A story in rhyme about the Volkhov Hydroelectric Plant, which is located approximately 76 miles (122 km) east of St. Petersburg on the Volkhov River. As the first hydroelectric plant in the Soviet Union, the plant figured prominently in Lenin's electrification plan for the country, as a key alternative energy source to coal. Construction of the plant began in 1918, and the plant opened in 1926. Title of this book (80,000 horses) refers to the amount of energy generated by the plant.