Stories about the Soviet Union still excite people's minds. Moreover, both those who happened to live in a huge country, and those who were born after its collapse.
Most things from the USSR seem quite normal and understandable to modern people. But there are objects whose purpose raises questions.
And today we will look at 40 amazing things that our parents and grandparents used. Or maybe you used these things too. In any case, it will be interesting to plunge into an era that is irretrievably gone.
1. The Rosinka juicer is superior in power and longevity to its Western counterparts.
2. Hair machine. Only for harsh Soviet people.
3. Puzzles. Long before the popular computer game"Zuma".
4. "Jumping frog." One of the iconic toys of the Soviet era.
5. If it weren’t for the visible connector, this thing could have been mistaken for, say, a prehistoric hair dryer. But it's still a microphone.
6. Toy lunar rover.
7. Vacuum cleaner “Rocket”. A great helper for cleaning your home. Such copies of different colors still work. You can buy a perfectly working copy.
8. Soviet stereoscope, adored not only by children, but also by adults.
9. A device for burning patterns or inscriptions on a wooden surface. Every little boy's dream.
10. Souvenir knife “Fish” for an avid fisherman.
11. “Nine” on radio control. It was later that foreign cars powered by batteries came to replace the toy VAZ.
12. Portable video game with interchangeable screens. Not just Tetris...
13. Clothes hangers. Additional feature: built-in cleaning brushes.
14. Radio station “Rhythm-304”, which was happily placed in every home.
15. Another lunar rover. At that time they loved to look at the sky. And dream.
16. The Sportloto lottery was very popular. Even children played it, although not for real.
17. Metal musical instrument, called a metallophone.
18. Pocket Las Vegas or casino for the whole family.
19. A novice electrician’s device is a voltmeter.
20. Sharpening blades using this machine was common.
21. Hand drill. It took a lot of work to make a couple of holes even in a wooden surface.
22. Where was the Soviet bread stored? That's right, in bread bins. These are such wonderful boxes.
23. Flashlight “Chernivtsi” from a local electronics and household appliances plant.
24. Manual mixer. To prepare a cake for the whole family, the Soviet housewife spent a lot of effort on cooking.
25. Vacuum cleaner “Uralets”. Very powerful and noisy. Such devices still work today.
26. Cookie cutters. Almost eternal.
27. The Vesna tape recorders came with such a wonderful microphone.
28. Soviet drivers took exams at the traffic police on such devices called “Vyatka-5”.
29. Fitness classes with the Zarya pedometer.
30. Electronic radio designer.
31. A garden knife, which was also called a pirate knife. A serious weapon for a tough boy.
32. Artificial fly. An indispensable tool for harmless jokes.
33. An ordinary wallet, from which, say, grandchildren were given a few kopecks for ice cream.
34. Toy robot for children junior classes. Clockwork.
35. Videos of our grandparents.
36. The most powerful home vacuum cleaner “Vykhr”.
37. The Tumbler toy, which fosters perseverance in Soviet children.
38. Almost eternal flashlight “Bug”. Just have time to change the light bulbs. It was charged with the handle of a dynamo.
39. Device for baking sweet waffles. By the way, we have previously written about, which are still found in our kitchens today.
40. Moskvich on pedals. Personal transport from an early age.
These wonderful things were very popular during the USSR. Now they seem strange and incomprehensible. But simple ones soviet people worked a lot to save up money for the same vacuum cleaner “Vykhr” or tape recorder “Spring”. And such purchases were a real holiday for the whole family.
Now the abundance of things on display is enormous, but the objects from them evoke incomparable awe. After all, they take you back decades ago, to a time when the world was completely different.
What thing surprised you? Share in the comments.
Retro (also retro style; retro style from the Latin Retro “back”, “turned to the past”, “retrospective”) is a rather abstract art-historical term used to describe various categories of antique things that have a certain cultural and/or material value, and, as a rule, not often found in modern Everyday life with its deliberate practicality and desire to get rid of “extra” details.
Let's take a step back in time and remember some really wonderful things! In this antique 1941 section you can recall things from the USSR that we used and that surrounded us.
In the post-war period in the USSR there was an interesting rich life with simple toys, similar to communist attributes. People, for the most part with selfless faith in the happy bright future of developed socialism, rejoiced even in little things... Now the antique 1941 USSR goods presented in our catalog often evoke a smile, nostalgia and good memories.
Buy things from the USSR
On our website Antik1941 you can buy real Soviet vintage items with a quality mark.
Various retro and vintage goods are widely represented: ashtrays and cigarette cases, abacus and calculators, cameras and measuring instruments, cabinet busts and clocks, antique piggy banks and boxes, and many other household items: boxes, hangers, corkscrews, locks, coasters, cutlery, children's Christmas decorations.
Original souvenirs of the 80 Olympics
Especially worth noting are the souvenirs of the 1980 Olympics, such as porcelain figurines with an Olympic bear. After all, if you think about it, more than a decade has passed since then! Products from the past are like instant travel back in time. They bear signs of another era, recall long-past events, revive forgotten experiences and special feelings. For many, Soviet times are carefree childhood, hot youth, exciting youth.
Most of the lots presented are items in excellent condition, a considerable number of which are real rarities.
Soviet porcelain is great love not only real collectors, but also lovers of the VINTAGE style, people who understand exclusive, truly high-quality and rare things. Connoisseurs of antiquity especially appreciate porcelain, made in the USSR by the hands of famous craftsmen. Soviet porcelain They are collected not only in Russia and the CIS countries, but throughout the world. Things, household and interior items made in Soviet times, today are of interest to many people as historical objects. After all, antiques reflect the history of the country and a bygone era...
Well, what else can you say? Nostalgia, as it is, in its purest form. When you look at individual “exhibits,” you begin to feel a pang in your chest. We indulge in memories of the glorious 80s, shed tears of joy, and comment. So, dear comrades, welcome to the virtual museum of the USSR! :)
Anniversary ruble. As far as I remember, they tried not to waste them - they kept them as exhibits, in boxes :)
Banknotes of 1, 3, 25 and 50 rubles, model 1961. Well, all sorts of pennies :)
A 100 ruble banknote of the 1991 model.
After the collapse of the Union and the next reform, solid Soviet banknotes turned into such funny and almost worthless “candy wrappers”.
Amazing thing! No plastic or paper bags can replace the usual Soviet string bag. I have never seen anything more spacious in my life.
A true classic! Soda without syrup - 1 kopeck, with syrup - 3. Few people cared about the hygienic side of the issue, so everyone who was not too lazy used one faceted glass. And few people thought of stealing it :)
How delicious it was!
I had the exact same set when I was a kid! The paper really felt like velvet to the touch, very pleasant. The item, it seems, was quite scarce - so I spent it very carefully.
And I had an atlas exactly like this!
Siphon cans were also an extremely scarce item in my time. That's why mom always bought several packages.
Well, here is, in fact, the siphon itself. The soda turned out to be very tasty, probably because it was prepared practically with my own hands :)
Panacea for all diseases! In those years, the Vietnamese “Zvezdochka” was used to treat everything from a runny nose to fractures. And the magazine “Science and Life” published a whole article with drawings showing which points on the body the balm should be rubbed into in order to heal.
Personally, these batteries powered my first radio-controlled car, lunar rover and, when I got older, my first cassette recorder :)
In all cinemas in the country, tickets were of the same type. And even in my years there was such fun - the game of “tickets”. The difference between the numbers in the serial number of the ticket was counted in clicks in favor of the larger one :)
"Sportloto" is the main lottery in the country. There were specialists who built entire systems in which the chances of winning the main cash prize increased significantly.
Well, a couple more lottery tickets those years.
The main "scam" of the early 90s. I think there is no need to talk about how it all ended...
Another sad example of how a naive population followed the lead of a slack state. The word “privatization” still evokes only negative emotions for many. Just like the surname "Chubais".
There was actually a book “hidden” in the keychain. I don’t remember its exact contents, but it’s almost certainly something sublimely patriotic :)
"Primer". So, from the very first grade, the bright ideas of communism were instilled in the children.
I remember that there was definitely such crap in our house. But its practical meaning remains a mystery to me :)
Well, this is - golden classic. Such bottles were literally worth their weight in gold, so they were used many times. The main and most convenient container for milk and kefir in the USSR.
And here comes the milk. The same thing, in triangular paper bags...
And concentrated, in a jar. For some reason this is what they added to tea.
Another frequent guest of Soviet refrigerators is Druzhba processed cheese. The best snack for vodka :)
I am sure that this is exactly the kind of - cottony, soft - Santa Claus who stood under every home Christmas tree. And for some, especially thrifty ones, this figurine has probably survived to this day.
Everyone went to the market with these “control” scales. The percentage of weight gain in those years was minimal.
Legendary video recorder "Electronics VM-12". It cost like a spaceship, but the picture quality left much to be desired. But if you had it, it meant that everything was fine with you. And even better.
Who among those born in the 80s did not collect inserts? After paper rubles, these candy wrappers were almost the second currency in every school. We “sulked” with these inserts both before and after, and even instead of lessons. The entertainment was incredibly exciting, unlike modern computer games.
Such pennants hung in any “Red Corner”. And for some even on the wall carpet.
A single headdress for 90% of all Soviet girls. Leveling, damn it :)
Flexible plate. Absolutely cosmic thing. Personally, I couldn’t wrap my head around how music could fit on this thing. And the way these records
recorded It was completely beyond consciousness!
And here, by the way, is the Krugozor magazine, which was published along with exactly these records, in the form of tabs between the pages.
And here is the portable player "Yunost" - then, it seems, there were no others...
A gramophone record with a musical fairy tale " The Bremen Town Musicians". It was worn down to a completely unworkable state, I really loved it :)
These simple puzzles, in various modifications, were found in almost every Soviet home. The “Triangle” infuriated me, but the “Cylinder”, on the contrary, made me happy - it was easier to assemble :)
Ready room. There was no point in going to school with such a bandura - out of the entire set, only a couple of items were useful in class. But still - a very beautiful thing! Here the case is upholstered in green velvet - it was not considered very good. Red velvet - that was cool! :)
Faceted mugs. Thanks to the light hand of sculptor Vera Mukhina, they ended up in every Soviet kitchen.
Graphite pencils. In those years, my grandfather worked as a graphic designer - his whole house was littered with such pencils.
What kind of home theaters? What are you talking about? Slide projector! The coolest entertainment! The smell of burnt film, a dark room, a tiny square of light on the wall and filmstrips!
And here they are, by the way. As a rule, boxes with names rarely corresponded to the contents :)
Voice recorder "Topaz D-202". There has never been such a thing in our family, because it was unnecessary. I took it here to complete the collection :)
By the way, you could attach a microphone like this to the recorder...
Or these headphones :)
Soviet perfumery. Perfume "Red Moscow".
Cologne "Olympic"
Well, the classics, of course. "Triple". A universal thing. Some, they say, also drank it :)
Hole puncher. This office device has survived to this day.
Lust. The limit of dreams. It seemed that there was nothing better in this life! The taste lasted only a few minutes, but they continued to chew until they felt nauseous :)
The best and favorite magazine!
“Kolobok” is really for little ones. And instead of “Model Designer”, my mother subscribed to me the magazine “Young Technician”.
Bookmark. They were all like that - paper and very quickly worn out.
Green pea Hungarian brand "Globus". I don’t remember the taste of peas at all, but among all the products of this brand I can especially highlight vegetable mix. It was sold in large three-liter jars and was sooooo delicious!
In 1985, the XII international festival youth and students. A lot of souvenir products dedicated to this event were produced that year.
The same can be said about the famous Olympics-80.
On the left is the October icon, on the right is the pioneer. I managed to wear both on the lapel of my school jacket. The first icon is a little longer, the second is a little smaller :)
Continuing the theme of the school uniform - the "Schoolboy" chevron. Sewn onto the left (or right?) sleeve of a uniform jacket. Well, I immediately painted with a ballpoint pen :)
Tooth powder "Special". He lived in every Soviet bathroom and, due to the acute shortage of toothpaste, was in constant demand. It tasted...like it was softer..."Special", in general :)
It's not even a classic. This is Cult with a capital "C". Someone said that after gaining 1000 points, a cartoon appears on the screen. Watery eyes, calloused fingers, 998, 999, 1000 points!...And all over again. The first thought is to find and kill the person who told about the “cartoon” :)
And these are analogues. But...it's not the same anymore. “Well, wait a minute” - this is forever! :)
The game "Behind the Wheel" is another ultimate dream for any Soviet boy. I got this toy when I was 8 years old. It was a terribly scarce thing, for which I had to stand in a huge line at the Children's World. By the way, I had a very advanced model of this game - with pedals! :)
"Labyrinth". Another classic toy. I learned the layout of each level pretty quickly and it immediately became uninteresting.
"Tag". No comments:)
Magnetic "Checkers". I knew how to play them, but for some reason I didn’t like them.
But “Erudite” is a completely different matter! I remember playing with my mother...
Another classic - the 15-kopeck machine" Sea battle". In general, there were a lot of them, but this one was my favorite :) I remember that at one time these machines stood in the foyer of the Kulakovsky Palace of Culture (then the Palace of Culture and Technology)
By the way, here is another exhibit from this series.
I have never had a more interesting and exciting toy. No computers can be compared! I was lucky, my railway was very long and the main line was laid through almost all the rooms :)
Toy boat from the Riga toy factory "Straume". I was born in Riga, so, of course, I supported the local manufacturer as best I could :)
Toy "Starfish". The practical meaning is unclear. But for a collection it will do just fine :)
Transformer. I first saw such a toy when I was 10 years old. I turned it over in my hands, turned the robot into a car and back again - and immediately lost all interest in it. It's strange, but I still don't understand the hype around these toys.
Calendar-picture. I saw something similar when my mother and I came for some regular guests. Some kind of unaesthetic gadget :)
Calculator "Electronics B3-36". I remember he was very sophisticated, he could even calculate some complex trigonometric functions.
Stationery sets. I definitely had "Kimek". Although I never really knew how to draw :)
Pocket Tetris. I remember that our entire “Chinese market” was filled with such toys.
Kerosene lamp. Our house never had one like this, but my grandmother definitely had one. True, when the lights were turned off, she still used ordinary household candles. Apparently there were problems with kerosene :)
Cinema camera "Kyiv-16". For me, one of the most mysterious gadgets of those years. I still can’t imagine where you could buy film in those years? And what did they do with it after it was filmed? And what could you spin it on later? In general, some questions... :)
And here is another toy - a tabletop push-button "Basketball". I remember when I was still little, this game caused me great delight :)
Cockade. I don’t know which military branches it was on. But in my collection of badges there was definitely one like this.
Compass. Another device that was incomprehensible to me in those years. How it was possible to get out of the dense forest with its help was a big mystery to me :)
"Mikrosha", one of the first Soviet personal computers for household use. An absolutely killer machine, you could even program it in Assembly and Pascal.
In the 80s, email was not only unheard of, but not even thought of. At least in our country. Ordinary paper letters were sealed in ordinary envelopes like this, dropped into mailboxes hanging here and there, and waited for a response for weeks :)
A piggy bank for pennies is an extremely convenient thing.
Also a kind of “piggy bank”, only in the female version :)
How can instant coffee be natural? Nobody thought about this. There was simply nothing else...
Although, especially gifted coffee connoisseurs managed to buy it in beans and grind it by hand using such crap machines. Or, whoever had it, on electric ones :)
Aftershave cream "Start".
Paper doll and paper clothes for her. Usually these were published in the magazines “Rabotnitsa” and “Peasant Woman”.
Blades for safety razors "Baltika". These are the kind of blades that young Nikita used to erase the “twos” that the teacher, although occasionally, still wrote in her diary with a pen :)
Returning to school equipment. Math ruler. Its practical functionality is still unclear to me :)
"Lunokhod". A cult toy, the first in the USSR with touch (!) control buttons.
Ski bindings. Yes, in those years they had to be purchased separately and screwed to the skis themselves with screws.
Reel-to-reel tape recorder "Electronics "TA01-003". I remember how I was always fascinated by the process of loading film into such a tape recorder. And the sound quality was, of course, much better than a regular cassette recorder.
By the way, here it is - "Electronics 302", the most popular cassette recorder in those years.
And here is the cassette, "MK60-2". The quality of the film left much to be desired, but there was nothing else (affordable) at that time. Without fish, as they say... :)
Toy "Piano". A magical thing for children from 2 years old :)
Probably every boy had such a model of an armored personnel carrier. I definitely had it. In general, by the age of 12-13 I had a pretty decent collection of models...
And there was even such a completely wild model of “Zaporozhets” :)
Very cool set of "Art" pencils. I remember there were a lot of flowers there.
Tin soldiers. A classic that needs no comment.
Children's radio designer. Unfortunately, I didn’t have this. It must be terribly interesting stuff.
Sticker with Mickey Mouse.
Mysterious board game:)
But here everything is extremely clear. "Monopoly", and this is exactly what the very first one looked like. I played it when I was 10 years old. I remember that at first I didn’t understand anything, but it was terribly interesting! :)
Tumbler. Classic.
Well, and so as not to get up twice - a rubber ball. I really enjoyed throwing it at the wall and listening to the sound it made. I liked it, but my neighbors didn't :)
Sheet music for playing the metallophone. I remember that I had the metallophone itself, but there were no notes for it. Improvised :)
At first I thought it was a bottle opener. But after knowledgeable people They suggested that this is what a pencil sharpener looked like. Strange, I thought...
I thought she looked something like this :)
Sickle-hammer. According to rumors, in the future it will be replaced with plastic cards.
Blank cartridges. I had exactly these, with a red tip.
At my age, only children of rich parents could afford to come to school with such a pencil case...
And with this - everyone else :)
"Pepsi-Cola" Novorossiysk bottling. What is now being sold under the guise of Pepsi-Cola cannot be compared. Soviet Pepsi was, is and will be the most delicious!
Typewriter. Precisely printing, not writing. The roar that it made during operation clearly informed everyone that this machine was exactly
prints, but not
writes. Absolutely creepy and inhumane colossus.
Cap. Then the meaning of this word was completely clear and definite. And pis
A moose as expected.
Pioneer Horn. A very strange musical instrument. I remember once asking our school bugler to teach me how to play. The lesson ended in a crushing fiasco.
Schoolchildren went to May Day demonstrations with exactly these flags.
Plastic fishing rod of the "throwaway" type. An extremely convenient and effective thing. At least I always fell for it :)
I had exactly this one - plasticine "Young Sculptor". One of my favorite pastimes. I remember how, from three or four packages of such plasticine, my friend and I sculpted an entire army of little men and staged a real plasticine “war.”
Plastic frog. He swam well both in the bath and in the puddle.
Plastic soldier. He swam much worse than the frog, but he burned much better :)
Certificate of honor. I boast - I had one of these, for my active participation in the life of the school.
Who said that there was no sex in the USSR? He was. Only in the dark, with drawn curtains, tightly closed doors, strictly under the covers and in general - so that no one would guess. But even then everyone was warned: “AIDS does not sleep!”
By the way, there was even an assortment of condoms on the market :)
Primus. A relic of the war and post-war years.
Game console "Dendy type". Entertainment No. 1 in the early 90s for all Soviet children.
But not everyone had such a prefix. Firstly, it was much more difficult to get, and it was more expensive. This is not surprising - there were far more games there than on the Dandy cartridges, although the graphics were noticeably weaker.
Every member of any trade union had such a ticket. Trade unions have survived to this day. Are the tickets still available? Interesting...
Vacuum cleaner "Buran". It was distinguished by superhuman suction power and the same level of noise produced.
Radio receiver "Almaz". As a person associated with radio broadcasting, I cannot pass by this exhibit without trepidation.
Rollers. Yes, in the USSR they looked like this. I never learned to ride them.
Green toy dump truck. On advanced models of these toys, the cabin doors even opened.
Sugar that came in airplane meals. Well, on the trains they also gave out their own, “railroad” one.
Passbook. Another thing that has survived to this day. Which, however, is not surprising.
Stopwatch of the Zlatoust watch factory.
Cigarette holder Music Box". In fact, anything was stored in it, just not cigarettes :)
The first Soviet laptop - "Electronics 901" :)
An extremely dubious thing from a chemical point of view, but nevertheless a terribly popular thing is the instant juice "Yupi". I remember it was very tasty for them to wash down the tasteless vodka :)
This is an analogue - "Zuko". The same eggs, only in profile :)
Well, this is already for aesthetes. Such instant “Fanta” cost a lot, but this is understandable - it was still delicious!
Stereoscope. A mysterious device for viewing stereo images.
Such figurines and souvenirs almost certainly decorated your furniture “wall” in the living room. By the way, the eagle was made of phosphorus and mysteriously glowed in the dark :)
Souvenir wooden mug. Usually it was hung or placed in some prominent place in the kitchen.
There were no calculators then, so there were abacuses like this at every store counter. By the way, you can still find them in some stores in Yakutsk. Truly an eternal thing. By the way, I always wondered why there are only 4 dominoes on one of the lines? :)
Here are the food stamps in wild times Under Gorbachev's rule, the whole country was shopping.
I’m not entirely sure, but it’s very similar to a teletype - a printing machine for transmitting text messages between two remote subscribers.
Tennis balls "Leningrad". They look a lot like baseball ones :)
Well, this is a good old ping pong ball. When burned, it emits a rare, nasty smell. The main fun was to crumble the ball, pour the pieces into a tin can and set it on fire. Well, then, whatever you want: you can go to the school toilet, or you can go to a regular entrance... :)
Analog multifunctional thermometer. In addition to temperature, he was able to show air humidity and atmospheric pressure. Monumental thing :)
Paper protractor. It fell into disrepair very quickly.
Mascara for eyebrows and eyelashes. I didn’t use it, but I’m sure that many young ladies (or their mothers) had one in those years.
Alcohol vinegar. Our family didn’t like vinegar, so there’s not much to say here.
Electric iron. Directly on the body, shirts and pants got rid of wrinkles faster than using such an iron. But there were no others then.
Hairdryer Hairdryer - and nothing more :)
An absolutely amazing thing - a flashlight that worked without batteries, solely on man-made energy :)
But I used duct tape to attach exactly this kind of flashlight to the handlebar stem of my bicycle and ride around the dark Yakut courtyards. It was scary, but interesting. It's always interesting with a flashlight :)
Souvenir corkscrew "Cannon". Although Gorbachev struggled with alcohol in those years, nevertheless, there was always something to discover :)
Spy movie camera. If an ordinary movie camera raises a lot of questions for me, then what can we say about a veneer one? :) But the fact itself is important - it looks like an ordinary bag, but what’s inside is it! :)
Sewing box. Almost certainly your mothers and grandmothers have exactly the same one. Spools of thread, needles, countless buttons and other sewing accessories... How all this could fit into such a small box is unclear :)
Czechoslovakian shoes brand "Cebo". It was mainly worn by my mother. And I didn’t pay any attention to her shoes at all :)
Stationery ink. I remember at our school some people poured this kind of ink bad marks in the diary.
Alarm clock "Yantar". The most hated subject for all Soviet schoolchildren. Especially those who studied in the first shift :)
Well, a few more watches from that era.
With exactly this can, I regularly went to the store, near the porch of which in the summer there was always a “cow” - a large yellow barrel from which bottled milk was sold. How delicious it was!
And such photographs and posters hung in the room of every Soviet youth. In those years, so-called “video salons” came into fashion. For us, it was a very ordinary garage, in which there were two dozen chairs in rows, and a double video was mounted under the ceiling - a VCR and a TV with a 50 cm diagonal screen. The sound and picture were terrible, but our video salon was never empty. It was there that I first met Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris and, of course, Sylvester Stallone.
Electric razor. Only once, when I was very young, did I show interest in this device. One day I took my father's razor, turned it on and applied it to my face. The razor immediately pulled a little fluff out of my cheek. It was very painful. Now I use machines exclusively and still consider electric shavers to be a dangerous and completely stupid invention.
The USSR no longer exists, but the memory of the legendary things of that era is still alive. From the Tu-144 aircraft to the pedal Moskvich and string bag.
1. Tu – 144
"Soviet Concorde", the first supersonic aircraft that carried passengers. Unfortunately, the Tu-144 did not fly for a long time. Due to two accidents on June 1, 1978, Aeroflot stopped passenger air transportation of the Tu-144.
But in the early 1990s, the Tu-144 worked for NASA as a flying laboratory.
2. Satellite
First artificial satellite. PS1 (the simplest satellite) looked stylish: a shiny ball (diameter 58 cm) with four antennas (2.9 and 2.4 meters). He weighed 83.6 kilograms.
The word “Sputnik” has become international, and the profile of “Sputnik” still cannot be confused with anything.
3. Lunokhod
The Lunokhod was the fruit of the creative thought of Soviet design engineer Georgy Babakin and his team. The first Lunokhod in history had eight wheels, and each of them had its own drive, which provided the device with all-terrain qualities. It was a real “miracle of technology”, shredded with first-class equipment.
4. AK-47
AK 47 is a living legend. It took first place in the list of the most significant inventions of the 20th century according to the French magazine Libération and 4th place in the list of “50 products that changed the world” according to Playboy magazine.
The name “Kalash” is used to call children in Africa; the machine gun is depicted on the national flags of four states (Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, East Timor) and on the coat of arms of Mozambique.
5. Vostok spaceship
Yuri Gagarin went into space on it. This is already enough to call “Vostok” legendary. Soviet industry produced models of the Vostok spaceship for children, and adults pinned a badge with its image on their jacket lapel.
6. Orbital station "Mir"
Soviet designers orbital station“Mir” showed the whole world what a comic house-laboratory should look like. Mir was in orbit for 15 years. 135 cosmonauts from 11 countries visited the station. Almost 17,000 scientific experiments were conducted in the unique space laboratory. There were almost 12 tons of scientific equipment at the station alone.
7. PPSh
During the Great Patriotic War, PPSh-41 was the most popular and famous submachine gun in the USSR. The creator of this legendary weapon, which the soldiers lovingly called “daddy,” was the gunsmith Georgy Shpagin.
In the post-war period it was produced in North Korea. One of the first Korean PPSh (version with a disk magazine) was presented to Stalin in 1949 for his 70th birthday.
8. Tank T-34
The T-34 tank deservedly became one of the symbols of Victory. This is the only medium tank whose cannon was used by Hero of Russia A.M. during the war. Fadin shot down a flying enemy plane. The Thirty-Four is the most economical tank in terms of fuel consumption, as well as the most popular tank in the world: in the USSR, over 58,000 T-34 tanks were produced in 1940-1946 alone
9. Faceted glass
Soviet faceted glasses, made using special technology, could be literally crack nuts. The appearance of the “border” in the USSR is associated with Vera Mukhina. Allegedly, the design of the glass was developed by her in 1943 in besieged Leningrad, where Mukhina headed the Art Glass Workshop.
10. Zenit
These iconic cameras were produced at the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant. "Zenith" series E has become the most popular SLR camera in the world. And in 1979, the prestigious British magazine What camera? recognized Zenit EM the best camera of the year.
11. Ekranoplan
The Lun ekranoplan, which was tested in 1985, was a real machine of the future. Because of its firepower, it was dubbed the “aircraft carrier killer.” The ekranoplan was one of the largest aircraft ever produced.
12. Commander's watch
If it’s an automatic rifle, then it’s a Kalashnikov; if it’s a watch, it’s a Komandirskie one. Initially, “commander’s” watches were called award watches that could be awarded for a feat. After the war, “Commander” watches began to be produced at the Chistopol watch factory.
13. "The Seagull"
The most beautiful car Soviet Union, “Chaika” was the most popular Soviet executive car. In part appearance The car was a compilation of design solutions of the American automobile industry, the so-called fin style, or “Detroit Baroque.”
14. ZAZ 965. “Humpbacked”
ZAZ 965 was a real “people's car”. Its production was based on the Italian Fiat 600. “Brokeback” was a star, he starred in such films as “Three Plus Two”, “Queen of the Gas Station” and many others. The “hunchback” even appeared in the cartoons “Well, Just Wait” and “Vacation in Prostokvashino.”
15. Badges
Everyone in the USSR had badges. They were worn by October soldiers, pioneers, Komsomol members, party members, athletes and ordinary workers. Badges were issued to memorable dates, for anniversaries of general secretaries, for holidays. They were convertible currency. Valuable badges were highly valued.
16. VAZ 2101. “Kopeyka”
VAZ 2101, “Kopeyka” is a legendary car. The prototype of the first Zhiguli model was the Italian Fiat 124. The Kopeika was a favorite car not only in the Soviet Union, but also in the countries of the socialist bloc. In Cuba, “penny limousines” are still in use today, used as minibuses. In 2000, the magazine “Behind the Wheel” recognized the VAZ 2101 as “the best Russian car of the century.”
17. "Belaz"
BelAZ-540 was one of the best mining dump trucks in the world. This giant became the first owner of the Quality Mark and was a real breakthrough in technological thought. It was the first car produced in the USSR with hydropneumatic wheel suspension, combined hydraulic power steering and body lift systems.
18. Planet batteries
Flat batteries “Planet” not only powered various portable devices, but were also a must-have for every Soviet child. They were usually sealed on top with a strip of paper with the inscription “If you haven’t checked it, don’t open it,” and they could only be checked by opening it with your tongue; if it pricks, it means it’s good.
19. Battery
Another power source, the battery, was of interest to the Soviet children for completely different reasons. His suitability for work was unimportant. Important were lead plates, which were easily melted and turned into crafts - from brass knuckles to amulets.
20. "Meteor"
The winged "Meteors" and "Rockets", designed by designer Rostislav Alekseev, were the fastest ships of the USSR. The first captain of the Meteor was the famous pilot Hero of the Soviet Union Mikhail Devyatayev, who during the war was able to escape from captivity by hijacking an enemy bomber.
21. Tumbler
Everything ingenious is simple. Tumbler was the main children's toy for several generations of Soviet children. She taught children perseverance. Those who were no longer old enough to play with it used the tumbler to create a “smoke bowl.”
22. String bag
Although we associate the string bag with the USSR, it was invented by the Czech Vavrzhin Krcil in late XIX century. However, it was in the Union that the string bag became a cult item. It is believed that the name “string bag” was invented in the 1930s by the writer Vladimir Polyakov.
String bags were compact and spacious. In winter, they often hung food outside the windows. And the thieves then cut the string bags off the windows.
23. Vacuum cleaner “Whirlwind”
In addition to the stylish design, the Whirlwind vacuum cleaners also differed from others in their incredible power. Until now, many people have “Whirlwinds” at their dachas and are used to clean up even industrial waste.
24. Gas water devices
On April 16, 1937, the first sparkling water machine was installed in the Smolny canteen. Later, machine guns began to appear in Moscow, and then throughout the Union. Just sparkling water cost one kopeck, sparkling water with syrup was sold for three kopecks. The cups were reusable; they were simply rinsed with a stream of water.
25. Rocket "Satan"
It was not for nothing that the Americans called the Soviet strategic missile system R-36M “Satan”. In 1973, this missile became the most powerful ballistic system ever developed. Not a single missile defense system was capable of resisting the SS-18, whose destruction radius was 10,000 kilometers
26. Motorcycle "Ural"
"Ural" is the king of Soviet motorcycles. Reliable, heavy, passable. The history of the Urals from the late 30s until 1964 was the history of a military motorcycle. Even when the motorcycle began to be sold to ordinary people, the owner of the Ural was obliged to register with the military, and the traffic police prohibited the use of a motorcycle without a sidecar.
27. Bicycle "Kama"
"Kama" was a real bestseller. In the late 80s, this bike cost 100 rubles, which was not so little, but there were still queues for it. “Kama” was actively “tuned”: it was covered with stickers with racing cars, fringe was hung on the “seat” and steering wheel handles, and parts from the designer were put on the spokes.
28. Motor scooter “Ant”
There were no hipsters in the USSR, but there were motor scooters. And not only road and tourist ones, but also cargo ones. Those who remember the USSR also remember the “Ants” scooters. Hard workers, builders and plumbers loved to ride them.
29. Electronic game “Well, wait a minute!”
The ultimate gaming gadget of the 1980s. The wolf must catch as many eggs as possible in the basket, “supplied” by the chickens from four sides. For each egg caught, a point was counted, and for each egg broken, a point was taken away. Having collected 200 points, the player received bonus game. During the game, a hare would periodically appear in the upper corner of the screen, and then you could earn bonus points.
30. Budenovka
Budenovka was called both “Frunzenka” and “hero.” The top of the budenovka was jokingly nicknamed the “mind tap.” It was introduced as part of the winter uniform of the Red Army in 1919. Until 1940, the budenovka was invariably associated with the soldiers of the Red Army, but after the Finnish War it was replaced by a hat with earflaps.
31. Tarpaulin boots
Tarpaulin boots are more than shoes. Ivan Plotnikov, who established their production before the war, received Stalin Prize. By the end of the war, 10 million Soviet soldiers wore tarpaulin boots. After the war, everyone wore kirzachs - from old people to schoolchildren.
32. Riga electric trains
In the late USSR, the electric trains of the Riga Carriage Works were considered the best electric trains. They were truly cutting edge. The inventor of the trolleybus train, Vladimir Veklich, had an internship at the Riga plant.
33. Double-decker trolleybus YATB-3
From 1939 to 1953, Moscow had double-decker trolleybuses from the Yaroslavl Automobile Plant YATB-3. Most residents former USSR This trolleybus is familiar from the film “The Foundling”, in which it appears in one of the episodes, and in the 1947 film “Spring” both cars that survived the war are simultaneously shown in the frame. Also found in a scene in the film "Happy Flight".
34. Electric razor “Kharkov”
Iconic Soviet electric razor with trimmer Kharkov 109. Its circulation amounted to more than 30 million pieces. The razor operated from current sources with different ranges. That is why it was indispensable on business trips and long trips.
35. Vest
The vest appeared among sailors long before the USSR, but it was in the Soviet Union that the vest became more than a vest - from sailors it migrated to the wardrobe of paratroopers. The official premiere of vests with blue stripes took place during the Prague events of August 1968: it was the Soviet paratroopers in striped sweatshirts who played a decisive role in ending the Prague Spring.
36. Padded jacket
The USSR authorities saw the quilted jacket as an ideal garment that was functional for both work and war. In 1932, padded jackets actually became uniform for the White Sea Canal builders.
In the 1930s, quilted jackets began to make their way through cinema. For example, in cult film“Chapaev” in quilted jackets is sported by Anka and Petka, thereby demonstrating the “versatility” of this clothing.
The Great Patriotic War turned the padded jacket into a real cult, making it the clothing of the victors.
37. Flashlight “Bug”
Almost every family had such electrodynamic flashlights. Ergonomic and practically eternal - you only have time to change the light bulb. Before use, the dynamo handle was removed from the safety lock, which, coupled with the decent weight of the flashlight, gave the feeling of a weapon in the hands. The best thing to do is go into a dark basement with disturbing music.
38. Tear-off calendar
Soviet tear-off calendars gave a feeling of celebration. Every day. Memorable events were celebrated there, chess studies and reprints of paintings were published. The length of the day and the time of dawn and sunset were also noted. It was also convenient to take notes on calendars.
A Minsk resident collected a collection of Soviet items worth $15,000 at his dacha: “We are not nostalgic for the USSR, we are just remembering our childhood”
It all happened very accidentally. Six years ago Denis bought a dacha. Forgotten Soviet artifacts were an appendage to it. The man thought about it. Then I bought myself several beer glasses from the 80s, and a little later I found one rare one - from the 50s, the so-called Nikulinsky. From glasses he switched to beer taps, tape recorders, filmoscopes, and paraphernalia of the Soviet police. Latest project Denis's is a restored Soviet soda fountain from his childhood.
- It's probably due to age,- Denis laughs and shows the machine gun.
Schoolchildren really don’t understand. Students, in principle, too. These have ceased to be actively used since the end of 1991. They were mainly placed in public gathering places - GUM, TSUM, cinemas and other popular establishments. You come up, wash the glass, throw in a penny and drink. If you have a 3-kopeck coin in your pocket, you can afford soda with syrup.
- For some time after the collapse of the USSR in the former Soviet republics they worked on tokens. Now they have started making them stylized as Soviet ones with bill acceptors. But this, of course, is not the same coat. Similar machines were produced in Kyiv and Moscow, if I’m not mistaken. My sample is Ukrainian. And yes, this is a reusable cut glass. People did not disdain and did not get sick.
The gut, of course, is not completely natural. Lacks modern details. Purchased machine gun. Denis spent about $250 on it. True, this is not the first try. There were three more before this one. All four units are now on site.
- On “Online” there is a thematic thread “Our childhood”. People aged 35+ actively communicate there. When I started talking about the soda machine, I found a user under the nickname globba - a man with golden hands who persuaded me to get into it. We fiddled around for three weeks together, but we managed.
Children from the countryside gathered to look at the new contraption in Uncle Denis’s yard. At first they didn’t understand what it was at all. Then they asked me to explain. Uncle Denis taught them how to use a machine gun - queues began to form around it.
- Does this taste better to you than drinks like Fanta?
- For me these are different things. Fanta appeared in the USSR for the 1980 Olympics. And it was also sold in vending machines. There were no such people in Minsk. I remember my father and I came to Moscow. In the Belorussky railway station building, my dad says to me: “Denis, now you’re going to try such an incredibly tasty drink. Keep 15 kopecks." So you understand? Five times more expensive than Soviet sparkling water. At the Belorussky station there were two machines with the inscription “Fanta”. I didn't even know what it was. But yes, it was amazingly delicious for me then. It's 1981. It seems to me that Fanta and Pepsi have not changed since then. Same taste. And Soviet drinks - Tarragon, Baikal, Buratino - have become worse. Previously, they were made from natural ingredients. The shelf life was 7 days. And now it’s unclear how much. Beer is the same story. Crafting is fashionable now. And in my youth, it turns out, everything was craft.
Denis laughs. He wears elements of the uniform of Soviet traffic cops. Belt, leggings - 70s. Helmet - 80's. Made in Estonia. After the acquisition, the collector liked to play pranks on his neighboring summer residents by going out onto the village road. Some actually stopped and showed documents until they realized what was happening.
- I have been working in the stock market of the Republic of Belarus for 25 years. For 10 years he worked in the government body that regulated the securities market. Then he worked in a professional securities market participant. I invest part of the money I earn into my collection. These things must be saved for the future. This is our story.
Many things are now rising in price. Taking this into account, the value of the collection is approximately $15,000.
- It’s like with securities, you need to know what to invest in,- the collector laughs. - True, I had no calculations. As a result, the flashing lights from the GDR, which I bought for $10-15, have now become much more expensive. Because in Russia there has become a fashion for creating replicas of police and traffic police cars of the USSR. As a result, the cost of a flasher can now reach up to $100, or even more. But I don't make money from this. This is a hobby. For myself.
The man shows replicas of the license plates of the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the BSSR. He says that with the introduction of new white and black numbers in the USSR, the MIM series became only a police series in 1980.
- At the night of museums on May 19, with another of our forum members m141170, we transferred things related to the Soviet police for temporary exhibition to the museum of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus. Why did the prices for these things increase? There is a fashion for Soviet cars in the Russian Federation. And now almost every district police department wants to install such a retro car in front of their building. I have been studying USSR police transport for many years. Especially coloring books. For a long time I searched for Soviet GOSTs, which established the rules for painting. They were nowhere to be found on the Internet. As a result, I found the originals of 1953 and 1957 in Russian archives. Requested copies, paid something like $50.
