t has been 35 years since Russia started the final leg of one of its major construction projects the Baikal Amur Mainline (the BAM).

In Soviet times those three letters meant more than words can say to thousands, who put their heart, soul, sweat and tears into the BAM.

The BAM was built as an alternative parallel route to the Trans-Siberian railway connecting Eastern Siberia to the Far East.

Much of it was built over permafrost and in places and conditions where most people cant live, let alone work but thats exactly what some did for years during the decades it took to complete what was called the project of the century.
The BAMs first section was built during Stalin's era and became infamous for the harsh working conditions and extensive use of prison labor.

The Soviet project of the 70s, however, was a very different affair and the then-Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev once famously said that the BAM will be constructed with clean hands only.

This new project was meant to bring people together, to unite those who wanted to work for the benefit of the nation no matter how difficult the conditions were.

Many working class people took part in the project, but also engineers, scientists and other specialists. It was an extreme challenge with many unexpected problems because of the weather and terrain, so people had to want to take part and get the job done, says Valery Gorbunov, former deputy head of BAM construction.

The BAM now runs some 4,300 kilometers in length and took 28 years to complete.