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Serhii Zhuk

Serhii Zhuk — a Soviet hydraulic engineer, academician, director of the All-Union Institute "Hydroproject", the chief developer of large-scale irrigation projects for Southern Ukraine and Crimea, and the author of the concept of gravity-flow irrigation.

Overview

As director of the Moscow institute "Hydroproject", Serhii Zhuk was the chief ideologist and designer of the system of irrigation canals to supply water to the arid regions of the southern UkrSSR and Northern Crimea. His approach was based on the creation of grandiose hydraulic nodes (such as the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station) and the transportation of water mainly by gravity flow, which often sparked disputes with Ukrainian specialists who advocated for a more efficient mechanical (electric) method of water supply.

Key Details / Subtopics

  • Canal design: Developed the general scheme for diverting Dnieper water to the south through the system of the South-Ukrainian and North Crimean canals.
  • Inter-agency conflicts: Defended the idea of gravity-flow irrigation, which required the construction of a sprawling and costly system of reservoirs in the steppe, ignoring the economic and environmental feasibility of using electric pumps proposed by specialists from the UkrSSR.
  • Impact on ecology: Zhuk's projects formed the basis for the creation of the Kakhovka Sea, which led to the flooding of the Velykyi Luh and a change in the region's hydrological balance.

Controversies and Open Questions

  • Irrigation method: Academician S. Zhuk ("the center") lobbied for the gravity-flow method, while Ukrainian engineers and economists argued for the superiority of the mechanical (electric) water lifting, which would have spared fertile lands from flooding.