The article is devoted to issues related to the problem of combating snow on the railways of Ukraine in the second half of the 19th century – the beginning of 20 centuries. A number of theoretical and practical studies, the evolution of methods and means of snow retention with the help of artificial barriers and forest plantations, as well as mechanical means of snow removal on domestic railways are considered. The role of academics and engineers in solving the problem of snow removal is highlighted. The list of surnames is impressive: S. D. Kareisha, M. I. Hryhorovskyi, B. I. Sreznevskyi, V. Rudnytskyi, O. Klosovskyi, M. Dolgov, A. Delvig, and others. All these authors noted that the issue of developing means of eliminating the consequences of the formation of snowdrifts attracted close attention, first of all. It is noted that based on the experience gained in the 80s of the 19th century an official instruction was prepared. Regarding the use of snow removal methods on railways, in particular, mechanical cleaning of the track from snow. And most importantly, the best developed methods of snow removal in each specific case at the local level. It all started with plows of various designs and ended with the development of mechanical devices. Foreign experience was actively used, and over time domestic types of snow wrestling (including rotary) were organized. However, in this period, the main burden still fell on manual methods of clearing snowdrifts with the involvement of labor. Of course, the reason for this was the insufficient development of technica means, their shortage, as well as the lack of a comprehensive solution to the problems of the mechanization of snow removal. Only over time, methods and means of snow removal reached a high level of development and performed functions to ensure the uninterrupted movement of trains on the territory of Ukraine in the winter period.

1. Belelyubskiy, A. (1895). Spravochnaya kniga dlya dorozhnyih masterov, starshih rabochih i smotriteley zdaniy [Reference book for road foremen, senior workers and building caretakers]. Kiev [In Russian].
2. Horetskyi, O. A. (2008). S. D. Kareisha v pytanniakh zakhystu kolii vid snihovykh zametiv [Kareisha in matters of track protection from snowdrifts]. Istoriia ukrainskoi nauky na mezhi tysiacholit – The history of Ukrainian science on the verge of millennia, issue 36, pp. 115–120 [In Ukrainian].
3. Dolgov, N. E. (1909). Borba so snegom na russkih zheleznyih dorogah [Fighting snow on Russian railways]. Ekaterinoslav [In Russian].
4. Dolgov, N. E. (1915). Osnovnyie zakonyi perenosa snega i primenenie ih k raschetu stepeni zanosimosti raznyih chastey dorogi k raschetu perenosnyih i postoyannyih snegovyih zaschit [Basic laws of snow transport and their application to the calculation of the degree of drift of different parts of the road to the calculation of portable and permanent snow protection]. Ekaterinoslav, pp. 48–55 [In Russian].
5. Zlotnitskiy, E. D. (1878). O snezhnyih zanosah [About snow drifts]. Zhurnal Ministerstva putey soobscheniya – Journal of the Ministry of Railways, vol. 4, part 1, pp. 4–19 [In Russian].
6. Kareysha, S. D. (1900). Borba so snegom na russkih zheleznyih dorogah [Fighting snow on Russian railways]. Moskva [In Russian].
7. Kareysha, S. D. (1900). O borbe so snegom na russkih zheleznyih dorogah. Stenograficheskiy otchet po dokladu 16 marta 1900 goda [About the fight against snow on Russian railways. Verbatim report on the report of March 16, 1900]. Zheleznodorozhnoe delo – Railway business, pp. 361–376 [In Russian].
8. Kirpa, H. M. (2001). Istoriia zaliznychnoho transportu Ukrainy: Istorychnyi narys [History of railroad transport in Ukraine: Historical drawing]. Dnipropetrovsk [In Ukrainian].
9. Klossovskiy, A. V. (1891). Otvetyi sovremennoy meteorologii na zaprosyi prakticheskoy zhizni [Answers of modern meteorology to the demands of practical life]. Meteorologicheskiy vestnik – Meteorological Bulletin, no. 1, pp. 5–13; no. 2, pp. 53–62 [In Russian].
10. Nikiforov, P. A. (1957). V borbe so snezhnoy stihiey [In the fight against the snow element]. Put i putevoe hozyaystvo – Way and track facilities, no. 11, pp. 23–26 [In Russian].
11. Nikiforov, P. A. (1951). Rol otechestvennyih inzhenerov i uchenyih v razvitii teorii i praktiki snegoborbyi na zheleznyih dorogah [The role of domestic engineers and scientists in the development of the theory and practice of snow fighting on railways.]. Trudyi MIIT – Proceedings of MIIT, issue 75, pp. 50–64 [In Russian].
12. (1913). Peresmotr voprosa o zaschite zheleznyih dorog ot snega [Review of the issue of protection of railways from snow]. Zheleznodorozhnoe delo – Railway business, no. 18–20, pp. 30–32 [In Russian].
13. Rudnitskiy, V. V. (1890). Novaya sistema zaschit ot snezhnyih zanosov (Beseda v VIII Otdele RTO 27 noyabrya 1889 g.) [A new system of protection against snow drifts (Conversation in the VIII Department of the RTS on November 27, 1889)]. Zheleznodorozhnoe delo – Railway business, pp. 113, 120 [In Russian].
14. Ryinin, N. A. (1914). K voprosu o soprotivlenii vozduha dvizheniyu poezdov [On the question of air resistance to the movement of trains]. Sankt-Peterburg, pp. 73–96 [In Russian].
15. Savelev, R. N. (1884). Proekt organizatsii meteorologicheskoy sluzhbyi na zheleznyih dorogah [The project of the organization of the meteorological service on the railways]. Inzhener – Engineer, no. 10–11, p. 161 [In Russian].
16. Sredinskiy, G. K. (1882). Ocherk rabot po ustroystve zaschitnyih nasazhdeniy ot snezhnyih zanosov [Essay on works on the arrangement of protective plantings from snow drifts]. Vestnik sadovodstva, plodovodstva i ogorodnichestva – Bulletin of horticulture, fruit growing and horticulture, no. 9, pp. 485–491 [In Russian].
17. Sreznevskiy, B. I. (1890). Izuchenie snezhnyih zanosov na zheleznyih dorogah Rossii s meteorologicheskoy tochki zreniya [The study of snow drifts on Russian railways from a meteorological point of view]. Zheleznodorozhnoe delo – Railway business, pp. 59–85 [In Russian].
18. Sreznevskiy, B. I. (1890). Snezhnyie zanosyi na zheleznyih dorogah v Rossii [Snowdrifts on railways in Russia]. Sankt-Peterburg [In Russian].
19. Stetsevich, I. (1897). Ob ustoychivosti zheleznodorozhnogo puti [On the stability of the railway track]. Sankt-Peterburg [In Russian].
20. Chirvinskiy, P. N. (1909). Eolovyie formyi snezhnogo pokrova, usloviya ih obrazovaniya, vyivetrivaniya i metamorfizma (K voprosu o snezhnyih pustyinyah) [Eolian forms of snow cover, conditions of their formation, weathering and metamorphism (On the issue of snowy deserts)]. Kiev [In Russian].