Vagonmash

Categories / Economy/Industry
VAGONMASH (115 Moskovsky Avenue), closed joint-stock company, a large car production facility. It was founded by F.K. Reschtke, native of Saxony (Rechkin in Russian version), as a metalworking plant in 1874. A neighbouring woodwork factory (founded by an Englishman, J. Smith, in 1873) merged with the plant in 1884. Merchants O. O. Pastor and F. T. Euler, natives of Prussia, bought the company in 1892. Vagonmash produced carriages, parquet, horse transport commodities and traveling kitchens for the War Department. Vagonmash became a joint-stock company in 1897, dealt mainly with carriage manufacturing and was called the St. Petersburg Carriage Works. It became a part of Prodwagon Syndicate in 1911, and was nationalised in 1918. The plant was named after I.E. Egorov, participant in the Revolutionary Movement (1888-1918). In the 1920-30s carriages for suburb and long-distance trains (upholstered first class and second class carriages), and loading railway platforms were built there. Upholstered carriages with 4-seat compartments were awarded a gold medal at the World Fair in Paris (1937). The first Russian-made steel carriage was made at the plant in 1939. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45 the plants produced ammunition and repaired tanks. The production of passenger and special purpose carriages (over 80 types overall) was revived in the post-war years, manufacturing of metro carriages started in 1960. The plant was reincorporated as a joint-stock company in 1994, manufacturing mostly Metro and train car carriages.

Reference: Васильева Е. Г. Мы - егоровцы: История Ленингр. вагоностроит. з-да им. И. Е. Егорова. Л., 1974.

V. S. Solomko. Moskovsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 115
Тахо-Годи Е.А. Константин Случевский: Портрет на пушкинском фоне. СПб., 2000
Васильева Е. Г. Мы - егоровцы: История Ленингр. вагоностроит. з-да им. И. Е. Егорова. Л., 1974