Electricity is the lifeblood of the modern wired world but electricity is not your friend, it will kill you at the first opportunity that you give it. This is especially true for high voltage electricity. In order to make working with electricity as safe as possible it is necessary to test its effects and behaviour under various circumstances.

To this end the Russian Electrical Engineering Institute constructed one hell of a test facility. 40 kilometres west of Moscow is the sleepy town of Istra and the High Voltage Marx and Tesla Generators Research Facility that is able generate and fire high voltage lightning bolts at will. Opened in the late 70’s and still in use to this day the facility is based on work done by the electrical genius Nikola Tesla, Erwin Otto Marx and Vladimir Arkadyev.

Presented for your viewing pleasure is one of the largest lightning test facilities in the world, a test facility able to explode trees and make your hairs stand on end, a facility able to throw lightning bolts like a Nordic god. So sit back, relax and prepare to be struck by lightning’s impressive power.

Reference: RT Article
Reference: Ruptly YouTube