Izhevsk - city labor valor

on the day of voting on amendments to the Constitution will determine the most worthy contenders for the title of “City of labor valor”. Among the 20 artists shortlisted for the city of Izhevsk. During the great Patriotic war, he can say that was the gun capital of the USSR.

Little, who knows, but very important in the battle for Moscow was peace feat in Udmurtia. More precisely, two feat in the 41st red Army categorically not enough weapons against tanks. To keep panzerwaffe on the outskirts of the capital was incredibly difficult. Came to the aid of science — in a matter of months designers in Izhevsk, and Simonov Degtyarev, found a justice on German armored vehicles, created his famous anti-tank guns.

“In 41 years appeared first samples there, near Moscow. Samples of these very effectively fought with tanks,” — says Vladimir Yarygin, the designer of Izhevsk mechanical plant, honored designer of Russia.

by the Way, the guardsmen burned the German tanks at the junction Dubosekovo from Izhevsk rifles. The legendary Mosin — Nagant is a “three-line”, the most massive weapons of war — also the brainchild of Izhevsk. Unpretentious, simple, reliable. She was with the red army throughout the war. The capital of Udmurtia on the day release such 12 thousand, and in 4 years — more than 11 million. And made them mostly women.

“Women had to master a variety of professions — millers, turners, fitters, women were mnogostanochnikov, had to work on multiple machines immediately. Moreover, the defect rate reached zero percent,” — says Irina Rylov, Methodist, tour the Museum of the plant “Izhmash”.

And this is without sleep or rest when not enough housing, food. Sometimes, from hunger secretly drank auxiliary materials.

“Let them go rarely, very rarely home. And needed was lubricating and cutting fluids, and lubricating and cooling fluid was sunflower oil, it was often that sunflower oil was used and the workers themselves”, — says Vladimir Yarygin, the designer of Izhevsk mechanical plant, honored designer of Russia.

Izhevsk — without exaggeration, the weapons capital of the USSR during the war. A large part of the rifles, carbines, pistols, revolvers issued in Izhevsk. Aircraft guns, Maxim machine guns, submachine guns PPSH — Udmurt capital did 80 percent of small arms.

“We have become a center for the production of small arms. All buildings Izhmash, the former arms factory, the former machine — building- all the buildings were occupied by the defense industry”, — says Evgeny Shumilov, historian and ethnographer.

However, not only weapons was a feat of Izhevsk metallurgical plant supplied the metal for the country. The main building of the city was the railway Izhevsk-Balezino — 150 kilometers built in a year, by the way, also mostly women and children.

Now the Izhevsk — one of the largest industrial centers, and its post-war and contemporary history is already connected with the name Kalashnikov. The legendary AK with numerous modifications are known and respected throughout the world. Kalashnikov without exaggeration, a global brand. And yet — “Izhevsk mechanical” with their guns and pistols, “the Dome” — this plant, by the way, produces the “tor”, “axion-holding”. The city produces equipment for the oil industry, produces equipment, chemicals, textiles, food. But there is a modern Izhevsk, informal “gun capital” in the 41st, thanks largely to the work of women and children.