by Olga BORISOVA, journalist In 2007 the Central Museum of History of Water Power of Russia-first of such profile in the world-was opened in Uglich (Yaroslavl region). This is a modern interactive information center for direct interaction with visitors: they bring into operation mock-ups, training simulators, schemes, models, monitors and other things. And the whole automation here is based, naturally, on using electricity, which is symbolical: helps us get it with the most cheap and environmentally friendly way, energy of water. It is not accidental that the first thing visitors see in the lobby is a huge silver-blue drop, with a reflection of the Earth in it. The unique cultural-educational institution we are visiting is situated on the bank of the Volga, in the territory of Uglich hydro-electric power station in a two-storeyed building of Volgolag Administration*. In one and a half years there was reconstructed the first, * Volgolag-Volzhsky corrective labor camp, existing in 1935-1944, where 15-20 percent of prisoners were "political". It was set up for the construction of Uglich and Rybinsk hydro-electric assemblies.--Ed. second and basement floors for exhibition halls. As a result, owing to builders and creators' hard work, the museum complex is today one of the best in Russia. The prologue of the exposition, historically connected with the building, where it is located, is a fragment of the study of the chief of Volgolag--Yakov Rappoport: the original carved German made furniture (the cupboard, the writing-table, leather easy-chairs), scientific litera- стр. 107 ture, building documentation of Verkhnevolzhsky hydroelectric assemblies, drawings, a type-writer, a telephone set, pencils. Since old times people knew--water is a source of life, and settled near springs or streams. More than 2,000 years ago they got to know how to use its energy--they built wheels on rivers, which were rotated by ... Читать далее