An interesting monument of industrial architecture of the USSR has been preserved in the Braslav district, Vitebsk region, not far from the village Drysvyaty. Hydroelectric power plant "Friendship of Peoples" on the Prorva River - a kind of reminder of the once friendly moods of Lithuania, Latvia and Belaruswhose representatives in 1953 solemnly opened this HPP.
With the decline of the Soviet Union, the decline of the hydroelectric power station came, which was mothballed over time. Today, HPP in Drisvyaty is a popular fishing point where you can almost always meet enthusiastic fishermen.
The building itself is well preserved, it has features of neoclassical architecture and elements of the Stalinist Empire style (bas-reliefs, false columns, portico). When you look at the building from the river, it looks more like the estates of the early 20th century, and if you look at the building from the main facade, then the administrative buildings on the avenue in Minsk (*in miniature of course).
Connoisseurs of the Soviet era will be able to nostalgic for the lost progress and lament “as before they knew a lot about everything“. However, the station was closed for a very simple reason - low profitability.
The HPP is really impressive, both with its architecture and interesting history. In front of the main entrance stood a bust of Joseph Stalin, which, according to rumors, the locals dug up somewhere. It is clear that it is quite difficult to confirm or refute this.
About 20 people attended the opening of the hydroelectric power plant, an unimaginable number for this area and seems overestimated.
Almost all well-known Soviet newspapers of that time wrote about the Druzhba Narodov HPP. And not only newspapers, about the construction of the station Petrus Brovka wrote a whole novel "When Rivers Merge".
Drysvyatskaya HPP is located near Lake Stavokto get to the station, exit from gravel track H2106 right after the village of Golevshchizna. The road will be bad, so if you are not sure about your car, then it is better to walk from the turn. Below is the exact mark on the map:
There are many places of interest in these parts that I recommend to see. In the Drysvyaty themselves: a wooden church, Peter and Paul Church, castle on the island. On the way, it is worth stopping by Opsa and the church in Milyuntsy.
