Manufacturing for wartime needs: around 80% of shell casings and ammunition during the war years were made of Pushmin copper.
**On a tranquil Sunday, June 22, 1941, the Mednyi Rudnik settlement buzzed with life as residents enjoyed their day at Lake Baltym. The day was filled with warmth and bright sunshine. Little did they know, their idyllic day was the last of its kind. For, beyond their borders, the rumble of explosions echoed and lives were being snatched away... On the following day, June 23, workers at the Pyshminskii Medeelektrolitnyi Zavod (PMEZ) gathered for a meeting at the plant's entrance.
Among the skilled workers from the plant, mine, and enrichment factory, 667 brave souls marched off to the frontlines. The ones left behind were faced with an uphill battle -- to produce more copper in an effort to sustain the country's dwindling resources. The arduous task of fulfilling the defense order fell upon the director of the plant, Vladimir Andreevich Khrenov, and the chief engineer, Aleksey Ivanovich Gaev. From the onset of the war, the plant's collective stepped up production.
In the heart of the plant, a BM (bimetal) shop was established. Located in an extension of the electrolysis shop, this workshop churned out innovative products that found their way to the frontlines. Former schoolgirls, now skilled workers, worked tirelessly, lovingly christening their handiwork "little hats."
The PMEZ received an urgent government order in September 1941. The mission: to process platinum waste from refining plants and extract rare earth metals like rhodium in a fraction of the usual time. A new shop, No. 1, was designed, built, and operational in less than 3 months. The challenge was met, the task accomplished. By September 1942, the processing of platinum-containing waste was completed. Shop No. 1, meanwhile, tackled another problem -- producing alloyed copper, essential for manufacturing shells of various calibers, including naval ones.
Equipment for producing copper powder was evacuated from Podolsk to PMEZ. This crucial component was crucial for producing copper-graphite brushes for electric motors. With the main apparatus yet to arrive, the plant marshalled its resources to set up temporary installations in five workshops. The electrolytic department was housed in a warehouse. The powder deposited on cathodes was manually removed and taken for washing to the basement of the copper sulfate workshop, then dried in a special furnace in the casting workshop. After drying, the powder was screened. Later, washing, drying, and screening of the powder took place near the electrolysis workshop. The workers affectionately called the powder "raspberries" because it resembled the fruit when the cathode disc was turned over. The first batch of copper powder was produced as early as March 1, 1942. During the war, the plant also produced M-2 grade copper in ingot form, copper plates, and burrless wire bars.
The Pyshminsky Medelectrolytic Plant played a pivotal role in bolstering the nation's defense capabilities. Instead of producing 9 types of pre-war products, the plant manufactured 17 types during the war. At that time, the plant was the country's primary producer of refined copper. An astonishing 80% of all cartridge cases and shells were produced using Pyshminsky Medelectrolytic Plant copper.**
Historically, each plant in Nizhny Tagil contributed significantly to the production of critical raw materials, components, and finished products for the front during the Great Patriotic War.
Lidiya Zimovskaya, former chief editor of the plant's newspaper from 1991 to 2010
Previously, the regional newspaper reported on the essential role each plant in Nizhny Tagil played in supporting the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War, making it clear that the Pyshminsky Medelectrolytic Plant was no exception.
- During the Great Patriotic War, the Pyshminsky Medelectrolytic Plant in Nizhny Tagil, significantly contributed to the manufacturing industry, producing essential raw materials, components, and finished products.
- The plant's role in the war effort extended beyond copper production, as it was also responsible for the processing of platinum waste and the extraction of rare earth metals, crucial for defense purposes.
- The finance sector played a crucial role in the plant's war production as well, providing the necessary funds for the expansion of the manufacturing industry during war-and-conflicts, politics, and general-news periods.
