Vedmin and Chertov Bridges

The Vedmin and Chertov bridges are two abandoned railway bridges in the south of Sakhalin, in the Kholmsk municipal district, near Kamyshyovo station, on the closed section between Nikolaychuk and Kamyshyovo-Sakhalinskoye of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk — Polyakovo line. Both structures belong to an engineering complex known as the Takaradai loop, a bend the railway builders used to get around a steep hillside.

History

The bridges were built by the South Sakhalin Railway in the 1920s, during the Japanese administration of the island; the Vedmin Bridge opened in September 1928. The line operated until March 1994, when traffic on the section was officially stopped.

In August 1945, fighting took place near the Chertov Bridge during the liberation of South Sakhalin from Japanese forces: the 113th separate rifle brigade operated in the area. Corporal Anatoly Simakov and private Vladimir Volkov were killed in that battle.

Legends

A grim belief surrounds the Vedmin Bridge: supposedly its construction cost one human life for every sleeper laid. The origin of the name "Chertov" ("Devil's") Bridge is not firmly established. One version links it to the dangerous mountain terrain the bridge crosses, another to the Korean forced laborers ("tako") used in building the railway.

What to see

The Chertov Bridge is a multi-span metal structure on reinforced-concrete piers, 125 meters long and about 41 meters high. A tunnel survives nearby; it is dark inside, so a flashlight is needed. A little further on, a loop is cut into the hillside — part of the Takaradai spiral itself. The Vedmin Bridge is higher and longer: about 50 meters high and 200 meters long. In 2007 part of it was badly damaged by a forest fire, the deck was charred, and it has since been considered unsafe to cross.

Getting there

The Chertov Bridge can be reached by suburban train from Kholmsk. By car, the road runs through the village of Lyutoga, crossing five tunnels along the way. A car can reach the Vedmin Bridge only up to a certain point; after that, the way continues on foot.