Hotline of power engineering specialists:
IDGC of Centre - Bryanskenergo division opened a museum about the history of development of electric power in the Bryansk land. Staff of the public relations subdivision and members of the Veterans’ Council of the enterprise played the major role in the creation of the museum. Great contribution to the completion of the museum was made by Chairman of the Veterans’ Council, former director of the Western Distribution Zone of Bryanskenergo Vasily Zakharenko.
The exposition, situated on ten stands, constitutes a unique collection of photographs and documents relating to the history of the branch. For example, from materials got from the archives, the visitor learns that an early adopter was corporation of Maltsev’ plants, which included a crystal factory in Dyatkovo, a locomobile plant in Lyudinovo, a cement plant and an iron foundry in the townships of Lyubokhna, Bytosh and Ivot.
But, of course, the history of Bryanskenergo (and under this name means all arisen in the post-revolutionary period and sequentially successive generation and grid businesses related to energy production) begins with the creation of the Bryansk power plant. Unique photographs that convey the atmosphere and flavour of the time tell about its construction. Almost all the work on the construction of the power plant was made by hand, and the most common mode of transport was horse-drawn.
Except for materials found in the archives and placed in published collections of documents telling about the industrial development of the Bryansk land, the exhibition used a lot of materials that had never been made public. Thus, the development of the energy system in the sixties - the eighties is told by pictures of the personal collection of the former Director of the Northern Distribution Zone of Bryanskenergo Vladimir Zverev. A talented engineer and skilled manager, he was also a wonderful photographer showing on film many interesting moments of life of Bryanskenergo. Thanks to his passion, the descendants were able to see how invented and designed by him floating poles looked like as well to watch unique technical operation of delivery and installation of a two hundred ton transformer at the substation "Bryansk". Due to the weight of a giant mechanism the city authorities had serious concerns about whether the bridge over the Desna River would sustain the load, on which it was transported. Doubts were removed by a called for consultations from Moscow chief project engineer, who, in order to prove the reliability of structures during the carriage stood under the bridge.
A lot of useful information about the power system can be learned from and submitted to the museum exhibition photocopies of wartime issues "Bryansk worker" and "Bezhitsk worker". They tell about the restoration of the destroyed by the Nazis energy sector and, in particular, there is the letter of power engineers to soldiers-countrymen with a promise to quickly set power supply of industrial enterprises. The exposition stands give an idea of the power system reform and the today of Bryanskenergo. They have samples of documentation and symbols of previous years, extracts of obligations, statements, reports on which it is possible to judge the achievements and shortcomings of the enterprise, on the ongoing social policy and cultural life of the collective there.
At the moment the exposure does not accommodate all the exhibits. A unique relic waits in a room of the storage area of one of the technical services of Bryanskenergo – an oil switch pierced with bullets from the substation "City". In 1941, when our troops left Bryansk, the power engineers shot it with rifles, not to be got by the enemy. As a result, the Germans were unable to run the substation, believing that it could not be restored. However, a few months after the liberation of the city workers of the substation "City" repaired it, having riveted the bullet holes. As a result, the oil switch reliably served until the early twenty-first century until during the overall modernization of the power facility was replaced by a new vacuum one.
"The museum will save labour traditions of power engineers and convey wealthy of experience of veterans to the younger generation. Those people who come to work at Bryanskenergo need to know the traditions and history of the Bryansk power grid, because it is the power engineers of IDGC of Centre to continue the development of our industry," stressed Deputy General Director of IDGC of Centre — Bryanskenergo division director Roman Stefanov. "Currently the work on filling the exposure continues."