TILE AND BRICK PRODUCTION IN POLOHIVSHCHYNA: FROM THE “BRICK FACTORY OF POLOHY STATION: NEIFELD G. AND TARASOV M.” TO THE POLOHУ BRICK FACTORY

Abstract

The article is devoted to the history of tile and brick production in the Polohy region. The importance of the study lies in the fact that the city of Polohy is the centre of kaolin ore mining in the Zaporizhzhia region. The article examines the tile industry in the Polohy region, from the activities of the «Polohy Brick Factory: Neifeld G. and Tarasov M.» to the Polohy Brick Factory with its branches.The technological features of local production in the 19th and early 20th centuries are highlighted: manual moulding, firing of green bricks in special kilns, as well as the gradual transition to mechanised methods of work. The influence of the tile and brick industry on the socio-economic development of the Polohy district is considered.The work uses archival documents and the memories of former employees of the brick factory in the Polohy district.The authors highlight the stages of development of tile and brick production in the Polohy district: Stage 1 (19th century – 1924) – characterised by the establishment of tile production. The «Polohy Brick Factory: Neifeld G. and Tarasov M.» appears at the Polohy station of the Katerynoslav Railway. Stage 2 (1924–1941) – the development of tile and brick production. In 1924, brick factory No. 7 began operating in Polohy. Stage 3 (1950–1992) – bricks are produced, but tiles are not manufactured. The industrial facilities of the Polohy brick production were subordinate to the industrial association Zaporizhbudmaterialy; Stage 4 (1993–2022) – brick production was transferred to the villages of Voskresenka and Basan. The enterprises were subordinate to the Polohy Chemical Plant Coagulant, where ceramic bricks were manufactured. Since 24 February 2022, the city of Polohy has been temporarily occupied by Russian troops and brick production has been suspended.