From Molecules to Big Chemistry

Metafrax Chemicals and the KCB (Kizel Coal Basin) museum opened the exhibition “Great Chemistry” in Gubakha to mark the 70th anniversary of the company.

You can get acquainted with the history of the company's foundation, trace the stages of its development, assemble a methanol molecule, examine pentaerythritol under a microscope, and also find out how the Kuznetsov acupressure mat and Gubakha polyamide are connected: all this can be done at the exhibition “Great Chemistry”, which opened on October 17 at the Gubakha museum of local history (KCB museum). The exhibition is part of a joint project of the company and the museum dedicated to the 70th anniversary of JSC Metafrax Chemicals.

Albert Khudaibirdin, Managing Director for Production at Metafrax Chemicals:

“For our town, Metafrax is more than a factory. The fate of several generations of Gubakha residents is inextricably linked with the company. For 70 years, the team has come a long way: from the first workshops and pilot plants to modern, advanced production, known throughout the country and abroad. This exhibition is our common history, a testament to the strength, dedication and talent of all those who built and developed our company. May our story continue with new achievements.”

Photos, archive documents, chronicles: the exhibition tells about key periods of the company's history, paying special attention to the current stage and the close connection of the plant's development with the life of Gubakha. Among the exhibits are unique artifacts: part of the rail collection from the railway workshop, consumer goods produced by the company in the Soviet times, products made of Gubakha polyamide, technical documents for the construction of the Big Methanol project. Each of them has its own story, meaning and significance.

A space for children has been created as part of the exhibition. Here they will be told in an accessible and fascinating way about the company's products, where they are used. Young chemists will be able to assemble a methanol molecule and examine one of the company's products, pentaerythritol, under a microscope. On the opening day of the exhibition, the children of Metafrax employees were the first to set off on a journey through the Big Chemistry. They learned a lot about the products and their applications, and at the end of the tour, they made badges for themselves.

At the exhibition opening, Viktor Maier, Deputy Managing Director for Production, spoke about milestones in the development of the Gubakha chemical plant, now the Metafrax Chemicals company. He thanked Yevgenia Shaburova, museum director, and the entire museum staff for their professional work in creating the exhibition. Nikolai Lazeikin, Head of the Gubakha municipal district, and Andrei Yeremeyev, Technical Director of Metafrax, also participated in the exhibition opening.

The exhibition “Great Chemistry” will be open at the KCB Museum (Gubakha, Lenin street, 38) until the end of August 2026. We invite veterans and employees of the enterprise, all residents and guests of the town to get acquainted with the history of the foundation and development of Gubakha chemistry.