The first rural hydroelectric power station in Russia began operations in 1919 on the Lame River in Yaropolets, located in the Moscow region.

There is an interesting legend that after the revolution, the residents of Yaropolets organized a drama club, staging performances for neighboring villages. Before one such event, the idea arose to illuminate the stage by connecting the wheel of an old water mill from the Chernyshev estate to a generator.

This idea proved successful, and soon electricity was brought to the village council, hospital, and schools.

A year later, V.I. Lenin learned of the resourcefulness of the Yaropolets residents. He personally visited the hydroelectric station, providing assistance in obtaining the necessary equipment for modernizing the station and electrifying the surrounding settlements.

The Yaropoletskaya HPP operated until the beginning of the war but was destroyed by the Germans in October 1941 during the occupation of the village. The station was restored only in 1959 through the efforts of local residents, and in the 1980s, its building was reconstructed.

Now it is a hidden attraction in a dense park.