Perhaps there is no other state in the world where communication routes between cities and regions would be of the same paramount importance as in Russia. Only roads unite grandiose geographical spaces into a single country. And the track numbers on the map are familiar and understandable not only to truck drivers.
From Western Siberia to Eastern Siberia
The federal highway M53, referred to as "Siberia" for short, passes through the Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Kemerovo regions and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It ends in the Irkutsk region. In some sources, this road is designated by the code word "Baikal", which is fundamentally wrong - the world's largest freshwater lake is located east of Irkutsk, where it ends. This designation can be considered correct only for the entire historical path from the Urals to Baikal. And the M53 highway is only part of this route. And it has a completely official designation - "Siberia". The cities through which the M53 highway passes are among the largest historical, industrial and cultural centers of Siberia. The total length of this road is 1860 kilometers. When moving from west to east of the country, the M53 highway is a direct continuation of the federalhighway M51 "Irtysh", going from the Southern Urals to Novosibirsk through Kurgan and Omsk. And to the east of Irkutsk, traffic in the direction of the Pacific Ocean continues along the federal highway M55, going in the direction of Ulan-Ude and further to Chita.
From the history of communications
The modern highway M53 on the map is the distance on the historical route from central Russia to the Pacific Ocean. This oldest Trans-Siberian land route appeared in the middle of the eighteenth century. Of course, in those distant times there were no bridge crossings across the great Siberian rivers, and various sections of the route, referred to in historical sources as the "Moscow Route", were not stable. In many areas, they were duplicated and were more likely to be directions of movement than fully equipped roads. But bridges and roads were built gradually, as the Russian Empire moved east. And one of the bridge crossings is well known even to those who have never been to Siberia. The M53 highway passes in Krasnoyarsk along the bridge across the Yenisei. It is he who is depicted on a banknote of ten rubles.
Route numbers on the map of Russia
Currently, on the territory of the Russian Federation, there are road signs adopted in the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of November 17, 2010. This document defines new designations for some routes of federal importance. In particular, they are denoted by the prefix "M", ascoming from Moscow. But at the same time, the former system of codification temporarily remains in force. It will expire on January 1, 2018. In the new system of codification of routes, there is no division into categories - into main and secondary ones. But the trend of increasing serial numbers of tracks remains as they move away from the capital.
M53 highway today
Currently, the construction of the federal highway "Siberia" can by no means be called completed. Despite the fact that freight and passenger transportation is carried out around the clock along the entire route, in many of its sections the road surface leaves much to be desired, and often does not exist at all. Work on the repair and construction of the route never stopped. The infrastructure of the roadside service also needs to be improved. The builders of the route have to overcome significant difficulties. This is primarily due to complex soils. For a considerable distance, they require preliminary strengthening before they can be embanked for a future road. The route crosses many settlements right along the main street. That's how it happened historically. This did not create any special problems until the beginning of the twentieth century, while the main mode of transport was horse-drawn. But now we have to invest heavily in the construction of bypass sections around settlements.
Distance Novosibirsk - Kemerovo
At its initial stage, the federal highwayM53 passes mainly through flat terrain. From Novosibirsk the road leaves in a northerly direction, to Tomsk. But she does not enter this city, turning right onto Kemerovo. Before Tomsk, you should turn left, the branch of the road is marked on the maps with the same M53 designation as the entire route. The condition of the roadbed throughout the route to Kemerovo is quite satisfactory. The width of the carriageway is seven meters. The road surface is asph alt concrete. Of the significant water barriers, only the Tom River, the bridge across it is located not far from Kemerovo. According to statistics, the number of accidents at this distance is minimal.
Section Kemerovo - Irkutsk
This is the most difficult section of the track. Hard road surface is not available here in all areas. Particularly difficult is the segment of the route Kemerovo - Mariinsk, passing through an elevated area. The road here crosses a large taiga massif, and its outlines acquire a serpentine character. After Mariinsk, the track levels out and the road becomes calmer. Behind the former traffic police post "Bogotol" is a convenient place for parking and rest. Roadside service structures are available in the form of cafes and motels. After Achinsk, traffic on the highway becomes more lively, this is affected by the approach of the big city - Krasnoyarsk. The M53 highway passes the city itself along its outskirts, along the northern bypass. And then there is the final section of the path to Irkutsk. On this segment there are difficult sections of the road, without a hard surface. Most of them are inTaishet region. It is especially difficult here during precipitation.
What you need to remember on the track "Siberia"
Traffic on Siberian roads has its own specifics. It is determined by geography and climate. The map of the M53 highway is able to demonstrate how much distance one has to overcome here on the way from one settlement to another. Any equipment failure along the way can leave you alone with the problems that have arisen. Therefore, it is best to travel along the Siberian routes, as was customary in ancient times, as part of caravans. This is especially true in winter time. The climate in Siberia is sharply continental, with a large annual temperature difference. This means that it can get quite hot in summer and very cold in winter. Snowdrifts also occur quite often, making it difficult to move along the highway.
Moscow Gate in Irkutsk
An interesting historical monument, directly connected with the M53 federal highway, is the triumphal arch in Irkutsk. It was erected in 1813 on the banks of the Angara. At this point, the Moscow tract began, a long way from Eastern Siberia to the central regions of Russia. And the arch, erected in honor of Emperor Alexander the First, opened it. An expressive architectural monument, made in the style of classicism, was demolished not in the Soviet era, but even before the start of the First World War. The city authorities at that time did not find funds to repair it. But herestored in its original form in our time, on the same foundation, exactly 200 years after the completion of the original.
