Sights of Volgograd region

Would you like to see the largest hydroelectric power plant in Europe? To do this you don’t necessarily need to apply for and obtain a Schengen visa and go the nearest bank in order to exchange rubles into euro. The largest hydroelectric power plant in Europe and Volga-Kama cascade and one of the largest hydroelectric plants is situated on the Volga River connecting two cities: Volgograd and Volzhsky.

Lenin Volga-Don Shipping Canal (this is the full name of the Canal) is a canal which connects the Volga River and the Don River at their closest points nearby Volgograd. It is an important link of the Unified Deep Water Transportation System of the European part of Russia. The canal was built over a period of 4.5 years which is a unique period in the world history of canals construction. For example Panama Canal which is 81 km long with the same scope of works had been built for 34 years and Suez Canal which is 164 km long had been built for almost 11 years. In the course of construction 150 million cubic meters of soil were excavated and 3 million cubic meters of concrete were poured. 8,000 machines and devices such as walking excavators, multi-bucket excavators, earth moving machinery, high-powered scraper cars, bulldozers, dump trucks were used in the process of construction.

Volgograd bridge is a highway bridge which is a part of the complex of road works of the Volga River crossing in Volgograd. Volgograd bridge is one of the most important objects of the development program for Volgograd transport junction and one of objects of transport infrastructure of national importance. In May 2010 Volgograd bridge became particularly noted. On May 21 the traffic on the new bridge was blocked due to strong vibrations of the bridge, as Volgograd bridge started to ‘dance’. Eyewitnesses said that the oscillations could be seen even with the naked eye. Video files with the ‘dancing’ bridge could be watched on television and the Internet. However according to the results of technical expert examination no fractures, deformations or other damages of Volgograd bridge were detected. Oscillations amplitude of the ‘dancing’ bridge amounted 1-1.5 meters which exceeded permissible deviation.