Something strange has been happening for the third day on the main Russian road connecting Moscow with St. Petersburg. Hundreds of cars are standing in the traffic jam which stretches for more than 200 kilometers (125 miles). People run out of food and fuel. Drivers’ state is close to mental collapse!
Some volunteers bring food and water to the drivers. But still there is no any help from the government.
Some quotes from the place of occurance:
“Do we live in Africa? They cannot clean the snow for the fourth day!”
“Trucks have been stuck for the fourth day on the federal road M-10 in the Tver region. And it’s quite probable they will have to spend another night in the traffic limbo”.
“A plate of soup already costs not less than 120 RUR (4 USD), parking place – 500-1200 RUR (16,5-40 USD). The filling stations are running out of fuel. Locals transport the drivers to shops for noodles. Marauders in cafes raise prices three or four times!!!!”
“An elderly woman died in one of the cars, her body has been laying in the car for two days. In another car some woman is giving birth to a baby and screaming so horribly”.
“I liked to watch the situation first. When we were still moving somehow. I was listening to the radio and even called to the radio station, I wanted to cheer up myself and others in different ways. Then I started to be afraid – we were about to run out of the fuel and we still had a lot to go to the destination. Then they said on the radio that snow cleaning equipment had to come soon and asked not to park on the sides but nobody came and I started to feel depressed. It was the instinct of self-preservation and fear which possessed me.
Finally I got home and I was SO happy about it! But after such a trial I fell ill ((( I would never wish anyone to find him(her)self in such a situation. I do not envy those who are still there, on M10 road”.
“The drivers declare an emergency hunger-strike, they have already been standing there for three days”.
“Cigarettes, by the way, are sold there for 200-800 rubles (6,5 to 26,5 dollars) per pack!”
According to the last information the situation started to be solved.
there are two troubles in Russia – dumbs and roads
It must have been a freak snow storm and maybe caught the plow sleeping.
Some American spend thousand of dollars prepping for SHTF situation almost like they wish it would happen. While Russians experience these kind of stuff everyday.
…and do nothing to be ready for it.
Then you get some dumb sucker in a 4 wheel drive who doesn’t realize that 4-wheel drive is not 4-wheel traction or 4-wheel braking blow by you and proceed to cause an accident. I always laugh when I see them out in a hay field after doing a couple 360′s. The less hilarious ones are when you have to deal with a head-on collision where they lost traction and met with oncoming traffic.
It always pays to not be a participant in the first week of snow while half the population relearns how to drive in snow.
“Do we live in Africa? They cannot clean the snow for the fourth day!”
Because there is so much snow in Afrika every year…:D
The snow was unexpected so most trucks didn’t have winter tires on yet. This is the result. The same happens in Moscow every year.
Seems like snow is unexpected every year in Winter.
Damn snow, how you dare to fall in december, bad snow, go home…
Trucks with winter tires in Russia? It’s not even funny… They use chains sometimes, and not on highways, but somewhere in the woods, when they steal timber.
And of course snow in the last decade of November in Moscow and Leningrad is a very rare occasion. By the way, the weather forecast was accurate this time.
A lot of this congestion should be alleviated one once the new freeway nears completion.
So where exactly was the problem? Only in 1 pic (the one with the tractor) the road condition can be called abit rough, in all others i see perfectly drivable roads, even bare asphalt.
I’m actually surprised that not only is the road an unmaintained state for a snowstorm, but that it hasn’t yet been converted to a 4-6 lane divided expressway.
Another good reason to not smoke.
the russian-people in snow,like the nazi army in winter 1941.
is the main road between the two largest russian cities only a 2lane road? the road should be wide enough for the the snow-plough to pass on the side, then this would not have happened.
The Current road from St Pete to Moscow is a 4 lane highway and with the road divided only by the road markings mostly and not a freeway. There is of course a freeway toll road under construction currently going on but not using the same alignment which will vary from 6 to 10 lanes.
They wanted to build very big freeway for like 4-5 years already, but some greenpeace idiots doesn’t let them cut down the tries (road has to go through woods.
The American news covered this event. They said the Russian government didn’t bother to plow the road. Outstanding.
Snow. In Winter. In Russia. What a surprise. Nobody in all of Russia has ever heard of snow chains, or studded tires or 4 wheel drive. Nobody has ever heard of carrying blankets, water and food on a long journey in winter on potentially bad roads. Really. …and everybody screaming for the government to help. How about you help yourselves? A little forethought a little planning, a little preparedness… but no. Helpless, and hopeless. Hell, people drive thru deeper snow than that here to go skiing.
You don’t understand. In Russia people going on trips are more prepared compared to the West that has McDonald and 711 at every exit.
Obviously.
My sentiments exactly. If one has to travel in a country as huge as Russia i guess the logic would be to be prepared for any eventuality rather than blaming the goverment for not providing Soup kitchens, Fuel Stations, blankets etc. when they get into trouble. Next thing you know, people will be blaming goverment for not providing them with prostitutes to shag when they get into such conditions as this. Some 95 percent of the countries in the world don’t get to provide for meals or fuel when people fail to plan for such.
How do you figure? They’d already been there for multiple days — food and fuel runs out eventually.
What do you want, Moscow idiots… We in Siberia change tires in OCTOBER. When I watch this kind of stuff and mostly videos from US where cars do 360 on freeway and some guy recording it… I don’t know, I’m almost laughing. No, I don’t like people getting hurt, but come on, people in USA know that winter tires exist? Yes, USA winter is nothing like Russian winter, but still I wouldn’t risk it and I would get winter tires with spikes. I’m actually using USA tires, well… made in China, but still from American company, good tires, Cooper MS Discovery, cheap and high quality.
“How about you help yourselves?” Actually I agree, people here really like to demand something from goverment forgetting that goverment should help them with that like 22 years already, we not in Socialist country anymore (unfortunately).
Tim, your comment is ignorant and foolish. Alaska, for example, is also part of the USA and every bit as cold as Siberia and the people there are equally well adjusted as they are in Russia. Yes, don’t expect anything from the federal government in Moscow if you live in Siberia. You people are only good for filling up the land, while the top level bureaucrats help themselves get rich by selling your Siberian natural resources abroad. Cheers.