On the organization of the exhibition «Orsha Flax Mill. The path to quality and global recognition»
On April 23, 2024, the institution «Zonal State Archives in Orsha» prepared an exhibition of archival documents «Orsha Flax Mill. The path to quality and global recognition» dedicated to the Year of Quality.
The Orsha Flax Mill is the only one in the Republic of Belarus and the largest enterprise in the CIS and Europe for the production of linen fabrics, and the mill began its history with a small flax carding factory, which came into operation in December 1930.
The construction of the main production buildings of the plant with the installation of technological equipment was completed in 1937, at the end of which the first meters of finished fabric were produced. The enterprise’s capacity was designed to produce linen fabrics in the amount of 16 million meters per year.
The rapid development was facilitated by the presence of its own raw material base – flax was grown on the territory of Belarus. The plant project was developed by famous architects A.S. Fisenko and I.S. Nikolaev.
The company was formed from the combination of three factories:
1937 – the first factory, which included spinning, weaving, finishing workshops and auxiliary services;
1961 – the second factory, which included flax carding, spinning, weaving production, and produced household fabrics;
1972 – the third factory, which included flax carding, spinning, weaving and produced fine household fabrics.
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 1, 1966, the textile workers’ team was awarded the Order of Lenin. During this period, the Orsha Flax Mill was one of the largest enterprises, accounting for about 12 percent of the production of linen fabrics throughout the Soviet Union.
Today, the Orsha Flax Mill includes 5 factories: for the production of container fabrics from short flax fiber, 2 factories for the production of yarn and raw materials from long flax fiber, a finishing factory, and a garment factory. The enterprise occupies 40 hectares, processes 25 thousand tons of flax fiber per year, and employs more than 3,000 employees.
The Orsha Flax Mill is not only a leading manufacturer of linen fabrics, but also the largest supplier of products to the Russian market and more than 40 countries around the world. In terms of flax production volumes, the Orsha Flax Mill ranks first in the EU. With a history of more than 90 years, the company is developing steadily, regularly delighting with new products. Over the years of its operation, the flax mill produced more than 3.5 billion meters of fabric. However, quantity is not as important as the quality of Belarusian flax, so the Orsha Flax Mill clearly controls this criterion.
The exposition of the prepared exhibition presents archival documents reflecting the history of formation, restoration in the post-war period, construction and development of the Orsha Flax Mill: decisions, orders, protocols, staffing schedules, statistical information, reports, documents on awards, participation in international exhibitions, improving the quality of products , photographs, etc.
The exhibition is addressed to a wide range of people: schoolchildren, students, local historians, teachers and everyone interested in the history of the Orsha region.
