW, LEGEND HAS IT THA WHEN LOCALS WOULD COME AND THROW GOLD COINS IN TO HONOR NEPTUNE, HE DIDN'T LIKE I ONE BIT, NO HE DIDN'T, TOO MUCH GOLD, VERY, VERY MESSY.
SO HE TOOK HIS TRIDENT AND SHATTERED IT INTO PIECES.
AND FROM THESE GOLDEN FLAKES PRODUCED BY AN ACT OF GODLY FURY, A RATHER STRANGE LIQUOR WAS BORN.
THIS REPUTABLE RESTAURAN IN THE HEART OF THE OLD TOWN IS WHERE NEPTUNE'S GOLD WATER WAS FIRST CONCOCTED IN POLAND.
IT IS IMAGINATIVELY CALLED GOLD WASSER! I'M MEETING THE GREAT, GREAT GRANDSON OF THE CITY'S FIRST DISTILLER.
DAMIEN: YOU'RE IN THE HOUSE OF THE GOLD WASSER SO YOU SHOULD DRINK THE GOLD WASSER.
MEGAN: AND YOU MEAN THAT VERY LITERALLY.
THIS IS THE HOUSE.
DAMIEN: YES.
THIS LIQUOR WAS BORN HERE IN 1598 BY AMBROSIUS VERMEULEN.
HE WAS A DUTCHMAN AND HE WAS A MENNONITE.
HE CAME HERE TO GDANSK AND PRODUCED MANY LIQUORS.
BUT THE MOST FAMOUS IS THE GOLD WASSER.
ACTUALLY, IT'S 22 KARA GOLD AND 24 HELPS OF IT.
MAYBE YOU SHOULD TRY A DRINK THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.
MEGAN: OKAY, OKAY.
DAMIEN: SO, NA ZDROWIE IN POLISH.
MEGAN: NA ZDROWIE! DAMIEN: NA ZDROWIE! MEGAN: IT'S VERY, AH, OOH.
THAT'S VERY NICE INDEED.
IT'S MUCH SMOOTHER THAN I THOUGHT, BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A VERY DAMIEN: STRONG ONE.
MEGAN: STRONG ONE.
IS IT STRONG? DAMIEN: IT IS.
MEGAN: IS THERE LICORICE.
ANIS OR SOMETHING? DAMIEN: GREAT! MEGAN: I ALWAYS LIKE WHEN I GET THAT, OKAY.
DAMIEN: SO WHAT DO YOU FEEL? MEGAN: RICH! DAMIEN: AH, AND THAT'S WHY PEOPLE ORDER IT.
MEGAN: TO FEEL RICH? BECAUSE IF YOU CAN JUST DRINK GOLD, YOU'VE OBVIOUSLY ARRIVED AT SOME LEVEL.
DAMIEN: IT WAS VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE LIQUOR.
YOU SHOULD FEEL LIKE A QUEEN OR KING.
THAT'S WHY IT WAS SO POPULAR IN THOSE DAYS.
MEGAN: OF COURSE, OF COURSE.
I'M SURPRISED THIS HASN'T CAUGHT ON IN THE HIP HOP COMMUNITY.
YOU SHOULD MARKE IT THAT WAY.
DAMIEN: MAYBE WE SHOULD TRY THAT SOME DAY.
MEGAN: THE KING OF BLING RIGHT HERE.
NA ZDROWIE! DAMIEN: NA ZDROWIE! MEGAN: I WONDER HOW YOUR BODY DIGESTS GOLD?
WOMAN: AT SUBARU, WE BUILD VEHICLES LIKE THE RUGGED OUTBACK.
WITH SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AND PLENTY OF CARGO SPACE.
FOR THOSE WHO PACK EVEN MORE ADVENTURE INTO LIFE.
SUBARU A PROUD SPONSOR OF GLOBE TREKKER ZAY: OH, MAN THIS ON THE VERGE OF TORTUROUS.
THESE TRAIN JOURNEYS ARE AMONG THE MOST EPIC AND HARDCORE ON THE PLANET.
IT'S LIKE ICE-PICKS STABBING AT MY STOMACH WALL.
TAKING PEOPLE THROUGH THE WORLD'S HARSHEST ENVIRONMENTS NO TRAIN HAS EVER GONE FURTHER NORTH THAN THIS ONE RIGHT HERE.
OVERCOMING HUGE TECHNICAL CHALLENGES.
THANK GOD THE TRAIN IS HERE, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'D DO THIS WITHOUT IT.
THESE TRAINS ARE A VITAL LINK TO REMOTE COMMUNITIES.
PEOPLE LIVE ALONG THE TRACKS, SO THIS IS THEIR ONLY MEANS HOME.
SUSTAINING A REGION'S ECONOMY I'VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY CUCUMBERS IN ONE PLACE IN MY LIFE.
AND EVEN CHANGING THE COURSE OF HISTORY.
IT'S BECAUSE OF THIS LINE THAT THE COUNTRY FEELS UNITED THESE ARE THE WORLD'S TOUGH TRAINS.
CROSSING ALL OF SIBERIA FROM EAST TO WEST, THIS IS THE TRANS-SIBERIAN, RUSSIA'S BEST KNOWN RAILWAY, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY NOT IT'S TOUGHEST.
OVER 1000 MILES NORTH OF THE TRANS-SIBERIAN, I'M TRAVELING DEEP INSIDE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, ON THE WORLD'S MOS NORTHERLY RAILWAY LINES.
AND I'M HERE IN WINTER, WHEN THE TEMPERATURES COULD DROP TO MINUS 50 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, OR MORE.
WISH ME LUCK.
THIS IS TOUGH TRAINS SIBERIA! AS WELL AS BEING THE WORLD'S LARGEST COUNTRY, RUSSIA ALSO HAS THE WORLD'S BIGGEST GAS RESERVES, MOSTLY IN REMOTE ARCTIC SIBERIA.
THE GAS FIELDS ARE SERVICED BY THE WORLD'S NORTHERNMOST TRAIN LINES, BUT DAMAGINGLY THERE'S A GAP BETWEEN EAST AND WEST.
TODAY RUSSIA IS TAKING STEPS TO BRIDGE THE GAP IN ONE OF THE TOUGHES ENVIRONMENTS ON EARTH.
CURIOUSLY, THE NEW RAILWAY WILL FOLLOW THE ROUTE OF AN ABANDONED TRAIN LINE BUIL BEFORE THE DISCOVERY OF GAS, DURING SOVIET TIMES, BY PRISONERS OF STALIN'S FORCED LABOUR CAMPS.
MY JOURNEY TO THE ARCTIC STARTS IN THE OLD SIBERIAN CAPITAL TOBOLSK, FROM WHERE I CATCH A TRAIN 750 MILES NORTH TO RUSSIA'S BIGGEST GAS FIELD AT NOVY URENGOYWHERE I SEE WHAT IT TAKES TO KEEP THE FUEL TRAINS MOVING.
AND THERE'S THE GAS THERE.
THAT'S WHAT THESE GUYS ARE WORKING TO GET OUT OF HERE.
REGULAR PASSENGER TRAINS GO NO FURTHER THAN NOVY URENGOY, BUT TO CONTINUE MY JOURNEY ON THE FREIGHT-ONLY LINE 150 MILES WEST TO NADYM, I GET TO TRAVEL ON MY OWN PRIVATE TRAIN.
ISN'T IT AMAZING THAT STALIN HAD THIS VISION TO BUILD THIS RAILWAY ACROSS THE ARCTIC, BU NEVER GOT TO SEE IT THROUGH, AND NOW IT'S ABOUT TO BE COMPLETED FOR DIFFERENT REASONS GAS.
TODAY, FROM THE END OF THE LINE AT NADYM, THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GE ACROSS THE 250 MILE GAP TO LABYTNANGI IS BY FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE ON A TREACHEROUS ICE ROAD THAT'S OPEN ONLY IN THE WINTER.
EN ROUTE I VISIT THE REMOTE AREA'S ONLY INHABITANTS, NOMADS WHO HERD REINDEER AND EAT THEM RAW.
MM-HMMMUCH MORE DOABLE WITH THE VODKA, YEAH.
FROM OBSKAYA, NEAR LABYTNANGI, I END MY TRIP BY HEADING NORTH 350 MILES ABOVE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE TO THE BOVANENKOVO GAS FIELD THE MOST NORTHERLY PLACE IN THE WORLD REACHABLE BY TRAIN.
THIS TRAIN LINE HAS TO KEEP RUNNING 24 HOURS A DAY, 365 DAYS A YEAR, TO KEEP THE GAS FIELDS RUNNING.
THIS REALLY IS THE TOUGHEST OF TOUGH TRAINS! OVER 1000 MILES SOUTH, I'M STARTING MY JOURNEY TO THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC IN THE HISTORIC FORMER CAPITAL OF SIBERIA, TOBOLSK.
BACK IN THE 18TH CENTURY, ALL OF THE VAST REGION OF SIBERIA WAS GOVERNED FROM HERE, STRETCHING AN INCREDIBLE 5000 MILES TO THE EAST, AND OVER 1,000 MILES NORTH TO THE ARCTIC.
JUST OPPOSITE TOBOLSK'S KREMLIN AND THE LOVELY ST.
SOFIA CATHEDRAL, THERE'S A MUCH GRIMMER SURVIVOR FROM THE PAST HERE, TOBOLSK PRISON.
DURING THE RULE OF THE TSARS, THOUSANDS OF POLITICAL DISSIDENTS WERE BANISHED EVERY YEAR TO EXILE IN SIBERIA, AND MANY OF THEM WERE IMPRISONED HERE.
AFTER THE COMMUNIST REVOLUTION, THE EXILE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS AND OTHER CRIMINALS TO SIBERIA CONTINUED MUCH INTO THE 20TH CENTURY.
MILLIONS WERE SENTENCED TO HARD LABOUR, AND WORSE, INTO THE INFAMOUS GULAG.
FROM HOLDING PRISONS SUCH AS THIS ONE, THE PRISONERS OF THE GULAG WERE SENT ALL ACROSS SIBERIA, AND PUT TO WORK, OFTEN IN MINES.
BUT ALSO ON BIG INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, SUCH AS BUILDING STALIN'S SO-CALLED 'RAILWAY OF DEATH' ACROSS THE ARCTIC.
THE RAILWAY THAT I'M TAKING TO THE ARCTIC FROM TOBOLSK, HOWEVER, IS A MORE MODERN LINE, COMPLETED IN THE EARLY 1980S AFTER HUGE AMOUNTS OF GAS AND OIL WERE DISCOVERED IN THE FAR NORTH.
ALRIGHT, MY TRAIN IS DUE AT 1:38, WHICH IS CONFUSING BECAUSE ON THE TIMETABLE, IT SAYS 11:38.
YEAH, AS IT TURNS OUT, ALL RUSSIAN TRAINS RUN ON MOSCOW TIME, WHEREVER THEY ARE, AND IN A COUNTRY THAT COVERS 9 TIME ZONES THAT'S IMPORTAN TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO AVOID MISSING YOUR TRAIN, OR FREEZING TO DEATH WHILE WAITING FOR IT! ALRIGHT, THERE IT IS.
THE TRAIN THAT'S GOING TO TAKE ME UP INTO THE COLD ARCTIC NORTH.
AM I READY FOR THIS? I DON'T KNOW, I REALLY DON'T KNOW, WE'LL HAVE TO SEE.
MY TRAIN HAS COME ALL THE WAY FROM MOSCOW, TWO TIME ZONES AND 1500 MILES TO THE WEST, AND IT'S TAKEN A DAY AND A HALF TO GET HERE.
WHICH MAKES THE 24 HOURS OR SO THAT MY JOURNEY NORTH IS GOING TO TAKE SEEM NOT TOO BAD.
ALRIGHT, 3RD CLASS, SEAT 40.
OH MAN, THAT'SO JUST A BODY ODOR, THAT'S A BODY OH DEAR! THAT COULD HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT.
OK, I'M OFF TO A GOOD START MADE MY FIRST TRAIN, ON TIME.
FROM TOBOLSK I'M HEADING 750 MILES NORTH TO THE EDGE OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, AND THE PASSENGER LINE'S FINAL STOP A NOVY URENGOY.
ALMOST ALL THE PASSENGERS ON THE TRAIN ARE WORKERS HEADING UP TO THE GAS FIELDS.
THEY COME FROM ALL ACROSS RUSSIA, ATTRACTED BY THE HIGH RATES OF PAY FOR WORKING IN SOME OF THE HARSHEST CONDITIONS ON EARTH.
HOW COLD DOES IT GET UP THERE? MAN: THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE WE HAVE IS AROUND MINUS 50 I'VE GOT USED TO I BEING THAT COLD IT CAN GET EVEN COLDER.
BUT WORKING AT MINUS 50 IS FINE FOR ME, NO PROBLEM.
ZAY: YOU GUYS ARE HARDCORE HERE IN RUSSIA, HUH? I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD DO IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COULD PAY ME ENOUGH TO WORK IN THOSE CONDITIONS.
I HAVE MAD RESPECT FOR YOU.
TODAY THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE IS AROUND MINUS 20 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, WHICH IS QUITE EASY TO FORGET, AS INSIDE THE TRAIN IT'S LOVELY AND WARM.
THE HEATING SYSTEM IS VERY EFFECTIVE, BUT IT ISN' EXACTLY CUTTING EDGE.
SO THIS IS HOW YOU KEEP THE WHOLE TRAIN WARM HUH? WOMAN: WE USE COAL TO KEEP THE CARRIAGES WARM IT'S BURNING REALLY WELL, SEE EVEN WHEN IT'S MINUS 50 DEGREES, IT'S ALWAYS WARM IN THE CARRIAGE.
ZAY: IT'S SIMPLE, DOESN' TAKE UP A LOT OF SPACE, AND IT REALLY DOES KEEP THE TRAIN WARM.
THERE HERE YOU HAVE IT, IT IS OLD FASHIONED AND TRADITIONAL, BUT IT WORKS.
IT KEEPS US WARM.
WOMAN: THIS IS OUR RUSSIA, OUR VERY STRONG INDUSTRIAL RUSSIA! [LAUGHS.]
.
ZAY: AS THE TRAIN PULLS UP FOR A SHORT STOP IN WHAT SEEMS LIKE THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, MY CHEERFUL CARRIAGE ATTENDAN HAS GOT SOME OTHER WORK TO ATTEND TO.
WHOO, STEPPING OFF FOR SOME FRESH AIR, GET A FEEL FOR HOW COLD IT IS.
I'VE GOT TO SAY IT'S PRETTY COLD.
WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE OUT HERE? OH LOOK AT THESE, ICICLES.
WOMAN 2: IF YOU DON' GET RID OF THE ICE, THINGS CAN GET JAMMED YOU NEED TO GET RID OF THE SNOW AND ICE SO THE WHEELS DON'T STICK.
ZAY: THESE THINGS CAN BECOME HAZARDS, HANGING DOWN LIKE THAT.
WOMAN 2: EVEN IF IT'S MINUS 40 DEGREES, THE TRAIN CAN STILL RUN.
BUT YOU MUST CLEAR THE RUNNING GEAR OR ELSE I WILL FREEZE UP.
ZAY: AREN'T YOU FREEZING? IT'S SO COLD UP HERE.
WOMAN 2: ARE YOU COLD? YOU WANT ME TO WARM YOU UP?! EVEN IF IT'S MINUS 50 DEGREES, WHEN TWO PEOPLE HUG, IT ISN'T COLD ANY MORE.
ZAY: THE BEST PART ABOU GIVING A HUG IS YOU GET ONE.
AS MY TRAIN CONTINUES ITS JOURNEY NORTH TOWARDS THE GAS FIELDS, WE CROSS PATHS WITH ONE OR TWO PASSENGER TRAINS, AS WELL AS LOTS OF CONDENSED GAS TANKER TRAINS, HEADING SOUTH TO FUEL RUSSIAN INDUSTRY, AND THE ECONOMIES OF MUCH OF THE REST OF EUROPE.
WE PASSENGERS NEED FUELING TOO.
ALONG THE WAY THE TRAIN MAKES A FEW STOPS LONG ENOUGH TO ALLOW 3RD CLASS TRAVELERS LIKE MYSELF TO BUY SOME CHEAP HOME-COOKED FOOD ON THE PLATFORM.
OH LOOK AT THAT, CHICKEN LOOKS DELICIOUS POTATOES, SAUSAGES, THIS IS MUCH MORE THAN I WAS THINKING.
THAT DUMPLING LOOKS REALLY GOOD.
WOMAN: SCULKA.
ZAY: SCOLPRA? WOMAN: SKULKA.
ZAY: SAUSAGE, YEAH THAT'S THE ONE.
PLENTY OF POTATOES, YEAH.
WHAT IS THAT? YEAH, WHY NOT.
OK.
THERE WE GO.
DINNER! LET'S GO FIND SOME VODKA.
THE THING ABOUT HAVING HO FOOD IN FRONT OF YOU IS YOU JUST WANT TO EAT I RIGHT AWAY WHILE IT'S HOT, AND THE THING ABOUT HAVING A BIG THING OF BEER IN FRONT OF YOU IS YOU JUST WANT TO DRINK IT BEFORE IT GOES HOT.
SO I COULDN'T FIND ANY VODKA, BUT I DID FIND SOME NICE RUSSIAN BEER HERE.
SEE HOW THAT IS.
I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING.
HOW IS THIS A PROGRAM ON TOUGH TRAINS, AND YOU'VE GOT REALLY GOOD CHICKEN AND NICE RUSSIAN BEER.
THE TRUTH IS IT'S GOING TO GE A LOT TOUGHER AS I GO NORTH REALLY THIS IS THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM, AND I'M GOING TO ENJOY IT WHILE I CAN.
MMM.
INDEED, AS EXPECTED, THE WEATHER STARTS TO GET WORSE THE FURTHER NORTH WE TRAVEL; WHAT LOOKS LIKE THE BEGINNINGS OF A SNOWSTORM IS SETTING IN AS WE HEAD INTO THE NIGHT.
ALRIGHT, I SUPPOSE I SHOULD GET READY FOR BED.
THE COOL THING ABOUT THIS SEA IS THAT IT IS ALSO MY BED.
AAH, NOT QUITE LONG ENOUGH, BUT DRINK ENOUGH BEER, AND I'LL JUST PASS OUT ANYWAY.
YOU CAN'T TURN THE LIGHTS OFF IN A CARRIAGE OF 50 PEOPLE.
I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT SOME EARPLUGS AND SOME EYECOVERS.
HOURS LATER, IN THE EARLY MORNING, AS WE NEAR THE GAS FIELDS AND THE TRAIN'S FINAL STOP A NOVY URENGOY, THE WEATHER HAS CLEARED UP, BUT THE SNOWFALL FROM LAST NIGHT'S STORM IS DEEP ON THE GROUND.
AH, I MADE IT THE GAS FIELDS! WHOO, PRETTY NIPPY.
NOW, THIS IS A VERY SENSITIVE AREA.
IF YOU FIGURE THA NEARLY THREE QUARTERS OF THE COUNTRY'S INCOME COMES FROM GAS AND OIL, AND THIS IS THAT AREA, SO YOU CAN'T JUST ARRIVE, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE ONE OF THESE.
IT'S A BORDER PERMIT, IT SEEMS JUST LIKE A SIMPLE PIECE OF PAPER, BUT WITHOUT I YOU WILL GET ARRESTED IF YOU'RE CAUGHT HERE.
SO, IT TAKES TWO TO THREE MONTHS TO APPLY FOR IT, PLAN AHEAD, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S HERE.
JUST A FEW MILES SOUTH OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, NOVY URENGOY TODAY IS A BIG CITY, WITH A POPULATION OF AROUND 100,000 BEFORE GAS WAS DISCOVERED IN THE REGION, HOWEVER, NOBODY LIVED HERE AT ALL, THERE WASN'T EVEN SO MUCH AS A VILLAGE.
THIS TOWN IS SO NEW, IT WAS ONLY IN 1982, BACK IN THE DAYS OF THE USSR, THAT THE VERY FIRST TRAIN ARRIVED, AND THIS IS IT.
WOW, IT IS GORGEOUS, AND IT GOOD CONDITION TOO.
I'D LOVE TO STICK AROUND AND LOOK AT IT SOME MORE, BUT IT'S ABSOLUTELY FREEZING, I KNOW YOU CAN'T REALLY TELL, BUT IT'S GOT TO BE LIKE MINUS 20 RIGHT NOW.
MY FINGERTIPS ARE NUMB, MY FACE IS HURTING, I'VE GOT TO PU ON SOME MORE GEAR! RUSSIA TODAY HAS THE WORLD'S BIGGEST RESERVES OF GAS, WORTH TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
AS A RESULT THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC HAS BEEN UTTERLY TRANSFORMED.
IT ALL BEGAN HERE, JUS OUTSIDE NOVY URENGOY, IN 1966, WHEN WHAT WOULD TURN OUT TO BE ONE OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST GAS FIELDS WAS DISCOVERED IN THE WILDERNESS.
ALRIGHT, NOW I'M PROPERLY KITTED OUT, I'M FEELING A LOT WARMER.
I'VE GOT MY THERMALS ON TOP AND BOTTOM, I'VE GOT INSULATED BOOTS, INSULATED PANTS, EXTRA JACKET, TRIPLE GLOVES, NECK GAITER, BALACLAVA IN MY POCKET, MY EARFLAPS FLIPPED DOWN SORTED.
WHEN THE POTENTIAL RESOURCES OF THIS REMOTE REGION WERE ORIGINALLY BEING INVESTIGATED BACK IN THE 1960S, THIS IS WHERE THE FIRS EXPLORATORY DRILLING HOLE STRUCK AN OCEAN OF GAS.
BINGO! NO WONDER THERE WERE CELEBRATIONS FOR THE SOVIET UNION, THIS ENORMOUS GAS FIELD WAS SOON MASSIVELY IMPORTANT ECONOMICALLY.
AND TODAY, MORE THAN 50 YEARS LATER, IT STILL IS FOR MODERN RUSSIA.
OVER 90% OF RUSSIAN GAS COMES FROM THIS REGION, AND WHILST MUCH OF IT IS EXPORTED THROUGH PIPELINES ALL THE WAY TO WESTERN EUROPE, THE RAILWAY IS ALSO VITALLY IMPORTANT TO RUSSIA'S ECONOMY AS A MEANS OF TRANSPORTING CONDENSED GAS.
AT NUMEROUS LOCATIONS LIKE THIS AROUND NOVY URENGOY, RAILROAD TANK CARS ARE LOADED UP.
RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE PREPARING THE TRAIN BY STEAM-CLEANING ALL THESE TANK CARS BEFORE THEY'RE FILLED WITH GAS CONDENSATE, WHICH IS THEN TURNED INTO FUEL, LIKE BENZENE AND KEROSENE, AND SHIPPED ALL THE WAY OU TO YOU GUYS.
BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH SNOWFALL AROUND HERE, THESE SNOW PLOW TRAINS HAVE TO WORK 24 HOURS A DAY JUST TO CLEAR THE TRACKS TO ALLOW THE TRAINS CARRYING THE REALLY VALUABLE GAS TO GET OUT OF HERE.
WOULDN'T WANT TO BE IN THE WAY OF THIS IT'S GOT BLADES AND POWER.
CLEARING THE DEEP SNOWFALL TAKES A TOLL ON THE TRAIN.
A PART OF THE SNOW PLOW IS BROKEN BY THE SHEER WEIGHT OF THE SNOW AND HAS TO BE FIXED.
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS RUBBER IS SHREDDING AND SO THEY'VE GO TO UNDO IT AND REPLACE IT.
IT'S SO HARD TO DO ANYTHING IN THE SNOW HERE, IT'S SO COLD.
YOUR HANDS GO NUMB.
IF YOU WANT ACCESS TO THEM I CAN'T REALLY GRAB ANYTHING WITH THIS STUFF YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE 'EM OUT, AND THEN RISK GOING NUMB AGAIN.
HERE GOES, CHOPPING THE RUBBER.
MOST OF THE TRACK CAN BE CLEARED BY THE SNOW PLOW TRAIN, BUT AROUND THE POINTS, THEY DON'T WANT TO DAMAGE IT, SO THEY CAN USE TRACTORS UP TO A CERTAIN POINT, AND THEN ALL THE RES HAS TO BE DONE BY HAND.
AND IF YOU ASK ME, THIS IS TOUGH STUFF ANYWAY IN WARM WEATHER, BUT TO DO IT IN THESE EXTREME CONDITIONS, THAT'S GOT TO BE SO TOUGH.
THIS HAS TO BE DONE EVERY TIME THERE'S A SNOWFALL.
I MEAN THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH WORK THAT IS JUST TO KEEP THESE TRAINS RUNNING.
YEAH, I'M FREEZING MAN, MY NOSE IS GOING TO FALL OFF.
I'M A WIMP, WHAT CAN I SAY, THIS IS EVERYDAY FOR YOU, HUH, YOU'RE NOT COLD, YOU'RE NOT COLD, WHOO? MAN: WHEN YOU WORK, IT'S NOT COLD.
IT'S COLD STANDING AROUND, NOT WHEN YOU'RE WORKING.
ONLY LAZY PEOPLE GET COLD.
I'M NOT LAZY, SO I DON'T GET COLD.
ZAY: UH-HUH, GOOD POINT.
WITH THE TRACKS CLEAR OF SNOW, THE FUEL TRAINS ARE FREE TO HEAD SOUTH WITH THEIR PRECIOUS CARGO OF CONDENSED GAS.
FROM NOVY URENGOY, THE GAS TRAINS CURRENTLY HAVE TO TRAVEL SOUTH VIA TOBOLSK TO REACH THE INDUSTRIAL MARKETS OF MOSCOW AND WESTERN EUROPE BEYOND.
BUT ONCE THE GAP FROM NADYM TO LABYTNANGI IS BRIDGED, THE JOURNEY TO MOSCOW AND BEYOND WILL BE SHORTER, QUICKER AND CHEAPER.
FOR NOW, THE DEAD-END TRACK FROM NOVY URENGOY TO NADYM IS BARELY USED.
THERE ARE NO PASSENGER TRAINS, AND JUST ONE FREIGHT TRAIN A DAY.
BUT IT'S THE DIRECTION I'M HEADING, AND SO I CAN STOP ALONG THE WAY, I'M GETTING SOME SPECIAL TREATMENT.
FOR THIS NEX LEG OF MY JOURNEY, I'VE GOT MY OWN PRIVATE TRAIN, HOW ABOUT THAT! HELLO.
FROM NOVY URENGOY, I'M TRAVELING 150 MILES OR SO TO WHAT'S NOW THE END OF THE LINE AT NADYM.
BUT FROM NADYM A NEW LINE IS SOON TO BE BUILT, ALONG THE ROUTE OF STALIN'S ABANDONED RAILWAY FROM THE 1950S, WHICH WILL FINALLY LINK TO THE LINE FROM LABYTNANGI.
AS A RESULT, THIS QUIE DEAD-END TRAIN LINE SHOULD SOON BECOME A VERY BUSY CROSS-ARCTIC LINK CARRYING LOTS OF GAS TANKER TRAINS.
SERGEY KRAVETS OF YAMAL RAILWAYS, WHO'S IN CHARGE OF MAINTAINING THIS SECTION OF LINE, HELPS ME UNDERSTAND MORE.
SO THIS IS ACTUALLY STALIN'S RAILWAY OF DEATH THAT THE GULAG BUILT? MAN: YES, WE'RE NOW TRAVELING ON A SECTION OF STALIN'S OLD RAILWAY.
UNFORTUNATELY DURING THE DAYS OF THE SOVIET UNION IT WAS NEVER COMPLETED.
DURING STALIN'S TIME, THE RAILWAY HAD MAINLY MILITARY PURPOSES, IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTING MILITARY CARGO, BUT NOWADAYS THE PLANNED RECONSTRUCTION IS CONNECTED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
ZAY: ISN'T IT AMAZING THA STALIN HAD THIS VISION TO BUILD THIS RAILWAY ACROSS THE ARCTIC, BUT NEVER GOT TO SEE IT THROUGH.
AND NOW IT'S ABOU TO BE COMPLETED FOR DIFFERENT REASONS GAS.
A FEW MILES BEFORE THE END OF THE LINE AT NADYM, SERGEY STOPS THE TRAIN TO SHOW ME WHERE STALIN'S ABANDONED LINE DIVERTED FROM THE EXISTING TRACK, EN ROUTE TO SALEKHARD AND LABYTNANGI.
MAN: THIS SECTION OF THE RAILWAY WILL REMAIN A DEAD END AND WON'T BE BUILT FURTHER.
THE NEW RAILWAY WILL BE CONSTRUCTED HERE ALONG THE ROUTE OF STALIN'S OLD RAILWAY IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO GO FROM HERE THROUGH NADYM TO SALEKHARD AND THEN ON TO MOSCOW.
ZAY: AH, SO THIS IS THE FORK IN THE ROAD WHERE THE FUTURE MEETS THE PAST.
IT'S GOING TO COMPLETELY OPEN UP THIS LINE TO THE WEST, AND THEN STALIN'S DREAM WILL BE REALIZED.
MAN: YES IT'S PLANNED TO START CONSTRUCTION WORK AT THE END OF THE YEAR, TO BUILD THE SECTION UP TO THE BRIDGE WHICH IS NOW ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
ZAY: WOW, IT'S AMAZING TO THINK THAT IN JUST A FEW YEARS' TIME THERE WILL BE GAS TRAINS GALORE JUST GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN THIS LINE RIGHT HERE.
JUST OUTSIDE NADYM, THE COMBINED ROAD AND RAIL BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION ACROSS THE RIVER IS A SIGN OF RUSSIAN DETERMINATION TO BUILD THE CROSS-ARCTIC RAILWAY LINK BETWEEN NADYM AND SALEKHARD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING A SHORTER ROUTE FOR THE GAS TRAINS, THE NEW RAILWAY WILL ALSO HELP GENERALLY DEVELOP THIS REMOTE REGION.
NADYM, WHICH WAS A SMALL VILLAGE UNTIL THE DISCOVERY OF GAS, HAS GROWN TO BECOME A CITY OF 50,000 PEOPLE.
BUT BETWEEN NADYM AND THE EQUALLY BIG CITY OF SALEKHARD, 230 MILES WEST, THERE IS NOT ONLY NO TRAIN LINE, BUT NO PERMANENT ROAD OR SETTLEMENT EITHER.
IT'S WILD TO THINK THAT THESE APARTMENT BLOCKS BEHIND ME ARE THE LAST FORM OF CIVILIZATION FOR OVER 200 MILES THIS WAY, NOT A SINGLE VILLAGE.
THIS PLACE REALLY IS A FRONTIER TOWN.
LOOK AT THIS PLANE THAT JUST FLEW IN, IT'S GOT SKIS ON IT! AND THIS GREAT WILDERNESS THA IT FLEW OVER IS THE TERRITORY THAT STALIN PLANNED HIS RAILWAY TO CROSS.
TO TRAVEL ACROSS THIS REMOTE WILDERNESS AND TRACE THE ROUTE OF STALIN'S ABANDONED RAILWAY, WHICH THE NEW CROSS-ARCTIC TRAIN LINE WILL FOLLOW, I'M JOINING VADIM GRICENKO, A LOCAL HISTORIAN.
MAN: HI ZAY, ARE YOU READY FOR AN ADVENTURE? ZAY: YEAH, CAN'T WAIT.
MAN: HAVE YOU EVER DRIVEN ON AN ICE ROAD? ZAY: NO.
MAN: DO YOU WANT TO? ZAY: YEAH, THAT'LL BE FUN, YEAH.
LET'S LET THIS BE A REAL.
UNTIL THE NEW TRAIN LINE IS BUILT ACROSS THIS REMOTE REGION FROM NADYM, THIS TRIP IS ONLY POSSIBLE IN WINTER, OVER FROZEN GROUND.
FROM NADYM OUR JOURNEY OF 230 MILES OR SO ACROSS THE WILDERNESS ISN' EASILY DRIVABLE IN ONE DAY ALL THE WAY TO SALEKHARD AND LABYTNANGI GIVEN THE NEED TO DRIVE SAFELY ON THE ICE ROAD.
SO BEFORE CHECKING OU STALIN'S RAILWAY LINE TOMORROW MORNING, WE'RE STAYING OVERNIGHT EN ROUTE WITH SOME FRIENDS OF VADIM.
HELLO YACOB.
JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE NO PERMANENT SETTLEMENTS IN THIS REMOTE REGION, DOESN' MEAN IT'S UNINHABITED.
IN FACT IT'S A STRONGHOLD OF THE NENETS, ONE OF EUROPE'S LAST NOMADIC TRIBES.
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF NENETS LIVE OUT HERE IN SMALL TEMPORARY CAMPS, AS THEY MIGRATE ACROSS THE WILDERNESS WITH VAST HERDS OF REINDEER.
WOW, THIS IS AMAZING.
LOOK AT THIS! WE'RE LUCKY THIS CAMP WASN' TOO FAR FROM THE ICE ROAD.
EACH NENET FAMILY GROUP SETTLE IN A PLACE FOR JUST A FEW DAYS OR WEEKS BEFORE MOVING ON TO FIND NEW PASTURE FOR THEIR REINDEER.
HI IVAN.
TO WELCOME US GENEROUSLY TO THEIR CAMP IN THE TRADITIONAL WAY, OUR HOSPITABLE HOSTS SACRIFICE ONE OF THEIR PRECIOUS REINDEER.
I LOVE EATING MEAT, BUT THIS IS THE PART THA I DON'T LIKE TO THINK ABOUT.
IT JUST SEEMS WRONG TO TAKE A LIFE.
MAN:THE NENETS ARE STRANGLING THE REINDEER BECAUSE THEY CONSIDER IT THE MOST HUMANE AND GENTLE WAY FOR IT TO DIE.
ZAY: IT'S GAGGING FOR ITS LAST BREATH, BUT SOON IT'LL BE ALL OVER FOR HIM, AND HE'LL BE PROVIDING NOURISHMENT FOR ALL OF US.
THEY'VE REALLY GOT IT DOWN TO A SCIENCE OF HOW TO BEST SKIN THIS ANIMAL TO PRESERVE AND UTILIZE THE FUR AGAIN.
ALL THEIR CLOTHES ARE MADE OUT OF THIS REINDEER FUR, THEIR WIGWAMS ARE MADE OUT OF THIS FUR, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO GE AS BIG PIECES AS POSSIBLE.
FOR THE NENETS, THE MOS DELICIOUS PARTS OF THE REINDEER ARE ITS KIDNEYS AND LIVER.
THIS IS THE LIVER.
OK, I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO MAYBE COOK IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE JUST EA IT RIGHT NOW WHILE IT'S RAW.
MM-HMM, IT'S TOUGH.
UGH.
MAN: I'M WAITING FOR VODKA, THEN I'LL EAT.
ZAY: YEAH, I'LL BE WELCOMING SOME OF THAT VODKA RIGHT NOW, OH MAN FIRST THIS, AND THEN THIS.
MUCH MORE DOABLE WITH THE VODKA, YEAH! WOW THEY GOT A LADLE IN THE BLOOD OVER HERE, DO YOU GUYS DRINK IT? YEAH? MAN: YES.
ZAY: OH GOD, WHY DID I ASK THAT? OK, HERE WE GO.
ALRIGHT, TO HEALTH.
NASDROVIYA.
MAN THAT IS SALTY, IT'S JUST LIKE STRAIGHT SALT.
WHOO! WITH NIGHTFALL APPROACHING AND THE TEMPERATURE DROPPING, WE ALL HEAD INDOORS TO WARM UP AND GET READY FOR BED.
OH MY GOODNESS, WOW, NOW YOU'RE SPOILING ME, WOW, WHO WOULD HAVE THUNK IT, IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, THESE BEAUTIFUL REINDEER COATS? AH, THIS IS THE LIFE.
I FEEL LIKE A KING.
I'M GOING TO SLEEP WELL TONIGHT.
IN THE MORNING OUR NENE HOSTS ARE UP EARLY TO TAKE THEIR REINDEER OFF FOR THE DAY TO FIND GOOD PASTURE, WHILE WE CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY ALONG THE ROUTE OF STALIN'S ABANDONED RAILWAY.
PARALLEL TO THE ICE ROAD, A FEW DILAPIDATED RAILWAY BRIDGES ARE THE FIRST SIGNS WE SEE OF THE TRAIN LINE THA ONCE RAN ACROSS THIS REMOTE WILDERNESS FOR JUST A FEW YEARS IN THE EARLY 1950S.
SO WHY DID STALIN WANT TO BUILD THIS RAILWAY OUT HERE? THIS WAS BEFORE GAS WAS EVEN DISCOVERED OUT HERE.
MAN: THERE WERE TWO MAIN REASONS.
ONE ECONOMIC, THE NORTH NEEDED DEVELOPMENT AND IT WASN'T POSSIBLE WITHOUT A RAILWAY AND SECONDLY THERE WERE MILITARY-STRATEGIC REASONS WITH THE BEGINNING OF THE ATOMIC ERA IN 1945 THEY WANTED TO BUILD NAVAL AND AIR MILITARY BASES IN THE POLAR REGION WHICH COULD BE SUPPORTED BY BUILDING A RAILWAY.
ZAY: I SEE, ICY, THAT'S FUNNY.
ALONG THIS STRETCH OF STALIN'S SO-CALLED RAILWAY OF DEATH, THE BEST PRESERVED REMINDER OF WHAT TOOK PLACE HERE BACK IN THE LATE 1940S AND EARLY 1950S, DURING THE DAYS OF THE COMMUNIST GULAG, IS LABOUR CAMP NUMBER 93.
MAN: IT'S VERY DEEP SNOW, SO I SUGGEST WE GE THERE BY SNOWMOBILE.
LET'S GET IT OU OF THE TRAILER.
ZAY: REMARKABLY, THIS CAMP WAS JUST ONE OF AROUND 150 CAMPS ALONG THE 800 MILE LONG TRAIN LINE, WHICH OVERALL, AT THE HEIGH OF RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION, HOUSED AN ESTIMATED 80,000 PRISONERS.
MAN: BE CAREFUL, IT'S DEEP SNOW, YOU CAN TURN AN ANKLE HERE ZAY, WE'LL GET THROUGH THE WINDOW TO THE KITCHEN.
HERE THEY COOKED FOOD FOR PRISONERS IN THESE BIG CONTAINERS.
ZAY: LOOK AT THIS, TOTALLY FROZEN.
THESE ARE BIG POTS, HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE BEING FED HERE? MAN: I ESTIMATE THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 300 PRISONERS IN THIS CAMP.
ZAY: QUITE A LOT.
WERE THEY EATING WELL, OR JUST LIKE THE BARE MINIMUM? MAN: THE PRISONERS DIDN'T STARVE, BUT THE FOOD WAS VERY SIMPLE.
ZAY: WE HEAD ON THROUGH THE HUTS WHERE THE PRISONERS SLEPT.
AMONGST THE 300 OR SO PRISONERS IN THIS CAMP, AND THE 80,000 OR MORE WHO WORKED ELSEWHERE ON STALIN'S RAILWAY, ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE WERE HARDENED CRIMINALS.
OVER HALF HAD BEEN SENTENCED FOR PETTY CRIMES SUCH AS STEALING A LOAF OF BREAD PUNISHABLE BY TWO YEARS OR MORE HARD LABOUR.
OTHER THAN THOSE, UP TO A QUARTER OF THE PRISONERS WERE SO-CALLED 'ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE' DISSIDENTS CHARGED WITH POLITICAL CRIMES AGAINST THE COMMUNIST REGIME.
MAN: HERE IS A CROSS PUT HERE IN MEMORY OF THE RAILWAY BUILDERS.
ZAY: STALIN WANTED HIS RAILWAY BUILT IN RECORD TIME, AND FOR THOSE PRISONERS WHO WERE JUDGED NOT TO BE WORKING HARD ENOUGH, OR WHO BROKE THE STRICT CAMP RULES, THE PUNISHMENT CELLS AWAITED.
THIS IS THE PRISON WITHIN THE PRISON, HUH.
THIS IS THE HELL WITHIN THE HELL.
EEKS, YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO END UP IN HERE, WOULD YOU? IT'S FREEZING IN HERE, IT'S MINUS 25 DEGREES CELSIUS RIGH NOW, AND THAT'S NO EVEN AS COLD AS IT GETS, I KNOW IT GETS DOWN TO LIKE MINUS 60, MINUS 65.
YOU'VE GOT AN OPEN WINDOW HERE.
HOW DID THEY NO FREEZE TO DEATH? MAN: THE THING IS THAT THERE WAS GLASS, AND THERE WAS A HEATING STOVE AND WARM AIR COULD GET IN HERE.
SO ALTHOUGH IT WAS COLD, IT WASN'T SO COLD THAT THE PRISONER WOULD FREEZE TO DEATH THEY DIDN'T WANT TO KILL THE PRISONERS AS THEY NEEDED THEM TO BUILD THE RAILWAY.
ZAY: BUT AS IT TURNED OUT, STALIN'S TRAIN LINE WAS NEVER COMPLETED.
WHEN HE DIED IN 1953, THE HALF-FINISHED LINE WAS ABANDONED BY THE NEW SOVIET LEADERSHIP, WHO WERE UNCONVINCED BY THE VALUE OF BUILDING A RAILWAY ACROSS VIRTUALLY UNINHABITED WILDERNESS.
MAN: ZAY, LOOK AT THESE REMAINS.
ZAY: LOOK AT THIS, COMPLETELY DERAILED.
IT'S KIND A METAPHOR, BROKEN RAILS, BROKEN DREAMS OF STALIN, HUH.
BEING UP CLOSE LIKE THIS, IT REALLY MAKES YOU APPRECIATE WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE TO BUILD IT, RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE THE CONSTRUCTION OF IT, THE NAILS.
AND I KEEP THINKING LIKE TODAY, IT'S CONSIDERED A NICE DAY, THE SUN'S OUT, THERE'S NO WIND, BUT IT'S STILL MINUS 24 DEGREES.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY COLD.
BUT IN THE DEAD OF WINTER, TRYING TO CONSTRUCT ALL THIS! SUCH A SHAME, WHEN YOU THINK OF ALL THAT WORK, ALL THA SUFFERING, FOR NOTHING.
AS MY JOURNEY ALONG STALIN'S ARCTIC RAILWAY COMES TO AN END, IT'S SHOCKING TO THINK THAT THE 80,000 OR SO PRISONERS WORKING ON THE TRAIN LINE WHEN IT WAS ABANDONED WERE JUST A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE DURING STALIN'S RULE WHO WERE IMPRISONED IN FORCED LABOUR CAMPS ALL ACROSS SIBERIA.
MORE THAN 200 MILES ACROSS THE WILDERNESS, THE ICE ROAD FINALLY BRINGS US BACK TO MODERN CIVILIZATION AND THE CITY OF SALEKHARD, HOME TO AROUND 40,000 PEOPLE.
IT'S THE FURTHES NORTH I'VE COME SO FAR, SLAP-BANG ON THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.
I'M SURE THERE MUST BE A TRADITION TO CELEBRATE CROSSING THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.
AND EVEN IF THERE'S NOT, I'M INVENTING IT! WOW I FEEL FIVE DEGREES WARMER ALREADY.
NOT IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.
WARMER STILL.
NOT IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.
JUST KIDDING! OF ALL THE NATURAL BARRIERS IN THE PATH OF THE NEW TRANS-ARCTIC RAILWAY LINK TO MOSCOW, THE GREATEST CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGE TO BE OVERCOME IS THE MORE THAN A MILE-WIDE RIVER OB WHICH FLOWS PAS SALEKHARDWHEN I ISN'T FROZEN SOLID FOR HALF THE YEAR.
BUT ONCE THE PLANNED BRIDGE OVER IT IS BUILT IN A FEW YEARS TIME, STALIN'S DREAM WILL FINALLY BE REALIZED, SINCE ON THE FAR BANK OF THE RIVER THERE'S A TRAIN STATION AT LABYTNANGI.
THIS IS WHERE RUSSIA'S EXISTING RAIL NETWORK BEGINS AGAIN, AND WHERE YOU CAN CATCH A PASSENGER TRAIN SOUTH TO MOSCOW, THIS IS ACTUALLY IT.
BUT I'M NO HEADING HOME YET.
FOR THE FINAL LEG OF MY JOURNEY, I'M HEADING EVEN FURTHER NORTH, HUNDREDS OF MILES INSIDE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, ON THE WORLD'S MOS NORTHERLY RAILWAY WHICH IS THIS WAY.
JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM LABYTNANGI, OBSKAYA IS THE STARTING POIN OF A BRAND NEW PRIVATE TRAIN LINE THAT SERVICES THE HUGE NEWLY-OPENED BOVANENKOVO GAS FIELD.
THE RAILWAY IS RUN BY GAZPROM, WHICH CONTROLS AROUND 90% OF RUSSIAN GAS RESERVES, AND IS THE WORLD'S BIGGEST GAS COMPANY.
THIS IS THE TRAIN, BU BEFORE I GET ON I'VE GOT TO GO THROUGH A SECURITY CHECK, LIKE AN AIRPORT OF SOMETHING, YOU KNOW CHECK MY BAGS, CHECK ME.
HIGH SECURITY! MAN: HELLO PASSPORT PLEASE.
ZAY: GAZPROM RUNS THREE OR FOUR PASSENGER TRAINS A WEEK UP TO THE BOVANENKOVO GAS FIELD, AND AS EVERYBODY ON THE TRAIN IS HEADING UP THERE TO WORK, IT TURNS OU ALCOHOL IS FORBIDDEN.
MAN: VODKA, WHISKEY, ALCOHOL? ZAY: VODKA? MAN: ALCOHOL IS NOT ALLOWED GOODBYE.
ZAY: GOODBYE.
DARN IT.
I CAN SEE WHY FOR SAFETY REASONS ALCOHOL IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED UP A THE GAS FIELDS, BUT I WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO CELEBRATING IN STYLE GETTING TO THE NORTHERNMOST TRAIN STATION IN THE WHOLE WORLD; I MEAN COME ON! I'LL HAVE TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO CELEBRATE WITH, YOU WATCH.
LOOK HOW POSH.
MAKES SENSE, IT'S PRIVATELY OWNED, BY ONE OF THE RICHES COMPANIES IN THE WORLD.
NICE AND WARM.
THIS IS MY HOME FOR THE NEXT 26 HOURS.
FROM OBSKAYA THE TRAIN TRAVELS 350 MILES FURTHER NORTH ABOVE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, AND WILL TAKE ALL NIGHT AND TOMORROW TO REACH THE END OF THE LINE AT THE BOVANENKOVO GAS FIELD.
[CLACKING.]
[YAWN.]
MORNING LOOK AT THIS.
ARE YOU SURE I WOKE UP? JUST FEELS LIKE I'M DREAMING, THIS IS REALLY BIZARRE NOT A SINGLE TREE ANYWHERE, THAT IS SO WILD, I'VE HEARD ABOUT THIS BUT NEVER SEEN IT LIKE THIS.
NOTHING BUT PERMAFROS FOR MILES, NOTHING.
FOR MILE AFTER MILE, HOUR AFTER HOUR, FAR ABOVE THE TREE LINE, WE CONTINUE ON THROUGH A SURREAL, ALMOST UNCHANGING LANDSCAPE.
IT'S NICE BEING OU IN THE OPEN AND ALL, BUT YOU START JUST CRAVING SOMETHING TO LOOK AT, WHEN THE STATIONS COME UP YOU GO AAH FINALLY SOMETHING, A BRIDGE AH SOMETHING.
I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW TOUGH I WOULD HAVE BEEN TO BUILD A TRAIN TRACK OUT HERE, AND TO OPERATE THE TRAIN CONSTANTLY YEAR ROUND.
IT'S NOT JUST WORKERS THIS TRAIN LINE IS BRINGING UP TO THE GAS FIELDS, IT'S ALL THE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, SUPPLIES, FOOD, ANYTHING, THERE'S NOTHING OUT HERE.
BUT SURPRISINGLY, A FEW MILES UP THE TRACK, THE TRAIN DOES CROSS PATHS WITH SOMETHING LIVING OUT HERE REINDEER.
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF REINDEER CROSSING RIGHT NOW, LOOK AT ALL OF THESE, ALL THE WAY FROM THERE, ALL THE WAY AROUND, EVERYBODY'S COMING OUT TO SEE AND TAKE PICTURES.
I'M GOING TO DO THE SAME.
I WAS WONDERING WHY WE WERE SLOWING DOWN AND I KEP HEARING THE HORN, 'WHOA, WHOA', SAYING GETTING OUT OF THE WAY OR WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HIT YOU.
LOOK AT ALL THESE, WOW IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
LIVING TOGETHER WITH THE REINDEER OUT HERE, OF COURSE, ARE SOME NOMADIC REINDEER HERDERS, LIVING A LIFE AS FAR REMOVED FROM THE MODERN SO-CALLED CIVILIZED WORLD AS IT'S POSSIBLE TO IMAGINE.
IT'S UNBELIEVABLE TO THINK THAT IN THIS VAST, ICY, OPEN, UNFORGIVING, FREEZING ENVIRONMENT, THESE NENETS CHOOSE TO LIVE OUT HERE.
I MEAN THIS TRAIN IS TOUGH, BUT THOSE GUYS ARE SUPER-TOUGH! IN CONTRAST, UP AT THE GAS FIELDS, MY FELLOW PASSENGERS ARE WELL-HOUSED IN CENTRALLY HEATED APARTMENTS, BUT TO BE FAIR THEY'RE ALSO VERY TOUGH, WORKING UP HERE IN WINTER IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS.
MAN: YOU SHOULD COME HERE WHEN IT'S MINUS 40 OR MINUS 50 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, OR WHEN YOU CAN'T SEE ANYTHING IN A BLIZZARD WE RUSSIANS AREN'T AFRAID OF ANYTHING AND CERTAINLY NOT OF THE COLD! ZAY: I BOUGHT A HAT, YOU KNOW, AND IT HAS THE OPTION TO COME DOWN, BUT ALL THE RUSSIAN MEN SAY NO, YOU LEAVE IT UP, IT'S TOUGHER.
YEAH? MAN: YES.
ZAY: SO YOUR EARS DO GET COLD, BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO ADMIT I BY FLAPPING THE FLAP DOWN, YOU WANT TO BE STRONG LIKE A STRONG, TOUGH RUSSIAN MAN? YOU'RE NOT EVEN COLD A LITTLE BIT UNTIL IT'S EXTREMELY COLD? MAN: EVEN IF IT IS, YOU JUST DO PUSH-UPS, AND EVERYTHING IS OK! ZAY: AH, SO YOU KEEP WARM BY DOING EXERCISES? MAN: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE FOR RUSSIANS! ZAY: TOUGH PEOPLE, THE RUSSIANS, AND THEIR TRAINS TOO! BUT I GUESS YOU MUST BE TO KEEP GOING UP HERE IN THE FROZEN WASTES OF ARCTIC SIBERIA.
WOW, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SUNSET! FEELS LIKE I'M RIDING OVER A SEA OF SNOW AND ICE.
I FEEL REALLY LUCKY I'VE GOTTEN TO DO THIS JOURNEY.
EQUALLY AS LUCKY WITH THE WEATHER, REALLY, I'VE IMAGINED MYSELF JUST ARRIVING IN A BLIZZARD BEING SO FAR NORTH.
MUST BE NEARLY THERE, THE FINAL STOP IS JUST AFTER DARK.
IMAGINE, NO TRAIN HAS EVER GONE FURTHER NORTH THAN THIS ONE RIGHT HERE, AND I'M ON IT.
THAT'S PRETTY COOL.
I CAN'T WAIT TO GET THERE.
ONCE NIGHT FALLS, THE TRAIN APPROACHES THE END OF THE TRACK AT THE HUGE BOVANENKOVO GAS FIELD, WHERE I'M ENDING MY JOURNEY.
AND TOUCHDOWN.
WOO-HOO! WE MADE IT, THE END OF THE LINE.
OOH, IT'S COLD.
IT'S INCREDIBLE TO THINK HOW MUCH THE DISCOVERY OF GAS HAS TRANSFORMED THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC.
AS A RESULT, THE TRAIN NETWORK IN THIS REGION IS EXPANDING ALL THE TIME, AND STALIN'S DREAM OF A TRANS-ARCTIC RAILWAY IS SOON TO BE A REALITY.
FOR ME, MY DREAM WAS SIMPLY TO GET TO THE MOS NORTHERLY POINT IN THE WORLD REACHABLE BY TRAIN.
AND NOW I'M HERE.
SO I THINK IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE.
I MIGHT NOT HAVE MY BOTTLE OF VODKA, BUT I STILL HAVE THIS.
IT'S WATER, I PROMISE! NAZDAROVYE CHEERS! ANNOUNCER: STAY TUNED FOR A SPECIAL GLOBE TREKKER EXTRA.
ANNOUNCER: FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED BY SUBARU.
WOMAN: AT SUBARU, WE BUILD VEHICLES LIKE THE RUGGED OUTBACK.
WITH SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AND PLENTY OF CARGO SPACE.
FOR THOSE WHO PACK EVEN MORE ADVENTURE INTO LIFE.
SUBARU A PROUD SPONSOR OF GLOBE TREKKER MAN: YOU CAN FIND MORE ABOU THIS SERIES ON OUR WEBSITES.
PROGRAMS FROM THE GLOBE TREKKER SERIES ARE AVAILABLE ON DVD.
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com MEGAN: A GREAT WAY TO SEE GDANSK IS BY TRAM.
YOU ALSO GET TO FEEL YOU'RE A LOCAL.
OH, THERE IT IS! SO WHAT IS THIS VALIDATION THING? LET'S SEE WHAT A LOVELY DAY IN GDANSK! HERE'S A LITTLE TIIP FOR YOU.
PUNCH YOUR TICKED A REGULAR INTERVALS TO VALIDATE YOUR TRAVEL.
THIS? AND TAKE HEED.
STOPS AREN'T ANNOUNCED, SO KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING BEFORE YOU HOP ON ANY TRAM.
"GDANSK," MIDDLE AGE HANSEATIC CITY OF GERMAN PEOPLES IN THE 15TH CENTURY GDANSK PURRED WITH MERCANTILE TRADE.
AND IT ENJOYED A GOLDEN AGE WHICH IS SURVIVED BY THE AVENUES OF BAROQUE MANSIONS AND THE GOTHIC MONUMENT THAT IS THE CHURCH OF ST.
MARY'S, THE LARGES RED BRICK GOTHIC BASILICA IN THE WORLD.
BUT IT IS THE SHIPYARD WHICH IS THE ICONIC LANDMARK OF THIS GERMAN CITY.
FOR HERE, THE OPENING SALVOS WERE FIRED IN WORLD WAR II.
AND 41 YEARS LATER, IT WAS HERE THAT POLAND FOUND HER SOLIDARITY, HER LEGITIMATE VOICE TO AIR HER MANY GRIEVANCES AGAINST THE SOVIET-CONTROLLED COMMUNIST REGIME.
I MAKE MY WAY INTO THE OLD TOWN THROUGH THE DEFENSIVE TOWER.
THE TOWER WAS TURNED INTO A PRISON AND A TORTURE CHAMBER.
AND YOU COULD ACTUALLY HEAR THE BLOOD CURDLING SCREAMS OF THE CRIMINALS BEING TORTURED AND WHIPPED UP ABOVE.
AND STRANGELY ENOUGH, JUS ACROSS THE STREET IS THIS EXCUSE ME, OH, IT'S OKAY, I'LL JUST JUMP THROUGH IS THIS RESPLENDEN ROMAN TRIAMPLE ARCH CALLED THE GOLDEN GATE.
IT WAS ERECTED TO WELCOME THE KING OF PRUSSIA AND HIS COURT INTO THE CITY.
THAT IS WHAT THIS CITY LOOKED LIKE AFTER IT WAS BOMBED BY THE SOVIE OCCUPYING ARMY IN 1944.
IT WAS GERMAN THEN AND IT WAS KNOWN AS DANZIG.
BUT NOW LOOK, POLISH RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY AT ITS FINEST.
THE GOLDEN AGE HAS RETURNED! GDANSK, UNLIKE MOST POLISH CITIES, DOESN'T HAVE A PUBLIC SQUARE.
NO, INSTEAD WE HAVE THIS LONG STREET, CALLED THE DLUGY TARG A PAVED PROMENADE THAT LEADS ONE DOWN TO THE RIVER MOTLAWA.
IT'S LIKE THE POLISH VERSION LAS FERAMLESS IN BARCELONA OR REGENTS STREET IN LONDON.
A MAGNATE FOR TOURISTS.
AND TOURIST TAT! ONLY THE WEALTHIES MERCHANTS WOULD HAVE LIVED ON THESE STREETS.
AND THEY HAD A LUST FOR THE ZLOTY.
GOLD, REAL GOLD.
HELLO! WOMAN: HELLO! MEGAN: YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL! THIS IS BEAUTIFUL.
WOMAN: NICE, BEAUTIFUL! MEGAN: YES, IT'S ALL BEAUTIFUL! READY? NICE ONE.
THIS! NEPTUNE, THE GOD OF SEA IS THE SYMBOL OF GDANSK, THE SAME WAY THE MERMAID IS THE SYMBOL OF POLAND'S CAPITAL OF WARSAW.
NOW, LEGEND HAS IT THA WHEN LOCALS WOULD COME AND THROW GOLD COINS IN TO HONOR NEPTUNE, HE DIDN'T LIKE I ONE BIT, NO HE DIDN'T, TOO MUCH GOLD, VERY, VERY MESSY.
SO HE TOOK HIS TRIDENT AND SHATTERED IT INTO PIECES.
AND FROM THESE GOLDEN FLAKES PRODUCED BY AN ACT OF GODLY FURY, A RATHER STRANGE LIQUOR WAS BORN.
THIS REPUTABLE RESTAURAN IN THE HEART OF THE OLD TOWN IS WHERE NEPTUNE'S GOLD WATER WAS FIRST CONCOCTED IN POLAND.
IT IS IMAGINATIVELY CALLED GOLD WASSER! I'M MEETING THE GREAT, GREAT GRANDSON OF THE CITY'S FIRST DISTILLER.
DAMIEN: YOU'RE IN THE HOUSE OF THE GOLD WASSER SO YOU SHOULD DRINK THE GOLD WASSER.
MEGAN: AND YOU MEAN THAT VERY LITERALLY.
THIS IS THE HOUSE.
DAMIEN: YES.
THIS LIQUOR WAS BORN HERE IN 1598 BY AMBROSIUS VERMEULEN.
HE WAS A DUTCHMAN AND HE WAS A MENNONITE.
HE CAME HERE TO GDANSK AND PRODUCED MANY LIQUORS.
BUT THE MOST FAMOUS IS THE GOLD WASSER.
ACTUALLY, IT'S 22 KARA GOLD AND 24 HELPS OF IT.
MAYBE YOU SHOULD TRY A DRINK THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.
MEGAN: OKAY, OKAY.
DAMIEN: SO, NA ZDROWIE IN POLISH.
MEGAN: NA ZDROWIE! DAMIEN: NA ZDROWIE! MEGAN: IT'S VERY, AH, OOH.
THAT'S VERY NICE INDEED.
IT'S MUCH SMOOTHER THAN I THOUGHT, BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A VERY DAMIEN: STRONG ONE.
MEGAN: STRONG ONE.
IS IT STRONG? DAMIEN: IT IS.
MEGAN: IS THERE LICORICE.
ANIS OR SOMETHING? DAMIEN: GREAT! MEGAN: I ALWAYS LIKE WHEN I GET THAT, OKAY.
DAMIEN: SO WHAT DO YOU FEEL? MEGAN: RICH! DAMIEN: AH, AND THAT'S WHY PEOPLE ORDER IT.
MEGAN: TO FEEL RICH? BECAUSE IF YOU CAN JUST DRINK GOLD, YOU'VE OBVIOUSLY ARRIVED AT SOME LEVEL.
DAMIEN: IT WAS VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE LIQUOR.
YOU SHOULD FEEL LIKE A QUEEN OR KING.
THAT'S WHY IT WAS SO POPULAR IN THOSE DAYS.
MEGAN: OF COURSE, OF COURSE.
I'M SURPRISED THIS HASN'T CAUGHT ON IN THE HIP HOP COMMUNITY.
YOU SHOULD MARKE IT THAT WAY.
DAMIEN: MAYBE WE SHOULD TRY THAT SOME DAY.
MEGAN: THE KING OF BLING RIGHT HERE.
NA ZDROWIE! DAMIEN: NA ZDROWIE! MEGAN: I WONDER HOW YOUR BODY DIGESTS GOLD?