The factory "Red Triangle" was the first manufactory for the production of rubber products in the Russian Empire. For many years, the company remained the leader in the production of galoshes, rubber boots for domestic and industrial use, conveyor conveyor belts, technical plates, drive belts and other products.
Today, production is mostly stopped, several small workshops continue to operate. In the future, it is planned to organize a “cultural space” in this territory: studios, galleries, workshops, cafes, etc.
History of the Red Triangle Factory
The second half of the XIX century was marked by the rapid growth of the chemical industry. The development of technology for producing rubber from natural rubber has allowed the production of rubber products: from galoshes to tires. However, in Russia such technologies did not exist.
In 1859, the businessman from the USA Ferdinand Krauzkopf visited the Russian Empire. He was struck that in such a vast country with a damp climate, such basic things as galoshes were very rare and imported from abroad. Having estimated the enormous size of the market, the businessman enlisted the support of influential people and created the “Russian-American Rubber Manufactory Partnership” (TRARM). On the outskirts of St. Petersburg, the country's first manufactory for the production of rubber products and shoes on an industrial scale grew.
High quality sample
From the very first months, the Triangle plant (it was called Red in the Soviet period) earned a reputation as a manufacturer of high-quality products. And no wonder - in its workshops the most advanced foreign equipment was installed, and the manufacturing process was classified.
In the first year, the partnership began to bring profit to the founders. It produced galoshes, waterproof clothing, pillows, mattresses, rubber tubes, pumping hoses , pulley belts, colored tires and other products. In 1888, TRARM received the right to brand its products with the quality mark in the form of a triangle. In just half a century, the manufacture has produced 282 million pairs of galoshes, setting a kind of world record.
Soviet authority
With the advent of the Bolshevik government, the enterprise was nationalized and in 1922 received a new name - the Red Triangle factory. In order to at least partially satisfy the shortage of rubber products, the company introduced a new production method - collective assembly. The manufacturing process was divided into 8 operations, and each site performed only its own task. This made it possible to optimally operate the equipment, improve the qualifications of workers, and ultimately reduce the production time of galoshes.
In the 1920s, ZKT engineers invented a hold-down machine that made it possible to securely roll soles. Since 1927, the company switched from assembly to assembly line, as a result, productivity doubled.
Industrial Revolution
The young republic was in dire need of rubber products, but their production was constrained by the lack of its own raw materials. Natural rubber was expensive and imported from abroad. In 1928, a group of talented chemists from Leningrad developed a revolutionary method for producing artificial rubber. They decided to test the innovation at the Red Triangle factory, and in 1932, for the first time in world practice, artificial rubber was obtained. For new production, modern equipment was purchased. Many operations were mechanized.
War
World War II caused many inconvenience to the factory workers. Part of the production (including tire production) was evacuated. But on the site they continued to produce some types of products, mainly for the needs of the front. The territory of the ZKT was constantly fired upon, 22 buildings were destroyed.
Rebirth
After the war, incredible efforts were required to restore the plant. It was necessary not only to rebuild the buildings, but also to equip the capacities with new equipment. In 1949, the company acquired a unique molding workshop for rubber products. Breakthrough technologies have allowed to increase production by 70%.
Tire production had to be revived from scratch, for this there was not enough personnel, nor the corresponding machines and assemblies. Its reconstruction was completed only in 1959.
Sunset
By the 70s, Leningrad had grown enormously. So much so that the "Red Triangle" was actually in its central part. Harmful production spoiled the environment. It was decided within 15 years to modernize the entire production complex. However, something went wrong, and the reconstruction process dragged on until the Perestroika era. Funding was not enough. And after the collapse of the USSR, the "Red Triangle" in St. Petersburg was useless to anyone.
In 2001, clerical work on the fact of bankruptcy of the enterprise began. Subsequently, the plant broke up into individual small companies that produce products on a much smaller scale. The main premises today are in a deplorable position.
Products
Today, firms that were previously part of the Red Triangle (St. Petersburg) produce the following products:
- Rubber and PVC shoes.
- Mining boots and workers with ebony or metal toe cap, with anti-puncture or metal insole.
- Conveyor conveyor belts: heat-resistant, frost-resistant, oil-resistant, mine refractory and non-combustible.
- Belts are flat.
- Rubber technical plates.
- Shaped plates.
- Polyisobutylene plates.
- Vacuum technical plates.
Prospects
The territory of the Red Triangle factory (address: 190020, St. Petersburg, embankment. 138 Obvodny Canal ) is of great interest to developers, however, the disposal of unnecessary buildings and soil deactivation is a huge cost. In addition, part of the buildings is an example of industrial architecture and has historical and cultural value. The city administration plans, using the example of other cities, to organize a cultural cluster in this territory with the formation of "creative quarters".