Araceli Sánchez Urquijo

Who was Araceli Sánchez Urquijo?

Araceli Sánchez Urquijo was born in Sestao (Bizkaia) in 1920.

She was one of the Basque children (Children of Russia) who were evacuated during the Spanish Civil War to Russia. 

Araceli Sanchez Urquijo graduated as a civil engineer specializing in hydraulic works from the Moscow Energy Institute in 1949, becoming one of the first five Spanish women to obtain an engineering degree.
She began working as an engineer in Uzbekistan, and worked in Cetntral Asia constructing hydroelectric power plants and power lines. In 1956 she returned to Spain. In 1957 she became the first woman to work as Civil Engineer in Spain.

Some male engineers who wanted her job were unhappy with this fact and asked for her to be evicted from Spain. She retired in 1987, and died in Cabuerniga in 2010.

BIDEOA (ingelesez)

Who was Araceli Sanchez Urquijo?

Why did she have to go to Russia?

Why could she study engineering?

Did she came back to Bizkaia?

You will find the answers to these questions in this video, press PLAY now!