In Togliatti the last mobile radio unit on Avia chassis is retired

In Togliatti, the final mobile radio broadcasting unit in the Samara region, built on the Avia Czech truck chassis and nicknamed “Blue Goebbels,” was taken out of service. Notebook Samara reports that the unit was dismantled for safe removal and eventual disposal. These mobile radio stations, mounted on Avia frames with Tesla loudspeakers atop, played a visible role at a range of official occasions, including rallies, demonstrations, and the farewell ceremonies for prominent figures. One such Avia A31 unit later appeared on Samara’s central square during the departures of Soviet leaders Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov, and Konstantin Chernenko, where its loudspeakers carried the broadcasts for the crowd. The nickname Blue Goebbels arose from public sentiment linking the device to the propaganda machinery of Nazi Germany, in reference to Joseph Goebbels. By late 2022, the last mobile loudspeaker on the Avia platform in Togliatti had ceased operation. Earlier reports noted damage to the Aurus executive sedan, including a ruined roof and shattered windows, connected to incidents in Moscow. These details are drawn from reports by Notebook Samara, which documented the evolving status of these historical broadcasting units and their symbolic footprint in the region.