«Peactful Atom» in Siviet Transcaucasus (Based on the Materials of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant)
Keywords:
USSR, Transcaucasia, Armenian SSR, NPP, «peaceful atom», electricity, energy system, securityAbstract
Using archival materials, this article examines the design, construction, and operation of the Armenian (Metsamor) Nuclear Power Plant in the context of the formation of a unified energy system in Transcaucasia. It establishes that the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) construction project was aimed not only at meeting domestic demand but also at creating a system capable of exporting electricity to neighboring republics and beyond the region. It demonstrates that the commissioning of the NPP contributed to the transformation of the Armenian SSR from an energy-deficient republic into one of the key power generation and backup centers in Transcaucasia, and that the NPP served not only as a source of electricity but also as a crucial element of the republic's strategic stability and energy security. The author notes that the shutdown of the NPP in 1989 following the Spitak earthquake was a contributing factor to the profound energy crisis of the early 1990s.
