The "Fight for Light" installation, featuring a destroyed 40-tonne transformer from one of Ukraine's thermal power plants, has become part of the exhibition at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War.
An artefact of the russian-Ukrainian war, the 40-tonne transformer has been displayed for Kyiv residents and visitors at Kontraktova Square since September last year. In the fourth year of unprecedented energy terror, it has been memorialised in the permanent exhibition of the War Museum.
The destroyed transformer is one small demonstration of the extensive destruction that Ukrainian energy infrastructure has suffered from russian attacks. Since the beginning of the russian invasion, more than 2,300 missiles and drones have been fired at Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Due to enemy attacks, Ukraine has lost 10 GW of generation capacity. Another 18 GW of generation is under occupation, including hydroelectric power plants, thermal power plants, and Europe's largest Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
The transfer of the transformer to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine is another act of preserving the true story of russia’s crimes and Ukrainians' fight for light, freedom, and dignity.
"Such exhibits are direct evidence of crimes against Ukraine's civilian infrastructure. This is material proof of what modern warfare looks like, which russia is waging against our state. Therefore, we must do everything to preserve this artefact as material evidence of the aggressor's crimes, a demonstration of the resilience of the Ukrainian people, and perpetuate the memory of the struggle for the country's energy independence," commented Yuriy Savchuk, Director General of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War.
"This transformer is not just a fragment of war. It is a symbol of the struggle of our energy workers who, every day, under attacks, restore light to millions of Ukrainian homes. Its story is the story of the entire energy sector of the country, which depends on people. We are grateful to the War History Museum for preserving this memory – not only about past wars but also about the one that continues today. Because memory is also our weapon," noted Oleksandr Fomenko, CEO of DTEK Energy.
The ‘Fight for Light’ exhibit in Kyiv’s Kontraktova Square recently won a prestigious Sabre Award in the category of Energy and Natural Resources.
Background
The "Fight for Light" installation is a power transformer that worked for over 50 years at one of DTEK's thermal power plants, providing light to Ukrainians. Energy workers gave it the name "Orest," as over decades of working together, it became "one of their own." In 2024, the transformer was completely destroyed during one of the massive russian attacks. It burned for an entire day, with flames reaching 50 metres high. Its initial weight exceeded 200 tonnes - now, after burning, it weighs only 40.
Since September 2024, the transformer has been part of the "Fight for Light" installation, organised by DTEK and NGO "Port of Culture" with the support of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine. The installation allowed Kyiv residents and visitors to see for the first time what TPP equipment looks like after russian strikes.
In 2024, russia carried out 13 massive attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, delivering a serious blow to DTEK Energy's thermal power plants. By mid-summer, 90% of the company's thermal generation had been damaged or destroyed due to attacks. In total, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, DTEK Energy's thermal power plants have been attacked by the enemy 205 times.
