In the Urals region during the war, an industrial complex was built that produced military goods in conditions of complete autonomy from the western regions.
The Urals was already a major industrial center in the USSR before the war, developed as a second coal and metallurgical base within the first Five-Year Plans. During the war, it truly became the «supporting edge of the state.» A large part of the factories from the west were relocated here, and new enterprises were also built.
The geographical position of the Urals was crucial – far from the front lines, providing relative safety from bombing and ground invasion. Furthermore, the region was rich in natural resources (iron ore, coal, non-ferrous metals), allowing for the creation of closed production cycles and reducing reliance on supplies from other regions. This industrial complex became the main arsenal of the Red Army.
It housed major tank factories (e.g., Uralvagonzavod in Nizhny Tagil), metallurgical plants (Magnitogorsk), artillery factories (Perm, Sverdlovsk), and many other enterprises. Production in the Urals formed the basis of Soviet military potential and supplied the front with everything necessary throughout the entire war.
