Rafting timber on the Malaya Bira River near a plywood factory. 1937
Photo: State Archive of the Jewish Autonomous Region
November 24, 1936
On November 24, 1936, the plywood plant went into operation, and at 2 o’clock in the afternoon a ceremonial meeting (12+) took place in the main hall of the plant. This is how the construction of the plant is described in the newspaper “Birobidzhan Star” (12+) on November 24, 1936:
“In the winter of 1935, a group of people came to the lake formed by the Bira branch. They cleared the area of snow, bushes and hummocks, measured it, pulled a cord, and drove pegs into the ground. The first builders of the plywood factory were carpenters Comrades Fetisov and Belov. In early spring, they dug foundation pits. The boilers were filled with water. People pumped out the water and dug again. Water delayed the work, took a lot of energy and time from people. But, as the builders say, the foundation was covered. The team of carpenters, Comrade Fetisov and Belov, were building a warehouse, cutting logs. The construction manager faced enormous difficulties.
The first Stakhanovites of plywood construction were masons etc. Kiva and Teslenko, who gave several standards for bricklaying, mechanic Comrade Tshchina organized a mechanical workshop.
Often the foreman and mechanic turned into supply agents and, instead of their main work, went in search of cement, logs, and a blacksmith's angle.
When the construction of the main building was completed, it turned out that the plant would need to build its own power plant. There were no funds, there was no project. All this taken together delayed the commissioning of the plant. With exceptional energy, mechanic Comrade Karpman, head. The workshop of Comrade Arnapolin, led the team that worked on the installation of workshops.
Now all the troubles, all the construction problems are behind us. Difficulties have been overcome. The plant is ready…
Near the lake, on the territory of the plant, there are already harvested raw materials used for the production of plywood – ash, birch. In the coming days, these raw materials, sawn into logs, will go into the factory vat, pass through the peeling room and the main hall will produce the first sheet of plywood for our city.”
Day in the history of the Jewish Autonomous Region. Photo: Photo: Regional Library
November 24, 1978
The XXIII Birobidzhan district party conference was held, which discussed the reports of the district committee of the CPSU and the audit commission of the district party organization. At the conference it was noted that the district had fulfilled the three-year five-year plan in all respects. During this period, the average annual volume of vegetable procurement increased by 35%, potatoes – by 70%, soybeans – by 30%, milk – by 33.4% and meat – by 83%.
Teams of industrial enterprises, construction organizations, trade and consumer services in Birobidzhan successfully completed the plans of two years of the five-year plan and ten months of 1978.
The conference elected a new composition of the district committee of the CPSU, the audit commission and delegates to the XXII regional party conference.
November 24, 2004
The Legislative Assembly of the Jewish Autonomous Region adopted the laws “On some issues of the state civil service of the Jewish Autonomous Region” and “On the name of local government bodies in the municipalities of the Jewish Autonomous Region”.
November 24, 2016
The Legislative Assembly of the Jewish Autonomous Region adopted the law “On certain issues in the field of industrial policy in the territory of the Jewish Autonomous Region.”
