Chemical producer TogliattiAzot (‘ToAZ’) is based in the Samara region, about one thousand kilometres south-east of Moscow. With billions of dollars in equity and approximately 5,000 employees, it is one of the world’s largest ammonia producers – most of which is used as fertilizer in agriculture to grow food in dozens of countries on five continents. ToAZ has been designated as being of “strategic economic importance” by the Russian government.

TogliattiAzot’s story began in 1974 with the construction of its first nitrogen plant, as part of a joint venture between Occidental Petroleum and the Soviet Government. In 1985 Vladimir Makhlai was appointed its Director General. Vladimir Makhlai was succeeded by Evgeny Korolev (as CEO) in 2011, while Sergei Makhlai was appointed Chairman of the Board in the same year. Both were removed from their positions in 2015 as part of the illegal corporate raid on ToAZ.

During the post-Soviet reforms ToAZ was privatized. Until very recently, the current top management of the company was composed of Chairman of the Board Petr Ordzhonikidze and General Director of CJSC Corporation Togliattiazot Dmitry Mezheedov. Being one of the largest employers in the Samara region, TogliattiAzot has been providing most of the services and social programs to Tolyatti, a city of 720,000 inhabitants.