Re: ZIS 110

Posted by Peter Hartmann On 2008/8/8 19:03:46

Those photos of the Russian production line for the ZIS are fantastic - never seen them before - fascinating.

Wonder when they were taken? If they were taken while the war was still going on, that makes the whole situation even MORE bizzare - just think - Russia was facing invasion and untold misery, and Stalin wants his people to use up valuable resources making luxury cars ?

I wonder about those photos showing all those brand-spanking new ZIS's, apparently completed. I note there is no evidence of war damage to the building - not even broken windows in the sky-lights. Would love to know more about those photos, and see any others you might have.

I do have a suspicion - what comes to mind, is those photographs of the American aviation hero Lindberg, when he went to Germany and was impressed with German aviation production in '37. He was taken on a tour of assembly lines. To make him THINK the German factory was doing better than it was, they were rolling airplanes around the back and bringing them in again, to make it SEEM like they had more then they could actually build. I wouldnt put it past the Russians to have done a similar "trick".