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As part of a joint research project with the Vladimir Potanin Foundation, specialists from the Agency for strategic development "CENTER" conducted a field study of the Hydropower Museum in Uglich. Its defining feature is the direct connection between the exhibition and the operational Uglich Hydroelectric Power Plant, which effectively becomes part of the museum experience.

The museum opened in 2006 in the historic administration building of one of the first hydroelectric power plants on the Volga River. Its exhibition explores the construction of the Uglich Hydroelectric Power Plant, the development of Russia's hydropower industry, engineering technologies and the lives of those involved in building the country's hydropower infrastructure.

Here, technological history is closely intertwined with social history. Documents, tools, photographs and everyday objects tell the stories of construction workers, engineers, labourers and prisoners of Volgolag, the Soviet forced-labour camp system associated with the construction of hydroelectric infrastructure on the Volga. Original equipment and archival materials trace the industry's development through specific engineering projects and individual experiences.

Interactive models, scale models and a virtual tour help visitors understand the structure of a hydroelectric power plant and the principles behind its operation. Educational programmes cater to a wide range of audiences, from schoolchildren and tourists to university students and industry professionals.

Some of the equipment is displayed outdoors, immediately adjacent to the operational power plant. This approach allows visitors to appreciate the true scale of energy infrastructure while integrating industrial heritage into the urban landscape.

Among the project's key strengths, the researchers identified the integration of technological and social history, the use of authentic equipment and the museum's strong educational focus. At the same time, security restrictions at the operational power plant limit access to production facilities, while the exhibition would benefit from new digital and immersive experiences.

"The Hydropower Museum allows visitors to understand an operational hydroelectric power plant both as an engineering facility and as part of the industrial heritage. By combining authentic equipment, archival materials and personal histories, the museum makes a complex technological subject accessible to a broad audience," said Andrei Vashchuk, Lead Project Analyst at the Agency for strategic development "CENTER".

The case was examined as part of the research project Analysis of Practices for the Capitalization and Representation of Industrial Heritage, implemented by Agency "CENTER" at the initiative of the Vladimir Potanin Foundation. The findings will inform recommendations for the preservation and contemporary reuse of industrial heritage sites.