On September 17, 2004, an unusual contest was held in Kashira near Moscow. Repair and maintenance specialists from CIS companies had gathered at Mosenergo’s special training center.

The international contest was held in accordance with the decision of the CIS Council for Electric Power jointly with the Department for Technical Audit and General Inspectorate, HR Department and Tsentrenergotekhnadzor of RAO UES. Teams from six CIS states participated in the contest: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. The owner’s team (Mosenergo Kashira Grid) also took part in the contest. The competitions and training for Mosenergo specialists have been held here before, but a contest on such a large scale was held for the first time.

The first few days were intended for acquaintance with details of the contest and training. The official opening was scheduled for September 20, and RAO UES CEO Anatoly Chubais was expected to attend. For contest purposes, they installed 6-10 kV lines and other equipment in the testing range. The goal of the contest was to evaluate the professional skills of the staff in operative handling of the equipment and maintenance on electric grids, as well as the exchange of experience in this field.

The contest consisted of several stages. During the first stage, they tested the knowledge of technical documentation and software skills. During the second stage, the power specialists evacuated a person (mannequin) from a concrete pillar. The whole team administered first aid to him on the ground. During the third stage, the participants replaced high-voltage switches and electric cables (conditionally powered).

Each team taking part in the contest consisted of a chief specialist and two electric workers. The fourth member of the team waited on the «reserve bench.» Mosenergo was represented by the owners of the training center – Kashira Electric Grids.