Greatness of engineering. Top 5 dams of the world that amaze with their scale and beauty

President of Pro-Vision, author of the Vinogradov.story community

“It’s hard to believe, but there are now over 800,000 dams and dikes built in the world. My last article was devoted to the most interesting and majestic structures in Russia, and in this selection I propose to cross the border and see which hydroelectric power plants are worthy of attention abroad. For convenience, I will take destinations that are relatively accessible for Russians – to appreciate the full scope of human engineering thought without complicated connecting flights and artificial bureaucratic hurdles”.

Jinping-1 (China)

The Chinese love and know how to break records, and the Jinping-1 hydropower plant is clear proof of that. At the moment this dam, located in Sichuan province, holds the title of the highest completed arch HPP in the world. It stretches into the sky for an impressive 305 meters. By comparison, Niagara Falls at its highest point reaches 53 meters, the Eiffel Tower (excluding the recently installed antenna on top) – 300 meters.

No wonder tourists from all over the world come to see the giant dam! The main show is the water release, which can be viewed from a convenient observation deck. The sight of streams rushing downward, capable of washing away a whole city, is mesmerizing, awe-inspiring and once again makes you admire the ingenuity of man, who managed to subdue the force of nature.

Nurek Hydroelectric Power Plant (Tajikistan)

The height of the structure is almost as high as the Jinping-1 HPP (300 meters), but the size is not the main feature of this dam. Many of us imagine a hydropower plant as a monolithic reinforced concrete wall blocking the way of a mighty river. And often it is. But then you come to the Nurek HPP and you see… at first it is even difficult to find words to describe what exactly opened to your eyes. Imagine a freshly plowed field (with characteristic furrows from machinery), which somehow was equipped on a mountain slope. You look closer and realize that it is not a field at all, but a huge embankment (hence the name of the dam structure – “embankment”).

The local mountains could not provide so many stones and rocks, so materials for the construction of the embankment were brought from other regions. An average of 100 dump trucks a day were brought to the site of the future dam – and so on for many years. Construction was completed by 1980, but even now the Nurek HPP makes an impression akin to the Egyptian pyramids: innovative technology for its time and work, the volume of which is difficult to imagine.

Karun-4 HPP (Iran)

Iran has recently become a very popular tourist destination for Russians – I myself was absolutely delighted with this country! After visiting key cities (Tehran, Yazd, Tabriz, Kashan), marveling at the brightness and flamboyance of local architecture, enjoying the serenity of the Varzaneh desert and swimming in warm sea waters, you can diversify your program even more and look at the Karun-4 hydroelectric power station.

Located on the Karun River 180 km southwest of Shehr-e Kord in the provinces of Cheharmehal and Bakhtiariya, this dam attracts not only by its size (230 meters in height), but also by its very interesting construction. The structure is built in a gorge amidst jagged rocks and has partly adopted their shape. The combination of different-level columns looks like a Tetris player’s terrible dream, but it fulfills its function perfectly, holding back the powerful river. And from the nearby platform there is an excellent view: the river with bright green water, sand-colored mountains and blue cloudless sky together look really beautiful and mesmerizing.

Inguri Hydroelectric Power Plant (Georgia)

That case when it is not quite clear what strikes you more – the dam itself or the landscape that surrounds it. Let’s start with the dam. First thought: beautiful. The curved shape gives this generally massive structure a lightness and gracefulness – the only thing missing for associations with the Colosseum is similar illumination. It is definitely not ashamed to depict such a thing on T-shirts and postcards (which, by the way, can be purchased right on the territory of the complex).

And a separate conversation is the local nature. The Inguri (Jvara) reservoir, where the dam stands, is called by Georgians themselves the eighth wonder of the world, and one does not want to be condescending about it – the lake is really incredibly picturesque. After visiting the hydropower station I strongly recommend to drive along its shore – colorful photos and impressions for life are guaranteed.

Toktogul HPP (Kyrgyzstan)

Brutality in its concentrated form. Tunnels in the rock, elevators in the rock, communications in the rock – the whole dam is literally carved in the rock! Even the obviously man-made elements look as stark as possible, as they are made of gray stone and are cyclopean in size. All of this together looks more like the gates of some fortress than an energy infrastructure facility. And it’s beautiful! It’s just a pity that you can’t get inside with a guided tour right now, but even the view from the outside is definitely worth the time spent on the road.