Report - Soviet Military Trucks Graveyard - Balchik, Bulgaria - Summer 2017

[bhg]

Bulgarian Black Sea coast and especially Dobrich area was military important during the Soviet Era, mostly due to a close sea distance from Turkey. Numerous military bases, including two airports and a missiles base were built during 50 years of communism in a Dobrich region. Including Military Trucks base in Balchik.
The base was built in early 60's and was abandoned in 90's. There are about 50 military lorries left to rot, scattered around a big yard, guarded by some homeless dogs. Dogs turned up to be very friendly and followed me around full of excitement allowing me to take as many photos as I wanted of forgotten Soviet military automotive stars.

ZIL-131

ZILs 131 were one of the most popular trucks used across Soviet countries. They were known as unbreakable and very reliable, although very expensive to run, due to their huge engines.

The ZIL-131 is a general purpose 3.5 tons 6x6 army truck designed in the Soviet Union by ZIL. The basic model being a general cargo truck. Variants include a tractor-trailer truck, a dump truck, a fuel truck, and a 6x6 for towing a 4-wheeled powered trailer. The ZIL-131 also serves as a platform for the 9P138 rocket launcher, a 30-tube variant of the BM-21 "Grad".

And inside

 

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GAZ

In May 1929 the Soviet Union signed an agreement with the Ford Motor Company.[3] Under its terms, the Soviets agreed to purchase $13 million worth of automobiles and parts, while Ford agreed to give technical assistance until 1938 to construct an integrated automobile-manufacturing plant at Nizhny Novgorod. Production started on January 1, 1932, and the factory and marque was titled Nizhegorodsky Avtomobilny Zavod, or NAZ, but also displayed the "Ford" sign. GAZ's first vehicle was the medium-priced Ford Model A, sold as the NAZ-A, and a light truck, the Ford Model AA (NAZ-AA). NAZ-A production commenced in 1932 and lasted until 1936, during which time over 100,000 examples were built.
In 1933, the factory's name changed to Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod, or GAZ, when the city was renamed after Maxim Gorky; similarly, models were renamed GAZ-A and GAZ-AA. From 1935 to 1956, the official name was augmented with imeni Molotova (literally, named after Molotov).

And a newer 4x4 version of GAZ

MAZ

It was built shortly after the Second World War. The first MAZ model (MAZ-200) used General Motors designed 2-stroke engines. Later on their own original engines were developed and implemented in the MAZ-500 series. Not only the plant itself, but the entire living infrastructure were built in a short time. Apartment buildings, shops, medical clinics, cinemas etc. were built in close proximity to the MAZ plant, providing plant workers with local (though limited) necessities. On many of the construction sites German prisoners of war were working together with Belarusian construction workers. The majority of these buildings are still in service today.

UAZ-452

The UAZ-452 is a family of off-road vans produced at the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant (UAZ) since 1965. Its predecessor model UAZ-450 (produced between 1958-1966) was based on the chassis and engine of the GAZ-69 jeep, and was the first "forward control" vehicle of this type to be built in the Soviet Union and Russia.

And IFA from Eastern Germany

Industrieverband Fahrzeugbau ("Industrial Association for Vehicle Construction"), usually abbreviated as IFA, was a conglomerate and a union of companies for vehicle construction in the former East Germany.
IFA produced bicycles, motorcycles, light commercial vehicles, automobiles, vans and heavy trucks. All East German vehicle manufacturers were part of the IFA, including Barkas, EMW (which made Wartburg cars), IWL, MZ, Multicar, Robur, Sachsenring (which made Trabant cars) and Simson.

Enjoy!

 

[soylent green]

Always something interesting to see when you go to Balchik on your holidays

 

[Will Knot]

Wow, awesome pics and report BHG

 

[The_Raw]

Those are a bit sexy!

 

[Seffy]

Noiiiiiiiice. Decent as always, cheers for that!