However, in the early part of the 18th century, a shift towards developing the industrial capabilities of the Urals took place, more than doubling Russia's iron production.

[6] In 1828, a series of geological surveys began as part of an effort to determine the mineral make up of the Magnitnaya Mountain and create estimates of the possible amount of iron contained underneath it.

[8] As part of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin's First Five-Year Plan, the government decided to sponsor a project to build the world's largest steel production complex.

The plan to transform Magnitogorsk (which would become MMK) into an industrial complex was linked to the construction of the new city of Stalinsk, which had a large supply of coal.

[6][9] While there were disagreements regarding the timetable and massive shortages of supplies, the project to build the complex began in 1929 with the influx of thousands of Soviet workers.

The American contractors were critical of the project's handling and frustrated by its mismanagement, and as a result, the Soviets ended up designing a large proportion of the complex themselves.

The failure to properly organize the construction efforts was partly due to the Soviet government's tight deadlines, which they deemed essential to meet their Five Year Plan.

[9] In spite of claims made by the advisors from Arthur McKee & Company that the facilities were not yet ready for use, the furnaces at MMK were put into action in 1932, and the first flow of molten pig iron was produced.

[10] The notion of protecting the USSR's industrial base from invasion and bombing by locating it deep in the interior was not pursued as completely during the 1930s as it might have been; what parts of it were not overrun and confiscated by the Germans were hastily moved eastward in 1941 and 1942.

"[10]: 262–263  "...Thus, while no figures will be available for some time, it is my opinion that large portions of the industrial machinery formerly located in areas now occupied by the Germans, instead of being captured by them, are already in operation a thousand or more miles east of the present front, in Stalin's Ural Stronghold.

Owing to the completion of such a large plant and its capability to fully cycle ore into the final product, the nation survived the loss of huge tracts of territory to the Germans.

It is partly due to these children that Magnitogorsk was able to build the first tanks and aircraft, as they collected 57 million rubles to help the war front.

There was a huge housing shortage, so on August 25 the factory leadership decided to initiate a project which included the development of barracks and huts.

[22] The plant, which has a capacity of 2.5 million tons of steel products a year, was officially opened by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on March 9, 2011.

[28] Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works reported total CO2e emissions (Direct + Indirect) of 26,798 kilotons for a twelve-month period, ending on 31 December 2020.