Bratsk HPP in Bratsk — Online Webcam with Dam View

Bratsk HPP — Siberia's Hydroelectric Gem

On the banks of the Angara River, in the Energetik microdistrict of Bratsk, lies one of the country's most impressive hydroelectric complexes. The Bratsk HPP is the first hydroelectric facility built in the Angara Cascade of HPPs and the most powerful station in this chain. The online camera, installed at Naimushina 54, broadcasts a view of the concrete dam and the vast expanse of the Bratsk Reservoir — one of the largest man-made bodies of water on the planet.

Bratsk in the Irkutsk Region is inextricably linked with hydroelectric power. The city grew around the construction project of the century, and today the HPP remains its main landmark. The live webcam allows anyone interested in the engineering marvels of Siberia to see the scale of this structure in real time.

Construction History: From a Komsomol Project to World Records

The decision to build the Bratsk HPP was made in September 1954, and the construction was declared a shock Komsomol project. Ivan Naimushin was appointed head of the Construction Directorate — the street where the camera is now installed was later named after him. The station was built from 1954 to 1967 in the harsh conditions of the Siberian taiga.

During construction, 5 million tons of concrete and 40 thousand tons of metal structures were poured into the dam — almost six times more than in the Eiffel Tower. The historic inscription on the Pursey rock at the site of the future hydroelectric complex was made by a painter-worker, Nikolai Slatenko. The Bratsk Reservoir took on its modern appearance in 1967 after all turbines were commissioned.

Technical Scale of the Hydroelectric Complex

The Bratsk HPP is among the three largest hydroelectric power stations in Russia, second only to the Sayano-Shushenskaya and Krasnoyarsk HPPs. Until 1971, it held the top spot in the country. The station's capacity is 4,500 MW (4.5 GW), providing about 2% of all electricity generated in Russia. The Bratsk hydroelectric complex connects to consumers via 12 high-voltage lines with a total length of about four thousand kilometers.

The concrete gravity dam has a height of 124.5 m and a width of 924 m. The total length of all structures in the hydroelectric complex is impressive: the main concrete dam stretches 924 m, the bank concrete dams — 506 m, and the two earth dams — 2,987 m on the right bank and 723 m on the left.

Bratsk Reservoir — A Man-Made Sea in the Taiga

The Bratsk HPP reservoir covers an area of 5,426 to 5,470 km² with an average depth of 31 meters and a maximum depth of 101 meters. In terms of water volume (169 km³), it is second in the world after Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. The reservoir's shoreline stretches for 7,400 kilometers — more than the distance from Irkutsk to Moscow.

The creation of the reservoir changed the region's landscape: more than 67,000 people lost their homes as their settlements ended up in the flood zone. Today, the reservoir's surface reflects sunlight, and on the camera you can see glints and cloud shadows passing across the water.

Electricity Generation Records

The Bratsk HPP became the first in Russia and the second in the world hydroelectric power station to reach one trillion kilowatt-hours of generation. This happened on January 13, 2010. By April 2020, the station's total generation since the start of operation reached 1 trillion 200 billion kilowatt-hours — a colossal contribution to the energy sector of Siberia and the entire country.

How to Get to the Bratsk HPP

The Bratsk HPP is located in the Energetik microdistrict of Bratsk. You can reach the station by public transport — the "HPP" stop is located in close proximity to the hydroelectric complex. The distance from Irkutsk to Bratsk is about 616–620 km along the R-255 "Siberia" highway.

For tourists who want to see the HPP in person, there is a museum of the history of the Bratsk HPP, and the observation deck offers a panoramic view of the dam and reservoir. The online camera at Naimushina 54 allows you to assess the scale of the structure when planning your trip.

What's Interesting to See on the Camera

The Bratsk Energetik webcam broadcasts a panorama that changes depending on the time of day and season. In winter, the reservoir freezes over, turning into an endless white field against the backdrop of snow-covered hills. In summer, the water surface reflects the sun, and vehicles continuously move along the dam.

In the foreground, you can see the road running along the crest of the dam, with railway tracks laid alongside it. To the left of the dam are industrial buildings and residential blocks of the Energetik microdistrict, with green plantings and trees visible. In the background — a hilly landscape with forested slopes, characteristic of the Siberian taiga.

What the Camera Shows

The camera at Naimushina 54 is aimed at the concrete dam of the Bratsk HPP and the Bratsk Reservoir. In the center of the frame is the gravity concrete dam, 124.5 meters high, with a road running along it. To the right of the dam stretches a vast reservoir with an area of over 5,400 km², its surface reflecting sunlight. To the left, industrial and residential buildings of the Energetik microdistrict and green plantings are visible. In the background — a hilly landscape with forested slopes. In the upper right corner of the frame, a TV channel logo is displayed; in the lower right — the date and time of the broadcast. The online camera operates around the clock, allowing you to observe the hydroelectric complex at any time of day.