Stranica 5 [5]
XeAe4. December 52.
- page five ¬
the Soviet Union.
An economic expert, member of a Russian diplomatic staff, has
pointed out these days to one of our observers what first-rank importanc
is given in the Soviet Union to the use of its giant water reserves.
Long before the last war already, important projects had been started,
especially in Rusgia proper: the Baltic-White Sea channel opened in
19355, the Moscow- olga channel ended in 1937, the huge Volga-Yon
construction. thé trend of the new evolution - after 1945 - bas been
not only the further development of previous projects, but above all
the decentrelization of the mamouth industrdalg units towards the Hast.
The giant effort made to develop the -hole area between the Volga and
the Pacific was one of the achievements of the first Five-Year-Plan afte
the war (1945-50). it involves four Asiatic industrial regions: the Ural
the mines of the Altai mountains, the industrial area of the Extreme
Bast, the Central Asiatic industrial centers and has been extended
quite recently to China's promising industrial and water projects.
At present the first goal has be n reached insofar as approximately
502 of the basic industrial materials (ste:l, iron, coal and petrol)
and 40% of elcctric power are now originated in that Mastern part of the
USSR. ‘the Soviet official emphasized the meaning of these figures in
concrete facts: Siberia today is no more the far-away desert, where
people are merely sent into exile, away from Surope. It is today just
as much @ vital part of the USSR, as tie Western Soviet Kepublics are.
Much of this evolution - which is vital for soviet Russia - is due to
the opening of Siberia's water resourcese Sy this means, the new
industry was given inexpensive, easily reacháble electric power and
low-cost transportation. Agriculture could be modernized and intensified
Securing the essentials needed for an ever-increasing labor population.
Asia could thus be opened bo the Soviet world and in turn, give its
whole participation to Soviet aims and efforts.
öz in order to secure an idea as to the area involved, it might
be enough to recall some of the projects now under construction or
already partially in action. On the south Dnjepr, opening on the black
sea, one huge project - the Kakhova plant - is at present under
construction and pushed witi full speed. it should be completed, accordiy
to informations received, around the same time as the new giant Stalin¬
grad dam on the Volga, viz. shortly after the termination of the present
Hive-Year-Plan, approximately in 1956. On the Volga and its affluent
the Kama, two other projects are on the way: the Gorki and the Molotov
plants. "he Don projects have been previously discussed. - In Siberia,
two vast and extremely powerful water basins have been taken as
special targets of the present FivestoareP ign: the Ob, with its affluent
the Irtysh; the Ienissei with the Angara. “he Ob project at Novo=¬
sibirsk was very specially brought up for discussion at the Party
Congress. 1t is one of the largest and very specifically used as
concrete example to picture the Soviet effort in the development of
“iberia.
“he Bielorussian delegation at the Party Congress drew the
attention on a project under way and which has not only large economic
16.