1926-1940
Official «birthday» of Rostselmash Company is considered July 21, 1929. The first products were manufactured on this day at production site in Rostov-on-Don: peasant run, lateral rake, tractor ploughs, and sowing aggregates.
Created as agricultural tool plant, in a year, Rostselmash receives new main direction of production activity – production of crop machines.
On June 30, 1930, the first Russian harvester “Kolkhoz” was produced and successfully passed tests.
In summer 1931, in the research workshop of the harvester workshop being constructed, the assembly of two harvesters of more perfect design was completed, and these harvesters were named “Stalinets”. The new machines were tested together with American harvesters. The Rostselmash machines operated better and, unlike of foreign harvesters, were able to harvest not only wheat, but also sunflower seeds, corn and millet.
In January 1932, the harvester assembly workshop of Rostselmash plant was established, and the first echelon of Stalinets-1 harvesters was sent in May to the country fields. From this moment, Russia stopped to import harvesters, but also started to export them.
1937 became the year of triumphal opening of Rostselmash for Europe at International Industry Exhibition in Paris, where Stalinets-1 harvester was sent. Just during transportation, the French people were very interested in the Russian harvester, and the people made crowds in the streets to see the unprecedented machine. Upon the Paris exhibition results, the Stalinets-1 harvester was awarded the highest award – the Grand Prix Diploma and the gold medal.
The Rostselmash harvesters made the real revolution in agricultural-industrial complex. The best harvester operators have made on them world records of harvesting. For example, 6012 hectares were harvested in Tchkalov Region (before – 378 hectares), and fuel economy comprised 16 tons. Two Stalinets-1 harvesters replaced 1637 persons, 373 horses, 25 reapers, 25 threshers, 25 winnowers, 40 separators, and, in case of doing this work manually, 3323 persons would be required.
In 1938, the agricultural fair was held in Moscow, where Rostselmash got the first grade diploma.
On June 14, 1940, the number 50000 Stalinets-1 harvester was assembled at main conveyor.