Мелітопольська дитяча залізниця імені Лазаря Кагановича, railway line in Ukraine
Melitopol Children's Railway named after Lazar Kaganovich was a narrow-gauge railway line that operated in the city's park. The line included two stations and ran with steam locomotives and passenger cars designed to teach young operators basic railway skills and movement control.
Construction began in 1935 and opened in 1937 as part of a Soviet youth education initiative under Lazar Kaganovich. The line was destroyed during World War II and subsequently abandoned, leaving only traces in local memory and scattered remains in the ground.
No physical remains of this railway line exist today as it was destroyed during World War II and never rebuilt afterward. Visitors interested in the history can view photographs and reconstructions displayed in the city's museum where the railway's heritage is documented.
A steam locomotive designated I.32 was personally gifted by Lazar Kaganovich himself to the railway, reflecting the project's significance within Soviet youth ideology. This locomotive became a symbol of Soviet ideals regarding technical education and children's development.
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