30.11.2022

A unique commemorative book dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the aluminium industry in Russia has been published by the Aluminium Association. In this publication, the history of the industry is broken down by decades and presented in the form of articles describing dozens of enterprises: their founding, the highlights of their development, and their current projects and achievements, from smelting the first commercial batch of metal at the Volkhov Aluminium Smelter on May 14, 1932 to the launch of the Taishet Aluminium Smelter in 2021.

The texts of the book are organically complemented by rare, often still black-and-white photos from the archives of the TASS Photo Chronicle as well as from the factory archives of companies, enterprises, and organisations that are members of the Alumina Association. Some of these photographic documents from the era are published for the first time after decades — in fact, thanks to the book, they get a second life.

Each of the sections devoted to one of the forty members of the Aluminium Association presented in the book is conventionally divided into two parts: history and the present. And while the first part deals with the construction of production facilities and the manufacture of the first commercial batches of products, the second part deals with the current and future projects of the plant, the mine, the institute or the company.

Special attention on the pages of the anniversary publication is given to honoured veteran metallurgists, whose efforts have been instrumental in the creation of the industry. The compilers emphasise that the unbreakable link between generations of aluminium workers and the continuity of production and scientific schools has enabled domestic enterprises to retain their leading position in promising areas of industrial development in the country and on world markets.

A red thread running through all the chapters is the idea that the end products made from aluminium are high-tech products, and that Russia has the most advanced technology to produce them, comprehensively developing the necessary competencies.

The book is released in a limited edition of 500 copies and is distributed exclusively among the members of the Aluminium Association, mentioned in its pages. However, the high level of interest shown in the book by the professional audience of the industry may serve as a reason for its reprint.

‘We hope the book will have a sequel. And if it is republished, it will definitely be supplemented with success stories from present and future members of the Aluminium Association,’ Irina Kazovskaya, Co-Chair of the Aluminium Association, says.

The online version of the book can be found on the website of the Aluminium Association.