Immediately after World War II, it became clear that the country needed a gigantic amount of electricity to restore its potential. This was especially true in Siberia, where hundreds of factories and enterprises were evacuated in 41-42 years of the last century.
At that time, intensive construction of nuclear power plants was already underway, but the construction of the stations required highly skilled workers and scientists, who were sorely lacking in those years. In addition, the Siberian region has always been rich in its majestic rivers, the energy of which the government really wanted to use for the good of the country. That is how the majestic Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power station, familiar to many from a ten-ruble note, appeared.
How it all began
On August 8, 1959, a granite slab was thrown into the channel of the greatest Siberian river, on which the motto of the monumental construction that had begun was carved: "Submit, Yenisei!" All over the world, such an impudent challenge to the power of nature was received with considerable skepticism. Europe forgot how blatant disdain they looked at Lenin, who announced a global five-year electrification program for a huge country. Ilyich kept his promise, but this did not stop the whole stream of ridicule.
“It is impossible to block the largest full-flowing river, since these are stupid fantasies of the Soviets,” wrote foreign publications. Soon they were convinced that they were wrong this time. The construction of the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric station itself was an excellent refutation of this, serving as a symbol of the next victory of man over the forces of nature.
In a word, the construction of the century (which already counts) was well-known not only in the Union. In Krasnoyarsk, which at that time was a closed city, foreign journalists were even allowed on this occasion. March 25, 1963 began the closure of the river bed. At 10 a.m. the first floor element was reset, and already at 21.00 the Yenisei was completely blocked.
However, it all began in 1955, when ordinary Soviet Komsomol members laid the foundations for the energy security of the entire region.
Really Golden Youth
In early November (!) 1955 the first 200 people arrived at the site. No roads, no housing ... Young people at first lived in tents. And this is in the most difficult conditions of the Siberian winter! Veterans of labor said that in the mornings they had to literally tear off sleeping bags from completely frozen ground. Construction was extremely slow and difficult: there were severe frosts, and there was practically no heavy equipment.
Get up, the country is huge!
Soon another 140 people from the Ivanovo region pulled themselves together. All of them heard the appeal of the Twentieth Congress of the CPSU Central Committee. However, soon the youth from all over the huge Union began to respond to it. Someone wrote to the party leadership about the desire to go to Siberia, but many came without an invitation. Already in 1962, the construction site received the title of Komsomol.
It was youth who became the main “engine” of the gigantic project. However, their mentors were experienced engineers and former soldiers of the engineering and construction troops. Many young builders lost all their loved ones in the war, and therefore a truly family atmosphere reigned at the construction site: young people sincerely tried to learn from veterans. They succeeded so well that the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric station was completed yesterday by the green guys, many of whom were not even 25 years old.
About the progress
To facilitate and systematize the work, three construction sites were broken. On one of them, which was closest to the construction site, the train brought all the necessary building materials and
trench tools. Next was the transshipment base in Laletino. From here, valuable cargo was transported to Divnogorsk, where the main construction activity unfolded. Many had to stay at the transshipment bases, since loading and unloading huge volumes of cargo required a large number of workers.
It took only four years to carry out preparatory work: all the necessary social infrastructure was built from scratch , workers paved roads and extended power lines. In addition, a woodworking plant was built and soon became fully operational, providing construction with many necessary materials.
Only after the construction of normal settlements could all the forces be transferred to the construction of the hydroelectric station itself.
In 1960, Andrei Bochkin became the head of the entire enterprise. He was a real demiurge of the Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Station, so the experience of coordinating several construction sites for this amazing person was huge. It was he who looked for the engineers who created the elevator of the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric station: Yenisei is a navigable river, and therefore the project was complicated even by today's standards.
Gagarin has arrived!
Immediately after the initial closure of the river, an even more significant event took place: Yuri Gagarin himself flew to the construction site! Do not convey how the builders were waiting for him. Already at six in the morning, when the
plane of the world's first astronaut touched the runway, work was in full swing. And at 11 am the daily norm has already been met!
The best shovel in the world
In the "inheritance" from the astronaut number 1 remained a shovel. She, as the greatest shrine, was passed from editorial to editorial. This legendary instrument is still kept in the museum of Divnogorsk.
However, at the stage of its construction, the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric station saw almost all the top officials of the state. And this is not surprising, since in the depths of the Siberian wilderness a truly titanic project was realized. Already in 1970, the first generator of the station was launched, which immediately produced the first electricity. Thus, the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric station was officially recognized as the most powerful in the world.
Only the Sayano-Shushenskaya station was able to break this record. Guess who built it? Yes, in 1972, when the 12th block was commissioned, almost all the participants of the great construction project went to Sayany. That's when the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric station was built.
Energy artery of Siberia
This hydropower plant has become one of the most powerful energy producers in the region. Its capacity is 6000 MW. But energy production is far from the only purpose of the station. It is a powerful distribution hub for the transfer of energy to eastern markets. In addition, OJSC “Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Power Station” is a reserve and guarantor of energy security: if in the region there is some kind of emergency that entails a de-energization of cities and towns, the local generators take over the replacement function.
Immediately after putting this facility into operation, the region blossomed again. The villages that were deserted after the war (not all, unfortunately) again began to be populated by people, a huge number of new industrial enterprises appeared. In general, when the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power station was built, Siberia has once again become a symbol of industrialization of a previously agrarian country.
By the way, even today this hydroelectric power station is one of the most powerful not only in the country, but throughout the world. More than half of the people who work here have higher technical education and many academic degrees. Of course, they constantly advocate the introduction of new technologies into production.
Updated and perfect
Of course, the largest hydroelectric power station in the Krasnoyarsk Territory could not always remain in pristine condition. But even in the hardest 1991, they still managed to allocate funds for its reconstruction. At present, all 12 power units have been completely repaired and replaced, and the service life of the station has been extended by at least another 40 years.
In addition, telecommunication systems were completely replaced, and machine rooms themselves were repaired. Today, residents are proud and thank those who gave the country this amazing miracle of engineering.