Physiographic preconditions for building overland roads in Kolyvan-Voskresensk department in 1749-1762

In the middle of the 18th century, the infrastructure development on the territory of the Kolyvan-Voskresensk department was inseparably linked with the development of the fields and the construction of the copper and silver smelting plants. New settlements and paths for the transportation of the ore were constructed. The connection ways between fields, river piers, plants and villages were established. The number of the Russian population had increased considerably by then. Both the mining enterprises and the population needed to be protected from militant nomads. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued a decree about the organization of a confidential foreign expedition to the south from the Kolyvan-Voskresensk department. Privy Councilor and Siberian Governor Fyodor Iva-novich Soymonov was appointed responsible for the expedition organization. The expedition continued from 1760 to 1762. During this time research parties studied the intensive territory of the Mountain Altai region from north to south - from the mouth of the Biya River to the Bukhtarma River; and from west to east - from the Ust-Kamenogorsk fortress to Teletskoe Lake. The expeditions studied carefully the old Asian paths, both deserted and still used by the local nomad tribes. Much attention was paid to the study of the physiographic components: relief, climate, surface water, vegetation. The cartographic material of the studied territory was received. Later, both the cartographic material and the traveling notes were preserved at the storage centre of the archival funds of the Altai Territory. When passing the route, the groups noted places suitable for the construction of defense works, ploughing and haymaking. The experts studied the rivers: rifts, sand banks, the speed of a current and the depth of the rivers; suitability of the rivers for navigation was also estimated. After studying the received physiographic and hydrographic materials of the studied part of the Koly-van-Voskresensk department, the following conclusions were made. The rapid current of the rivers and frequent floods as a result of snow thawing and large amounts of precipitation were a feature of the Mountain Altai rivers. These circumstances complicated organization of ferries and construction of bridges. Overland roads were difficult ways for movement because they were narrow tracks which lay on the abrupt stony slopes of the mountains. Only pack horses could pass these tracks. The places for building fortresses and redoubts were low-suitable because they were situated either in the mountains at a big height or in the narrow gorges. This circumstance was more difficult because of the snow in the deep gorges that thawed in the first half of summer only. Therefore, the transport communication stopped completely in winter due to the deep snow. Accordingly, overland transportation of loads was possible four months a year only. After considering all these facts, the organization of the defense line from the Ust-Kamenogorsk fortress to the Novikovskiy outpost was estimated as an impracticable, expensive and non-profitable project for the state. As a result, a decision to build the defense line from the Ust-Kamenogorsk fortress to the Biysk fortress was made. In a short time, the defense line was built. It passed through the average stream of the Urba River, through the riverhead of the Aley River, the middle part of the Charysh River and from the Anuy River downstream to the junction of the Biya and the Katun Rivers. The defense line kept its strategic significance till the end of the 18th century. The overland roads supporting the communication between the fortresses, the outposts, the redoubts of the line, the mines and the settlements were built along the defense line. The research expeditions of 17601762 received a considerable physiographic, hydrographic and cartographic material of the territory of the Kolyvan-Voskresensk department. The difficulties of movement in the mountain district and the features of the water obstacles overcoming were described in the expedition reports. Such important factors as the topography of the researched territory, the water obstacles and the climatic conditions were considered when planning and constructing roads. The expedition results became the base for the formation of the strategically important ways of communication between the fortifications of the defense line at the distant boundaries of the Russian Empire. Some of the roads, which were investigated by expeditions in 1760-1762, received further development. Nowadays, they are important transportation routes of the Russian Federation.

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