Bookvica

[HYDROELECTRIC PLANT] 18 original photos of the construction of Volkhovskaya GES (Hydroelectric plant in Leningrad region) from the archive of the engineer Emmanuil Gnuvin. [Volkhov, 1919—1926].

Item #2653

Photo sizes: 8 × 13 cm (2 photos); 8 × 18 (1 photo, panorama of plant construction from 1923); 12 × 17 cm (9 photos), 17 × 23,5 (2 photos) and 22,5 × 29 cm (4 photos). Photos are bent, one has been extracted from an album, one group photo with loss (not affecting the faces)

Volkhov GES (named after V. I. Lenin, GES-6) was the first large hydroelectric power station in Russia. Preparatory work for the construction of the Volkhov Hydroelectric Power Station began in 1917, but the first years of construction were slow and were intensified after the station was included in the GOELRO plan. The first hydroelectric unit of the Volkhov Hydroelectric Power Station was launched in 1926, and the following year the station reached full capacity. During WWII, the station supplied electricity to besieged Leningrad via a cable laid along the bottom of Lake Ladoga.
Architecturally Volkhov GES is considered to be a project, in which the influence of constructivist architecture is still could be seen, but the monumental stalinist style starts to show in its fullness. The later Plant projects has reflected more of the second trend in 1930s.
The photos show the active stages of the construction in 1920s. Two photos shows the engineer himself, one inscribed to a colleague ‘Semyon Ilyich’ in 1923, with whom Emmanuil has met in ‘Petrograd, Berlin in Palestine’ in previous years, two photos show the collective of the plant construction engineers, one is the panorama of plant construction from 1923, a group of photos from 1919
shows the arrival of the commission of the committee for the civil buildings from Petrograd, the very beginning of the construction with the views of the quarry, the view of Volhkov river before the construction, the view of the worker’s village, the escalator used at the quarry. The group of large photos from mid 1920-s show the plant in construction, likely a year or two prior to the opening. One of the photos features a nice panorama of Volkhov river and a pier on it, overlooking the unfinished roof of the plant. Little is known about Gnuvin, apart from the fact that later in life he has immigrated to Palestine.

Photo of Volkhov GES now: https://livingheritage.ru/brand/leningradskaya-oblast/volhovskaya-ges-i-plotiny

Overall a rare collection of photos from the important period for Russian architecture and engineering.

Price: $950.00