Trans-Siberian Railway Construction Begins

On June 1, 1891, the future Tsar Nicholas II ceremonially turned the first sod for the Trans-Siberian Railway at Vladivostok, initiating a 5,772-mile project across Siberia. Commissioned by Alexander III to bind Russia's far eastern territories to European Russia, the line faced immense engineering challenges including permafrost, Lake Baikal ferries, and the Amur River. French and Russian engineers employed 80,000 workers at peak, using American-style 4-4-0 locomotives initially. The railway enabled rapid troop movements during the Russo-Japanese War, opened Siberian resources to global markets, and remains the world's longest continuous rail corridor, symbolizing imperial ambition and modern connectivity.