World’s Most Dangerous Roads | Russia - The Long Road to Siberia | Free Documentary

[Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] in the arctic circle in the north of russia there are roads which only exist for a few weeks each year [Music] conditions in the ice are extreme [Music] if you take the winter road you do so at your home barrel [Music] in siberia many roads are made not of tarmac but of ice and snow the winter road linking salihat and nadim is only passable from december to april when spring arrives on the border between tiger and tundra temperatures rise from minus 50 to minus 20 degrees celsius it's the beginning of the end for the road of ice yuri zilbu knows this road like no other he is accompanying a heavy haulage back to salihart his hometown in spring water flows across the frozen ground turning the road into an icy piste the two drivers need to cross a dangerous section the top is dangerous we could slide down and stay at the bottom keep to the bottom drive slowly in first gear [Music] no you just have to be careful stay on this track over there and just keep going on and on many people try to take the upper part of the road and slide down sometimes they even overturn and fall to the side it's a really tricky part you have to be very precise when driving [Music] specializes in heavy haulage driving he has to maneuver the heavily laden lorry across the ice [Music] the lorry almost makes it at the little rise but the last bit of the slope is too steep and too slippery it's for moments like this that yuri zurubu is with him the articulated lorry only makes it across the hill with the help of the second vehicle as long as the makeshift extension the tow row bolts we need to get the wheels off the ice and then you try going in second gear [Music] the drive from salehart to nadimon back takes five days if the weather complies it's only during the winter months that the men can transport urgently needed goods between the towns right now they need a street roller in salihat the drivers reach the city in the evening founded as a cossack fortress salikar today lives off the vast gas fields of this region the gas reserves are among the biggest in the world and have made the town an affluent community despite the extreme temperatures some forty thousand people live here on the outskirts of the town the company premises of yamalav todor the region's road building contractor can be found todor is responsible for building and maintaining the region's few roads the company employs leonid padalka and yuri zidbu as drivers they are glad it has got a little colder at minus 30 degrees their work becomes easier before the temperatures rise again and the road sinks into the mud they have to drive one last heavy horse across they urgently need an asphalt paver at the other end of the winter road in nadine [Applause] before they can set off the 15-ton machine needs to be loaded onto the trailer in order to make sure the load doesn't slide off on route the men painstakingly secured it on the trailer good preparation is the very least they can do to get across the ice road you look for an escape you clasp at every straw to get out and reach your destination to solve your problem [Music] but you're very much afraid the convoy will be traveling on this road without any contact with the outside world for several days there is no mobile phone reception if you want to take the winter road you have to know about the dangers everyone registers at the entrance the convoy consists of four vehicles the lorry with its heavy load is followed by a bulldozer which is supposed to clear the way in case of an emergency then there's a lorry with building materials at the back is yuri zirbu securing the convoy sarikat is situated in the autonomous yamalo neniates region right on the ob river in the arctic circle the winter road to nadim is some 300 kilometers long and leads through marshland and across several rivers it's the only road which connects salihat with the outside world [Music] at the other end of the road in nadim konya prokhorov and jagor stefanenka want to risk the drive across the winter road the two share an unusual passion they love driving cross country away from regular roads for the summer they are planning an off-road trip across russia they want to use the winter road to test themselves and their cars in the most extreme conditions they told us not to let any more lorries pass we'll wait until tonight with the jeep yes you will why won't you let any more lorries pass it's warm it's snowing how long for until 6 pm all right thanks the two off-road drivers are from nadine and have never made it all the way to the neighboring town of salihat now at the end of the winter they have picked the most unpleasant time for their trip there is neither accommodation nor any restaurants along these 300 kilometers they have to look after themselves [Music] it started to soar the snow is getting heavier it'll probably be colder then during the day it'll be pretty wet we've thought it through we're well prepared this is double check everything several times before we embark on a tour like this it's the only way we value our life and our health very much the road leads across a river in just a few weeks time barges will be traveling here instead of cars but for now the ice holds [Music] [Music] whether beaten pylons and deformed rail tracks remind us of starling superpower fantasies which were thwarted by the eternal cold of northern siberia after world war ii the dictator wanted to build a railway line along the arctic circle the secret project was called stalin's railway or the route of death more than 100 000 like prisoners were exposed to the cold with no protection extreme driver jagor stefaninka seized the camps for the first time stalin's railway was never in operation two weeks after stalin's death work [Music] stopped at the other end of the winter road yuri zubu has veered off the right path even experienced drivers have a hard time recognizing where the road ends and deep snow begins in the course of the day it becomes warmer again [Music] there is no traction between snow and wheels the snow is like soap the wheels just spin because of the angle it would take him hours to get out of this situation by himself the edge of hard-pressed snow makes it hard to get the wheels back on solid ground you need to understand that the temperatures of the air the ground and the snow are all different right now he needs less air in his tyres yuri's path takes him back into deep snow he wants to make the road wider with his russian euro trunk which is specially designed for heavy territory he can change the air pressure in the tires while he's driving [Applause] with less air the tyres are like the paws of a bear when a bear steps on branches you'd think they break but they don't they don't even make a sound this also applies to the tyres of the euro now the vehicle has created the necessary space for itself and feels like a fish in water you just need to keep calm and be patient don't get hectic every year in november yuri forges the road into the deep snow centimeter by centimeter day by day until he has made a fresh track across the 300 kilometers from salihat to nadine [Music] ivan and grigori ataman are on their way home they were selling reindeer meat on the market in salikat and bought some groceries the two brothers are tundra nomads and members of the negnet's people ivan and grigori live in a small settlement some 130 kilometers outside of salihat right in the middle of the tundra they need a snowmobile or a sledge to get to their tents snowmobiles are fast but tiring after 40 kilometers the nomads stop for a tea break this is not just so they can recover the nanites stop in sacred places a road is not just a road we always stop over there and make an offering sometimes we also throw coins in passing there are no petrol stations in the tundra therefore the nets brothers always take a barrel of petrol with them they want to reach their little settlement before nightfall the last 30 kilometers will lead them through deep snow without this road it took us much longer to get to the town sometimes as long as two or three days back in those days when there was no road our sledges would get stuck in hilly territory today it's the road of life for us and his convoy colleagues make sure the road will remain passable on each trip they chain pipes which should be welded together to their lorries these makeshift 4-ton rollers level and compact the snow which would otherwise break up blow away and become impassable within a few days to make a good road you need to build it above the tundra we want the winter road to be similar to a normal road once the road is above the level of the tundra you needn't worry about blizzards and wind anymore [Music] [Music] [Music] the best time for driving on a winter road is at night time with their headlights the drivers can make out bumps sooner than in the diffuse daylight the convoy is making good progress but then yuri and his colleagues encounter a lorry which has had an accident the driver has been stuck since lunchtime no one has been able to help him his attempts to free himself have only dug him deeper into the snow i miscalculated and veered off the road there was a blizzard and i couldn't see anything then i overturned and slid off the road yuri wants to pull the lorry out with the rope the wheel loader also pushes it from behind the lorry is not moving at all try to start the engine it's complicated if we could start it the power of the engine would help us right now it's like a dead weight without the engine running it's practically immovable due to the cold temperatures the vehicles are never switched off on the winter road not even on longer breaks the drivers know once the engine cools off there is nothing they can do without outside help [Music] everyone out of the way [Music] the rescue mission has delayed the convoy considerably on the winter road punctuality is a luxury car nowadays it's each to their own the north doesn't forgive these mistakes on your own you won't get far in the tundra in this kind of frost i don't know how strong a man has to be here to get by without help sooner or later everyone needs the help of a friend or a colleague [Music] ten kilometers further on there's another accident fury is not surprised the black eyes here has been the downfall of many a driver this lorry has been stuck for three days now several attempts to help him have failed the heavy load has pulled the lorry deeper and deeper down the slope try second gear yuri quickly realizes that they can't help him either but the lorry blocks their way he needs to stay where he is damn it we'll carefully go past him so we won't squash him if we slide we've cleared it all the convoy carefully drives past the unfortunate vehicle after a few meters the wheel loader starts to slide i told him you need to drive at the bottom at the very bottom so you won't slide and he replies very well only to proceed to drive a different route the convoy has been on the road for 14 hours despite their exhaustion the drivers make use of the favorable nighttime conditions they continue to find their way through the cold and snow until dawn [Music] very few creatures can survive the hostile environment of the arctic circle extreme differences in temperature blizzards permafrost soil the negan's people have come to terms with the adversities of nature the brothers ivan and grigori ataman reached their little settlement of three tents on the previous evening together they take a breakfast of tea and raw frozen reindeer meat some forty thousand and yet live in the region of yamano named after them in their language some of them have preserved the old culture they live as nomads of the tundra with their tents they move from place to place the negates practice strict division of labor the women are responsible for the tent the food and the children the men take care of the reindeer and the hunt reindeer are the negative treasure many nomad families have thousands of the animals at their disposal tents and clothing are made from reindeer hides nothing else keeps you as warm [Music] the dogs are restless they can feel that they will be hunting today spring is coming and soon grigori ivan and their friend will start heading for the summer meadows up north with their herds this means the herd which has been living independently of its owners needs to be rounded up again [Music] grenigori is the owner of 3000 reindeer they are able to withstand colder temperatures than any other farm animal first the men want to catch some individual animals the animals can smell trouble [Music] with their snowmobiles grigori and his brother round up the animals and heard them towards the others who were waiting with their lassos they tried to catch the male lead animals reindeer hooves are very broad and they can move fast in deep snow [Music] as soon as they've caught the first reindeer they tether them to the wooden slaves they need to get used to their task as working animals again the rest of the herd follows them [Music] [Music] voluntarily soon it will be impossible to drive around on the snowmobiles then we won't be able to go into town once it claws everything gets water locked the road becomes impossible now we take those reindeer to the herd then we catch the younger ones and train them up too the first sleigh is ready to go soon the nanites will ride hundreds of kilometers up north on them always following the cold into the vast tundra the drivers used the roof of yuri's euro as a refrigerator the convoy has driven until the morning before they can carry on they need to put a good meal on the table the delicacy of the north is called muksum a fish whose home is the ob river yuri cuts up the raw fish as lenient's tradition dictates into small scripts it's freshly frozen the fish is for internal use with salt and pepper vodka is desirable too without vodka it's not perfect but you can eat it anyway the night was cold the wheel valves are frozen we let the air out of the tyres so the car can cope better with the winter road so it won't get damaged if there's less air in the tyres it's easier to drive and you've got a better grip between the snow and wheels halfway between the demons there is a station yuri and the others want to reach this station today [Music] [Music] many drivers make use of the last days when the road is still passable soon it will be closed for the next eight months transports will have to take place by plane or ship the road disappears as it were the only reminders of the wrecks of the unlucky lorries [Music] an oncoming driver tells yuri about conditions on the rest of the way they say the road to nadim is bad will our convoy make it it will probably get through though if not use the ropes you can get through on the tracks have you been getting through okay yeah have a good trip in the north of siberia the permafrost soil is hundreds of meters deep on top there are vast swamplands which the winter road leads through parts of them thaw when temperatures reach 15 degrees below zero in some areas even experienced drivers like yuri find it hard to make out whether the road is still passable at all [Music] it's still okay at the moment sometimes the water comes up to my feet in the cabin [Music] in some places the water is up to one and a half meters deep the difficult bit is that you don't know what's underneath in the spring there's water coming from above and from below so the ice is no longer solid but it breaks it can cave in any time really any time the convoy has reached the little station halfway between salekart and nadine many people take a brief break there before they tackle the second part of their trip a reserve fund of petrol helps those drivers who underestimated the high petrol consumption on the winter road yuri's euro uses more than 50 liters per hundred kilometers vasily volkov guards the station and the petrol he's a hermit of the winter road for eight months each year he's completely alone for the other four months when the winter road is in use his hut is a popular meeting place for truckers one of the drivers tells of his accident just short of the station this morning his lorry overturned he was carrying a load of petrol fellow drivers freed him from the broken vehicle and brought him here my first thought was damn this is it i thought i was dead yeah this was the end of then i wondered is this what heaven looks like everything was upside down you see nothing there's snow everywhere are you still alive or not you just don't know yes now we do it of our own free will yeah [Music] temperatures rise to 5 degrees below zero blizzards are increasingly likely the wind picks up within a few hours the road is covered in loose snow the road markings on either side disappear off-road drivers collier and jagor find it more and more difficult to drive their cars across the blown away road the front axle of collier's vehicle has hit deep snow he won't be able to get out again by himself igor has to help him the wind has become very strong it blows snow onto the road so we can expect more snowdrifts we'll have to keep pulling the other one out a few more times the jolt at the start pulls off part of the rope holder but at least collier's car has come unstuck i drove quite a deep track into here it's only 30 meters to the other side of the snow bank they could make it if they drive faster the men start wondering if they will make it back home this winter if they have to leave their vehicles behind they'll never see them again [Music] the convoy drivers also find it hard to keep control over what's going on the snow is wet and slippery the lorry carrying the asphalt machine won't make it up the hills on its own when attempting to tow it the wheel motor also starts to slide once they've dug it out they start a second attempt at getting the articulated lorry across the hill they need to cross several hills in a row again the wheels start spinning after a few minutes 35 tons rotating on the spot we need more speed if we go faster we can pull the lorry up the hill the rope needs to remain at full stretch if it stops at the bottom of the hill you can't pull it up it's stuck you can only do it together i'll use fourth gear it'll be faster that way if i go in second gear i'll get stuck you're simply too slow there are several hundred weights of bottom ash in the lorry it's a survival aid for winter road drivers bucket by bucket the drivers put down a trail in the snow so that the wheels can grip at the next attempt the team carefully rolls back to the bottom of the hill then both drivers will go at full speed simultaneously again the lorry grinds to a halt but right at that moment the bulldozer's wheels catch hold in the snow [Music] in the negative settlement the problems on the winter road go unnoticed the tundra nomads have been living in the arctic for thousands of years like every year they quietly prepare for spring some of the slaves need mending once every two weeks ivan and grigori slaughter a reindeer for their own use they need all hands on deck for that they have to be quick or the meat will freeze under the knife and the man won't be able to skin the animal reindeer meat reindeer blood and fat are basic foodstuffs as well as a source of income ivan and grigori take the snowmobiles into town for the last time this year there they sell reindeer meat and frozen fish they use the proceeds to buy supplies for the coming months [Music] there's another one who got stuck poor guys slid shall we try from the top off-roaders collier and jagor are standing in front of a slope which is completely frozen over some lorries have slid off and blocked away may i offer you my hand sir this hill is particularly treacherous if you leave the track do you want to drive along here yes in the last days when the winter road is still open no vehicle makes it through without problems the icy piste becomes a slide for man and machine [Music] [Music] collier and yoga don't want to wait several days for the road to become free again they look for an alternative route around the blocked area do you see how much water there is we could sink here i can't imagine how we would get around that bit with the two trees over there no idea to the right to the right centimeter by centimeter jagor advances on the thin ice collier secures the car on the side at that moment an oncoming vehicle blocks their way why do you drive along here without checking the area first the way in front is blocked but they can't go back either there are very few options left to avoid having to leave the car behind until next year the men want to try using a cable winch and eased the car down the slope sideways we've managed the tricky icy i'm happy i don't want to sleep anymore i'm not hungry or thirsty anymore last week for the near future a modern railway is planned between salihat and nadine along the old stalin railway will there ever be a paved road that makes travelling between the two towns easier no one knows [Applause] fury and his colleagues have made it the convoy reaches the control station from there it's just a few more kilometers into town yuri can't imagine a life without that road and the snow this road is like a treat for me the winter road will always remain the winter road if you work here with good people you won't ever feel fatigued of course you'll get tired but you're always in a good mood it's fun you do a job which you sometimes doubted you can succeed at you wonder how you've achieved this but it's a fact without much to do [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Free Documentary

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Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, most dangerous roads, most dangerous journeys, worlds most dangerous roads, worlds most dangerous journeys, deadliest roads, deadliest roads in the world, dicing with death, deadliest journeys, dicing with death Siberia, most dangerous roads Siberia, deadliest roads Siberia, dangerous Siberia, deadliest journeys Siberia, Siberia, hot roads, hot roads siberia, deadliest roads russia, most dangerous roads russia

Id: ZGqS2aSnQhc

Length: 43min 9sec (2589 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 25 2021