First monument to cablemen unveiled in Moscow region

The human-sized three-dimensional sculpture of an electrician is the first one in the Moscow region. It embodies the work of power engineers and cablemen who have been creating and operating the power system in Moscow for more than 120 years. The prototype of the depicted cableman is Stepan Nikiforovich Todirka, chief engineer of Moscow Cable Networks (1990-2014), the branch of the Rosseti Moscow Region company.

The solemn opening ceremony of the sculptural composition made by Sergei Polegaev, a Moscow sculptor, occured on the eve of the Power Engineer Day. Andrey Mayorov, First Deputy General Director and Chief Engineer of Rosseti, took part in it.

"The sculptural composition is a symbol of respect for the work of all power engineers who built cable networks in Moscow, restored the capital's electricity supply during the World War II, and then created a highly reliable power system for the metropolis. Cable lines that run underground, invisible to the eye, are the "blood vessels" of our city. Cable power engineers have made a significant contribution to ensuring reliable power supply to the residents of Moscow," Andrey Mayorov said.

"First of all, I would like to sincerely thank the company's staff for their fruitful, creative work, dedication to their work, and the results achieved. The conscientious work of every electrician, engineer, professional is aimed at a common cause – the prosperity of our beloved city. This sculptural composition is a reflection of their work, their contribution to the development of the capital," said Pyotr Sinyutin, General Director of Rosseti Moscow Region.

The opening of the monument is also timed to coincide with the 125th anniversary of Moscow Cable Networks, the branch of Rosseti Moscow Region, which the power engineers will celebrate next year. It was the company's employees who initiated the creation of the sculptural composition and took an active part in fundraising.

Moscow Cable Networks operates more than 16,100 distribution points and transformer substations, as well as 0.4-35 kV power grids with a length of 64,700 km, which is 1.5 times the length of the Earth's equator. This is the oldest branch of the Rosseti Moscow Region company, which had appeared before the GOELRO plan was implemented.