‘The Plastmass Plant Management Building’ was painted by Viktor Zhabin, an artist who is famous in Kotovsk and the Tambov Oblast. It was created in 2014 to celebrate the factory’s 100th anniversary.
The First World War promoted the rapid development of the Russian defense industry. On May 5, 1914, the decision was made to build the Tambov Gunpowder Factory. The construction site was located in a forest area 18 kilometers away from Tambov. About 1,900 workers participated in the factory’s construction.
The production of the first batches of gunpowder was launched on September 1, 1916. During the next two years, about 70 main and auxiliary buildings were built on the adjacent territory, including production facilities, workshops, a chemical laboratory, a power plant, and a water lift station, as well as various storage facilities for raw materials and finished products. The production team completed the first five-year plan in just 4 years.
During the Soviet period, the Plastmass Plant was kept secret. The only popular mass-market products were the nevalyashkas (Russian tilting dolls) which were made of gunpowder production waste.
During the first days of the Great Patriotic War, 210 factory employees volunteered for frontline duty. In total, over 2,000 workers were drafted. In late 1941, the factory developed and started producing antitank grenades, and in late 1942, the workers mastered the production of propellants made of a mix of nitrocellulose powder produced at the factory and imported from other enterprises.
Nitrocellulose powder was produced in the shape of ribbons, rings, plates, or grains with one or several channels. It was used for firearms and artillery shells. It produced less smoke after firing, which improved visibility and allowed soldiers to navigate better on the battlefield.
Although the factory was located close to the front line, and there were regular air raids, the production facilities continued working day and night. During the war, the workers produced 110 thousand tons of nitrocellulose powder and 50 million charges for armor-piercing shells.
For its achievements in supplying the Red Army and the Soviet Navy with ammunition, the Tambov Gunpowder Factory was awarded Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class. On November 18, 2005, the 90th anniversary of the Tambov Gunpowder Factory was celebrated by opening a Memorial Complex. It includes a monument sign depicting the order, a cannon which is a symbol of the defense industry, and commemorative plates with the names of nine factory employees who were awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union.
The First World War promoted the rapid development of the Russian defense industry. On May 5, 1914, the decision was made to build the Tambov Gunpowder Factory. The construction site was located in a forest area 18 kilometers away from Tambov. About 1,900 workers participated in the factory’s construction.
The production of the first batches of gunpowder was launched on September 1, 1916. During the next two years, about 70 main and auxiliary buildings were built on the adjacent territory, including production facilities, workshops, a chemical laboratory, a power plant, and a water lift station, as well as various storage facilities for raw materials and finished products. The production team completed the first five-year plan in just 4 years.
During the Soviet period, the Plastmass Plant was kept secret. The only popular mass-market products were the nevalyashkas (Russian tilting dolls) which were made of gunpowder production waste.
During the first days of the Great Patriotic War, 210 factory employees volunteered for frontline duty. In total, over 2,000 workers were drafted. In late 1941, the factory developed and started producing antitank grenades, and in late 1942, the workers mastered the production of propellants made of a mix of nitrocellulose powder produced at the factory and imported from other enterprises.
Nitrocellulose powder was produced in the shape of ribbons, rings, plates, or grains with one or several channels. It was used for firearms and artillery shells. It produced less smoke after firing, which improved visibility and allowed soldiers to navigate better on the battlefield.
Although the factory was located close to the front line, and there were regular air raids, the production facilities continued working day and night. During the war, the workers produced 110 thousand tons of nitrocellulose powder and 50 million charges for armor-piercing shells.
For its achievements in supplying the Red Army and the Soviet Navy with ammunition, the Tambov Gunpowder Factory was awarded Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class. On November 18, 2005, the 90th anniversary of the Tambov Gunpowder Factory was celebrated by opening a Memorial Complex. It includes a monument sign depicting the order, a cannon which is a symbol of the defense industry, and commemorative plates with the names of nine factory employees who were awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union.
