>the name literally comes from the Russian town of Asbest which is known for exporting, you guessed it, asbestos

Seems incorrect.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/asbestos

Etymology

From Old French abestos, from Latin asbestos, itself from Ancient Greek ἄσβεστος (ásbestos, “unquenchable, inextinguishable”), from ᾰ̓- (ă-, “not”) + σβέννῡμῐ (sbénnūmĭ, “I quench, quell”).