Review

The industry of the Smolensk oblast comprises more than 700 enterprises, among which 238 are big and average ones. The main part of the industry is concentrated in the capital city of the oblast and in the towns of Vyazma, Gagarin, Roslavl, Safonovo and Yartsevo.

In 2005 the total volume of goods, produced by the industrial enterprises of the oblast, made up 56,8 billion roubles. The index of physical volume made up 104,3%.

Electric power engineering

Electric power engineering takes the second place in the bulk of industrial output. Its share in the volume of industrial production is 24%. Electric power engineering of the oblast is represented by two large enterprises – the Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant and OJC “Smolenskenergo”.

The Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant is one of the leading in the oblast budget forming enterpises, and one of the largest in the north-western region energetic complexes of Russia. The personnel of the atomic station has more than 6.000 workers. It produces the largest part of all produced in the oblast electric power. The ownership of the power generating equipment belongs to Rosenergoatom (Ministry of the Atomic Energy).

In 2005 the electric engineering enterprises produced 23,4 billion kilowatt of electric energy per hour.

Jewellery manufacturing

The leading place in the industial structure of the oblast is taken by jewellery manufacturing, the share of which is 20,3% of the total volume in the oblast industrial output.

The jewellery manufacturing of the oblast is represented by the association “Diamods of Smolensk”, which includes OAO “Kristall” and its joint ventures. More than 3.000 people work at the enterprises of the branch. The manufacturing association “Kristall” is equipped according to all modern standards and is a leading diamond polishing enterprise in Russia. Raw diamonds are received from Yakut and from abroad within the cooperation with the De Beers Diamond Trading Company. The largest part of the production is exported. There have been opened several branches of the company, such as, “Smolensk Diamonds” in Belgium (in Antwerp), “Smolensk Diamonds Asia” in Hong Kong, “Smolensk Diamonds Israel” in Tel Aviv. In Russia the “Kristall” of Smolensk serves about 30 Russian firms – “Almaz-Holding”, “Azkonda”, “Jewellers of Ural”, “Almoss”, “Grace”, “Russian gems” and others.

Besides its main activities of diamond polishing, the enterprise produces equipment for diamond polishing factories of Russia.

Chemical and oil-chemical industry of the oblast is represented by the production of chemical products and goods made of plastic. The biggest enterprises of the branch are – OJC “Dorogobuzh”, FSUE MA “Avangard” in Safonovo, OJC “Roslavlsky khimzavod”.

The major part of the branch’s output (more than 90%) is produced by OJC “Dorogobuzh”, which is one of the leading enterprises in Russia, producing mineral fertilizers and products of chemical synthesis. The production of the enterprise is consumed in the oblast and exported abroad.

FSUE MA “Avangard” earlier producing synthetic resins for aircraft, rocket, space and shipbuilding industry, now, as a result of conversion, is expanding the production of domestic appliances.

The third significant enterprise of the branch is the chemical plant in Roslavl, producing domestic chemicals (oil-colors, emulsions, varnishes and other lacquers and colors).

Machine-building and metal works

The industrial branch of machine-building and metal works is one of the main in the industrial potential of the Smolensk oblast. It unites enterprises of energy machinery construction, electrical engineering, instrument-construction, road- and communal machinery construction, enterprises of light and food industry machinery and enterprises, engaged in sensor production.

Its share in the industrial output structure rose from 16,3% in 2000 to 20,3% in 2004.

One of the main types of machine-building specialization is the production of groups, components and spare parts for motorcars. Motorcar industry is represented by the Roslavl and Smolensk motorcar units producing plants and the Yartsevo plant “Dvigatel”, the branch of the Moscow JC “AMO ZIL”.

СJС “Roslavlsky avtoagregatny zavod “AMO ZIL ” produces pneumatic breaking equipment for lorries ZIL, KamAZ, MAZ and buses, spare parts for motorcars ZIL, props and fuel pumps. The enterprise supplies fuel equipment to Minsk tractor plant and started the production of bicycle bushes for bicycle manufacturers. The number of workers exceeds 5.000 people. The enterprise implements the investment project of metal wires production and the production of import substituting kits for motorcars assembled at Taganrog motorcar plant. The realisation of the project will make it possible to increase the volume of metal wares production to 8.000 tons and enlarge the production of metal wares kits to 20.000- 50.000 a year. Besides, the enterprise has worked out several programs of renovation and extension of export production supplies and organizing production of a new nomenclature of breaking drive devices.

СJC “Smolensky avtoagregatny zavod ”AMO ZIL” is an enterprise with highly organized and technologically advanced production. Machine-tools with numerical programmed control, robots, manipulators and flexible manufacturing systems are broadly used in the manufacturing process. New technologies, such as, electronic-radial welding, ionic nitrating, soaping the wrings of a synchronizer with molybdenum and many others have been introduced. The major production is diesel 8- and 5-step gear-box for the new generation of diesel lorries of the head JC AMO ZIL.

CJC “Yartsevsky zavod “Dvigatel AMO "ZIL” carries out iron foundry and diezel engine assembling. According to the investment Agreement between the Administration of the Smolensk oblast and the Government of Moscow, a founding-rolling complex will be organized (2003-2005) on the basis of the plant with production output of 200.000 tons of small-scale rolled iron per year.

Instrument production belongs to the branches of the main priority . Its leading enterprises are: FSUE JMC “Analytpribor”, the plants “Gidrometpribor”, “Teplocontrol” (Safonovo) and some others. The production of Smolensk instrument-manufacturing is used in chemical, metallurgical and electric branches and is characterized by a broad nomenclature of goods both of industrial and domestic application (electric measuring and hydro-meteorological instruments, devices for control and regulation of technological processes, computers, gas analyzers).

Electric instrument-manufacturing is represented by enterprises, producing fluorescent lighting (OJC “Svet”), lighting engineering and low voltage equipment (OJC “Gagarinsky svetotehknichesky zavod”), electric engines, generators (OJC “Safonovsky electromachinostroitelny zavod”), electric equipment for defense industry and consumption goods (OJC “Vyazemsky electrotekhnichesky zavod”) and others.

Besides the above mentioned enterprises, some other branches of machinery construction are represented by separate big enterprises:

OJC “Vyazemsky mashinostroitelny zavod” produces launderette equipment and realizes more than 90% of the total number of washing-machines produced in Russia. Among the customers there are Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Emergency Situations, Ministry of Communications, MIA, large laundry-factories, state enterprises of social sphere, hospitals, sanatoriums. At the end of 2002 jointly with a Chinese firm OJC “Vyazma-Sea-Lion” started the production of dry-cleaning equipment.

OJC “Dorogobuzhkotlomash” produces water boilers for heating systems with productivity of 4 to 10 Gcal/hour and from 10 Gcal/hour, water boiler processors for woodwastes burning at woodworking enterprises. There have been started the introduction of water boilers of different productivity with the use of technology of burning different kinds of fuel in high temperature circulation layer and boilers for combined working out of hot water and saturated steam.

OJC “Gagarinsky mashinostroitelny zavod” produces chemical equipment: steep pipe-bends, pipe-bends, flat and collar flanges, tanks for fuel, filling stations of “Gzhat” type, van-houses and block-modules in the production of which the newest materials and technologies are used.

JSOC “Dynamic” produces megaphones, loud-speakers “Zenith- 305”, loud-speaker heads, sound columns, acoustic systems.

SE “Vagonoremontny zavod" (a branch of OJSC Russian Railroads) makes repairs of cargo semi-carriages, cisterns for oil products and chemicals, spare parts for carriages. The number of workers exceeds 1500. At SE “Vagonoremontny zavod” the reconstruction of the workshop, producing running parts is being carried out, in order to enlarge the volume of output, to improve the quality of the production and to reduce the cost of rolling stock repair. The enterprise develops a new kind of production – major repairs of expensive carriages with the extension of their working term up to 15 years.

Today OJC “Iceberg” produces 50.000 different refrigerators and deep-freezers with a trade-mark “ Smolensk” per year. The major production is the refrigerator “Smolensk-3M”, with capacity of 143 liters; deep-freezer “Smolensk- 109” with capacity of 120 liters; mini-frig “Smolensk- 8” with the capacity of 8- liters; mini-freezer “Smolensk- 7” with the capacity of 80 liters; a shop-window refrigerator “Smolensk- 510” with the capacity of 140 litres; a bar in a wooden body “Smolensk-8a” with the capacity of 80 liters.

OJC “Smolensky aviation factory” became a testing ground for using plasma in different spheres: medicine, machinery construction and agriculture. The Center of plasmatic technologies has been established at SAZ.

CJC “Arkada”. This enterprise specializes in producing technological devices for cutting, punching and profiling of roll iron, as well as producing a broad assortment of metal profiles, used in modern building technologies. The association has its permanent representations in Moscow, St.Petersburg, Magnitogorsk, Voronezh, Krasnodar and Chelyabinsk. Every month more than 4.000 tons of metal are worked over within the producing capacity of CJC “Arkada”.

Timber and woodworking industry

Timber and woodworking industry of the oblast includes stocking up and removal of wood, production of joinery, plywood, wooden tare, chipboards, furniture, standard houses and others.

The timber industry of the oblast is represented by wood stockpiling and woodworking enterprises. Cuttings of intervening use are carried by state and villiage timber enterprises. During the last few years enterprises of small business are actively developing in the branch. There have been established more than 200 small enterprises, carrying out stockpiling and woodworking.

The Smolensk oblast has significant reserves of ripe deciduous wood. Taking into account, that the industrial capacities of the branch are sufficient to treat less than 30% of stocked wood, the priority in the branch’s development is the creation of new enterprises producing chipboards, fibreboards and plywood.

The total forest yield in the region amounts to 321.4 mln. cubic m. Ripe and over mature wood yield amounted to 73.4 mln. cubic m. as of January 1, 2004, out of which soft wood accounted for 15.4 mln. cubic m. This allows to harvest 3.1 mln. cubic m. per annum without any detrimental effect to natural forests. The annual stand growth reaches 3.6 cubic m.

Food industry

The food industry produces 11,8% of the total volume of industrial output of the oblast and has a broad scaled specialization (dairy, meat, flour-grinding, baking, alcohol drinks, creamery, fruit and vegetable branches).

At present in the oblast there work 20 butter-and-cheese-processing plants and 4 dairy-preserving industrial complexes. Preserved dairy products is the specialization of the plant CJC “Rudnyakonservmoloko”, dried milk is produced by CJC “Gagarinkonservmoloko” and CJC “Kardymovsky molochno-konservny kombinat”. Wide assortment of dairy products, such as, butter, milk, yogurts and sour milk products are produced by one of the largest enterprises of food industry OJC “SMK Rosa” ( Smolensk). Butter-and-cheese-processing enterprises are established mostly in all the regions of the oblast. One of the largest is Krasnoborsky cheese-processing plant, a branch of Tacis-Agro.

Meat processing branch is represented by meat processing and packing factories, situated in Smolensk, Roslavl, Safonovo, Vyazma and Sychevka. Small enterprises are also broadly engaged in meat processing. The largest and the oldest among them is OJC “Smolensky myasokombinat”.

A significant part is taken by baking industry, as well as, flour-grinding and candy production, represented by the largest enterprises, such as, OJC “Sakhco”, JCOT “Khlebopek”, OJC “Safonovokhleb”, CJC “SAOMI”.

The production of alcohol and alcoholic drinks is a traditional trend in food industry of the oblast. There are 6 alcohol producing plants in Smolensk oblast. The leader of the production is OJC “Bakhus”. Besides, alcohol and alcohol containing production is produced by “Smolvinpromzavod No.2”, CJC “ Borodino” (Rudnya), CLL “Agroholding”.

Production of beer in the oblast is taken up by OJC “Smolenskoye pivo” and CLL “Elefant” (Vyazma).

Fruit and vegetable production is represented by such enterprises as "Smolensk cannery", OJC "Ryabinovaya polyana".

Light and textile industry

Light and textile industry take an important place in the economy of the oblast. Though its share in the industrial production of the oblast decreased during the years of reforms from 19% to 2,6%, its potential is still high enough, as well as its role in the socio-economic development of the oblast. This is due to the fact, that the oblast traditionally remains a leading flaw growing one in Russia.

Smolensk region rates 2 in the Russian Federation after Tver region as far area under flax is concerned. The processing of flax is taken up by 20 flax spinning mills and 2 flax converting industrial complexes.

In the region there are such big eneterprises of textile industry as OJC "Yartsevsky khlopchatobumazhny kombinat", CJC “Smolenskaya chulochnaya fabrika” and OJC “Sharm”. Today the produce of these enterprises is exported to the markets of the USA, Germany, France, Italy and Portugal.

Polygraphical production

The branch is represented by 8 enterprises, the largest of them is FSUE “Smolensky polygraphkombinat”.

Glass industry

The share of the branch in the total industrial output of the oblast is 1,6%.

The leading role in the branch by right belongs to OJC “Citall”, producing glass bottles. Besides, glass tare is produced by CLL “Steklozavod Vorga” (Yershichsky rayon), high quality crockery and cut glass wares are produced by OJC “Pervomaysky stekolny zavod”(Shumyachsky rayon), glass wares – CJC “Yevroglass”.