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Boring in the Tunnel, 1900-1904. In the second half of the 19th century, Russia underwent a period of extensive rail development that culminated in the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Akin to the great railroads to the Pacific in both the United States and Canada, Russia's transcontinental line was intended to supply and populate Siberia as well as deliver raw materials to the rapidly developing industries west of the Urals. This photograph is from an album of 56 photographs in the Collection of Documentary Materials on the History of the West-Siberian Railroad (1890s-1978) in the Novosibirsk Oblast State Archive. The album documents the construction of this part of the line, focusing on the engineers and workmen building tunnels and trestles along the route. The album was digitized for the Meeting of Frontiers digital library project in the early 2000s. Iz fotoal'boma "Al'bom postroek i vidov krugobai?kal'skoi? zheleznoi? dorogi. 1900-1904 g.". State Archives of Novosibirsk Oblast Boring in the Tunnel, 1900-1904. Creator: Unknown. (KEYSTONE/HERITAGE IMAGES/HERITAGE ART)