Zlatoust arms

History

At the beginning of the XIX century the Russian Empire had only 3 ordnance factories. They produced weapons and firearms for the Russian army and navy. For the increase of output and improvement of firearms quality, the government decided to reduce the production of cold arms in all three ordnance factories of the country. However, it was necessary to preserve the production volume of cold arms, so at last the authorities made a decision to build a separate cold arms factory in the Urals . The idea to build a plant in Zlatoust was received by the Cabinet and approved by Emperor Aleksandr I. The main reason for the construction of cold arms factory in Zlatoust was the location of iron foundry and ironworks in the town, and also cheap labour.  These conditions made it possible to organize mass production of cheap blades and provide their easy transportation to the central part of Russia .

The plant construction project was developed in 1811 , and in December 1815 the new enterprize  was commissioned. The first workshops built on the bank of the Ai river were wooden, construction of a stone building was completed only in 1839. In order to organize the production of cold arms in Zlatoust the authorities invited more than 100 famous armourers from Germany. They also should have taught Russian armourers. All these measures provided rapid development of the factory what led to the gradual abandonment of contracts with foreign masters.

At the end of the 1820s Zlatoust produced 75% of all cold arms in the country. The factory produced a variety of fighting , fencing and hunting weapons , from 1839 to 1860 the plant also produced cuirasses.

In the second half of the 19th century the plant almost completely supplied the needs of the army and navy in the cold arms, and produced decorated honorary weapons. By the early 20th century production of blades at the plant increased to 42 thousand units per year. During the First World War, the plant produced 600,000 weapons and during the years of the Great Patriotic War , 583 thousand cavalry swords and 1 million war knives . In 1945, all the participants of the Victory Parade in Moscow were armed with Zlatoust weapons. Today the plant does not organize the mass production of weapons. Plant facilities are concentrated in the production of 100 kinds of cold and decorated arms , as well as souvenirs. Besides the factory , there is the guild of Zlatoust armourers , which includes 12 companies dealing with cold arms production.

International fame

In 1851 Zlatoust weapon was firstly demonstrated abroad. At the World Exhibition in London Zlatoust cold arms factory presented the best samples of its production and made ​​a favorable impression on the European audience . The success of the Ural gunsmiths did not go unnoticed for the foreign press. Thus, the newspaper "Morning Post" wrote the following: "The great achievements in this sector of Russian industry , without doubt, can be attributed to the high quality of steel consumed ." On its first overseas exhibition Ural weapons found the customers , and London's Royal Commission received several samples with the condition to exhibit them in the museums of the Geological Society and the University of Oxford .

From 1851 Zlatoust cold Arms Factory participated in 12 exhibitions, including 9 international events. The Ural masters won two gold medals at exhibitions in Paris ( 1878 ) and Stockholm (1897) , six silver medals - at exhibitions in London ( 1862 ) , Paris ( 1867) , Vienna (1873 y ) , two medals at the exhibitions in Philadelphia in 1876 , two bronze medals in London ( 1851 ) and Chicago ( 1893 ). Moreover,Zlatoust cold arms received diplomas and medals at exhibitions in Copenhagen (1888), Paris (1900 ) and Glasgow (1901).

Zlatoust cold arms are wide-spread all over the world. One of  the sabres made in Zlatoust is found in the Museum of Weapons of Solingen (Deutsches Klingenmuseum).

Another sword , made in 1824 , presented to the British military leader and statesman, the Duke of Wellington during his visit to St. Petersburg . Now it is stored in the London memorial museum of the Duke of Wellington.

Zlatoust cold arms are exhibited in museums of the Czech Republic , the Ukraine, Finland and other European countries. In the 21 century Zlatoust armourers actively develop weapon technologies , as well as the relations with former foreign partners, what contributes to the gradual return of  global brand status to Zlatoust cold arms.

In 2013, one of the Zlatoust arms companies made a unique saber worth 10,000 euro. It was ordered by one of the descendants of the Romanov princes . The sabre will be presented to the newborn heir of the British throne Prince George of Cambridge .

Learn more:

http://resources.chelreglib.ru:6005/el_izdan/kalendar2005/zlatoys4.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_psmxLUrmVQ
http://zlatoust.pro/about_us
http://z-o-f.ru/about_us
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%97%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%83%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%B9%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D1%84%D0%B0%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0
http://www.zlatoust.ru/a/ze/nemcy_v_zlatouste.html
http://www.zlatoust.ru/a/ze/orush_fabrika.html

Photoblog:
http://www.all-zone.ru/zlatoust-oruzhie.html?page=4