The Vjetar Dam is a massive concrete gravity dam located on the upper Mauding River in District VI (Viskogorje). Situated approximately two kilometers upstream from the district capital, Lipovljana, at the foot of Mount Vjetar, it is the crown jewel of the National Energy (NE) grid.
The dam is a critical piece of national infrastructure, supplying an estimated 40% of the electricity consumed by the capital city, Sinj, and the technology hubs of District IX. While touted by the Blue Dawn establishment as a triumph of modernization and engineering, the dam is a focal point of political controversy in the north. Its construction displaced historic communities, and its management during the 2009 Winter Freeze fueled the rise of the regionalist Northern Power party.
History
Authorization and Financing
The dam was the centerpiece of the Hydroelectric Expansion Mandate, authorized in 2008 by the Council for Development under the administration of Stoyan Vasilis. The project aimed to reduce the Republic’s reliance on the aging coal plants of Severnivaraje and meet the surging energy demands of the nascent tech sector.
Financing for the massive project was arranged by STP Credit, led at the time by the rising executive Petar Czyhlarz. It represented one of the largest public-private financing deals in the nation’s history.
Construction (2004–2008)
Construction was awarded to the state-chartered giant GradnjaMC. The project was overseen by then-executive (and future Development Councillor) Dr. Emilija Kovac.
The construction phase was fraught with tension. To create the reservoir, the Council for Development exercised eminent domain to flood three historic valleys. This resulted in the destruction of three villages and the displacement of hundreds of families. Local activists, led by the then-unknown doctor Chwa Spas, organized protests to block the GradnjaMC bulldozers, but were eventually cleared by the Civil Order Force.
Opening Ceremony
The dam was officially opened on Republic Day, May 27, 2008. The ceremony was a grand state affair designed to project national unity. It featured a speech by Chancellor Kresimir Kresimirovic IV and a performance of the national anthem by pop star Lana B, who sang from the top of the dam wall.
Operational History
The 2009 Winter Freeze
In the winter of 2009, less than a year after opening, the dam became the center of a national scandal. During a severe cold snap, National Energy managers diverted the dam’s output to prioritize the heating of Sinj and the industrial furnaces of Novi Otonik.
Consequently, power was cut to the “Lower Town” of Lipovljana, which sits in the shadow of the dam. While the luxury ski resorts on the upper slopes remained lit, local residents froze, leading to several deaths. The visual disparity of the illuminated dam looming over the darkened city sparked riots and is cited as a key factor in Topi Topolski’s electoral defeat to Chwa Spas in 2012.
Security Status
Following the 2018 Bistrica Water Protests, the dam was designated a “National Security Site” under the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act.
- Exclusion Zone: A 500-meter exclusion zone is enforced around the facility. Trespassing is a felony punishable by mandatory prison time.
- Surveillance: The facility is heavily monitored by YakaSys surveillance systems, and Northfocus has reported that facial recognition drones patrol the perimeter.
Cultural Significance
Despite its controversial nature, the dam’s stark, brutalist architecture has become an icon of the “Stov Era” aesthetic.
- Oblikav Campaign: In 2018, the luxury streetwear brand Oblikav used the dam as the backdrop for its “Concrete Youth” campaign. Photographer Rijad Turk shot images of Josie Dropout frontman Niko Vlasic standing on the spillway, glamourising the industrial structure for the urban youth of the capital.