A museum of power engineers opened in Navolukoml

The grand opening of the museum of the flagship of Belarusian energy – Lukomlskaya GRES – took place. It is the second one, but the only one of its kind. The first was created several years ago at the Palace of Culture of Novolukoml. After the institution was transferred to another owner, the GRES decided not to take the exhibits away, but to donate the museum to the city entirely. In the hope that other enterprises and organizations of Novolukoml would create their own corners here and continue the work started by the energy workers.

The exposition of the new museum, located in the construction management building of the steam and gas unit, practically on the territory of the GRES itself, is modest for now. But, as the station director Alexander Bazylenko emphasized at the ceremony, this is only the beginning. The flagship of energy is approaching its half-century anniversary, and over time, the museum will have several more halls and many more exhibits.

Deputy Director for Social Issues and Ideological Work Sergey Solovyev noted that neither the appearance of the station itself nor this museum would have been possible without the veterans, those who stood at the origins of the GRES creation. Many stands and exhibits are dedicated to them. For example, among the first drivers of the then-nascent station was Andrey Burak, who arrived in Novolukoml, which did not even exist on the map yet, on March 4, 1954. Former shift supervisor of the electrical workshop Vasily Tikhonovich Petukhov recalled how significant the launch of the first power unit was for the entire country. One of the initiators and organizers of the museum, the oldest employee of the GRES, chairman of the station's veteran organization Mikhail Bondar, spoke about the creation of the museum.

The energy workers spoke with gratitude about the support provided by the management of RUP "Vitebskenergo". Deputy General Director Pavel Kharitonov warmly congratulated his colleagues, emphasizing that the history of the GRES is very closely intertwined with the lives of the workers themselves and the teams of related enterprises. It is wonderful that today in the museum one can see how the flagship of Belarusian energy was built, how the process of mastering equipment and new technologies went, and the stages of modernization. The team has gone through all these milestones with honor and dignity, and each of its members deserves immense gratitude. Chairman of the regional trade union council of RUP "Vitebskenergo" Alexander Zhedik also addressed the audience with congratulations.

The right to cut the symbolic ribbon was granted to Alexander Bazylenko and Pavel Kharitonov (in the photo). Methodologist Nadezhda Bondar was presented with the first gifts for the museum – a digital camera and a book about the development of the Belarusian energy system.

Elena Telyatko. Photo by the author. "Vitebskiye Vesti".