PLANS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CHEBOKSARY HYDROELECTRIC POWER STATION IN THE 1940s

Abstract

In the year of Cheboksary hydroelectric power station’s anniversary, the authors of the article aim to investigate the issue of the waterworks facility’s formation in the early 40s of the last century. Based on the principles of historicism and objective analysis, the main stages of implementing the HPP construction plan are considered. The article presents archival documents which examine the problems of decision-making on the construction of the object. The issue of constructing hydroelectric power stations on the Volga, in particular in the territory of Chuvashia, was studied in the specially created Bureau «The Great Volga». Simultaneously with the construction of Cheboksary HPP, the construction of two more stations – Yaroslav­skaya and Balakhninskaya – was considered. The authors present comparative characteristics of the objects. Cheboksary hydroelectric power plant in terms of its performance significantly exceeded other structures. The article notes that prior to the construction of the station, a lot of preparatory and survey work was carried out, which was limited by a tight deadline. As a result of examining the scope of work, material resources and labor costs, the construction of the station was postponed to a later date. Scientists and engineers recognized the priority need to build less powerful stations. The materials of the article can be used for further research of this topic, as well as when writing regional natural history works.