A sketch of Kolyma Monument to be installed on Kolyma Highway in Magadan Oblast.
We have started a new project. It’s the installation of the Kolyma monument dedicated to the people, who had been developing the territory of Kolyma. Without deviding people into groups based on right-wing or guilt, gulag victims or people, who arrived at their souls’ summons.
In short, the Monument will be dedicated to all, who developed or are developing our beuatiful, but tough region.
Russian search engine yandex updated their maps. Now you can see a big increase in the road to Magadan from Yakutsk. this is a really good opportunity to see what awaits travelers. Address: http://maps.yandex.ru
These Romanian guys had a great motorcycle ride from Romania to Magadan last year. They made it through the Road of Bones and installed the memorial tablet dedicated to the Romanian exiles repressed in the time of Stalin’s regime. Good fellows! Not so many devote their expedition to the victims of GULAGs.
Here is a video done by Dan Popescy, of Romanian Motorcyclists Asociation. His website: http://euroasia2010.amoro.ro/
My article published in major Russian portal about cars! article about the trip Magadan – Yakutsk – Magadan. and although it in Russian language – there are a lot of photos! it will help you to understand – what is the federal road «kolyma». .
First questions are received via AskMagadan.com’s contact form. Great! It means the website started bringing results. So, here are questions:
«I need some information.. which is the better way to reach butugychag? from susuman or magadan? is it possible to find accomodation in susuman? from susuman (i’ve read there is a public bus to magadan) does it start every day? at which time?»
Answers:
1) It’s easier to get to Butugychag from Magadan. The point is that the camp is located on Tenkinsky Road considered to be the alternative to the Yakutsk – Magadan federal highway. It’s harder to reach the camp from Susuman. By the way, Tenkinsky Road looks much better.
2) It’s much easier to reach Butugychag, if you find (rent) an off-road vehicle with a driver as a guide. This year the rate for such a car was 300 USD per day. The price included a car rent, fuel, and food. I have good friends among guides, so you are welcome to ask about it.
3) There is a regular public transportation working between Susuman and Magadan. The way takes 14 hours and a bus is small (a minivan). Departure is at 11 am.
4) Two hotels work in Susuman. One is located near the bus station, the other on the territory of the training center of the Susuman gold processing factory. Not hard to find them.
- I was not in Butugychag, God saved me. We considered them as a penal camp.
- How were convicts buried?
- They did nothing special. Just bestrewed deads with corpses with sand or snow, if they died in winter, and that’s it.
- Any coffins used?
- Never. No one thought about coffins.
- Why were dead convicts buried in coffins in on one of three Butugychag cemeteries and why were corpses’ heads cut off?
- That’s because doctors cut them…
- What for?
- Among prisoners, there were some rumours about experiments as a part of training.
- Was it done at Butugychag’s or somewhere else?
- In the Butugyachag camp only.
- When did you learn about experiments?
- Approximately in 1948-1949, just in the form of small talks to scare us…
- Maybe, when they cut off heads, convicts were alive?
- Who knows… There was a big medical camp. There were even professors among workers…
..Friday, local mass media reported that the Tenkinsky highway was washed out again and the Russian Emergency Ministry didn’t recommend any driving on the road. But I was already determined and there were no wish to step back…
I departed in the early morning around 6 am… That time I decided to go alone, as it would give me more speed up.
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