The Defense Region

Pavel Vershinin, Chairman of the Government of the Udmurtia Republic
(the article taken from Military Parade magazine)

One of the state symbols of Udmurtia is a cross-shaped polar sign symbolizing the country's protection from disasters. This sign forms the basis of the trademark of the Civilian and Service Small Arms Test Center established recently in Izhevsk. The trade-mark has been officially recognized internationally as a guarantee of the high quality of our products. The arrow directed upwards symbolizes our region's inexhaustible potential. Industry in Udmurtia began in 1761, when an iron works producing pig-iron products and iron was founded on the Izh River. Count Pyotr Shuvalov is believed to have been the founder of the works. In 1807, on the basis of this works, the construction of the Izhevsk Ordnance Plant, ranking third in Russia after similar plants located in Tula and Sestroretsk, began. Its first director, Andrei Deryabin, could not even imagine that he had laid the foundation for Russia's gigantic military-industrial center. It only became clear more than a century later. Compared to other regions in Russia, Udmurtia is situated in a favorable geographic area and has good infrastructure. This predetermined the rapid growth of industry in the area in 1930s. Russia's leaders chose Udmurtia as "the country's stronghold." Colossal work was done to reconstruct local arms plants. For example, during World War II, Izhevsk plants produced more rifles and carbines than Germany and the USA combined. Therefore, it was decided without hesitation to organize production of a new and, as it was realized later, the most effective weapon of the 20th century, the Kalashnikov assault rifle, which entered service in 1947. It is not coincidental that President Boris Yeltsin personally decorated Mikhail Kalashnikov with the highest Russian order Ð "For Service to the Fatherland," Second Class, No. 1. The Kalashnikov assault rifle is undoubtedly the most eminent weapon in the world. But very few people know that in the adjacent shops of the Izhmash Complex aircraft guns and Krasnopol laser-guided projectiles are manufactured. Map of Udmurtia Republic  The related Izhevsk mechanical plant manufactures Makarov pistols and air-to-air missiles installed, for instance, on the famous Ka-50 Black Shark combat helicopter and Sukhoi aircraft. Izhmash also produces various types of sporting and hunting guns exported to many countries. Udmurtia is also famous for its motorcycles, washing machines, paper-making machines, reducers, bearings, radio receivers and tape recorders, machine tools, implements, steel, medical equipment and cars. If a list of the products manufactured in Udmurtia were compiled, it would number many pages. Handicrafts made by Udmurtian skilled workers can be seen on board space vehicles and ocean liners. The famous traveler Yuri Senkevich used the equipment manufactured by the Izhevsk motor plant during his voyage on the Ra-2 papyrus raft. As Yevgeny Storonkin, director general of the Sarapul electric generator plant said, the products of this plant are installed virtually on all domestically manufactured aircraft: from Black Sharks to the missiles produced in Udmurtia. Until recently, foreigners were forbidden from visiting Udmurtia because virtually all plants were defense-oriented. Defense production accounted for 85 percent of the Republic's economy. Every plant manufactured weapon systems most of which were unmatched. Another example is the Votkinsk Engineering Plant that has been manufacturing missiles since the late 1950s. Under international agreement the plant has stopped production of medium and short range missiles, but continues to produce the Topol missiles currently in service with the strategic missile forces and also used to place commercial satellites into orbit. Tochka-U tactical missiles are also manufactured there. The Tor-M1 air defense missile system, manufactured by the Izhevsk electromechanical plant, is unrivaled in terms of performance characteristics, and the Osa air defense missile system, manufactured by the same plant, has been the core of the air defense system of many countries for over two decades. The advanced technologies developed by the Udmurt plants make it possible to manufacture an entire spectrum of industrial products, often with unique properties. For instance, only three countries ( Russia, France and the USA ) run the full production cycle in the output of zirconium, used as an "armor" coat for nuclear reactors. The largest zirconium production facilities are located in northern Udmurtia at the Tchepetsky mechanical plant in Glazov. Generally, the words "mechanical" and "machine-building" are present in the titles of most Udmurt plants. They describe our Republic's specialty. Speaking of Udmurtia, one can not help at least mentioning briefly its high scientific potential. Specialists for Udmurt industries are trained mostly at the Izhevsk State Technical University. Its graduates constitute the backbone of the chief designer's and chief technologist's departments at many plants in Russia, including those of the military-industrial complex. The intellectual elite receives education at Izhevsk State University. Foreign physicians study at the Izhevsk State Medical Academy. Other establishments of higher learning of the Republic are ready to receive foreign students too. Opened in the early 1990s, the Udmurtia Republic draws great attention from foreign investors. Presently, about 150 of Udmurtia's enterprises are supported by foreign capital. Their activities range from exploitation of numerous oil fields to the production of up-to-date communications facilities.  In 1996, foreign trade exceeded $600 million. We have foreign partners in 70 countries. The Republic exports crude oil, metal structures, stainless and alloyed steel, armaments, cars, motorcycles, bearings, timber and casein. It imports machinery, equipment, drugs, consumer goods, and food. The developed financial and banking system, represented by the National Bank, Udmurt Savings Bank of Russia and a number of commercial banks, helps maintain productive business relations with partners. The Euroasian Bank for Economic Development, the agent-bank of the  government of the Udmurtia Republic, is the largest commercial bank. We can say with confidence that Udmurtia has embarked on the road leading to a market economy. Today we face certain economic difficulties characteristic of the country as a whole and certain problems caused by the political restructuring of the state. The conversion of military plants, which began ten years ago, had a serious impact on our life. Many enterprises had to switch over to civilian production. The experience has shown that in most cases the choice was correct, for the initiative, professionalism, expert forecasting and determination of development trends by heads of enterprises and organizations will undoubtedly boost Udmurtia's glorious revival.same traditions. "We cannot make poor quality things," say its staffers confirming the words by their work.