OJSC Severnaya Verf is one of the leading domestic shipbuilding enterprises. The company specializes in the production of Corvette, Frigate, and Destroyer class warships, mine sweepers, reconnaissance and rear support vessels. The bulk of civilian products are bulk carriers, gas carriers, timber carriers, research vessels. The production is located in the center of St. Petersburg in the Gulf of Finland.
Revival of the Navy
The Russian Empire met the 20th century as an economically powerful state, but the navy was hopelessly inferior to the fleets of potential opponents. The Russo-Japanese War that broke out in 1905 showed both the technical backwardness of ships and the outdated tactics of naval commanders. The command counted on an easy victory - “throw the Japanese with their hats,” however, the complete defeat in the Tsushima battle was a real shock for the military leaders.
At the same time, England, France, Italy, Germany staged an arms race, building more and more powerful ships. It became apparent that without the creation of a new generation of military courts, it would be difficult to guarantee the security of the empire.
For the glory of the fatherland
On November 14, 1912, in St. Petersburg, in the convenient deep-water area of the Gulf of Finland, the opening of the Severnaya Verf shipyard (SZSV), which at that time was called the Putilov Shipyard, took place. The initial goal of founding the enterprise was to replenish the navy of the Russian Empire with new modern ships capable of withstanding the regional fleets of neighboring countries, primarily Germany. The best European engineers participated in the design and equipment of the production, the world experience in shipbuilding was widely used.
In a matter of years, Severnaya Verf became one of the main construction sites for the modern navy. The enterprise is proud of the first domestic steam-turbine destroyer destroyer Novia (built in 1913), the unique Volkhov ship (1915), designed to save submarines, the Kommuna ship (1922), the oldest in the Navy.
Labor feat
The Severnaya Verf Shipyard passed the most serious strength test during the Second World War. With the outbreak of war, factory workers at an accelerated pace carried out repairs, construction, and re-equipment of ships for the needs of the fleet. On June 23, 1941, the enterprise began the conversion of the Andrei Zhdanov motor ship from a passenger ship to a hospital ship.
At the same time, work on ships with a high degree of readiness was accelerated. By July 9, it was possible to complete the state tests of the destroyer Statny; on July 18, the Skory entered service. By August 30, they managed to prepare the unfinished "Strict" and "Slender" for combat operations. These ships immediately joined with their artillery in the defense of Leningrad.
For a year and a half, 1360 workers went through the Kirov District Military Commissariat with shipyards to the Red Army. After leaving for conscripts and militias to the front, the rest of the team continued to finish building and repairing ships, and to fulfill urgent front orders. The departed men were replaced by women and adolescents.
The front was approaching, and the enterprise became the main target for shelling. On its territory the enemy brought down a total of thousands of artillery shells and aerial bombs. However, this did not break the spirit of the team. Workers focused on the manufacture of regimental guns and ammunition, carried out repair of damaged ships.
Our days
Severnaya Verf is today the most important supplier of military vessels for the Ministry of Defense and the main exporter of Russian-made ships. In 2011, the command announced the conclusion of a contract with the plant for the manufacture of 12 corvettes and frigates in addition to the 5 previously ordered vessels. Thus, the Navy allowed to load production capacities until 2020, the order portfolio amounted to a record 200 billion rubles. This is the largest contract with the Ministry of Defense in the history of the shipyard.
The shipyard has mastered the production of small and medium-sized warships, dry cargo ships, ferries, passenger, research, reconnaissance vessels, and watercraft for escorting and providing fleets of the Russian Navy. In addition to assembly, the team is engaged in the repair of ships of various degrees of complexity, their maintenance, and the replacement of obsolete components with new ones. The plant is actively introducing innovative technologies, improving the technological process.
Activities
Severnaya Verf is on the list of the largest shipbuilding enterprises in Russia. Here they carry out:
- Production, modernization, maintenance and repair of surface warships.
- Manufacture and repair of ships: sea, river, auxiliary, river-sea class.
- Disposal of all types of ships, including military.
- Production of technical equipment.
- The development of special technologies.
- Chemical equipment manufacturing.
Severnaya Verf is one of the key enterprises in the shipbuilding cluster in St. Petersburg. Factory workers carry out 75% of the entire domestic surface shipbuilding program.