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Azovstal Iron and Steel Works

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"Azovstal" redirects here. For other uses, see Azovstal (disambiguation).

The Azovstal Iron and Steel Works, or Azovstal Metallurgical Combine (Ukrainian: Mеталургійний Kомбінат Азовсталь, pronounced [ɐˌzɔu̯ˈstɑlʲ]; PFTS: AZST), was a metallurgical facility located in Mariupol in eastern Ukraine, and one of the largest steel rolling companies in the country.

Azovstal Iron and Steel Works
Native name
Mеталургійний Kомбінат Азовсталь
Company typePrivate, Combine
PFTS: AZST
Industrysteel production
Founded2 February 1930 (1930-02-02)
Defunct20 May 2022
FateDestroyed during the Siege of Mariupol
Headquarters
Mariupol
,
Ukraine
Key people
Rinat Akhmetov, Enver Tskitishvili (Энвер Омарович Цкитишвили) (April 2011–May 2022)
(General Director)
₴558,417,000 (2016)
OwnerMetinvest B.V.
Metinvest International
Number of employees
12,293 (2015[1])
ParentMetinvest
SubsidiariesSigma TV Channel
Sygma TV Channel
Firma Marita
AzovMed
Websiteazovstal.metinvestholding.com

The Azovstal plant became one of the most emblematic points of the Siege of Mariupol during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The plant had tunnels and bunkers capable of withstanding a nuclear attack,[2] making it an extremely defensible position. As the Russian forces advanced into Mariupol, Ukrainian forces withdrew to Azovstal,[3] and by late April 2022 it became the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the city. The Battle of Azovstal occurred on the site, culminating in the surrender of the remaining Ukrainian defenders after over a month of resistance.[4]

The plant was almost completely destroyed by Russian bombardment over the course of the battle.[5][6] After the capture of Mariupol, the Russians announced plans for the remains of the plant to be demolished during the city's restoration.[7]

History

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Soviet era

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New blast furnace at Azovstal, 1940

Azovstal was established in 1930 in Mariupol, Ukrainian SSR (Soviet Union) by the decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the National Economy (BCHX) (USSR) and began production in 1933 when its blast furnace put out the first iron.[8][9] In January 1935, steelmaking production began at Azovstal with the commissioning of the first 250-ton tilting open hearth furnace in the Soviet Union.[8]

It was claimed by Soviet officials to be one of the most modern plants in the country, with structures built for both workers and their families outside of the factories. Prior to the Nazi invasion, it reportedly had more than 12,000 worker homes, schools, movie theaters, a hospital and maternity clinic, and two parks.[10]

During World War II, German forces occupied the plant from October 1941.[11][12] As part of the German Ivan Program [de] (1942–1943) the plant was used to produce ammunition from 1942 onward.[13] In September 1943, upon the city's recapture by Soviet forces, the plant was rebuilt.[11]

Ukrainian independence

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In 1991, after the independence of Ukraine, the plant became a property of the Ukrainian state. In 1996, the state started its privatization.[14] The plant became owned by Metinvest, a metallurgical company solely owned by the Ukrainian business conglomerate Systems Capital Management.[15]

In 2005, the plant produced 5.906 million tons of steel.[16] From 2006, it partnered with the Priazovskiy State Technical University to help streamline students into working at the site.[17] In 2011, it was the country's third largest steel producer, accounting for 15% of the entire steel output, and known as a large exporter of steel slabs and billets.[15] In 2014, the bunkers under the plant were used when Russian-backed Donbas separatists tried to take Mariupol from the Ukrainian government.[14]

Russian invasion of Ukraine

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Main article: Siege of Mariupol
 
Smoke rising from the Azovstal plant during fighting in the Siege of Mariupol

In March 2022, during the Siege of Mariupol, the works were badly damaged, with Ukrainian parliament member Serhiy Taruta stating that Russian forces had "practically destroyed the factory".[18] By 16 April, it became the last pocket of organized resistance in the siege. Russian forces gave the defenders until 6:00 AM Moscow Time on 17 April to surrender, claiming that if they left behind their weapons, they would guarantee their lives.[19] Ukrainian forces refused to surrender, and portions of the plant remained under their control.[20]

On 4 May, Russian troops claimed to have entered the steel plant after launching an all-out offensive.[21] However, this was refuted by Ukrainian sources, claiming they had repelled some Russian attacks.[22] On 7 May, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk stated that "all women, children, and the elderly" had been evacuated from Azovstal.[23] According to The New York Times, the Azov Battalion was ordered to surrender by the Ukrainian General Staff on 16 May, who said it was necessary "to save the lives of the personnel".[24]

Rap group Kalush Orchestra, who represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 and later won the competition, called to save the soldiers at Azovstal onstage following their performance. This contributed to a sharp increase in global interest in Azovstal.[25][26]

On 17 May 2022, 53 seriously injured people surrendered and were evacuated from Azovstal to a medical facility in Novoazovsk and 211 people were taken to Olenivka through the humanitarian corridor, marking the end of the combat mission in Mariupol and the defense of the Azovstal plant after 82 days of fighting.[4] Following the capture of Mariupol by the DPR and Russian forces and the surrender of remaining Ukrainian servicemen in Azovstal, Denis Pushilin announced that the plant would be demolished and that "other projects are planned in place of Azovstal".[7] On February 25, 2023, Pushilin announced that a technopark would be built on the territory of Azovstal.[27]

Environmental impacts

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In a 1999 study, it was found that the site had been identified by a regional environmental protection agency as the second largest air polluter in the region. To attempt to lessen pollution amounts, a small pilot program was first implemented to mitigate pollution caused by graphite and smelter fumes, and was introduced in a larger scale after beneficial outcomes were shown. The site also implemented regular pollution prevention audits each year.[28]

As a result of lax environmental regulations and "totally obsolete" equipment used by Azovstal and other Metinvest-owned factories in the city, Mariupol was what National Geographic described as "one of the most polluted cities" in Ukraine. In 2018 and 2019, residents of Mariupol protested in the streets for reform.[29]

Layout

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View of the factory furnaces

The works included coke production, a sinter plant, six blast furnaces[30] and a steel-making complex.[16]

Management

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The steel plant operated as a subsidiary of Metinvest Holding LLC,[31] in turn, a subsidiary of Metinvest B.V., at the time of the siege.[32]

Rinat Akhmetov is co-owner of Metinvest B.V.[33] Akhmetov supported the Ukrainian forces in the fight for Mariupol: "Mariupol has always been and will be a Ukrainian city. Ukrainians fiercely defend every inch of Ukrainian soil. I am proud that Azovstal is our bastion of resistance".[34]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Річна інформація емітента цінних паперів за 2014 рік" [Annual information of the issuer of securities for 2014] (PDF). Metinvest (in Ukrainian). 21 April 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Ukraine war: Mariupol defenders will fight to the end says PM". BBC News. 18 April 2022. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  3. ^ "Russia Says All Urban Areas of Mariupol Cleared of Ukrainian Forces". VOA. 16 April 2022. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b Lister, Tim; Zadorozhnyy, Taras; Butenko, Victoria; Guy, Jack (16 May 2022). "Ukraine declares 'combat mission' over in Mariupol amid evacuation". CNN. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  5. ^ Свобода, Радіо (19 April 2022). ""Завод "Азовсталь" розбомблений та знищений практично повністю» – «Азов"" ["Azovstal Plant bombed and destroyed almost completely" – Azov]. Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Окупанти майже повністю знищили завод Маріуполя "Азовсталь", – "Азов"" [The occupiers almost completely destroyed the Mariupol plant "Azovstal", – "Azov"]. РБК-Украина (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 13 May 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Глава ДНР Пушилин рассказал о планах по сносу завода "Азовсталь" в Мариуполе" [DPR Head Pushilin Talks About Plans to Demolish Azovstal Plant in Mariupol]. Газета.Ru (in Russian). 18 May 2022. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  8. ^ a b "МЕТИНВЕСТ :: About us :: Our history". Metinvest. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  9. ^ Balmaceda, Margarita (2021). Russian Energy Chains; The Remaking of Technopolitics from Siberia to Ukraine to the European Union. Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231552196.
  10. ^ Andronov, L (1945). "Blast Furnace in Mariupol Resumes Production". Information Bulletin, Embassy of the USSR: 1945 – via Harvard University.
  11. ^ a b "In Mariupol, Azovstal fully halts operations, first time since 1941". Ukrinform. 20 March 2022. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  12. ^ Днепровский, Ганс. "Как войска Гитлера захватили Мариуполь в 1941 году. Воспоминания оккупантов" [How Hitler's troops captured Mariupol in 1941. Memories of the occupiers]. 0629.com.ua (in Ukrainian).
  13. ^ Matthias Riedel (1973), Bergbau und Eisenhüttenindustrie in der Ukraine unter deutscher Besatzung (1941–1944) [Mining and iron and steel industry in Ukraine under German occupation (1941–1944)] (PDF), Vierteljahreshefte für Zeitgeschichte 3 21 (in German), München, Stuttgart, Berlin: Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag GmbH, pp. 245–284, archived (PDF) from the original on 18 April 2022, retrieved 24 April 2022
  14. ^ a b Armunia Berges, Cristina; Gutiérrez, Icíar (20 April 2022). "La planta de Azovstal, una fortaleza soviética de túneles subterráneos para la resistencia ucraniana en Mariúpol" [The Azovstal plant, a Soviet fortress of underground tunnels for the Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol]. ElDiario.es (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 20 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  15. ^ a b Connor, John T (2011). Out of the Red; Investment and Capitalism in Russia. Wiley. ISBN 9781118160763.
  16. ^ a b "Азовсталь" [Azovstal] (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 8 June 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  17. ^ Latukha, Marina (2018). Talent Management in Global Organizations; A Cross-Country Perspective. Springer International Publishing. ISBN 9783319764184.
  18. ^ "One Of Europe's Biggest Steel Works Damaged in Ukraine's Mariupol". AFP. 20 March 2022. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  19. ^ "Russia offers Mariupol defence a surrender window". BBC News. 16 April 2022. Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  20. ^ "Ukrainian defenders in Mariupol defy surrender-or-die demand". Associated Press News. 17 April 2022. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  21. ^ "Ukraine war: Zelensky plea as Russians seek Mariupol endgame". BBC News. 4 May 2022. Archived from the original on 11 May 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  22. ^ "Ukraine repels some attacks as battle in Mariupol steel mill rages on". PBS NewsHour. 6 May 2022. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  23. ^ "Ukraine war: Civilians now out of Azovstal plant in Mariupol". BBC News. 7 May 2022. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  24. ^ Hopkins, Valerie; Nechepurenko, Ivan; Santora, Marc (16 May 2022). "Ukrainian authorities declare an end to the combat mission in Mariupol after weeks of Russian siege". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  25. ^ "Гурт Kalush закликав світ врятувати захисників Маріуполя зі сцени фіналу «Євробачення-2022»" [Kalush band called on the world to save the defenders of Mariupol from the stage of the Eurovision 2022 final]. hromadske.ua (in Ukrainian). 14 May 2022. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  26. ^ "Ukraine wins 2022 Eurovision song contest as UK finishes second in Turin". The Guardian. 14 May 2022. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  27. ^ "Пушилин: в Мариуполе не будут восстанавливать комбинат "Азовсталь"" [Pushilin: Azovstal plant will not be restored in Mariupol]. autoparus.by (in Russian). 25 February 2023.
  28. ^ Lovei, Magda; Gentry, Bradford S. (2002). The Environmental Implications of Privatization; Lessons for Developing Countries · Parts 63-426. World Bank. p. 19. ISBN 9780821350065.
  29. ^ Gardiner, Beth (30 November 2021). "Inside a Ukrainian war zone, another fight rages—for clean air". Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  30. ^ "Explosion at Azovstal. Employees say, there are victims". UNIAN Information Agency. 6 March 2024. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022. Out of the six blast furnaces, the work of the first and fourth was suspended, and the third is being repaired.
  31. ^ "Metallurgy". Metinvest. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  32. ^ "Metinvest BV – Company Profile and News". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  33. ^ "Profile - Rinat Akhmetov". Forbes. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  34. ^ Akhmetov, Rinat (2 May 2022). "Rinat Akhmetov: I'm Proud that Azovstal is our Bastion of Resistance in Mariupol (Opinion)". Kyiv Post. Archived from the original on 2 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
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47°5′51″N 37°36′36″E / 47.09750°N 37.61000°E / 47.09750; 37.61000

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