One of the most beautiful stations in Russia is getting a locomotive as a neighbour, and the tower built by exiled Poles may become a Circum-Baikal Railway museum.
Slyudyanka is the gateway to the Circum-Baikal Railway, and in 2026 there was a cluster of news about its railway heritage.
The station
The 1904 building of unpolished white and pink marble came sixth in RIA Novosti’s ranking of the most beautiful stations in Russia. In 2005 the station underwent major repairs.
The locomotive
In August the 1950 steam locomotive L-4046 “Lebedyanka” was delivered to the station. Locomotives of this series were designed at the end of the war under the direction of Lev Lebedyansky and built in 1945–1955. The monument is due to be unveiled in the autumn.
The tower
The brick water tower of 1911–1913 was built by exiled Poles; it still supplies the town with water and has been a listed monument since 1980. The “Baikal Shore of Hope” foundation wants to open a visitor centre in it with a museum of the Circum-Baikal Railway.
Sources (in Russian): Glagol, 22 April 2026; IRK.ru, 8 August 2026; Teleinform, 20 July 2026.
