Which Russian highway in Siberia is known as the "Road of Bones"?

The Kolyma Highway, historically associated with route M56 and now designated R504, is the Russian highway known as the “Road of Bones.”

It runs through Russia’s Far East, connecting Magadan with Nizhny Bestyakh near Yakutsk. The nickname refers to the forced-labour history of its construction during the Soviet period. Prisoners of the Gulag system built roads and infrastructure in an exceptionally harsh region, and many workers died from exposure, disease, exhaustion or poor conditions. The popular name reflects the belief that remains were left beneath or beside parts of the road.

The highway crosses some of the coldest inhabited territory on Earth, including remote areas of northeastern Siberia. Its environment combines permafrost, vast distances and severe winters, making maintenance difficult. Despite its grim reputation, it is an important transport link for isolated communities and mining districts.

The old M56 label can cause confusion because the road’s modern federal designation is R504. The M56 name remains widely recognized in historical references, while “Road of Bones” is the famous nickname rather than the official route name.