ted perkins
We went through a number of locks on the route from St. Petersburg to Moscow.   Stop. There was a church that was flooded by the lakes created by the locks.  All in all, Stalin was actually easier on the church properties than I expected.   A sunset. The locks were almost always paired with hydroelectric dams.   Evidence of shrewd planning on the part of the Soviets in the fifties.   Through their infrastructure projects they created a navigable waterway from Moscow out to the oceans.  These same infrastructure improvements served to deliver cheap, renewable power to the countryside.     A lock we passed while going up the Volga to Yaroslavl. Some nice detail work on the facade.  It was refreshing that some sort of ornamentation was used on these public works projects.    Also refreshing was the use of some landscaping to soften what would otherwise be a strictly utilitarian installation.  Commendations to whomever had the trees planted when the lock facility was built.  Forty years later, the trees have grown to a height such that the lock facility is of a less overwhelming scale. The lock we traversed after our stop at Uglich.  Near the end of our visit, the guides were shooing us back to the boat.  Boats have a reserved time to pass the locks.  If the boat arrives late for the appointed lock time, tough shit.  You have to wait until there is some free time to pass.   Details from the lock near Uglich.  Something so utilitarian as a lock was blessed with a Juliet balcony, and recessed ornamentation on the arch over the gateway.