SEP 18, 21 .. MEMORIES

 Memories.

Light the corners of my mind.

Misty water-colored memories.

One of my very closest friends in Russian Siberia recently sent me the below photograph of the Bratsk Hydroelectric Power Plant, located North of Irkutsk Russian Siberia on the Angara River.

Let me tell you! The above photograph brought back a flood of memories that date back to December 20th of 2018 when, along with three Russian associates, the four of us visited one of the most famous of all the Russian Hydroelectric Power Plants, The SAYAHO-SHUSHENSKAYA DAM, located approximately 110 km South of the City of Abakan.

The below wikipedia link will give you a nice overview of the Sayaho-Shushenskaya Dam.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayano-Shushenskaya_Dam

While I am healthy, and my memory is still functional, I hope that I will never forget our visit. For one thing, in this life time, I can't ever remember being colder than I was during our visit. Here we all were, in the heart of Russian Siberia, in mid December and the weather was freezing. Because I have been living in Alaska for some 24 years, I know, from actual experience, what minus 60°F feels like. The cold was not the issue. The issue was that I was not wearing serious cold weather clothing (from head to foot and let me tell you, keeping your feet warm is critical in severe cold weather) and so I was totally unprepared for what I encountered. 

And? I lived through it.

To relive my visit along with you, I decided to post some of the photographs that I snapped December the 20th of 2018.

Here the four of us are.

I was not out in a t-shirt and shorts BUT, I was NOT prepared for the cold and the wind that blew right through the four of us. Please notice the leather mittens that had three layers of cloth gloves under them. To take photos, I had to slip my hands out of the mittens, and the lighter weight liner gloves did not offer any protection from the wind at the Dam site.

Alexzay, our driver, and I have identical hair styles!

Mike my translator.

Alexander and yours truly.

Here is what I mean about the wind blowing.

Here we go with a few memories from that bitter, cold, windy and never to be forgotten, day.

During my 9 months in Russian, I never tired of seeing the beautiful Russian Churches.

In Russia, there are many monuments and memorials remembering and honoring the workers, men and women, who build these enormous projects.

In all my life, when I shot the below photograph, I can't recall my hands and my fingers being colder. I had to remove my gloves to snap photos and by the end of our visit I was really cold.

One last and final look back at The Sayaho-Shushenskaya Dam.

When we returned to Abakan, we joined others who were waiting for us and I led a meeting.

All during the meeting, this one gentleman would not warm up.

So I gave him some assistance!

Voila!

Smiling with joy at some great memories on December the 20th 2018 in Russian Siberia.

Memories.

Light the corners of my mind.

Misty water-colored memories.

Smiling .. 

Cap (Patti did not join me until February 2019 in Irkutsk)

A few more photos just to show how warm and welcoming my Russian associates were towards me.

Mike and I were invited to join them in a meal at Alexsay's home the next afternoon.

Real, honest to goodness, Russian Siberia.

Our host Alexzay.

Alexander our local host and beside him Mike, my translator for two months on the road.

Yes. I could go back. As in right now this instant.

DEC 23, 18 .. SAYANO-SHUSHENSKAYA DAM

Right-up-front I am going to give you a link that will answer all of your questions about the SAYANO-SHUSHENSKAYA DAM, on the Yenisei River near Sayanogorsk in the Republic of Khakassia here in Russian Siberia.

https://en.wikipedia.o rg/wiki/Sayano%E2%80%93Shushenskaya_Dam

Suffice it to say it is really something special.

Thursday, the 20th of December 2018.

In this lifetime, sometimes you only get one shot / one opportunity to see / to do something. Such was the case on this visit. The cold was brutal.

Each and every single photo had a process : Remove my mittens, with now bare hands reach inside my jacket and get my camera, take a photo or two, put my camera back into my jacket, pull on my (now very cold) mittens. The reaching into my jacket opened up my chest area to the cold.

Doing the above process over and over and over again was brutal.

Bottom Line : I've done -60°F below zero and not been as severely cold as I was doing this photo shoot. I got cold and I had no way to warm up. I was not prepared for what I experienced.

SAYANO-SHUSHENSKAYA DAM

It was quite a drive into the damsite.

In 1933 there was a very respectable dam at / or near this site.

I am not sure what the significance of 1972 is. Construction began in 1963 and the turbines went-on-line from 1978 to 1985.  IF you take the time and go to the effort to read the above Wikipedia link, you will see that there have been many problems encountered during its life span.

I am not sure of the meaning of this display.

Sayanogorsk is the nearest town / village to the project.

Our first look at the appurtenant facilities associated with the dam.

Our first look at the dam.

The below photos show a memorial to all of those who constructed the dam and powerhouse.

A closer look at the memorial.

I've no idea of what this (above and below) is.

I debated whether or not to take the final photo below. My hands fairly screamed at me, "No! Not another photo."

Back to Abakan we head. The below photo was taken from inside of our automobile.

The cold and the wind, coupled with the darkness of the day, really made this a difficult visit.

But, I made the best of my once in this lifetime visit.  I doubt that I will return. I've heard that in the warm weather there are crowds of visitors.

Cap