By : RAHIL SHAIKH
SAINT PETERSBURG :
Ever since our arrival in Saint Petersburg, the mecca of all things cultural, historical, and architectural, in Russia, we have seen churches that have left us speechless, come across mosques that are truly a work of art, and visited museums encompassing the rich history of the country, however, there is one other thing that stands out – the Russian car – Lada, that has reigned supreme in Russia, thanks to a healthy demand and almost no local competition.
Ladas with their quintessential Russian essence are everywhere. On every road that we have driven on, we’ve seen both, shiny, new Ladas and some pretty beaten up, rusty Ladas. In fact, Lada spotting and ogling at their robust build quality has become a daily routine of sorts, and often we’ve caught ourselves craning our necks to catch a glimpse of even older models whizzing past.
It isn’t difficult to see why the Russians have a strangely convoluted love-hate relationship with the Lada, that can best be described as “It’s Complicated!” Neither can Russians live without their beloved Ladas nor can they stop talking about them, especially the older models, built at the Togliattigrad Works, (Near Moscow) that manufactured Lada cars with the Soviet-designed engine. In fact, it wouldn’t be unfair to say that there are two Russias when it comes to Lada, there is one group that loves these cars despite all its flaws and the other group that mocks the former group no end. And despite Lada being the butt of old car jokes and rust-bucket memes, Lada cars have dominated the Russian car scene over other foreign brands for over five decades with the newer models seeing improvement over time.
It was the Lada 2101, the very first car launched in Tolyatti, in 1970, that went on to be a huge hit in the Soviet market. Later, it was also made available in international markets. It was the 2101 model that ignited the love for Lada in people’s hearts, and that love is prevalent even today. There is also the Niva 4x4, the go anywhere Lada, for most Russians which can do anything that some of the high-end SUVs can do and, in fact, do it cheaper. The Lada Niva 4x4’s peppy 1.7-litre petrol engine churns out 79 BHP and 133 Nm of twisting force. These figures might not sound like much, but when combined with the utilitarian nature of the Niva and its lightness, the engine helps it conquer almost any hurdle that comes in its way.
While the Ladas have an undeniable road presence, the white smoke from the exhaust, the unnerving sound of the engine and the fading paint on some of the older Ladas just adds so much character to them, making them seem truly charismatic! The old-world charm is pretty irresistible, for some of us, and we’re not exaggerating when we say that you may well fall in love with these eternal beauties all over again.
While the older generation drives some truly beaten-up Lada Niva 4x4’s, Riva’s, besides a few other models, the truth is that the youth also love the old Soviet models and also love customizing them to their needs. The retro style combined with the low-cost maintenance costs of these Ladas make them quite attractive for the younger generation to buy from the used car market. Availability of spare parts of the Ladas is also not an issue plus, they do not require much technical know-how to get these cars back up and running.
Drifting on the snow-laden roads with these old Ladas are a common sight and believe us when we say, it is loads of fun to watch. We came across a young food delivery executive, Nikita, who drives a beautiful Lada 2106, which he treats like his baby. The 2106, also known as Šestyorka, (The sixth one), is powered by a 1,568 cc, single overhead cam, inline four engine which produces 77 BHP of power and 117 Nm of torque. Nikita’s car was gifted to him by his father and when we asked him why he loved his car, his answer was simple: “Because I am Russian and because this car is more than just four wheels for me.” Nikita alos takes great pride in the fact that he can repair the car on his own “should something go wrong with it,” he tells us.
In one of St. Petersburg’s small coffee shops, we meet an 85-year-old lady who still drives her Niva 4x4 around. When we ask her about why she still drives her old Lada, she replies saying “I never found the need to buy a new car. My Niva does everything that I want it do.” She goes on to say that her Lada has remained a trouble-free car, never having caused her the slightest of problems! In fact, her Niva, happens to be a gift from her late husband, and that is why her Lada, is more precious to her than anything else, she tells us. Even her grandkids love her Lada, she says. “My favourite part of the day is picking up my grandkids from school, taking them for a short drive around the city, and then dropping them home in my Niva,” she says.
Like these two Russians, most Ladas on Russia’s roads hold a sentimental value for their owners and that is why one thing is for sure – Love them or hate them, but there is no escaping the fact that, even today, in Russia, you simply can’t ignore them!
