History

    The history of the federal state unitary enterprise named Production Association Azov Optomechanical Plant began in 1939 since the issue of the Government resolution and construction of State Union Plant No. 318 subordinate to the People’s Commissariat of weaponry. It mainly specialized in manufacturing of shells, mines, trawl equipment and spare parts for agricultural equipment.
    In November 1941 (five months after the Great Patriotic War began) the enterprise was about to launch a series production of  the defense products, but in August was evacuated to the Urals (the city of Miass, Chelyabinsk region), where the production was set up. The plant returned from the evacuation only in 1945.
    The official birthday of the association is considered July 12, 1946 when a small plant “Azovselmash” was founded on the premises of State Union Plan No. 318. The key products were spare parts for agricultural equipment, press tools and cutter instruments.
    The plant developed, its productive capacity was expanded, new equipment was mastered. In 1947 the plant received an order to manufacture watermelon- and castor-bean shellers, various parts and devices to assemble harvesters and tractors.
    In 1949 Azovselmash became a part of the defense industry and launched serial production of defense products, i.e. mines and anti-tank grenades. It was renamed into State Union Plant Post Office Box No. 1. New types of production, i.e. press forging, electroplating and assembling, were set up. In 1956 Nikolay G. Vasilyev, a graduate of the Moscow Defense Industry Academy, was appointed director of the plant.
    In August 1960 the USSR Council of Ministers passed a regulation, under which the specialization of the enterprise changed. Within the frameworks of the state program of developing the Russian defense industry, the plant took the shape of an optomechanical enterpise. As a result, new production areas, i.e. exact mechanics, optical apparatus and complex electronics, were mastered. The expansion of the enterprise was accompanied by  a wide-scale construction work, by setting up special-purpose laboratories, a design bureau and auxiliary services.
    In the early 1960s simultaneously with the fulfillment of the state defense order the enterprise set up  the production of optomechanical apparatuses for various industrial fields, in 1962 – the production of shaft interferometers, in 1964 – steeloscopes, in 1967 – monochromotors. Besides, the plant manufactured a number of consumer goods such as various modifications of amateur film projectors, electric doorbells and so on.
    In 1966 State Union Plant Post Office Box No. 1 was renamed into Azov Optomechanical Plant. The same year the enterprise expanded its product line and started implementation of “a space program”, manufacturing heavy docking adapters, manipulators for redocking, ground systems for testing spacecraft parameters. It was a new step in the enterprise’s development, a qualitative growth of its research and production potentials.
    By means of docking space equipment, produced by the plant, the first world automated dockings of  the Kosmos-186  and Kosmos-188 (1967) unmanned aerial vehicles and manned spacecraft such as Soyuz-4 and Soyuz-5, were performed. In 1969 under the decree  of the Defence Ministry the enterprise was ordered to start a batch production of docking adapters, falling under the category of particularly composite equipment. It’s worth mentioning that docking adapters manufactured by Azov Optomechanical Plant are still applied virtually by  every “space” Power. A special electronic printing apparatus, called EKP-50, was manufactured by the enterprise for astronomical research and made it possible to take clear pictures of the Moon surface.
    Between 1970 and 1980 the plant saw the production and research boom,  it mastered new technologies. The enterprise started manufacturing 35 new civil products. They are activators of atomic spectrums, thermoviewers for medical and scientific research, digital indicators, spectral apparatuses and printers for laboratory analyses and research, devices for coal-mining industry and machinebuilding. The plant manufactured 60 types of products, 10 of which received the state “Quality mark”. Consumer product range was further expanded with lighting appliances, optical apparatuses and souvenirs.
    In 1976 Azov Optomechanical Plant was decorated with the Red Labor Banner for developing and mastering the use of new equipment. It also got the honorary diploma of the USSR Council of Ministers “For High Production Efficiency”. Thirty-five specialists of the enterprise were decorated with the state awards.
    At that time the defense and space technologies were perfected. In 1977 the Salyut-6 space system was made with the use of a docking knot, produced by Azov Optomechanical Plant.
    In the early 1980s the production of electrical instrument was expanded both for industrial and household use. The enterprise developed and set up production of Fourier-spectrometer, light pulse source, “Raduga” termoviewer for medical researches, rotary and wheel supports, spectrometers. At the same time, photoenlargers (“Azov”, “Don”), “Photon” photoflashers, “Sputnik-2” slide projectors came on the market.
    Space production was also developed. The plant manufactured docking apparatus of the new generation, which were applied to provide reliable docking between  Soyuz and Progress spacecrafts as well as with Mir orbital system. The enterprise tested and launched production of manipulators and manipulator seats for spacecrafts’ redocking berthed to Mir station. In 1987 Alexander I. Nakashidze was appointed director of the plant.
   In 1988 Azov Optomechanical Plant was reorganized into a production association. Alongside with the mother company, it included the central design bureau, plants in Baku (Iskra), Rostov-upon-Don (Kvant and Agat) and Spektr enterprise in Rostov region. Alexander Nakashidze was appointed director general of the association.
    The 1990s were a trial for the enterprise as well as for the whole country. Decrease of the state order and muddle in the country’s economy made the staff of the association find a way-out to survive and keep the unique technologies. In 1991 Azov Optomechanical Plant signed a contract with Yamato company (Japan) on manufacturing sewing machines. In three years the enterprise produced all the knots and instruments itself. Nowadays the plant exports sewing machines under the name of Yamato-AOMP to many developed countries.
    Besides fruitful cooperation with the Japanese company, the association set up production of various agricultural equipment. Since 1993 it has manufactured beet-harvesting systems. Later the plant set up production of a number of agricultural vehicles and auxiliary equipment.
    In 1998 Vladimir V. Dudchak was appointed director general. Under his leadership, the specialists of the association drew up and successfully carried out a three-stage development plan, under which production facilities were upgraded and expanded, accute social problems were solved and the representations of Azov Optomechanical Plant were founded in many Russian regions and abroad.
    In May 2004 the RF President passed a decree  No. 591, under which the enterprise merged with Tactical Missiles Corporation JSC. The reorganization of Production Association Azov Optomechanical Plant into a joint-stock company is planned  to be completed by February 2005.
    Nowadays the enterprise continues reconstructing defense and civil production facilities, upgrading equipment and manufacturing new products. Azov Optomechanical Plant set up production of spectacle optics (diploma of  100 Best Russian Products annual competition), digital high-frequency telephone stations for telephone line channelization, ear phonoelectrophoresis apparatuses, “Raduga-6” and “Pirovodokon” thermoviewers, compact universal monochromators, car mirrors with remote control as well as various large-scale products. Besides, the association manufactures new models of  the Yamato-AOMP sewing machines.