The oil industry in our country began to actively develop in the 1860s. Penza, although in a different aspect, did not lag behind this process. The city had specialized fuel shops, such as the one located at 12 Moskovskaya Street.

The shop was officially called "Ragozin and Company Oil Production Partnership," but they sold not only oils but also kerosene, sebonaft, oleonid, astralin, and other chemical products. The business was quite profitable, and the fate of the shop owner, Viktor Ragozin, is particularly interesting. In his youth, he worked for the shipping company "Druzhina," which dealt with fuel transportation, and noticed that oil waste was simply being dumped. Then he came up with the idea of processing this waste. Ragozin left his job at the shipping company and began looking for investors. The shareholders built a factory, which soon became very profitable. Thus, Ragozin, starting as a simple sailor, became a millionaire, realizing the true "American dream." His oleonaf was considered the best in the world, and in 1878 at the World Exhibition in Paris, Russian products received a Gold Medal.

This shop was not the only one in Russia; Ragozin had an extensive retail network. Thus, profits from oil began even during the era of Tsarist Russia.

In 1878, Ragozin built the largest oil distillation plant near Yaroslavl. However, in 1882, financial violations were discovered in the activities of the Partnership, and Ragozin was removed from managing the plant, after which his Partnership ceased to exist. Nevertheless, fate gave Ragozin a chance to continue his activities in Baku, where he moved in 1883 and joined the management of the "S. M. Shibaev and Co." Partnership. Ragozin's achievements in oil refining are best characterized by the words of D. I. Mendeleev: "the production of oil lubricating oils arose thanks to his energetic initiative in the 1870s. It is of great importance for the development of the entire Russian oil business. Ragozin's example will forever remain in the memory of Russians."