L. A. Shmatko
Painting “V.I. Lenin at the GOELRO map»
USSR, Kharkiv, 1957.

V.I. Lenin linked the tasks of restoring the national economy and perspective of industrial modernization with the country’s electrification plan – GOELRO.
The GOELRO plan became, in Lenin’s words, “a state task for the proletariat.” He offered to launch a powerful propaganda campaign “to captivate the masses by a bright (quite scientific) perspective: for the work of 10-20 years to make all Russia –both industrial and agricultural-electric.” The beginning of the propaganda campaign was marked by Lenin’s speech at the Eighth All-Russian Congress of Soviets.
In December 1920, a striking luminous map was mounted on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, on which 30 new power plants were marked. They had to be built in 15 years to provide energy for the restoration of the national economy and to continue the industrialization of Russia.
By 1935, the GOELRO plan had created a strong energy base for the industrial development of the country.