Text 7b

PINSK SHIPYARD

In the second half of the XIXth century after the abolition of the serfage the Russian Empire experienced great industrial growth. The development of transport was paid the greatest attention. Pinsk, being a significant trading centre, became a trans-shipment point of the Oginskaya and Dnieper-Bugskaya water systems.

In the 1880s industrial revolution reached the sphere of water transport. The growing industry needed more steamships to meet new requirements. In 1885 the shipbuilding and mechanical yard appeared in Pinsk, with Julia P. O’Brien de Lassie being its owner. But there wasn’t stability in incoming orders and the number of workers wasn’t constant either. The most favourable was the year of 1902 when the plant put out products on Pic. 37. Pinsk Trademark 210,000 roubles with the total staff of 290

workers. But in 1913 the figures were 13,000 and 50 correspondingly.

During WWI the plant property was ransacked and only after the reunion of Belarus in 1939 when the newly established “Western Steamship Company” increased the water

Pic. 38. Pinsk Shipyard

transportation in the area, the ship repair plant was made in Pinsk on basis of the former private shops.

During the WWII the enterprise was considerably damaged but was restored already in 1944-45 and soon got a status of a shipbuilding plant. In post-war years the shipyard became a significant enterprise with more than 500 workers. The range of products included cargo and service motorships, tugs, and pushers. In the 1970s-80s Pinsk shipyard launched up to 12 vessels a year. Since 1992 the demand for shipbuilding production has considerably decreased and the plant has to master new spheres of manufacturing.

Today Pinsk shipyard is a modern industrial enterprise working for the needs of the branch. The total staff is about 160 specialists. There are five main and auxiliary sectors with up-to-date technological equipment. The shipyard work is done in the following directions:

1. production and repair of pushing tugs with capacity of 300 and 500 h. p., pontoons and metalware (hull and welding sectors);

2. overhaul of internal combustion engines (diesel sector);

3. metalware of different purpose, mechanisms and spares, plastic and rubber products (mechanical sector);

4. joinery (woodworking sector).

In 2003 after a long break Pinsk shipyard launched the “O”-class tug motorship of a new series.

Ex. 13. Answer the questions:

1. What was the reason that the Russian Empire experienced great industrial growth in the second half of the XIXth century? 2. What date can be considered the birthday of Pinsk shipyard? 3. Why did the shipbuilding and mechanical yard appear in Pinsk? 4. Who was the founder of Pinsk shipyard? 5. Was there stability in work of the shipyard on the early stage? 6. Why was the shipyard reopened only in 1939? 7. Prove that in the Soviet period Pinsk shipyard became a significant enterprise in its branch of the economy. 8. What is Pinsk shipyard nowadays? 9. What are the main directins of the shipyard work now? 10. Can we say that the shipyard has restored its position by the 21^st ctntury? Give your reasons.

Ex. 14. Speak on:

1. the history of the creation and early development of the enterprise;

2. Pinsk Shipyard in the post-war period.

3. the main directions of work at present.

Ex. 15. Abstract the text in brief (7-8 sentences).

Ex. 16. Read and translate the text: