Discover Volkhov: City Museum, Hydropower and History

• The Museum of the History of the City of Volkhov is housed in the wooden home of energy academician Heinrich Osipovich Graftio.
• The museum’s main themes include Graftio’s life and the construction of Russia’s first hydroelectric power plant under the GOELRO Plan, from 1918 to 1926.
• A dedicated hall displays artifacts from World War II; the memorial locomotive Eu 708-64 stands at Volkhovstroy-1 railway station.
• The Volkhov Hydroelectric Power Plant is located on the river in the city and is among the oldest hydroelectric plants still operating in Russia.

The museum is housed in Graftio’s wooden home and focuses mainly on his life and the construction of Russia’s first hydroelectric power plant under the GOELRO Plan. The construction period, from 1918 to 1926, gives this subject a clear historical context. A person and a major technical undertaking are presented side by side: you can learn about Volkhov’s history through both Graftio’s biography and the development of hydropower.

The hall on the construction of the power plant offers a hands-on activity: visitors can try the “goat” used by the construction workers, a device for carrying bricks. If you would like to try it yourself, it is best to check briefly before your visit whether the demonstration is currently available. Visitors can also operate a hand siren at the museum; it was used to sound air-raid alerts during the war.

Another specific exhibit is Graftio’s personal GAZM-11-73 car, built in 1946. The Soviet government presented the vehicle to the academician. As a personal possession, it offers a different view of Graftio from the account of the power plant’s construction: here, the focus is on a single object, while the latter tells the story of an undertaking that lasted several years.

The City Museum has a dedicated hall on World War II. Exhibits include maps of military operations, a panorama of the battle at Walimski Creek near Volkhov and a diorama depicting the breaking of the Siege of Leningrad. Photographs, documents, examples of weapons and materials about World War II heroes round out the exhibition. The different formats offer different ways to engage with the subject: maps and documents bring information together, while the panorama and diorama depict specific scenes.

Another historical artifact stands at Volkhovstroy-1 railway station: the memorial locomotive Eu 708-64. During the war, it was assigned to the depot in the city of Volkhov. On February 7, 1943, it brought the first train carrying food and ammunition into besieged Leningrad after the siege was broken. At the museum, you encounter the history of the war through exhibits and displays; the locomotive, by contrast, is itself a preserved vehicle with a specific, documented role in that history.

The Volkhov Hydroelectric Power Plant, named after V. I. Lenin, is located on the Volkhov River in the city of Volkhov, in Leningrad Oblast. It is among Russia’s oldest operating hydroelectric power plants and is designated a historical monument of science and technology. The city’s connection with technology therefore extends beyond the construction history explored at the museum to include a power plant that is still operating.

The riverside setting is also part of the area’s described character: Graftio House, home to the City Museum, stands on a former medieval rise beside the Volkhov River. There is also a recreation area downstream along the riverbank. These connections with the river complement the museum’s themes and offer another perspective on Volkhov, without requiring a single combined walking route.

Discover more destinations: Ust-Luga, Podborovye, Sinyavino, Strugi, Kerro Massif, Lessogorski, Nikolskoye and Trubnikov Bor.

What are the main themes at the City Museum?

The City Museum focuses mainly on Graftio’s life and the construction of Russia’s first hydroelectric power plant under the GOELRO Plan, from 1918 to 1926. A dedicated hall covers World War II. A dedicated hall covers World War II.

Which exhibits can visitors try out for themselves?

In the hall on the construction of the power plant, visitors can try the “goat,” a device for carrying bricks. They can also operate a hand siren. Check whether the “goat” is currently available before your visit.

What makes the locomotive Eu 708-64 historically significant?

During the war, it was assigned to the depot in the city of Volkhov. On February 7, 1943, it brought the first train carrying food and ammunition into besieged Leningrad after the siege was broken.

For the regional travel overview: Leningrad Oblast.