"Blue bird" received a permanent residence permit

In August last year, the Russian automobile plant AMO ZIL turned 100 years old. It would seem that momentous event, right from the big letter, but... the celebration in August, was more like a well-organized funeral, because really the ZIL actually ceased to exist as a company in 2016 – it is a large construction project of business complex, residential areas. Moreover, the plant Museum, located in the old building of the enterprise on the Avtozavodskaya street, the former headquarters of AMO, built just a century ago, Industrialists Ryabushinsky to one of the first Russian automobile plants, was eliminated earlier, along with a historical study of the legendary Director Ivan Alekseevich Likhachev, head of the plant in the years 1926-1953 (with a little pre-break manual average mechanical engineering of the entire country).

But, thank God, at least the collection of cars (and to some extent the cargo) was sold out and pillaged for parts, and now has become the basis of the new Moscow automobile Museum organized under the auspices of OOO "МСЦ6 was AMOSIL" (so today is officially called the enterprise for the restoration and maintenance of passenger trucks previously spetstsekh No. 6). Of course, from the point of view of the servants and "effective management", the passing of an old building in cool cars with flashing lights, all these attempts just grasping the "all buddies" for a long time useless and useless scrap iron and waste paper (however, taking in their private collections is unique because of the rarity of limousines they did not refuse, because I understand all their collectible value). So, did not work! Failed to make another step in the direction of "Ivanov, not remembering kinship"!  In Sokolniki (Sokolnichesky Val, 1A) now there is a Museum ZIL! And let it presents only cars ZIS and ZIL, as well as small buses "Youth", but there was a place, and became no less than the legendary cross-country vehicle-amphibian "Blue bird" specifically designed to search for the reentry capsules of spacecraft and delivery from the landing site landed astronauts. By the way, ten such cars still carry their difficult service, providing needs and current Russian space.   

In my opinion, it is the "Blue bird" (aka ZIL-49065) throws logical bridge from "chlenovoz", which always (and in the last decades of the Soviet Union, certainly) were passenger cars ZIS and ZIL to its trucks and buses, has received a true national love for the reliability, ruggedness and durability. This particular copy of "the Blue bird" is a prototype, i.e., he dashed off hundreds of thousands of test kilometers, although not directly involved in the search for astronauts, but no less deserves the attention of Museum visitors. It is a pity that the car is not restored to its identical historical condition, and are presented with modernized for the needs of a wealthy hunter in the passenger cabin.

It's funny that in the opposite corner of the hall was a place for "Electric cars" (just as written on the label) – common in-plant transport, yesterday served the force production.

Of the rather numerous buses ZIS/ZIL in the exposition there was a place, of course, closest to passenger models of the highest class "Junestam", and the release of the 90s. It ZIL-32071 1994 and ZIL-3207 1998 – the last of the 63 produced at the plant "Junesta". Other machines presented in the archival album (though I think that it would be better to translate this genuine historical material in electronic form – or the hands of real users in a short period of time will leave from him only a trace).

In conclusion, I will say that the opening of any Museum is good news, and even automobile, and in such a good location the place is really a great achievement. It is hoped that someday the equally legendary and famous trucks of the Moscow plant is also a worthy exhibition space, because culture without memory, and people without culture don't exist. By the way, while visiting the Museum is absolutely free.

Biography of I. A. Likhachev (1896-1956)