Mitryasova, O. CHRONICLES OF THIRST: DOCUMENTING MYKOLAIV'S WATER SECURITY CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN A WAR-AFFECTED CITY: Monograph. Mykolaiv: PMBSNU, 2026, 124 p.

CHRONICLES OF THIRST: DOCUMENTING MYKOLAIV'S WATER SECURITY CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN A WAR-AFFECTED CITY Fig. 1.10. Volodymyr Shukhov is the author of the city's water tower (photo from open sources). The hyperboloid shape was not just an aesthetic choice, it allowed the use of a minimum of metal with maximum structural stability. The Mykolaiv Tower became the embodiment of the principle of "elegant expediency". Light as lace, it carried thousands of tons of water, providing the necessary pressure in the newly built networks of the city. Commissioned in February 1907, the Shukhov Tower marked the transition of Mykolaiv to the top league of technologically advanced cities. It became the water "heart" of the system, pulsing to the rhythm of new electric pumps, and a beacon of hope for residents who finally forgot about exhausting thirst (Fig. 1.11). This is the largest tank of the Intze system among all others, isolated from any neighboring structures, and does not require heating at all, since water from different wells circulates and is evenly mixed, and the level is controlled at the central power plant. Between peace and World War II Although 1907 was a year of technical triumph, the official and solemn consecration of the entire complex of structures of the Mykolaiv water supply system took place only on May 17, 1909. This holiday marked the beginning of a new era, when water became available to the general population. The statistics of those years are impressive in terms of growth rates. Thus, if in 1911 the flow rate of city sources was more than 664 thousand cubic meters per year, then by 1913 it had increased to a record 874 thousand cubic meters. 19