The first ladle of steel was melted in Zaporizhstal open-hearth furnace shop on September 21, 1935.  Till March 24, 1941 eight more 185-ton furnaces were put into operation. By this time the level of production had reached 745 thousand tons of steel per year. The tenth open-hearth furnace was planned to be put into operation in August 1941. But it did not take place, the war prevented it.
Zaporizhstal steel makers were evacuated, mainly, to Magnitogorsk and Anshinskiy Metallurgical Works. Having returned from evacuation, the open-hearth furnace workers found their shop almost completely destroyed. Self-denying work of Zaporizhstal workers on restoration of its native production has allowed to receive in April 1948 the first post-war steel. Furnace ¹ 1 started operating. In December 1949 all the 10 open-hearth furnaces were restored. And in 1957 two more furnaces were put into operation. In 1952 the initiators of a complex competition for producing high-speed steel, Yakimenko, Martynov, Nebylitsin, produced 176 thousand tons of steel in an ordinary furnace. It was an unwitnessed result not only in our country but also abroad. However, in 1955 the seventh furnace produced 200 thousand tons of steel per year. And in four years the steel makers of the eighth open-hearth furnace produced 240 thousand tons of steel. A year later the Zaporozhye steel makers established a world record on furnace No.2, producing 250 thousand tons of steel.  Perfection of the open-hearth furnace production went on continuously at the Works.
- In 1953-1956 oxygen started to be used to produce steel.
- In 1949-1957 chromium-magnesite roofs were installed.
- In 1960-1963 natural gas was supplied to the furnace.
- In 1970 continuous measuring of liquid steel was done.
- In 1964-1977 concrete spraying was used.
- In 1977 steel was poured through gate valves.
- In 1990 quartzite for ladles was used and transition to as cast lining took place.
During major overhauls the furnaces were reconstructed with increase of their capacity from 240 up to 500 tons. Designs of the pouring ladles and cranes changed. Production on twin-bath units was mastered.
 
In 70 years the Works? open-hearth furnace shop produced about 198m tonnes of steel. In 2002 it took only 8 hours and 51 minutes to melt steel in the 500-ton furnaces. The steel makers? labour was marked by many government awards. The “Hero of Socialist Labour” was awarded to: M.T. Kinebas, I.A. Kaela, G.K. Pometun. E.P. Proskurin and V.A.Sivoded became laureates of the State Prize. Among the workers of the shop there are 28 “Honoured Metallurgists of Ukraine”, 12 bearers of the “Order of Lenin”, 27 bearers of the “Order of the Red Banner of Labour”, 11 bearers of the “Order of Glory of Labour”. The Badge of Honour “Merit of the President” has been awarded to V.K. Malinovskiy. | 
