The Dead Road – research
During three expeditions (2009, 2011, 2013) we have mapped a total of 15 abandoned camps along the so-called Dead Road Railway – Gulag Construction...
Klyuch labour camp
Labour camp. Used in the construction and maintenance of the railway line. Burned down in August 2013.
Satellite images suggested that this camp was the best-preserved along the entire eastern section of the Dead Road (construction no. 503). However, when we arrived there in September 2013 all we found were the burnt out remains of barracks. The camp had fallen victim to a forest fire that broke out just a month before our arrival.
Though all that remained were the burned out foundations of buildings we succeeded, via careful mapping and comparison with other labour camps, in recreating its original form. Only completely dry buildings succumbed to the forest underbrush fire, so it was something of a surprise that the store, kitchen building and dining hall and guard tower survived; we used photographs of them in the reconstruction of the 3D model of a Gulag camp.
The Klyuch camp on fire. Left: visible spectrum (RGB) image, right: combination of mid-infrared bands clearing defining the site of the camp fire. USGS/NASA Landsat
Article’s gallery
Related articles
Related places
