Glorious Shite of Soligorsk, Former Soviet Republic Belarus

[Torsten2001]

I have just had cause to visit this magnificent country and wherever possible I have secretly gone out of my way to photograph the abundance of shite in every nook and cranny. If you ever wondered where all the mark 2 Passats and facelift Audi 80's went, look no further. Even after a week in the grey cantons that are this wonderful place I still found myself squealing with delight every time I saw a Lada (Shiguli), Moskvich, ZAZ or Volga and fcuk knows there were millions of them, relax and enjoy your trip:

Welcome to Soligorsk!

Gorgeous pre 1980 Lada / Shiguli showing Soviet era Minsk plates right outside my favourite restaurant!

One of many many Opel Rekords

The first of thousands of Mk 2 Passats I saw, all of which were resprayed possibbly as they had been in terrible German crashes before they were imported!

Spotted on a window of a small farm outside of Soligorsk, christ knows how a Dunedin of Edinburgh sticker got there!

I'd never seen a 2 door VW Jetta before, then I saw loads:

Another lovely Lada / Shiguli with post 1980 Soviet plates:

A beautiful Samara, you can buy them new at $5000, this has post 1980 Soviet plates

Moskvich Corner, I'm captivated by these glorious things!

On post 2004 Belarus plates but obviously much older!

a nice Kombi in more or less original condition, post 1980 Sov plates

late-ish AZLN model, early (post 1992) Belarus plates

Pre 1980 AZLN on Sov plates

a Moskvich Aleko, the last model

Supposed to be based on a Chrysler Alpine

The very first Mosky!

note the bonnet ornament

Apparently still in use

nice early one

back to other stuff, a mid 1990's Lada / Shiguli 1200s with facelift bumpers

Opel Kadett mit boot!

another right old pre 1980 Shiguli

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/6372662933756302d150db9caecd3b9497288fb55ac2d30ba15ed6a588d9cc9a08d8617a.jpg

an Audi 100, most are used as taxis, heavy duty springs and sounding like a bag of nails

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/2029767020dac2dceae87e15518604d6161853b553955ee2bb3c0b37df8a5f466dc49ab7.jpg

Anew model UAZ Patriot outside the town hall:

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/560948116a604cbf815da112ef7d47564afc3e1361d1db926c3d3b22a485297282f105d0.jpg

Which is based on the UAZ Hunter

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/586400308400dc26f1045480e33117e5f201e59de96d6388f7604adf50f400276fa0a751.jpg

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/83094801c95c4ed7c87c482ab1bfc0f373e4733998e3b192af008e09315d98525830af9c.jpg

or the light commercial UAZ, pronounced Wazz, or affectionally known as Wazzic!

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/012077083a7d3d577f5f8ec67f2cff29f3d3df5cd3a2ac75bc1204e128e1a0297c92eacc.jpg

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/94021998a38d458ad0e40989e1117c17582bd32b1ff9dc067f8c847b4a5a751288bdb39b.jpg

[Milford Cubicle]

Amazing! Is there much in the way of modern Western vehicles over there?I do love those UAZs, that crewcab one looks superb.

[pogweasel]

Ditto, I covet a "WAZZ" greatly. I suspect there's a roraring trade in cracked-bumper mondeo's & the like?

[Torsten2001]

Fancy some commercial shite?

Here's a GAZ Gazele, brand new Mk 3 Tranny lookie likey, they now own LDV so they might be coming our way!

a small Belarus tractor, don't laugh, this mofo has all the bells an whistles

a slightly larger one

a GAZ 53a which a lovely sounding 130bhp V8 petrol engine!

an abandoned KAZ

the local fire station has a brace of these ZIL's, again with a stunning V8

a T34 tank minus engine

No idea about this one, last driven in 04 and now seeminglt abandoned, any ideas? TAM maybe?

a ZIL

a later GAZ

definately a TAM

Can't remember the name of this but it is Russian and not a Bedford!

a pre 1980 GAZ bus still in daily use

[Torsten2001]

Amazing! Is there much in the way of modern Western vehicles over there?I do love those UAZs, that crewcab one looks superb.

Oh there's plenty of Western shite, mostly brought in as write offs from Germany then tarted up and sold on for stupid amounts, ie 1994 Mazda 323, $4000, and believe me they sell, how about a 1997 525 Beemer with under bonnet fire damage for $9500, crazy!The funny thing is the cars that seem to survive the best are Ladas, Moskies and Volgas, western shite can't take the abuse, what does seem to survive better than most is opel Asconas, Rekords, VW Passats and Audi 80 / 100, W123 Mercs and Ford Sierras. On the way to Minsk yesterday I was doing 140km on a shit road when I was overtaken at speed by two blokes in a fukced up 1970's Lada, you just can't knock their ability to just go on working!

[Torsten2001]

Ditto, I covet a "WAZZ" greatly. I suspect there's a roraring trade in cracked-bumper mondeo's & the like?

Plenty of Mondeos but ALL with good bumpers! Lots of room to park I reckon!

[Ross_K]

ZOMGZ etc.

 

Pick of the bunch for me...

[Torsten2001]

Carry On!

The wonderful KAMAZ

another GAZ

an enormous KRAZ

the tail end of a KRAZ outside a salt mine, monstrous things!

The Minsk Order Of Lenin on a beano, you could hear the rattle of medals from 50 yards!

In every car park shite lurks!

3 door grey pov spec Sierra!

a Zapharozhets! ZAZ 968M

a Dacia Denem! There was a Duster (badged ARO) on the hard shoulder of the motorway on the way from Minsk, it was still there a week later!

Niva

ZAZ Tavria

Nice early Volga

Daihatsu Cuore

Polonez

R25

Ascona and 626 Taxi

OKA Midget Car VAZ1111, not built as disabled carriages but that's what happened, subsequently no one able bodied bought one, I only saw two and this one is clearly abandoned with big holes in each sill

a Daewoo-ZAZ Tavria Nova!

a government Lada, the bloke was asleep in there for over three hours, hope he was okay!

nice Shiguli 1300

FSO

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/68014805889288c6d06d81339ba69705eaad632d38bf0ae84950c06d6269c26e61aa9d79.jpg

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/89892404abf8b2ab666b594257f49f0cc2368b815be4e6d88414e75d7281be7f8fc07fdf.jpg

Tatty Gallant

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/0494026426a5b09a043cc3793080d1da71f134ff4a0b64bed3e374e929dda38effebfc23.jpg

Onion taxi

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/760867302b03c88e53d5f7d711e51feab2db72667bcbe1e4c38e5852f9f7275ee68f036c.jpg

Datsun! Yours for €300!

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/6328591720c375488b54ad61098896d766ff94c24978dedf60b8f175535cf1dd0a23a3f1.jpg

...but check out the rear suspension!

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/3097911593d95cdc260af858b5ee24d5bc2a0ad9e4a68e74ae911a532d5ca0469550d688.jpg

Mk1 Passat

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/64217754aad3c6ddc936070fc16cd09ed9c91d841d587cedc619d8d667e8826dec9cf70f.jpg

626

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/38427854c623e0466b5d693fe396666a9b06288579d31d783074af3c539960de4670530c.jpg

More air than metal in those Scrote sills!

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/98582999259f1235a8d32d5418587e8cc7f786c7bbefbfa8095dc94e85007f96e8fa05bf.jpg

another 968M, the car that put rust into trusty!

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/631883265ddf35c5820ffc81e5f694e65bb9bb0b4ec71852a06e18dd170b3ad0557e91f4.jpg

Moskvich Kombi

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/270394597a8b032395a26b32b213e8836bf0000cc22cf5f5ce2c55be5e453da49aac2c1c.jpg

See, it's not all grey!

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/692849353a23488b9c84f3bb77642376aeee51d1120243f813a040ee696b321a45a4e74a.jpg

Mosky!

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/94011237d0e7171b9f51454a54f71c5c28e644e408922c11762d94f46e29cfe804b612a6.jpg

ZAZ Tavria Novi

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/09043485f80b679b7a7e9b6a75c41a3f5f99772a6a88bed8cc510cdf320293172b88f478.jpg

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/36742819aca54ee8ff3a25d46bde53fb506207da6e2d2cf617b0766db1bec7f7998cef9a.jpg

a 5 door Niva

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/18222996e6882eb7e139bbc64e5b5f7ce948bf7d81d319fd2928cb42ae72309f2c98f0e1.jpg

So with a little reeeeespeck to Mr V.I. Lenin...

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/29156554cb0dced8abbed00e46af02944630c6134d5f1f8d6c2df281669cc16064836fbd.jpg

a sweep past the town hall...

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/0322186741989a2c962c88d2d36458217f751594f8ab3c75c12793ec79ad59c989bf9255.jpg

We leave the beautiful city of Soligorsk to bask in it's rich heritage and ennjoy it's 50th anniversary...

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/50116211d3dcc4135c126164e3570214d41670f9d0641ffa8b6a38ec52a25d0fe2d0718c.jpg

It's off on the road to Minsk only to get stuck behind 1 of seemingly 1000's of Combine Harvesters...

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/00930259eb905ba9fcec2fdf1cf31b004e2e483172a177de6486b7af5aead7db1c89c05b.jpg

Eventually i arrive at Minsk Airport 2 and behold the sight of lines of Tupelov airliners abandoned beside the runway

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/242369787349c6c973bd6b996a6c63e60da2097c1f2406712f673943c0ffc6da62f5c154.jpg

and bugger off to London

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/530568748f9adbf4c87ee81bf777a816e5356b2668c536195ae014988a68f69930e6db18.jpg

G'night!

[Spottedlaurel]

Excellent stuff!

[andrew e]

A 5 door Niva The feroro roche of 4x4's ! You spoil us ambassador Torsen

[nigel bickle]

Next time ,book a 1 way ticket and take an A frame. You know my taste & you know it makes sense. Really.

[michiel]

Superb shots! I love those ZAZ 968 thingies, and the Mosks, and the mad camber at the rear of the Bluebird. GR8 4 etc.

[Torsten2001]

Next time ,book a 1 way ticket and take an A frame. You know my taste & you know it makes sense. Really.

Get this Nigel, I was offered a garage stored 1958 Pobeda M20 for nowt, ZAZ's for £50 working, basically a look through their equivalent of loot would bring you early '70's Soviet shit for f-all, the only problem is getting them out!However, if you fancy a bit of that, let me know!

[RedSparrow]

Great pictures - Thank you!

 

This is a Polish Nysa van, most of which were used by government organisations etc.

[Torsten2001]

so I lied! I'm sorry!

[Split_Pin]

Fantastic stuff! Amazing to see Zaphos still being used!!! Were they not supposed to be kind of death-traps? Love them all the same So glad to see the old 'BA3' alive and kicking over there.Doesnt surprise me that you say most western stuff doesnt stand up to the punishing roads there, but I'm both surprised and glad to see that 80's GM cars can take it!I would love to visit this part of the world, soley for the wonderful tat lining the streets.

[j-j]

Wow you flew on a Tupolev! respec.

[garethj]

Have 1,000,000 roving reporter points If shite motors make such good money there, then surely the import/export market is a perfect place to be.ebay.de for 1980s VW Passats then drive out with one of those huge trucks loaded with ZAZs, UAZs and Ladas. Reckon you can do it with a $50 bribe and some Levis 501s?

[Torsten2001]

the import tax is crippling, I think they have a 7 year old limit and RHD ban on these imports too!

[Dead_E23]

Get this Nigel, I was offered a garage stored 1958 Pobeda M20 for nowt, ZAZ's for £50 working, basically a look through their equivalent of loot would bring you early '70's Soviet shit for f-all, the only problem is getting them out!

I'll have a dozen ZAZs, please. With any luck, that should provide enough bits to make a good one.At those prices, I'm surprised that some enterprising metal dealer hasn't minced them all up and sold them to the Chinese. Is there a reason why they haven't, do you know?

[AXrescuer]

Wow you flew on a Tupolev! respec.

Looks more like he was about to board a Boeing. That seems to be a 737 nose with the steps.

[Torsten2001]

yes indeed it was a Boeing, but it was surrounded by decaying Tupolevs!