Steelworks in the Ukraine

Steelworks in the Ukraine are a very important work force, distributed, in an overwhelming majority, between the towns of Mariupol, that from 1948 to 1989 were called Zhdanov, Donetsk and Lugansk.

In other words the zone called Donbass, also famous for its coal mine.

On these pages we will talk about Azov Stal situated at the mouth of the Kalmius river which opens into the Azov sea.

It is one of the first steelworks and one of the most important (after Kryvorizhstal noted for the moral victory of the Ukrainian president Yushenko in the battle of privatisation and bought for 4.8 billion dollars), employing about 30,000 workers.

These steelworks were founded by a German manufacturer that had had the licence to product steel, we have recuperated the document from the museum Mariupol and you can look at it in the photo.

Azov Stal, originally called Nikopol and Providans (as you can see from the photo even if it is in Cyrillic characters), was constructed in the eastern suburb of the city of Mariupol and in the course of the years, grew in size and production.

Work continues 24 hours of the day.

During the night from a distance you can see the glare from the castings, which seems like a large active volcano.

The problem with this large factory is the pollution.

For a radius of 10 km, there is always a grey cloud of mist with an unpleasant smell of sulphur in the air.

With good luck and often with the capacity of wind, a frequent wind blows from the sea and clears the smog.

This report is, more or less, photographic but we hope to have satisfied the curiosities of our visitors.


The Azov Stal Licence
The first licence released by the Steel Construction Authority.
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Azov Stal, main entrance
The main entrance of the steelworks, Azov Stal.
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Taken from 100 metres and two kilometres with a telephoto lens.
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Azov Stal and pollution
The continuous river of the steelworks should be pure and simple water vapour which is an obligated condition.
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The plant
The road that leads to the Azov Stal steelworks.
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Another picture of the steelworks where about 30,000 workers are employed.

The view together with the steelworks, we can guarantee that it is enormous.
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Production
A casting of steel runs in sheets towards the cooler.
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Current production of railway lines, photo with wide-angle lens.
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Historic photos
The steelworks in 1930, production zone.
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Second World War, steelworks destroyed by German bombing (1943).
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Production from 1980, kilometres of lines.
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