The synthesis of cordierite in mixtures of magnesia and clay raw materials recovered from deposits in Siberia is studied experimentally. For reference, a mixture based on clay from the Veselovskoe deposit (Ukraine) is used. To promote the synthesis, raw materials are mechanically activated using a vibratory centrifugal mill. The synthesis can be brought to completion at lower temperatures under mechanical activation conditions using a cordierite addition. Production of synthetic cordierite and cordierite products (blocks of catalyst carries with a cellular structure) organized on a pilot-plant basis at the G. K. Boreskov Institute of Catalysis is reported.