— How did your company appear and when did it start producing clothes for military personnel?

— The plant was created after the Great Patriotic War on the basis of artels that worked in our small city of Lesozavodsk, located between Vladivostok and Khabarovsk. Gradually the range expanded. In Soviet times, the company mastered tailoring for the needs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and sometimes produced uniforms for the armed forces. Deliveries went to Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Magadan, Khabarovsk Territory. Since 1997, many Primorye factories, including ours, began to produce clothes for South Korean brands, which brought their equipment and fabrics to us.

Serial production of military uniform sets was launched after the start of the Northern Military District. Now the company employs about 40 employees, and all of them are in one way or another connected with the production of equipment for the military. The designer develops clothing, the technologist introduces it into the production process, laboratory assistants check the quality of the models, managers look for raw materials and accessories, and seamstresses and cutters complete this process.

To sew products for air defense soldiers, we use special raw materials with infrared remission. Unfortunately, there are few factories in Russia that produce fabric of the required color and density. Therefore, we are currently cooperating with both domestic and Chinese suppliers. The latter provide us with Cordura (thick nylon fabric. -

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).

  • Elements of equipment created by the Lesozavodsky Industrial Plant

  • © "Lesozavodsky Industrial Plant - Tailoring"

However, I am confident that in the coming years we will be able to replace raw materials with imports. In December 2023, I was in Moscow at an exhibition at the Expocenter, where a number of enterprises were presented that are beginning to produce high-quality fabrics, Velcro (textile fastener -

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), slings and accessories that are not inferior in quality to imported analogues.

Last September, samples of equipment and equipment produced by the Lesozavodsk industrial plant were demonstrated in Vladivostok at VEF-2023. Our products and other products of Primorye enterprises were inspected by the Governor of Primorye Oleg Kozhemyako and showed them to the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

In December, the company received the public and business award “Star of the Far East” in the “Innovation” category. The event was organized with the support of the office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Russia in the Far Eastern Federal District.

— Do the technologies for sewing military clothing differ from ordinary ones?

- Certainly. The equipment is created for use in difficult climatic conditions; it is able to withstand heavy loads and is not afraid of rain, snow, or frost.

Products for military personnel require specific materials and high quality tailoring. For example, we use a special reinforced thread, which is extremely durable. We select fabric that does not get wet, is not blown, and is protected from tearing and abrasion.

For insulation, we chose Slitex, which is purchased in Novosibirsk. This material is much stronger and lighter than padding polyester. In addition, it breathes and does not get wet. Our factory carefully considers the cut. This allows us to produce things that provide comfort and convenience during intense physical activity and long-term wear.

— For which departments does the plant sew uniforms and how many items are in your line?

— Our factory produces equipment strictly according to technical specifications from the customer - the government of Primorye, which provides uniforms, equipment, communications and special equipment to the pride of the region - the Tiger volunteer battalion. Our fellow countrymen serve as part of the 155th Separate Guards Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet and, together with the Marines, carry out combat missions in the Northern Military District zone. The detachment is supervised by Governor Oleg Kozhemyako.

For volunteers, we mainly make outerwear in the most popular color on the front lines - moss. Our line also includes summer and demi-season underwear, fleece tracksuits, hats and balaclavas for helmets, and tube scarves. There are only about 15 items, which are enough to fully outfit a fighter at any time of the year. In addition, we produce equipment - unloading belts, all kinds of pouches, first aid kits, raincoats, tactical backpacks, army trunks.

  • Pouches manufactured by Lesozavodsky Industrial Plant

  • © "Lesozavodsky Industrial Plant-Tailoring"

— As far as I know, the main feature of your military uniform is infrared remission, thanks to which fighters are not detected by night vision devices. Tell us more about this technology.

— IR remission is ensured by impregnation with special pigments, which reflects infrared rays and thus repeats the camouflage pattern. If you look through a night vision device at a person in ordinary clothes, it will glow white even in pitch darkness.

A fighter in a uniform treated with a protective solution will become invisible to thermal imagers, unless, of course, his camouflage blends in with the surrounding area. That's why we produce equipment in moss colors, which are suitable for the landscape that prevails in the North-West region.

Good camouflage is the key to successful military operations, and when our customer asked to develop such a uniform, I had to thoroughly study the technology for producing fabric with infrared remission.

As it turns out, the reflective solution should only be applied to the fabric when it is dyed. Alas, in Russia there are businessmen who try to impose their services and impregnate fabric or uniforms that are ready for sewing. But after the first wash or getting wet, the solution will be washed off, and the “invisibility” effect will disappear. This can lead to tragic consequences for a fighter who is unaware that he is no longer protected from night vision devices.

— How are equipment with IR remission tested before delivery to the front?

— The plant operates under a contract with the Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Situations of Primorye, and the equipment is tested by the Tiger fighters themselves at a military training ground in our region. We have a very demanding customer, and not a single model from our range goes into mass production without his approval and the necessary modifications.

The form with IR remission was tested in the SVO zone and showed excellent results. This is talked about not only in the volunteer detachment, but also by the mobilized guys from Lesozavodsk, who went to the front in our equipment. They ask that the plant additionally send clothing for them and their comrades directly to the Northern Military District zone. We don’t have such an opportunity yet, since almost all of our facilities work for Tiger, but we will try to develop production and help our fellow countrymen.

—Can you compare modern Russian and NATO military uniforms? Is IR remission used in Western samples?

— IR remission is present in Western equipment. It is unlikely that NATO clothing is worse in quality of material and cut. But if you still compare, then the fact that its clothing industry strives to maximally adapt its products to the recommendations of military personnel plays in Russia’s favor. In this regard, domestic equipment is better adapted to the natural and climatic conditions of new territories and to the harsh reality of combat operations. It can definitely be said that the experience of the SVO turned out to be invaluable for the clothing industry of the Russian Federation.

  • Volunteers of the Tiger unit

  • © Ivan Dyakin / Government of Primorsky Krai

— How many sets of uniforms with IR remission have you already delivered to the front? Do local authorities support you?

— We began serial production of equipment with IR remission in the fall of 2023 and from September to December produced 2 thousand items of clothing. During this period, Tiger fighters received another 2.5 thousand raincoats, pouches, first aid kits and other ammunition. Sewing high-quality military uniforms is a complex process and takes a lot of time, and the demand for it is growing. To accelerate the pace, this year we will purchase new automatic equipment that will be used by the operator. This will allow us to increase production volumes while maintaining high quality.

The regional authorities support us and help us solve pressing problems. At the end of last year, the head of the region came to our enterprise in Lesozavodsk. It was clear how deeply Oleg Kozhemyako was immersed in issues related to the military equipment of the Tiger fighters.

If we talk about the industry as a whole, the light industry of Primorye has begun to grow, and this process began even before the Northern Military District. In 2021, the regional government, together with the “My Business” entrepreneurship support center of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, launched the “Cyber ​​studio and creative industries of Primorye” project, which is now called “M.A.K.I. Primorye".

As part of the project, I received a grant of 1 million rubles. This money was used to purchase equipment and training materials for the enterprise.

Last year, the plant became one of the winners of the “Stamps - Symbols of Primorye” competition and received a certificate for the purchase of equipment worth 2 million rubles. Having invested the same amount, we purchased a complex to open a new production line. Thanks to the attention to our industry, my colleagues and I believed in ourselves and were able to modernize our production base.

  • Volunteers of the Tiger battalion (in the center is the governor of Primorye Oleg Kozhemyako)

  • © Government of Primorsky Krai

— What new military ammunition do you plan to release in 2024?

“To date, we have developed a line of military clothing that does not burn or melt upon contact with open fire or liquid metal. We are talking about underwear made from antistatic knitwear with special impregnation. It will primarily protect the crews of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles that come under fire.

Fire-resistant long-sleeve T-shirts and long johns will not ignite and will protect the skin from burns, and fighters will have time to jump out and throw off a layer of outer clothing that catches fire. We are now awaiting the delivery of equipment on which we will begin mass production of summer, demi-season and winter fire-resistant underwear. It starts in February. First of all, Tiger fighters will receive clothes.

By the end of 2024, we plan to develop outerwear with fire-resistant impregnation. It should be light and comfortable and not resemble the tarpaulin that firefighters use for their uniform. All three layers must provide fighters with warmth and comfort, but at the same time have high fire resistance.