Чиркейская ГЭС: как в СССР построили плотину в самом ГЛУБОКОМ каньоне Европы

The Chirkey Hydroelectric Power Station is not just the largest hydroelectric power station in the North Caucasus; it is a true monument to human genius and indomitable will. Built in the deepest Sulak Canyon, this unique 232.5-meter-high arch dam is still considered one of the most complex and beautiful engineering structures in the world. But at what cost were these "diamond megawatts" achieved? In this documentary, we will follow the entire journey of this great construction project: from the first daring surveys in the 1930s to the triumphant launch in December 1974. You will learn about the heated debates between two engineering schools—the Baku and Leningrad schools—and why the project was nearly canceled, deemed mortally dangerous. The history of the Chirkey Hydroelectric Power Station is full of drama. We'll tell the story of the devastating 1970 Dagestan earthquake, which struck at the height of construction, and the unprecedented operation to "sew" the sliding mountain with steel anchors. You'll see unique footage and reconstructions of Soviet construction workers working at dizzying heights, blindly operating cable cranes through the fog and dust of the gorge. A special chapter of our story is the human tragedy of the displacement of the residents of the ancient village of Stary Chirkey. We'll recall how their ancestral homeland sank beneath the waves and the sacrifices the Dagestani people made for the country's energy independence. Today, the Chirkey Hydroelectric Power Station is the heart of southern Russia's energy system and Dagestan's main landmark. The reservoir's turquoise waters and the graceful curve of the concrete dam attract thousands of tourists every year, but behind this beauty lie years of labor, thousands of tons of concrete, and the heroism of people who dared to challenge nature itself. Subscribe to the channel to stay up-to-date with new stories about the great achievements of our history! 00:00 - First Exploration in the Canyon 04:27 - Beginning of a Major Construction Project in 1963 08:45 - Deadly Dangerous Labor of Rock Climbers 12:54 - Tunnel Through Thick Rocks 17:00 - Massive Explosion of a River Dam 21:13 - Tectonic Fault at the Bottom 25:12 - First Concrete in the Foundation 29:23 - Devastating Earthquake in Dagestan 37:54 - Catastrophic Landslide of the Left Bank 41:48 - Unique Reinforcement of a Sliding Mountain 45:52 - Construction of a Giant Arch Dam 49:55 - Super-Powerful Generators in the Gorge 53:59 - The Tragedy of the Flooding of Old Chirkey 58:20 - First Current of the Great Station 01:02:31 - Triumph of Soviet Engineering