History of Science and Engineering Annotation << Back THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE VOLGA HYDROELECTRIC POWER STATIONS TO POWER SUPPLY OF RUSSIA Burdin E.A. Power value of the Volga cascade of hydroknots is considered. Research of the put problem from the point of view of the historical analysis with attraction of statistics wasn't carried out earlier. Meanwhile historical experience of creation of power supply sources of a national economy has now the big importance in connection with the put-forward problem of modernization of modern power. The analysis of the extensive file of sources showed that the complex concept of hydroconstruction provided first of all power development of water resources of the rivers. In project documentation of hydroknots the cascade transfer of a considerable part of the electric power made by them to regions of the country having its deficiency more developed industrially was provided. As a result by 1970th the Volga hydroelectric power stations became one of basic elements of the Uniform power system USSR. However practice of its functioning allowed to find out that it provided with the electric power mainly large industrial complexes and the settlements located on coast of again created reservoirs. Growth of specific weight of the Volga hydroelectric power stations in the general electricity generation in the USSR was observed prior to the beginning of the 1960th, and then the tendency to its decrease generally prevailed. At the same time alternative and small sources of the electric power were everywhere liquidated that reflected a tendency to integration of power sources and aspiration of the state to total control over all economy. Keywords: the Volga cascade of hydroknots; hydroelectric power station; the Volga region; the electric power. Contacts: Е-mail: burdin_e@mail.ru Pp. 03-11.