The ZVS large-caliber ammunition production line in Dubnica nad Vahom, Slovakia, on March 11.
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Stretched over a winding valley and secluded by trees, the vast complex in the small town of Dubnica nad Vahom is testament to Czechoslovakia’s past as a Cold War arms manufacturer, and also the industry’s bleak outlook after the fall of communism.
Some of the facilities were rented to new businesses. One made printer cartridges, another made school benches. Production of air rifles kept the company, ZVS Holding AS, largely afloat. The number of employees dropped from 7,000 to a few hundred.