The working way of thousands of convicts started with Salekhard dock. Camp settlements expected for them - the standard rectangle 500 on 500 meters, surrounded with barbed wire. There was only one entrance - "watch tower", it was installed the way that guards with weapon could be placed there. In the center there was something kind of a street, where convicts were set in line before work. There was the canteen, and the club at the same time. Meetings were conducted here and famous artists gave concerts. Here are the names of those, who performed on this "stage".

Obolenskiy Leonid the famous film actor and film director of Soviet Union. The first art director of the "close" theater of convicts of the Northern board of building railroads of the Ministry for interior affairs.

Morov Aleksey - the correspondent of newspapers "Pravda" an "Izvestia", the military correspondent, popular critic, art scientist, the author of the famous book about Michael Chekhov and two volumes of the book "Three centuries of Russian stage". The art director of the "close" theater.

Binkin Yuriy - since 15 years old was the soloist on tube in symphonic orchestra of Donetsk radio, in 1945 - the orchestra director and already composer. 1945-1953 is the convict in Salekhard, here he made the jazz orchestra. Since 1956 and till the end of life - the editor, the manager of the wind and variety music in the editor's house "The soviet composer". Since 1958 he is the member of the Union of composers of the USSR. In 1976 he was conferred with the title of the deserved art figure of Russian Soviet Federation. From 1953 to 1956 on his own will stayed in Salekhard before rehabilitation, he did much for the cultural life of the town. He died in 1985.

Shereshevskiy Lazar -- he was born in 1926. The poet, the member of the Union of Russian writers. The author of many poetic collections and translations. The author of essays about "the dead road". After release he worked in the Nenets Home in the town Salekhard.

Pochkin Fyodor - - the photographer, made photo history of the 501st building

Vasiliy Barabanov - the chief of the 501st building, the colonel, the initiator of making the theater. The prototype of Batmanov - the hero of the novel by Azhayev "Far from Moscow". Further - the manager of the public reception office of the newspaper "Izvestia".

Alexander Pobozhiy - the engineer of project of "the dead road", researcher. The author of the first publication about "the building of the century" of the big essay "The dead road" in the magazine "Noviy Mir" (The new world).

Avtonomov Vladimir (1917-1972) - the main administrator of "the close theater". The poet, author of lyrics, books. During the 60-70-s he headed the writer's organization.

Shtilmark Robert (1909-1985) (1909-1985) - the military topographer, the commander of the exploring unit, order-owner. The journalist, writer. In the camps of "the dead road" he worked as a topographer, then the manager of the literature part of the theater. He wrote the adventure novel "The legal successor of Calcutta". After discharge from prison he published books - "The novel about Russia's traveler" and "Images of Russia". Unpublished autobiographical novel "The cupped hand of light" about Stalin's camps is of big interest.

Deyneka Alexander (1899-1969) (- Russian painter and graphic artist, the people's artist of the USSR, the member of the association of artists, the Hero of Socialistic labor, the laureate of Lenin's premium. The author of famous monumental pictures "The defense of Petrograd", "The future pilots", "The defense of Sevastopol". Being the convict he took part in designing and building the camp housing complex in Salekhard.

Dmitriy Zelenkov - the famous theater artist, stage designer of Leningrad opera theater (he is out of the family of Lansare along men's line and Benua - women's line). He was the artist of the close theater. He hanged himself in the camp.

There are the names of participants of the "close theater":

Topilin Vsevolod - the pianist, concertmaster, the former accompanist of David Oistrakh. After discharge from prison he worked in the town Krasnoyarsk.

Chernyatinskiy Nikolay -- before the war he was the director of the orchestra of Odessa opera theater. After discharge the director of the opera theater in the town Kishinyov.

Starostin brothers -- famous sportsmen. In the camps of the "dead work" they were responsible for sportive work.

Aksyonov Aleskey - the leading soloist of the operetta the town Minsk.

Dora Petrova - the famous singer and actress from the town Nikolayevo.

Maslov Igor - the famous artist, the artist of the "close theater". He left many works reflecting real life of the 501st building.

Yogelsen Vladimir - the former art director of a theater in Leningrad. The art director of the "close theater".

Redin Fyodor - the soloist of Kiev opera theater. He died in the camp.

Ostretsov Alexander - the famous music scientist and pianist.

Sente-Lasko - the former Hungarian senator. The violoncellist of the symphonic orchestra of the "close theater".

Many other famous actors, writers, ballet dancers, art directors, artists and painters.