Volga rivers. Votkinsk hydroelectric power station was built in 1955.
A village appeared nearby, and later a city of hydro-builders and power engineers. It was named after the composer P. I. Tchaikovsky, the most famous native of these places.One of the elements of the hydroelectric complex on the Kama river was the Tchaikovsky lock, a single — chamber structure designed to allow ships to pass down the river from the Votkinsk reservoir. As it was customary in Soviet times, the delivery of the object was timed to one of the Soviet holidays — May day in 1962. Hydrobuilders did not have time to complete the work in full on time. It was decided to hand over the left half of the lock first.
On May 8, 1962, the first ship passed the unfinished facility, and construction work continued in its right-hand chamber. Thus, on this day, on the eve of Victory day, the Tchaikovsky lock was put into operation, through which two ships were being prepared to launch – the dry cargo ship Kriushi and the passenger ship Dmitry Furmanov. It seemed that there were no signs of the tragedy. But it happened…
Fifteen minutes later, the wall began to move, and then collapsed, with 110 meters of it falling into the inter-chamber space.
"We have trouble!" – there was shouted from the "Dmitry Furmanov" and the connection with it was cut off.
