▁time , ▁other ▁projects ▁for ▁connecting ▁the ▁two ▁rivers ▁were ▁proposed , ▁but ▁none ▁was ▁attempted . ▁However ,[ D ub ov sko - K ach alin sky ▁railway ] ▁which ▁was ▁horse - dra wn ▁railway ▁and ▁ ▁[ Vol ga – Don ▁railway ]( which ▁is ▁now ▁part ▁of ▁South ▁Eastern ▁Railway ▁( Russ ia )) ▁were ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁and ▁ 1 8 5 2 ▁respectively ▁in ▁order ▁communicate ▁between ▁Vol ga ▁and ▁the ▁Don ▁at ▁the ▁nearest ▁distance .. ▁they ▁were ▁ 6 8 km ▁and ▁ 7 3 km ▁long ▁railway ▁respectively ▁ ▁The ▁actual ▁construction ▁of ▁today ' s ▁Vol ga – Don ▁Canal , ▁designed ▁by ▁Serge y ▁Zh uk ' s ▁H ydro project ▁Institute , ▁began ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁which ▁interrupted ▁the ▁process . ▁Const ruction ▁works ▁continued ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 5 2 ; ▁navigation ▁was ▁opened ▁ 1 ▁June ▁ 1 9 5 2 . ▁The ▁canal ▁and ▁its ▁facilities ▁were ▁built ▁by ▁about ▁ 9 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁workers ▁including ▁some ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁German ▁P OW s ▁and ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁g ul ag ▁prisoners . ▁A ▁day ▁spent ▁at ▁the ▁construction ▁yard ▁was ▁counted ▁as ▁three ▁days ▁in ▁prison , ▁which ▁sp ur red ▁prisoners ▁to ▁work . ▁Several ▁conv ict s ▁were ▁even ▁awarded ▁with ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁Red ▁B