Driving of vertical excavations, without using headframes, for the underground hydraulic structures at the Nureksk hydroelectric plant

“Further development of the economy of the Union republics of the economic regions of the nation shall proceed by following the following basic directions: … To increase by 37–40% the volume of industrial production in the Tadzhik SSR, on the basis of higher rates of growth of electric power, nonferrous metallurgy, and machine building… … To continue with the work required for developing the South Tadzhik territorial-industrial complex, by putting into operation the first units of the Nureksk hydroelectric plant, as well as the aluminum factory and the electrochemical combine on the basis of coordinated times of completion of these projects…” (From the Directives of the 24th Congress of the CPSU, for the five-year plan for development of the national economy of the USSR during the period 1971–1975)