Beloretsk

Beloretsk grew around an ironworks on the Belaya River in the southern Urals. Merchants Ivan Tverdyshev and Ivan Myasnikov established the works on land bought from Bashkirs of the Belokatay district. Construction began in 1762 after permission was obtained to move a planned works to the Belaya; the first recorded smelting of pig iron followed in 1767. Russian peasants brought from other provinces and Bashkirs from nearby villages were settled at the plant.

In April 1774 Yemelyan Pugachev reached Beloretsk after defeat near Orenburg. For several weeks the works served as a center of his rebellion: workers and peasants formed detachments, and weapons and ammunition were produced there. Bashkir forces were gathered in support before Pugachev's army departed in May. The works continued production after the revolt, making more than 150,000 puds of pig iron in 1799.