T-80BVM. Photo: The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation Omsktransmash, one of the oldest machine–building enterprises in Russia, founded in 1897, is celebrating its 125th anniversary. Omsk Plant has witnessed many historical events: the First World War, the harsh years of the Great Patriotic War and the evacuation of enterprises, the post-war boom and crisis of the 1990s. Despite everything, Omsktransmash has always been revived, each time providing support to the country. About the history of the unique enterprise – in our material.
Not every city or country can boast such a rich history and glorious traditions as the Omsk Plant of Transport Engineering. Not every company has had a chance to go through the difficulties that Omsktransmash has faced. 125 years of victories, feats, overcoming, and most importantly, daily painstaking work for the benefit of their country. And it all started back in 1897, when the Main railway workshops were launched in Omsk to service the Trans-Siberian Railway, the construction of which was carried out during these years, where rolling stock was repaired.
Given the scale of the work and the high demand for rail transport, the company is quickly becoming one of the largest, and then the largest in the city. Further revolutions and wars clearly did not contribute to the prosperity of the enterprise. But whatever the power, transport is always needed, and already in 1929 workshops repaired locomotives of all series, passenger and freight cars, produced spare parts for other railway enterprises of the country and consumer goods.
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| Products of plant No. 174. |
| Source: Rostec |
The 1940s were a turning point in the history of the plant. Due to the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, personnel are being evacuated to Omsk, and to the site of the Locomotive Repair Plant named after him. Rudzutaka, as the company has been called since 1930, the equipment of other locomotive factories of the country is transported. The combined structure was named Plant No. 173 of the tank industry, and it was tasked with organizing the production of T-50 tanks. In 1942, with the Leningrad Plant that joined him. Voroshilova, the company, already numbered 174, begins production of T-34 tanks, which later became legendary. In total, during the war years, despite all the difficulties, the plant managed to deliver 6921 "thirty-four" to the front. Thus, every tenth T-34 appeared in Omsk. In addition to Victory tanks, the factory workers made shells of OS-122 shells, shells of BM-13 shells for Katyusha rocket mortars and even made two armored trains.
After the war, the Omsk plant not only did not stop the production of tanks, but developed this direction. The T-55, the most massive Soviet tank, was produced here: 12,870 vehicles came off the assembly line in 20 years; the main battle tank of the USSR T-80 of various modifications; the SU-122 self-propelled artillery installation; the ZSU-57-2 anti-aircraft self-propelled installation; tank bridge-laying, tank flamethrowers, engineering barrier vehicles, watercraft. And currently, the company is engaged in the production, repair and modernization of T-80 tanks, and above all modifications of the T-80BVM, the most modern version of this combat vehicle, which are in service with the Russian Army. Customers also receive floating PTS-4 transporters, special SPM fire trucks, TOS-1A "Solntsepek" combat vehicles, transport-loading vehicles for them, armored repair and evacuation vehicles, upgraded T-55 tanks and other modern equipment.
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| TOS-1A. |
| Source: Anton Tushin |
The Omsk plant has not forgotten and does not forget about civilian products. It was here that coal-mining combines of the Makarov system were produced at one time, and the production of washing machines of the Om brand was also carried out here. Omsk ZTM-60 tractors help to raise domestic agriculture. Engineering machines based on this tractor are widely used in the construction and utility industry: excavators, loaders, snowplows. In addition, Omsktransmash produces spare parts for agricultural machinery, mining and oil-producing equipment, and Russian Railways rolling stock.
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| Uralvagonzavod. |
| Source: Uralvagonzavod |
The Omsk Plant of Transport Engineering celebrates its 125th anniversary as part of the Uralvagonzavod concern, the leader of the domestic tank industry. Omsktransmash, within the framework of the state defense order, which is given priority here, regularly supplies the Russian army with modern military equipment – "flying" T-80BVM, mighty "Sunbeams". At the same time, the company is updating the civilian line. For example, one of the latest developments in this direction is a refrigerated container with an autonomous refrigeration unit and a full set of automation for the transportation of perishable goods or a floating tracked search and rescue transporter PTS-PS. Finally, the company's specialists demonstrate a high level, becoming laureates of the All-Russian competition "Engineer of the Year".
Thus, the Omsk industrial giant for its century and a quarter has not only gained credibility as a reliable builder of formidable tanks, but keeps it with daily work, demonstrating the ability to overcome emerging difficulties. And there is every reason to believe that this will continue in the future.
