Anniversary of the Dnieper Hydroelectric station Grand opening

10 October 1932 took place a grand opening of one of the largest Hydroelectric Plant of the Soviet Union – Dnieper Hydroelectric Plant.

Dnieper Hydroelectric station is situated in the town of Zaporozhie, below Dnepr’s rapids. The construction of the station began in 1927 according to GOELRO (The State Commission for electrification of Russia) plan.

The project of hydroelectric station was developed by I.G. Alexandrov. From 1920 Alexandrov began to develop the construction project of the station on Dnepr, having proposed to build on Dnepr’s rapids one significant hydroelectric dam with the huge for the time power of 560 M Wt instead of several hydroelectric stations of a small power. The author of architectural project was V.A. Vesnin.

Turbines and generators for the hydroelectric station had been bought in USA. American consultants – representatives of provider-companies - were always present at the construction project. The sixth generator for the station had been produced by the experts of ‘Electrosila’ Leningrad factory.

In May of 1932 the first aggregate was produced, and on October 10, 1932 the Grand opening of the station took place. The event was assisted by the president of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee M.I. Kalinin and the People’s commissar of heavy industry G.K. Ordzhonikidze.

In 1939 Dnieper Hydroelectric station achieved the project power of 560 M Wt. On the basis of cheap electricity there was created Zaporozhsky industry complex. The rapids of Dnepr were flooded and the navigation through the entire Dnepr was provided.

During the Great Patriotic War the hydroelectric dam and the equipment of the control room was destroyed. The reconstruction of the station began in 1944. It was activated again in 1950 and its powerfulness has increased by 16% in comparison to the one that was before the war. In 1969 the hydroelectric complex was expanded by the construction of Dnieper hydroelectric station N 2 with the power of 828 M Wt.

The average annual generation of electricity of the first and second Dnieper stations is 3.64 milliard of k Wt per hour.

Lit.: Алексеенко И. Е. Днепрогэс имени В. И. Ленина. Киев, 1980; Ибатулин И., Рубин М. От Днепростроя к Днепрогэс. Харьков, 1932; Каменецкий И. С. Днепрогэс и Днепрокомбинат. М.; Л., 1934; Клименко Н. В. Днепрогэс имени В. И. Ленина. Днепропетровск, 1983; Логинов Ф. Г. Возрождение Днепрогэса. Киев, 1951.