On 19.09.2025 in Kyiv was opened a new Pillars of Strength Mini Sculpture of Project Shukai dedicated to Ukrainian energy engineers and their hard work to bring the light into every Ukrainian home.
It is the 50th mini sculpture of the project of Kyiv tour guide Yulia Bevzenko which was started in 2018.
The location of the new mini sculpture is 17/52 Bohdan Khmelnytskyi St. on the facade of the Business Center "Leonardo".
The author of the sculpture is sculptor Yurii Biliavskii and patron Oleksandr Sagura who believes that energy engineers have earned the title of "Pillars of Strength" by their hard work.
First Kyiv Power Plants
In 1890 the company "Savitsky and Strauss" built the first Kyiv Power Plant on the Theater Square with a capacity of 110 kW with 5 Siemens dynamos which was driven by three horizontal two-cylinder steam engines of 44 kW each, a boiler room and a switchgear. Through a power line it supplied electricity to the nearest houses, Kyiv City Theater and 14 arc lamps on Khreshchatyk Street which became the first street in Kyiv with electric lighting.
In 1891 another 360 kW Power Plant was built in the estate of Colonel Fabricius on Dumska Square (Independence Square now). The station was equipped with electric generators that were rotated by means of locomobiles - steam-powered installations used to drive various machines.
Electricity tariffs were high and charged for 1 hour of lamp and lantern working: an hour of operation of each lantern cost the city 17 kopeck (12 hours of operation from 19:00 to 07:00 - 20 rubles/lantern) and an hour of operation of each lamp cost 5 kopecks (12 hours of operation - 60 kopecks/lamp, 30 days of operation - 18 rubles) - this despite the fact that the average salary at that time was 12 rubles. Thus the only truly wealthy Kyiv residents could afford electric lighting.
At the end of 1892 the power plant on Theater Square was expanded - two additional steam boilers of the "Neuer" system, steam engines, two dynamos with a capacity of 58 kW and two with a capacity of 15 kW were installed there. In 1893 the capacity of the Central Electric Station increased to 220 kW.
In 1898 a new central three-phase alternating current power station was put into operation by the company "Savitsky and Strauss" on Andriyivska Street, 19. The power station was equipped with three-phase alternating current generators of 2.2 kW. The high voltage was transmitted via underground cable to transformer booths where it was converted to a voltage of 190V/110V.
In 1902 after the transfer of the rights to the Kyiv energy supply under a concession agreement to the "Union" company two of the three Kyiv power stations of the "Savytsky and Strauss" company (on Theater and Dumska Squares) were liquidated and the central station at Andriyivska Street, 19 continued to expand and preserved till now.
Currently there are Kyiv enthusiasts who plan to organize tours to the oldest Kyiv Power Plant and hope that this opportunity to step back in time more than 100 years will be available soon.
Welcome to search for the mini sculpture "Pillars of Strength" in Kyiv!
Organizers of Pillars of Strength Mini Sculpture
Project Shukai
Business Center Leonardo
Kyiv, Ukraine |
