The Udmurt Republic is a sovereign republic within the Russian Federation. It is situated in the Western part of the Middle Urals between the Kama and Vyatka rivers.
The history of Udmurtia as "an arms smithy" dates back to the early 16th century when the first factory shops were built on the banks of the Izh and Vyatka rivers. Udmurt industry has developed into a unique production complex supplying a vast range of arms.
In 1756 the first private factory was founded in Udmurtia - the Bemyzhski copper-melting works. Factories which appeared later on were iron-making and private as well: Pudemski and Votkinski (1759), Izhevski (1760), Kambarski (1761). The biggest of them were of the Urals "town-factory" type. In 1780 the first settlements acquired the status of a city.
The city of Ishevsk, the later capital city of Udmurtia, was founded on April 10th, 1760 on the bank of the Izh-river and initially was a workmen s settlement of the iron-works belonging to Count Shuvalov. In 1763 the first products - metal bands and ship anchors - were manufactured from cast iron.
In 1807 under the management of an outstanding mining engineer Mr.Deryabin the construction of the Izhevsk arms-producing factory started on the basis of the iron-works. In 1808 also a tool production was established.
In 1812 the Izhevsk arms factory supplied the Russian army with 23,717 smooth-bore shot-guns and pistols.
By 1817 the population of the Izhevsk factory settlement had grown up to 8,324 people and by 1842 - up to 15,000 people.
From 1845 the Izhevsk arms factory started manufacturing smooth-bore shot-guns with trigger mechanisms and then, in 1855, it mastered the production of rifled barrel guns.
Alongside with the development of arms-manufacturing skill, the arms craftsmanship schools and later on industrial colleges were established. In 1860 the first private factory producing hunting guns was built. In 1874 the Izhevsk arms factory launched production of "four-line" rifles.
In 1877 the first open-hearth furnace and in 1881 the rolling mill for manufacturing high-grade steel were put into operation at the Izhevsk steel factory (former iron-works).
The economic flourishing of Izhevsk refers to the last decade of the19th century when mass production of "three-line" weapons took place. These years are also marked by participation of the Izhevsk arms factory in international scientific and industrial exhibitions in Chicago and Paris.
By 1897 the population of the Izhevsk settlement had increased up to 41,074 inhabitants and in February 1918 Izhevsk acquired the status of a city. In 1921 it became the capital of Udmurtia.
In late twenties Izhevsk became the birthplace of the Russian motorcycle-building industry.
During World War II Izhevsk became an important forge of small arms which supplied about 12.5 million arms for the army.
After the war such industries as radio-technical, timber-processing and light industry started to develop. Several factories were built, among them the paper-making machine-building factory, automobile works, mechanical works, bearing-making factory, radio plant.
Among them the "Izhevsky Mehanichesky Zavod", as it firms today, is one of the largest state enterprise in the Udmurtia Republic, an enterprise with high level of technologies having sufficient experimental base, computer centerc and automatized system of production management. Besides sports and hunting guns, air guns and gas weapon the company also offers precise castings, motor-car assembles, engines, equipment for food industry, coin-box telephones, electrocardiostimulators, home computers and laser video players.
The produce of Izhevsk armourers is exported to over 30 countries throughout the world (Austria, Belgium, Norway, Germany, the USA, Canada, Finland and others).