First Kharkiv power plant

First Kharkiv power plant

Built	1897
Demolished	after 1943
Architect	N.N.Savitsky, N.P.Klobukov, M.A.Artemiev
Coordinates	49.98619,36.24243

The first power plant in Kharkiv was built in 1897 according to the project of N.N.Savitsky (he also headed the construction) and the professor of the Technological Institute N.P.Klobukov.

History

In the engine room, there were originally 4 steam engines for 100 horsepowers each with a generator for 250-300 kW. Initially, the station generated direct current (DC). There were 2 water tube boilers in the boiler room. Coal was brought from Balashovka through the Kuznechny Bridge on carts, and then manually fed into the furnaces. For 10 years after commissioning, a total of 7 units were installed, and thus the total capacity was 1.75 MW.

In 1912, a new one with steam turbine units was built next to the old power plant. Before that, in 1911, a bureau headed by Professor of Kyiv Polytechnic Insitute MA Artemyev was specially created for its design. The construction of the Kharkiv Central Power Plant (KhCES) was completed just before the start of the I World War in 1914. Two steam turbines with a capacity of 2.5 MW and 4 steam boilers of the Garbe system were mounted on it.

In 1920, a fire broke out at the station, after which the station did not function until reconstruction in 1921-1922. After it, the station began to produce alternating current (AC).

In 1922, an agreement was made with Turkey for the supply of a 5 MW turbine generator. The turbogenerator was previously in use in Istanbul. In 1923, it was delivered and assembled at the KhCES, and was launched in 1924. Since the generator was supplied from Turkey, it received the name "Turkish Lady" (Турчанка in Russian). There is information that the generator did not have declared power output and instead of 5 MW it produced only 3 MW, and did not hold steam.

In 1927-1928, two turbine generators of the German manufacturer BBC were supplied, and the "Turkish Lady" was dismantled.

In 1933, there was an accident at the station, the newspaper "Visti VUTsVK" reported on measures to eliminate it.
In the autumn of 1941, during the retreat from Kharkiv, Soviet troops destroyed the equipment of the power plant. During the occupation, the Germans installed new equipment with transformers. During the retreat in February 1943, the Soviet underground prevented an attempt by the Germans to destroy the boilers of the power plant:

{{Quote|text=Further activities of the energy underground continued at the city power plant at 1 Kuznechnaya street that ended up with saving from blowing up all 12 boilers. During the retreat of the Germans in February 1943, a group of underground workers entered into a fight with the guards of the power plant, steamed up the passages between the copts, preventing the demolitionist with dynamite from reaching the boilers. The hero of this operation, the surveyor N.I. Dmitriev, was shot dead by the fleeing Germans when he left through the checkpoint. The rest of the members of the watch, including the author of these lines, crossed the Kharkiv river in the darkness and hid in the ruins of houses on the Rustaveli street. The Germans fired on us, but, fortunately, no one was hurt. In honor of the heroes of the underground, memorial plaques were installed on houses at 2 Kuznechny lane, and on 5 Vorobieva street. Honor and Glory to them!

'Nikolai KORZH, Chairman of the Kharkiv Regional Council of the Organization of Former Partisans and Underground Workers of the Great Patriotic War}

Gallery

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  View from the left bank of the river. Kharkov

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  Construction of a new power station building, ca. 1912

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  Construction of a new power station building, ca. 1912

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  Construction of a new power station building, ca. 1912

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  Destroyed power station building, 1943

Source

This article in Russian