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Alexey Loshchilov
Three villages are cut off from the rest of the world, and the only way for residents to get out is by a single-carriage train that goes three times a week.
Alexey Loshchilov
The railroad runs through the forest not far from the
Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The railroad was built in the 1950s to deliver trees from faraway places.
Alexey Loshchilov
The three settlements of Lipakovo, Luzhma and Seza emerged near the railroad. After the fall of the Soviet Union, people stopped producing timber in the forest. But the villagers stayed.
Alexey Loshchilov
The railroad stayed as well. As the only thoroughfare, it is used to deliver convenience food, post and pensions. Of course, passengers use it too. Sometimes young people from other towns travel on this locomotive to visit their parents and grandparents.
Alexey Loshchilov
The villagers are separated from the rest of the world not only by distance, but by time as well. “Was” is the most common word here. Everyone remembers the good old days as compared to the present, when nothing is left, except for the railroad and the train.
Alexey Loshchilov
Nina Grigoryevna lives with her son Alexey. He is one of the few young people who live in Seza. She used to work as a postwoman. She doesn’t complain about her life today, but only worries that there is no work for her son. Still, she doesn’t want to let him go.
Alexey Loshchilov
Nikolay uses the train for business purposes — delivering food and supplies to the local stores.
Alexey Loshchilov
There are seven people who work on the railroad. Assistant driver Alexander likes to talk about the beauty of the local nature. Once he caught two bears running away from the train on video.
Alexey Loshchilov
Vasiliy Makarovich has been the driver of the train all his life. Everyone who lives in the three villages knows him. He lives with his wife in Lipakovka. Their children bought a flat for them in Severoonezhsk, so they want to move there.
Alexey Loshchilov
Vladimir lives in Luzhma. He used to work as a logger. The hard work resulted in health problems; he can hardly bend his fingers. He would gladly move somewhere else, but there is no place he can go.
Alexey Loshchilov
Andrei Lodde lives in Luzhma and repairs the railroad. In July a pack of wolves killed his dog. After that he bought a new rifle.
Alexey Loshchilov
Vera Nikolayevna used to work for the railroad repair team. She is a pensioner now. She travels by train to the forest to collect mushrooms and berries.
