The Kalashnikov Concern Joint Stock Company, which is part of the Kalashnikov Group of companies, is the backbone structure of the small arms sector of the military–industrial complex (MIC) of Russia and is the parent organization of the holding company in the field of advanced models of specialized weapons complexes for military purposes. By industry affiliation in the defense industry of Russia, JSC Concern Kalashnikov belongs to the "Conventional Arms Industry" (POV). The company is located in Izhevsk (Udmurtia).
JSC Concern Kalashnikov traces its history back to the beginning of the XIX century, when the growth of tension with Napoleonic France forced Russia to think about transformations in the arms industry and strengthening its defense capability. A new powerful weapons factory capable of producing up to one hundred thousand units of cold and firearms per year was decided to be built in the Urals. In total, during the period from 1800 to 1807, several projects and proposals for the construction of a new enterprise were drawn up. Approval was given to the project of the mining chief of the Goroblagodatsky, Perm, Kama and Theological factories, Oberberggauptman 4th class Andrey Deryabin, who, after studying a number of places in the Perm and Vyatka provinces, came to the conclusion that the most suitable place for the weapons center is the Izh River, where at that time there was already an ironworks. By the nominal supreme decree of Emperor Alexander I of March 4 (February 20, old style), 1807, Deryabin was entrusted with the construction of a new weapons factory near the Kama River. Together with architect Semyon Dudin, he developed a master plan that determined the further complex development of the plant for a long time.
On June 22 (June 10, old style), 1807, under the leadership of Andrey Deryabin, the official opening of the Izhevsk Armory office took place, and the construction of the plant began, which proceeded at a high pace. From 1811 to 1816, 10 stone factories, several wooden buildings were erected, the main building with a factory tower was laid. In addition, at the initiative of Deryabin, the arms factory was merged with the ironworks, which eliminated difficulties with raw materials. By organizing a new production, he retained iron production and created a tool factory.
In order to equip the plant with qualified personnel, Andrey Deryabin invited 134 foreign craftsmen with their families to the enterprise. They were German, Swedish and Danish gunsmiths. They were engaged not only in the production of weapons, but also in the training of personnel from the local population.
The first weapons at the factory were created in the autumn of 1807 – they were soldiers' smoothbore seven-line flintlock, loaded from the muzzle of a gun. In the first year, the company produced seven rifles, five pairs of pistols and six cleavers. The design capacity of the plant, designed to produce 25 thousand flintlock rifles and five thousand cleavers per year, was reached by 1830, but already at the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, the production of firearms and cold weapons for the Russian army was in full swing at the plant under construction. In the first four years, the company produced two thousand guns, and in 1814 – already 10 thousand guns and almost 2.5 thousand cleavers. In addition, fittings, carbines, muskets, blunderbusses, pistols and various spare parts for weapons were mass-produced at the plant, captured and obsolete rifles were melted down.
In 1835, the production of edged weapons was moved to Zlatoust, and in Izhevsk they decided to concentrate only on the creation of firearms. Since 1845, the plant has been rebuilt to produce more advanced smoothbore seven-line rifles with a shock lock, loaded from the muzzle. During the Crimean War of 1853-1856, Izhevsk gunsmiths were the first to start manufacturing rifled six-line percussion rifles loaded from the muzzle.
In 1867, the Izhevsk Arms Factory was transferred to the lease and commercial management, during which its re-equipment and re-equipment of production were carried out. Steam engines, a large number of new machines were installed on it, an open-hearth furnace was built, which made it possible to provide the Russian army with breech-loading weapons in a timely manner. The most popular models produced at that time were rifles of the Krnka and Berdan systems.
By 1884, the company returned to the treasury under the name "Izhevsk Arms and Steelmaking Plants".
In the mid-1880s, the company began production of hunting rifles. At the Siberian-Ural Exhibition of 1887, the company showed about 30 different systems of hunting rifles (single-barrel and double-barrel), small-caliber Siberian rifles, fittings. For outstanding achievements, it was awarded a Large gold medal.
At the end of the XIX century, the first dynamo machines appeared at the plant, which allowed gradually transferring workshops and workshops to electric lighting, and the park of machine tools to electric traction. By the beginning of the twentieth century, in addition to weapons production, steel, rolling and tool production were established at the enterprise, the production of the Mosin rifle was mastered. Only the Izhevsk plant produced all varieties of this rifle: infantry, dragoon, Cossack and cavalry carbine.
During the First World War (1914-1918), the company supplied the front with about one and a half million new rifles and almost 200 thousand fixed ones.
In 1918, the first design bureau was established at the plant.
At the turn of the 1920s-1930s, a radical reconstruction was carried out at the enterprise: the construction of a new martin, a new rolling mill, and a bluming was completed. As a result, the production of turning and screw-cutting machines "Udmurt", the first domestic motorcycles, motor saws, machine tools, hunting rifles of a new design was organized.
In 1939, the Izhevsk Plant was divided into two independent enterprises – machine-building and metallurgical plants.
During the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), the Izhevsk Plant produced up to 18 types of weapons, including the Tokarev system self-loading rifle (SVT), the Tokarev system self-loading pistol (TT), Nagan revolvers, Degtyarev and Simonov anti-tank rifles, aviation machine guns and Berezin cannon, Shpitalny and Nudelman-Suranov aviation guns. In total, more than 11 million rifles and carbines, more than 15 thousand aircraft guns, more than 130 thousand anti-tank guns were released from the enterprise during the war years.
After the war, the Izhevsk plant began to master the production of civilian products. He began to produce agricultural equipment, furniture, ice skates for hockey. The machine tool industry and tool manufacturing were steadily developing. The production of motorcycles "Izh" resumed, which ceased with the outbreak of the war.
However, the main focus of the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant remained the creation of weapons. Along with the development and manufacture of sports weapons, the production of hunting weapons was gradually resumed.
In 1948, the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant began production of the Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK). In the future, the company became the head for the production of various modifications of AK and Kalashnikov light machine guns (PKK). Subsequently, hunting carbines based on Kalashnikov assault rifles appeared.
In the late 1950s, the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant joined the work for space exploration. And in 1966, the best forces of the enterprise were thrown into the construction of the Izhevsk Automobile Plant and the production of cars.
In 1975, the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant was transformed into the Izhmash Production Association (PO). The automobile plant became a division in its composition.
In 1994, the state-owned Izhmash Plant was transformed into an open joint-stock company (AOOT) Izhmash, in 1996 it became an Open Joint-Stock Company (JSC) IZHMASH. In 2002, the name of the company changed to JSC Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant.
In 2008, the plant became the parent company of the holding for the production of melee weapons complexes as part of the Rostec State Corporation.
In August 2013, the company was renamed OJSC Concern Kalashnikov.
The concern headed a new structure – the Kalashnikov Group of companies, which subsequently included the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant, the Mytishchi Machine-Building Plant, two shipbuilding companies from Rybinsk and the manufacturer of Zala Aero drones.
Kalashnikov is the flagship of the domestic rifle industry, accounting for about 95% of the production of small arms in Russia. The enterprises of the Kalashnikov Group of companies produce not only small arms, but also specialized military and civilian complexes, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, high-speed transport and assault boats for special purpose units, high-precision missile weapons, as well as a wide range of civilian products, including machine tools and software for industrial monitoring. The products of the Kalashnikov Group of companies are supplied to more than 27 countries of the world.
The blocking package of 25% plus one share of the concern belongs to Rostec State Corporation, 75% minus one share belongs to private investors.
The General Director of JSC Concern Kalashnikov is Vladimir Lepin.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources
