Moving now from solar power in Chile to hydroelectric power in the USSR. Alexei Kojevnikov is speaking on GOELRO, an early Soviet economic recovery & development plan. Large dams and hydropower became important images embodying the technoutopian promise of Communism. #SHOT2024

Kojevnikov quotes Lenin: “Communism is Soviet power plus the electrification of the whole country.” Dams took on an iconic status during GOELRO, transforming landscapes and everyday life in the USSR. See, for example, the Dneiper Hydroelectric System. #SHOT2024