(In Soviet Russia, you don’t fix scooter… Scooter fixes YOU.)
Ilya Vinarsky sends this photo of a scooter you THINK you recognize. No, not a Vespa but a Vyatka-Molot. Vyatka, possibly referring to “a sturdy breed of workhorse from the Vyatka Region” if you look it up on Wikipedia.
You can get the whole history over at the Autosoviet site and a Google translation of a Soviet site can be found here that gives some more details and shows what the Vyatka logo looks like on the front of this machine.
Ilya tells us that the banner says “Lenin’s Way Collective Farm.” Perhaps celebrating one of the many agriculture collectives or joint farms (kolkhoz) in Russia. I don’t know much, but I understand that back in the 30′s (under Stalin), those collectives didn’t do so well.
MAN! That thing is a real smoker!
7. September 2008 at 6:23 pm
I remember when the Soviets used to put on parades displaying their military might. So this is what’s left, huh? Looks like this guy is on his way to a different “Soviet party!”
7. September 2008 at 7:47 pm
Are you kidding me Steve? A Yokav Smirnoff reference? You are pure class my friend. Pure class!
What a country!
http://www.yakov.com/
7. September 2008 at 10:10 pm
LOOK AT THAT SMOKER!!!
8. September 2008 at 2:55 pm
That is JUST what I need for working here on campus!
30. July 2009 at 11:22 am
I think he's making fun of the old soviet system.