Monument to the Orenburg water pipeline

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Photos

  • Памятник Оренбургскому водопроводу. Photo 1

Description

In the center of Orenburg, on Sovetskaya Street, next to the Orenburg Drama Theater named after M. Gorky, there is a unique monument - a working model of the first water column. This monument to the Orenburg water supply system not only has artistic and historical value, but is also a functional object: it is a working water stand that can be used to collect water or wash hands. The opening of this unusual monument was accompanied by the celebration of the 270th anniversary of the city of Orenburg and took place in August 2013.

Orenburg Vodokanal LLC was responsible for the installation of the water column. The place where this unusual monument is now located was not chosen by chance: in 2010, work was carried out here to repair the city water supply system. During excavations for repairs, a fragment of an ancient water supply system consisting of wooden pipes was discovered. This fragment, according to historians and local historians, was founded in the 19th century. Currently, the found artifact is on display at the Orenburg Museum of Local Lore, which is located nearby.

History of water supply in Orenburg

From the founding of the city in 1743 until 1827, residents of Orenburg depended on wells and the Ural River for water, as the city did not have a centralized water supply system. In 1827, military governor Peter Karlovich Essen organized the first water supply system, which provided water to several city streets. However, three years later, in the spring of 1830, the water level in the Ural River suddenly rose and destroyed the water intake point, which attracted the attention of officials from St. Petersburg. Their inspection of the state treasury led to the conclusion that the construction of a central water supply system in Orenburg was inappropriate.

In 1861, thanks to the military governor Vladimir Petrovich Perovsky, a summer version of the water supply system was launched, which was dismantled in winter and spring to prevent damage during floods. In 1863, Governor General Alexander Pavlovich Bezak improved the existing design of Orenburg's water supply network by replacing the horse-powered mechanisms with a steam engine. This made it possible to provide central water supply to citizens at any time of the year, making the Orenburg water supply system the second permanently operating in Russia. In subsequent years, the city's water supply system was constantly improved, and after 1907, two water booths were built where residents could collect water. One of these booths has survived to this day and is located on Zhukova Street. These water booths were used by city residents even after the war, until the 1960s.

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