Short historical overview of the development of the metallurgy
in the Olonets region

Under the management of Nikolay Theodorovitch Butenev (1843-1859) the productivity of the mills seriously increased because of the rising necessity in armament. Especially should be noted the Alexandrovsky mills that doubled its production during the Crimean War^*, producing annually more than 1600 metric tons of gunnery and 4200 metric tons of ammunition (usually it produced no more than 840 metric tons of gunnery and 1600 metric tons of ammunition). But even doubling its productivity, dew the natural conditions, the Alexandrovsky mills could not comply with the government demands. As a consequence on the rescript of His Majesty (based on the proposal of the Major-General Butenev 2nd) of January 20th 1856 the estate of the Commerce Councillor Gromov with cast-iron mills, situated in the Salmi and Suojärvi townships of the Grand Duchy of Finland, was bought into the state property.

P.Holostov
Short historical overview of the development of the metallurgy in the
Olonets region and the overview of the work of Alexandrovsky gun foundry and
iron mills during the century of its existence. Petrozavodsk. 1874.

* The war between Russia and a coalition of great Britain, France, Turkey and Sardinia in 1853-1856