From 14 April 2004 to 29 July 2004,
Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman, motorcycle riding cameraman Claudio von Planta, along with
director/producers David Alexanian and Russ
Malkin travelled from London to New York City, via Western and Central
Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberia,
and Canada,
for a cumulative distance of 18,887 miles (30,396 km). The only sections
of the trip not undertaken by motorcycle were the 31-mile (50 km) passage
through the Channel Tunnel, 580 miles (930 km) by train in
Siberia, which circumvented the Zilov Gap;
several river crossings and a short impassable section in eastern Russia, which
were undertaken by truck; and a 2,505-mile (4,031 km) flight from Magadan in
eastern Russia to Anchorage, Alaska.
Upon encountering numerous swollen rivers and a serious lack of functioning
bridges while travelling along the Road of Bones to Magadan, the
riders got their BMW motorbikes through some fairly deep rivers. The summer
run-off from the Siberian winter was in full flow and after a valiant effort,
the bikes eventually had to be loaded on to the trucks of passing drivers and
ferried across a few of the deepest rivers.
Magadan was built by prisoners, also as main road that connect this city
to “big land”. Almost each resident of the city could tell
a story about his/her parents or grandparents, who was in a prison here during
Stalin period. When Stalin died many political prisoners get freedom, but some
of them decided to stay here. Later also some people from all regions of USSR
came here for work and good money: geologist, pilots, sailors, etc. So it is
really multicultural region. Also here always was military base with ships and
submarines. Magadan was close city until 1991. It means that was not possible
to get here without official permission.
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