Obukhov, Pavel Matveyevich

Pavel Obukhov was born in the Votkinsk plant in the Sarapulsky district of the Vyatka province into the family of the chargemaster of the Votkinsk plant, Matthew Fedorovich Obukhov, which is recorded in the register of the Votkinsk Cathedral of the Annunciation for 1819, which is located in the Central State Archive of the Republic of F.409

Dynasty of mining engineers

• The grandfather, Fyodor Obukhov, worked as a blacksmith in the 1760s, was an outstanding professional, received the post of master, despite his lack of education.
• His father, Matvey Obukhov, began his career in 1801 as a clerk at the Kamsko-Votkinsk factories, and at the expense of his abilities, he was able to become a fitter (senior master). Since 1822, Matvey Fedorovich worked at the Serebryansky iron foundry of the Goroblagodatsky mining district, where he showed himself from the best side and was recognized as a remarkable self-taught mechanic. Carried out a radical reconstruction of the factory dam and water engines. For this task, Matthew Fyodorovich, was transferred to mining engineers , without a technical education. In 1835 he became the ruler of the Kushvinsky plant with the rank of major . He retired as captain , caretaker of the Votkinsky iron foundry .

Learning and early career

The son of Matthew Fedorovich Pavel from childhood had engineering skills: from six years of age he was drawing drawings of dams , water engines , forge hammers , and forges .

At the age of 12 (in 1832), he entered the St. Petersburg Institute of Mining Engineers ; in 1843, he graduated with a large gold medal, and was recognized as the "first graduation", at the same time received the rank of lieutenant .

The young engineer left St. Petersburg for the Goroblagodatsky plants (the Urals ), and in 1844–1846 he became a caretaker at the Serebryansky plant in the Perm province.

This position was a young specialist, and he signed a contract with the Headquarters of the Mining Engineers Corps: he was given the opportunity to go abroad for two years - to Germany and Belgium to study the latest methods of work in the mining industry, and especially to study iron, copper and mechanical production; for this, the engineer was obliged to serve in the department for six years.

After two years abroad, he returned to Russia in early 1848.

After spending 4 months in St. Petersburg and making a report on his trip, Obukhov returned to the Serebryansky plant by September, and at the end of the same year he was appointed ruler of the Kuvshinsky plant and promoted to captains . which served for three years.

At this production, he had the idea to make cast-iron steel, restoring the scientific heritage of P. P. Anosov and continuing research in this direction. The inventor picked up a team of talented people with a high level of motivation, but the weak material and technical base did not allow this team to unfold in full force.

Despite the difficulties, Obukhov, having the experience of recruitment, managed to create a team of good Russian masters, dedicated to the idea.

Since 1851 - manager of the Yugovskiy metallurgical plant, Obukhov vigorously accepted for experiments. Around the same time, the fame of a young talented engineer has come to the capital, he was characterized by epithets “having knowledge”, “honest”, “energetic”.

Having determined that when alloying one cement or raw steel, cast steel of various hardness was obtained, Obukhov decided to add magnetic iron ore to the alloy to obtain the required properties ( hardness , strength , endurance , etc.).

In 1853, after lengthy experiments, he managed to make a steel plate in 3/4 line thickness, which, when tested by gunfire, did not break through, while the cuirass produced at the Zlatoust plant was twice as thick and 30% rejected.

The heroic defense of Sevastopol in the Crimean War of 1854–55 showed how outdated Russian artillery with the former glory of smooth-bore bronze cannons was outdated - it was now steel.

Russian steel cannon

In 1854, Obukhov was transferred to the city ​​of Zlatoust , Zlatoust mining district to the post of governor of the Zlatoust weapons factory .

Here they were engaged in the manufacture of cold arms, and the most important task was set before Obukhov: to transfer the plant to the production of firearms.

For the new production required particularly strong steel.

These steels were bought abroad, but Obukhov, having completed work in the area of ​​improving the crucible method of producing cast steel, suggested smelting metal using new technologies.

Preparation

In 1857, Pavel Obukhov received a privilege (patent) for the method of mass production of high-quality crucible steel invented by him.

The peculiarity of this method was “the use of iron ore in the crucible process , which ensured a constant composition of steel with a difference in the raw materials for carbon content” .

At the end of this stage, the transition to casting trunks became possible.

The first experiment was carried out on rifle barrels , the essence of the tests was shooting with an increase in the powder charge with each shot.

Zlatoust rifles showed complete superiority over the enemy: on eight charges, Krupp rifles flew apart in pieces, and Zlatoust rifles withstood fourteen charges.

For complete destruction, the gun with the Obukhov barrel was charged with an increased charge and the whole barrel was stuffed with bullets to the end of the barrel. After the trigger was released, the shot did not happen, and the breech of the weapon was destroyed, and the barrel remained intact. The success of the tests allowed to start the last stage of the main task - the casting of steel cannon barrels .

The department appreciated the achieved results and gave Obukhov the privilege for the invention, in addition, he was sent on a foreign business trip and received an award of 600 rubles annually for his salary increase. In addition, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and awarded the Order of St. Stanislav 3rd degree.

In the same year, he went to Germany for six months, and on his return he developed a detailed project for the manufacture of steel tools directly in Russia, based on a detailed analysis of the Krupp plant .

As the author of the project, which proved that it is possible to manufacture steels that were not inferior in quality to those of the Krupp plant ^[1] (Germany), he was awarded the Order of St. Anna 3 degrees.

Testing Zlatoust weapons

It was a state matter, extremely important, and the progress of work in the production of Russian steel was constantly reported to the emperor.

Alexander II gave personal instructions on the allocation of funds for these tests.

The tests were carried out in St. Petersburg under the supervision of the highest authorities: in the autumn of the same year, three guns were delivered there, but only one was tested. Several guns were tested at the test site for comparison - from Krupp, English and Obukhov steel. To keep the experiment clean, Zlatoust guns were drilled to the same depth as foreign ones.

The tests consisted in counting the number of shots that the gun could withstand: not a single foreign gun overcame the mark of two thousand shots, and the Obukhov one survived twice as much - from November 26, 1860 to March 8, 1861, 4017 shots were fired from this gun.

On the day when the four thousandth round was to take place, Alexander II himself visited the test site, and in response to the emperor's question about whether he was sure of the strength of the gun, P. M. Obukhov suggested riding his horse and waiting for the anniversary shot ^[2] .

The success of the trials was unsurpassed, and after the end, the Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich was present at the shooting and kissed the metallurgist on both cheeks.

In terms of durability and strength, the Zlatoust cannon surpassed identical tools cast in the Kruppa factory in Westphalia . In addition, the guns of Obukhov steel were much cheaper: they cost the treasury 16 rubles per pound, and Krupp ones - 45 rubles each (not including transportation costs); English guns were even more expensive.

These works initiated the use of cast steel for the production of cannon barrels, and this revolutionary technology led to a new stage in the history of Russian artillery.

In 1861, Obukhov was elected a corresponding member of the Scientific Artillery Committee of the Main Artillery Directorate .

In the years 1861-1863 Obukhov - the mining chief of Zlatoust plants. ^[3]

He was awarded the rank of colonel , and he was awarded the Order of St.. Vladimir 4 degrees, in addition, Obukhov began to deduct 35 kopecks from each pud of steel, which made him rich.

While after the tests, Obukhov was in St. Petersburg, he advised Admiral N. K. Krabbe on the technical feasibility of making naval tools in the Urals.

Starting gun production

As the head of the district, he was given the task of building a new factory.

Obukhov objected to the expansion of cannon production in such a remote place as Chrysostom, motivating his words with the complex export of finished guns: on horseback to the marina of Birsk , and from there by water along the Belaya River . This leads to a significant increase in the price of guns with each mile overcome. These arguments did not convince customers, among whom was the general feldzeyhmeyster , uncle of the emperor, safely reigning, and wishing to have a cannon factory in Zlatoust, and in the late 1850s Obukhov developed a project of the Prince-Mikhailovsky factory, designed to produce steel artillery guns. The steel factory was built in Zlatoust in 1859, and by 1860 it had already started working: gun steel was smelted on it, from which barrels were cast.

Steel cast guns were mastered for the first time in Russia (before the production of guns existed only in Germany - these were the famous Krupp cannons, the strongest and most reliable in the world).

The Prince-Mikhailovsky Factory was named in honor of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich , who oversaw its launch and took an active part in the introduction of steel-cannon production in Russia. The factory included a raw, steel and drilling department.

The method of PM Obukhov made it possible to obtain cast steel with excellent qualities.

This steel was distinguished by extraordinary elasticity ... So, the swords made from it were freely rolled into a ring - and, unfolding, they did not change their initial straightness at all ... Indeed, this was beyond all likelihood!

From this steel were prepared cuirass, blades, work tools, castings for rifle barrels.

Since 1860, for the first time in Russia, the production of steel 4-pounder guns began in the factory.

Summary

The Obukhov steel cannon, which sustained more than 4,000 shots without damage, was awarded in 1862 at the World Exhibition in London, the highest award - the gold medal.

The famous gun was left for eternal storage, and is located in the Military Historical Museum of Artillery in St. Petersburg .

On the barrel of the gun engraved inscription:

Cast in 1860 at the Prince-Mikhailovsky factory of steel Obukhov. Has sustained more than 4000 shots.

In the second half of the 19th century, the appearance of the Obukhov cannon revolutionized the cannon production and, affecting the entire military power of the country, put Russia among the first military powers in the world.

Cannon production in Zlatoust did not receive proper development, and the production of steel tools was considered “more convenient” to continue at the Perm plant (where it grew and became one of the main industries), and in St. Petersburg.

Soon the metallurgist continued research, their result was the release of five new grades of domestic steel, this led to the final displacement of expensive British steel (the price for Obukhov steel was 5-7 times lower).

Tests of steel proved that Obukhov steel was significantly superior to Krupp and English. For example, a skin-making plow made of Obukhov steel processed two thousand hides, whereas a ply made of English steel was not more than eighty.

Agreement with Putilov

On September 12, 1861, inspired by the test results of P. M. Obukhov, and a major industrialist and entrepreneur N. I. Putilov concluded “the Agreement on the distribution and development of the production of cast steel necessary for the manufacture of artillery guns”:

I, Obukhov, considered it my duty to invite Mr. Putilov to take upon myself the installation and development of the production of cast steel according to my method throughout Russia.

In the basis of this Agreement, we believe complete power of attorney to each other and rendering feasible assistance to the government and domestic industry.

The technical part of the production of steel and products thereof shall be reserved. The administrative and economic parts of the case are disposed of by Putilov. He negotiates with the government, private societies and individuals regarding orders, entering into contracts and agreements, taking measures to set up factories so that profit and loss belongs to both of us.

I, Putilov, keep accounts and books, following the example of commercial houses, separately from my other affairs. For the trust placed in me by the Obukhov transfer of this method of preparing steel, and I undertake to keep secret, not to transfer without the consent of Obukhov, to other persons, especially so that the method could not be transferred abroad.

The term of the contract is determined by 25 years.

- "To return the road to the temple? - a matter of national importance" ^[4]

Creating Obukhovsky Plant

Having clarified the situation with the production of guns for the fleet, Admiral N. K. Krabbe drew the administrative resource of the admiral and member of the State Council, Count E. V. Putyatin , who, under the Highest Decree, headed a special “special” and “secret” committee.

The Committee, after several days of meetings at the end of May 1862, decided:

"... We consider it urgently necessary ... to lay a new factory near St. Petersburg ... capable of producing large-caliber tools of cast steel of Colonel Obukhov for arming the fleet and fortresses ..."

Through the efforts of admirals N. K. Krabbe and E. V. Putyatin , a project was launched to create a new foundry for the production of cannons for the fleet.

But there was still a second side to the question: to get funding for the project.

The imperial laws of the time clearly stated that the production of any artillery guns (both land and sea) was in charge of the Mining Department.

The department was subordinate to the Ministry of Finance, the ministry was headed by MH Reitern , who stopped the project. It did not help the highest audience, which was able to achieve Krabbe.

Foundation

In May 1861, Obukhov was appointed a corresponding member of the scientific artillery committee.

In 1861-1863, the metallurgist remained the mining chief of all Zlatoust factories, and in 1863 he was dismissed and awarded the Order of St.. Anna 2nd degree.

Shortly thereafter, he was sent to St. Petersburg with the aim of setting up a newly built steel-cannon plant at the expense of the Naval Ministry.

For the construction of the plant, it was decided to attract private capital: since 1863, Obukhov founded the “P. Obukhov partnership” ^[5] , which included Russian entrepreneurs P. M. Obukhov (took over technical and personnel issues), N. I. Putilov (administrative functions) and the merchant S. G. Kudryavtsev (project financing).

In the same year, the partnership received a state order:

... On May 4, 1863, the Maritime Office decided to guarantee the founders of a cannon factory an order of 100,000 rubles. (42,000 pounds) of finished rifled guns from Obukhov's steel with the issue of 500,000 rubles forwards. on bail, demanding the execution of this order in four years ...

Shortly after the release of this document, Putilov had a confidential conversation with the Prince of Oldenburg , who donated to the partnership for 72 years the territory of the former Alexander manufactory , 12 versts from the city outpost, on the banks of the Neva River , close to the Nikolaev railway .

On this place, on May 16, 1863, the partnership founded the Obukhov Works (after the October Revolution of 1917, the plant was renamed Bolshevik) - a large steel plant, the construction of which was led by Obukhov.

Plant start

Until the end of 1863, two enormous stone buildings were erected, a building was adapted for finishing steel cannon blanks, machine tools were ordered, and the preparation of crucibles for the first melting was started. The Zlatoust masters arrived with all their household belongings, Putilov took care of providing them with better housing.

In fact, the plant was launched on April 15 (27), 1864, when, in the presence of representatives of the ministries, under the guidance of the founder of the plant, P. M. Obukhov, the first steel was solemnly produced. Two weeks later, the foundry visited the Sovereign and personally observed the casting of a 96-pud steel billet.

The government loan was spent by the fall of 1864, and in October, Obukhov, Putilov and Kudryavtsev appealed to the manager of the Navy Department for an additional loan of 460 thousand rubles. Understanding the importance of the case, Krabbe granted the loan, but since the company's debt reached 1.5 million rubles, he was forced to take direct supervision and direct participation in all operations of the plant by the Maritime Agency.

Navigation to the Maritime Office

From January 1865, the captain-lieutenant (later lieutenant-general ) A. A. Kolokoltsev was appointed the actual "manager" of the partnership, and Colonel Maritime Artillery R.V.

In the fall of 1865, the partnership broke up: Putilov managed to officially resign from the partnership, he miraculously obtained the necessary credit and founded his own enterprise (the future Putilov factory ), and Commerce Counselor S. G. Kudryavtsev died of short duration.

In 1867, the first profit was obtained, at the All-Russian Manufactory Exhibition of 1870, the company recognized:

worthy of awarding the right to use on signs and products of the State Emblem for setting up in a short time the production of large steel tools, their gross dressing and rational management of the case.

- article "Obukhov Plant - 135 years" in the journal "Industrial Herald" № 4 (20), May 5, 1998 ^[6]

This indicates the establishment of the plant as an independent enterprise after the death of Obukhov.

Until 1868, Pavel Obukhov managed metallurgical production at the plant, continuing to work on improving steelmaking methods.

In the same year, the engineer received the title of a valid State Councilor.

Decline of life

The working conditions for the creation of the Obukhov plant were strikingly different from the working conditions in Zlatoust . The first time work on the construction of a new plant was lagging behind the plans. Obukhov had to constantly demand funding, and over time it became more and more difficult to get money.

Work on the construction of the plant and the production of gun steel demanded that all forces be strained from P. Obukhov. He could not withstand this tension, lost confidence in himself and his health began to fail. Due to his frustrated health, the engineer was forced to leave the factory and resign. In the fall of 1868, he went abroad for medical treatment, but he did it, probably too late, and the consumption began to develop.

Obukhov died on January 1 (13), 1869, in the Bessarabian village of Piatra ( Moldavia ). His body was transported to St. Petersburg and was buried on February 4 at the Nikolsky cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery .

The tombstone is included in the List of objects of historical and cultural heritage of federal (all-Russian) significance, located in the city of St. Petersburg ^[7]

According to the spiritual testament of the metallurgist, a large part of his share was transferred to the plant for the construction of a hospital, an almshouse for old workers, a school, for a scholarship to children of artisans who entered technical higher education institutions.

In 1862, casting defects began to appear in Zlatoust : out of every fifty guns, one or two were taken for testing, and suddenly a marriage began to be detected - shells , cracks , and cavities . Defects multiplied, no one could explain the reason. With the increase in caliber from the very first shots, the guns were shattered, fireworkers were crippled, many died. After that, at the Okhta polygons, the shot began to be made by electroplating, while the cannon servants hid in dugouts . Emperor Alexander II met with Obukhov and could not get an answer to the question of how to rectify the situation. Under the pressure of circumstances, he decided to stop the production of steel cannons in Russia . Due to the fact that the work of his life went down the drain, perhaps, quite consciously, he decided to withdraw from the work. This happened despite the fact that the Austro-Prussian war of 1866 showed that this crisis affected not only Obukhov: defects were present in the strongest competitor, Krupp. This riddle was never solved during the life of Obukhov. His successor , DK Chernov, succeeded in solving the problem .

• Colonel Obukhov made a significant contribution to Putilov’s career, allowing him to become an independent political figure ^[8] .
• The name of the metallurgist, one of the few, is found on the standard soldiers and noncommissioned weapons in the form of the abbreviation "LSP" or "LSPO" (Paul Obukhov's cast steel). Such an inscription can be seen on the sailor boarding sailor of the sample of 1856, exhibited in the historical exposition of the Cherepovets Museum Association ^[9] .

In 1869, in commemoration of its founder, by the proposal of N. I. Putilov, the Petersburg Steel Works was named Obukhovsky.

Since 1886, the plant was transferred to the state property (Maritime Office), and became from a private state. The plant has long been one of the leading enterprises in Russia; The flagship of the industry produced steel, cannons, shells, and a variety of tools.

Since 1871, the Navy Department did not feel the need to order steel shafts from Krupp - all guns on Russian ships were now exclusively Russian-made.

In 1872, Obukhov guns were presented at the Polytechnic Exhibition in Moscow , and in 1873 exhibited at the World Exhibition in Vienna .

In 1908, the Obukhov Plant manufactured guns of all calibers for the Marine and Military Offices, in addition to this, the production of tower installations, mine apparatus, self-propelled mines (torpedoes), gyroscopic instruments, telescopic sights, onboard, deck and tower armor were mastered.

From the day of its foundation until July 1, 1912, the plant manufactured and handed over to the customer 13,203 artillery guns — 8042 for the War Department and 5161 for the Naval Department.

To this day, Obukhov Plant is one of the largest enterprises of the defense complex of the country.

P. Obukhov made an invaluable contribution to the improvement of the Russian artillery and Russia’s gaining "steel independence" from Germany and England .

Monument

As a monument to the armorer at the entrance to the building of the former Arsenal of the Zlatoust machine-building plant (now PO Bulat), the Obukhov gun barrels were installed.

Orders

P. Obukhov became a knight of the highest orders of the empire:

• Order of St. Anne 2 and 3 degrees,
• Order of St. Vladimir, 4 degrees
• Order of St. Stanislav 3 degree

Obukhov in literature

• Valentin Pikul "The Secret of Russian Steel" from the series "Military Stories"
• Nikolai Kedrov Steel independence (inaccessible link) // “According to Yaroslavl” No. 36 September 24, 2004

The older brother of P. M. Obukhov - Stepan Matveyevich (born in 1807) studied at the State Control Committee , after that he worked in the Urals , from 1845 he was appointed supervisor of the gold mines of the Nizhneturinsky plant.

• Obukhovs

• Article TSB , N. K. Laman.
• Kavaderov A. Pavel Matveyevich Obukhov: a biographical sketch // Russian antiquity. - SPb. , 1905. - July ( t. 123 ). - p . 41-88 .
• Sorokin Yu. N. The Role of P. M. Obukhov at the Foundations of Steel Production in Russia // Proceedings of the Institute of the History of Science and Technology. - 1955. - V. 3 .
• Fedorov A.S. Creators of the science of metal. - M. , 1969.

• V.V. Danilevsky. Russian technology // Chapter II (On the role of P. M. Obukhov in the development of metal science)
• Obukhov Pavel Matveyevich .
• The first Russian steel cannon .
• Obukhov Pavel Matveyevich to “Cemeteries and graves of celebrities of St. Petersburg and Leningrad region”. Category: Graduates of the Mining Engineers Corps
• Obukhov Pavel Matveyevich .