5 kg of bacon could have saved the Vilnius Central Power Plant from being blown up during the Second World War. How the future president Józef Piłsudski committed a train robbery, Vilnius was ravaged by floods, a power plant worker was imprisoned by the KGB for the fact that the electric busbars were painted in the colors of the Lithuanian flag, and the sculpture “Electra” (or Zosė) decorating the roof of the museum’s administrative building was torn down due to superstition.
In commemoration of three exceptional anniversaries (the 700th anniversary of Vilnius, 120th anniversary of the first Vilnius Power Plant and 20th anniversary of the Energy and Technology Museum), a collection of historical stories, unseen photographs and comics has been published in a book “Electra. How Did Vilnius Enlighten?“, which reveals the most interesting facts about the capital of Lithuania.
The Energy and Technology Museum invites you to the book presentation, which will take place on April 19th, at 5 PM on the roof terrace of the museum.
“The spirit of the times is exceptional this year. The fact that in 1998, after closing the power plant in 2003 (commemorating the centenary of the opening of the power plant), the museum was opened, was a significant starting point in popularizing energy, the capital’s history, engineering and exact sciences. Former employees of the power plant or museum have collected many interesting facts and stories. They are told every day by museum guides, but in 120 years the whole story has never been written down in a printed publication”, said the Head Curator of Museum Funds and one of the book authors Vladas Burokas.
The book was published by the Lithuanian Energy Museum
Authors: Vladas Burokas, Gintarė Urniežė
Illustrator: Povilas Baranauskis
Art editor: Skaistė Balkytė
The book can currently be purchased at the museum’s information center.