Ivan Plotnikov
Encyclopedia
Ivan Vasilyevich Plotnikov (1902–1995) was a Russian engineer and inventor of kirza
, a type of artificial leather
based on the multi-layer textile fabric, modified by membrana-like substances, a cheap and effective replacement for the natural leather. The material is mainly used in production of military boots and the belts for machinery and automobiles.
Plotnikov worked in the city of Kirov
, at the Kirov plant or Kirovskiy Zavod, a fabric producing artificial leather. The name kirza is an acronym from Kirovskiy Zavod, which was the first place of the mass production of kirza.
The technology was invented in 1935 by Plotnikov and his fellow engineer Khomutov. The mass production began during the Winter War
of the Soviet Union
against Finland
. Initially the material proved to be unfit to the winter conditions, and the production was halted. However, very soon the technology was improved and the mass production was resumed in the autumn and winter of 1941 during the German invasion of Soviet Union, since the large numbers of footwear were badly needed for the Red Army
.
For the invention of kirza, Ivan Plotnikov was awarded the Stalin Prize the size of 100,000 ruble
s on 10th of April, 1942, as ordered by the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union
.
Kirza
Kirza is a type of artificial leather based on the multi-layer textile fabric, modified by membrana-like substances, produced mainly in the Soviet Union and Russia. The surface of kirza imitates the pig leather....
, a type of artificial leather
Artificial leather
Artificial leather is a fabric or finish intended to substitute for leather in fields such as upholstery, clothing and fabrics, and other uses where a leather-like finish is required but the actual material is cost-prohibitive or unsuitable....
based on the multi-layer textile fabric, modified by membrana-like substances, a cheap and effective replacement for the natural leather. The material is mainly used in production of military boots and the belts for machinery and automobiles.
Plotnikov worked in the city of Kirov
Kirov, Kirov Oblast
Kirov , formerly known as Vyatka and Khlynov, is a city in northeastern European Russia, on the Vyatka River, and the administrative center of Kirov Oblast. Population: -History:...
, at the Kirov plant or Kirovskiy Zavod, a fabric producing artificial leather. The name kirza is an acronym from Kirovskiy Zavod, which was the first place of the mass production of kirza.
The technology was invented in 1935 by Plotnikov and his fellow engineer Khomutov. The mass production began during the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
against Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Initially the material proved to be unfit to the winter conditions, and the production was halted. However, very soon the technology was improved and the mass production was resumed in the autumn and winter of 1941 during the German invasion of Soviet Union, since the large numbers of footwear were badly needed for the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
.
For the invention of kirza, Ivan Plotnikov was awarded the Stalin Prize the size of 100,000 ruble
Ruble
The ruble or rouble is a unit of currency. Currently, the currency units of Belarus, Russia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria, and, in the past, the currency units of several other countries, notably countries influenced by Russia and the Soviet Union, are named rubles, though they all are...
s on 10th of April, 1942, as ordered by the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.