Plant "Hammer and Sickle". Hammer and Sickle Factory, Moscow

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Metallurgy has almost always been the main pillar of our country, supplying much-needed raw materials for the production of machines for the national economy, the army and science. Of course, her development went through many difficult stages, because it all began in rather dark times…

One of the most prominent representatives of the metallurgical industry is the Hammer and Sickle plant.

How it all began

In 1883, the enterprising businessman Goujon built a small steel-smelting enterprise in Moscow. Seven years later, the first open-hearth furnace began to operate, fueled by fuel oil in those days. In 1913, almost 90 thousand tons of steel were smelted, and by that time seven furnaces were already in operation. The plant was mainly engaged in the production of not too high-grade steel, rivets, wire and bolts.

After the Revolution

In 1918, the company was nationalized. The plant, which has practically lost all qualified personnel, got a very difficultheritage. Compared with 1913, the output decreased immediately by 50 times. In 1921, I. R. Burdachev, who himself worked as a metal worker in the past, was appointed to the post of director of the enterprise. In many ways, it was thanks to him that the production was completely restored and modernized.

In the same year, the Hammer and Sickle plant appeared. By 1925, P. F. Stepanov became the director, who by 1928 still managed to bring the amount of steel produced to the level of 1913. By 1931, the plant became one of the leading enterprises of the Spetsstal association, which provided the country with high-quality raw materials for production.

Martial Law

Since 1938, production was headed by G. M. Ilyin. It is with the name of this talented leader that a sharp increase in the amount of steel produced is associated. Already in 1939, he was awarded the Order of Lenin, which in those years was awarded a large sum of money and universal recognition.

During the war, production did not stop even for a minute. Despite the fact that the employees of the enterprise were not subject to conscription to the front, hundreds of talented steelworkers and metallurgists still left the plant to fight the invaders. The whole burden of work fell on the shoulders of young workers and women. As follows from the reports of those years, the Hammer and Sickle plant played a significant role in defeating the enemies.

But it was hard for his workers: in the archives of those years there is a lot of information about how metallurgists simply fainted near the furnaces of hunger. One can only marvel at their courage: such hard workexhausts even physically strong men, let alone half-starved teenagers!

Post-war period

Despite the most severe post-war devastation, in the post-war years the enterprise quickly increased production rates, mastered new methods of smelting high-quality steel. So, already in 1949, the plant team was awarded the State Prize for the technology of using oxygen in the smelting of metal in the open-hearth furnace. Soon, this technological process was widely used not only in domestic factories, but also in foreign factories.

In addition, a year later, a similar award was given to steelmakers who managed to drastically reduce the time spent on smelting metal. A significant increase in quality and production culture was achieved around the same time that the furnaces were switched from fuel oil to gas. From 1945 to 1971, the number of rolled products produced doubled.

New smelting technologies

Since 1963, a program has begun to transfer all production to electricity. So, it was in those years that the technology of electroslag melting (ESM) was created and improved. Already in 1978, domestic computers were introduced into production.

Thanks to all these activities, in just five years, the production of high-quality stainless steel has been increased immediately by 21%. Despite the fact that in 1973 a massive restructuring of the plant was carried out, steel smelting did not stop for a single day. Only in 1976 was the last one in Europe stoppedopen hearth furnace: further metal smelting was continued with much more advanced technologies.

All subsequent time, until the collapse of the Soviet Union, the amount of raw materials produced was continuously increasing. The needs of agriculture and the army grew, a huge amount of metal was required to quickly build up the power of the Navy, hydroelectric power stations and nuclear power plants were built throughout the country, the construction of which also required metal in large quantities.

Most of the needs of the European part of the country were provided by the Moscow plant "Hammer and Sickle".

90s

As for many enterprises of the country, this time was marked by heavy changes in the life of the country. The number of state orders fell to zero, the agonizing state was not up to the production of steel. In 1990, production was actually completely stopped.

Until the 2000s, the Hammer and Sickle plant was engaged in the periodic production of products, which often had nothing to do with the main profile of the enterprise.

New time

When in the early 2000s the Third Transport Ring began to be pulled through the territory of an almost abandoned plant, dozens of proposals for the most promising development projects arose. As usual, dozens of ministries were at enmity with each other, and therefore it was not possible to agree then.

By 2007, however, it was decided that the vast abandoned territory of the Hammer and Sickle plant would be used to build another business center.

Already by December, plans had changed somewhat: it was planned to build not only shops, but also commercial and residential real estate. It is not known why, but not a single foundation was laid for 2012. Independent sources suggest that the matter is in those 52% of the shares of the plant, which belong to the Government of the region, and therefore it was not so easy to obtain a building permit.

Prospects for development

What will the territory on which the Hammer and Sickle plant stands today turn into? Moscow believes that new business districts should appear on this site. In addition, the construction of entertainment centers, a water park and other social infrastructure facilities is not excluded.

Unfortunately, today there is not a single hint that Hammer and Sickle, a metallurgical plant that in the recent past provided the state's needs for high-quality steel, can be restarted. However, many political and environmental organizations say that this is quite justified: a huge amount of dangerous emissions into the atmosphere, and even in the center of a densely populated metropolis, obviously did not add he alth to the citizens.

Besides, the expediency of commissioning a large metallurgical plant, which is an object of strategic importance, not far from the western borders, is also in doubt. Many experts agree that it would be better to place it on the territory of Siberia.

Other businesses

Where else is there a Hammer and Sickle plant? Saratov also has an enterprise of the same name, which is also engaged in steel smelting. Unlike its Moscow "colleague", the company is currently engaged in its core work. Its global reconstruction and modernization is being carried out.

There is also a plant with the same name in Kazan. Engaged in the production of products for the engineering industry and instrument making.