OREANDA-NEWS. Two exhibits of the Nizhniy Novgorod Kremlin memorial complex GAZ-67B off-road vehicle and Katyusha were handed over to the Government of Nizhniy Novgorod Region. The vehicles were restored by the specialists of GAZ plant upon the initiative of the regional authorities. The vehicles restoration certificates were presented by Bo Andersson, President\CEO of GAZ Group, to Valery Shantsev, Governor of Nizhniy Novgorod Region.

Bo Andersson, GAZ Group President: “We are especially pleased to make a present to the Nizhniy Novgorod Citizens on the eve of the Victory Day using our expertise to restore the legendary vehicles of the WWII. After our efforts the appearance of Katyusha has the authentic look of the actual vehicle of those days. The vehicles were restored by the unique reconstruction shop of GAZ Group that is the only industrial center in Russia providing for the full cycle of hi-tech small series production and restoration of vehicles of any global brands including retro ones. The specialists of the shop have unique competencies in engineering, professional reconstruction and restoration of vehicles. We took a special pride in restoring the memorial exhibits of the Nizhniy Novgorod Kremlin.

Valery Shantsev, Governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region: “In the years of the Great Patriotic War, Gorky citizens produced a lot of military products – this is why our city is called the cradle of Great Victory. We want to preserve our landsmen labour glory to let our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren learn our history and recognize the equipment produced at that time. So we asked the GAZ Group experts to search for the drawings in order to reproduce the entire exhibits. Only GAZ engineers could have done such a spectacular job!” The Governor said that military equipment reproduction is not only an engineering achievement, but also a tribute to everyone who fought for the country’s freedom: “These vehicles will be exhibited in the Kremlin open-air museum and represent the labour deed of Gorky workers and the Great Victory to the citizens of Nizhny Novgorod, to Russian and foreign tourists”.

The military exhibits of the memorial complex were handed over from the Nizhniy Novgorod Kremlin to GAZ for restoration in November 2012. The vehicles were damaged by corrosion, their chassis were deformed, some body parts were completely destroyed and needed replacement. GAZ Group specialists reconstructed the authentic technical and historical appearance of the exhibits. The Katyusha was restored based on the materials obtained from the Saint Petersburg Military Historical Museum where they have one of the few remaining vehicles of that type. The double-axle chassis ZIS-5 that had been used in the Kremlin exhibit was replaced with a three-axle chassis ZIS-6 since it was used in the actual MLRS vehicles during the war. For GAZ-67B (GAZ produced 92843 GAZ-67B vehicles from 1943 to 1957 and 11332 such vehicles during the war) the restoration team purchased new tires with the original tread pattern, restored the interior and controls of the vehicle. The vehicles received the protection from the elements.

The restoration of the Katyusha and GAZ-67B was not the first experience of GAZ in reconstruction of retro vehicles. In 2010 GAZ built the ZIL parade vehicles for the Victory Day celebration on the Red Square in Moscow, produced 24 replicas of famous GAZ-AA 1.5 t truck and 2 Volga convertibles for the Victory Day celebration in Nizhniy Novgorod.