The Uglich HPS is the first of the Volga cascade of 11 HPSs, which were built in the period from 1940 to 1965. The Uglich hydroelectric power station was built in 1940 and played a very important role in providing Moscow with electricity during the period when German troops came close to the capital. Moscow was cut off from the supply of coal and other energy sources, but the Uglich HPS allowed all services of the city to function normally.
The first hydroelectric power stations in Russia appeared at the end of the 19th century, but they were built on small rivers in places with a significant difference in the relief of the earth. The project of the Volga cascade of hydroelectric power stations became one of the most famous symbols of the industrialization of Russia in the 1930s. In 1935, the construction of the first two hydroelectric power stations began in Uglich and in Rybinsk. Rybinsk HPS was launched a year later, in 1941. Anti-aircraft batteries were located around both hydroelectric power stations during the war, as German planes tried to bomb both hydroelectric power stations until 1943.
The Uglich HPS is located just 1.5 kilometers from the Uglich Kremlin, so many tourists walk from the Kremlin to the Uglich Hydroelectric power station along the Volga River, as there are many historical sights of Uglich on the way. The houses of the historical center of Uglich, the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist, as well as the Resurrection Monastery have been preserved here.
Near the Uglich hydroelectric power station there is a Museum of Hydropower, and from the opposite bank of the Volga there is a beautiful view of the historical center of the city. The domes of the churches of Uglich, towering over the river, look very beautiful from this place.
The building of the Uglich hydroelectric power station is protected by the state as an object of cultural heritage. In addition, the HPP is a regime facility. You can drive through the dam, but it is forbidden to stop here. If you decide to walk along the dam, you can see a beautiful view of the numerous domes of the Uglich churches from there.
