During the Eastern Front (World War II) or the Great Patriotic War, the plant was almost completely destroyed (immediately before the start of the battles for the liberation of the city, on September 6–7, 1943. The underground workers operating at the plant, led by I.I. Kholoshin, including prisoners of war and assistants from the factory guards, disarmed the factory guards, occupied and saved warehouses, a garage, a telephone exchange and a special factory workshop from destruction).. Already in the fall of 1943, the restoration of the plant began. After the end of the war the plant was reconstructed and expanded.