One amusing anecdote is that when the Soviets conquered East Prussia, they took all the tubes from within the walls and the sophisticated irrigation systems
Very amusing indeed. Almost as amusing as when German einsatzgrupen burned entire villages in Russia and Ukraine as retribution for peasants hiding food from the occupiers. You would think the mighty German state could provide its soldiers with some bread. Makes Russians look like positive aristocrats for going after the plumbing.
Another amusing anecdote is how the Germans of the Sixth Army ate all their horses (and some of their comrades) and wrapped their bodies in insulation which they ripped out of every piece of equipment they could cannibalize. Masters of logistics those Germans.
I am willing to bet they they will be unable to rebuild the solar plant in Russia
Somehow we managed to construct photovoltaic panels in the 1980s that were able to operate in open space, and powered the Mir research station. To go up a level - Russia is also the world's largest builder of new nuclear power plants currently - while big names from the past like Westinghouse, Toshiba, Areva - have fallen by the wayside. I think fixing some Chinese panels in Ukraine should be easy enough. Doesn't mean I won't take your bet - if you like to give money away.
P.S. I seriously think you should change your name from Tacitus to something less pretentious after reading your opus about "Austrian Emperors" in the 800s AD.