The Moscow Transport Museum has undertaken a meticulous restoration of a classic LAZ-697M Tourist bus, returning it to its original factory condition. This work was confirmed by the Moscow City Hall website.
The restoration project spanned roughly twelve months. During this period, the bus was carefully disassembled, and several missing components were reproduced to fit the vehicle’s original specifications. The interior received a complete reconstruction, and the engine underwent a thorough overhaul. To accurately renew the interior fabric, researchers reviewed more than a thousand fabric samples to select materials that reflect the look and feel of the era. The result is a faithful recreation that preserves the bus’s historical character while incorporating durable, modern-grade materials for long-term exhibition use.
The LAZ-697M bus was manufactured in the Soviet Union at the Lvov Bus Plant between 1970 and 1975, with production totaling over 7,100 units. The model known as the Tourist featured soft seating and manually opening hinged doors, and it was designed to accommodate tourist groups as well as intercity trips. This version stands as a representative example of mid 20th century Soviet passenger transport and is valued for its design and engineering insights from that period.
After its refurbishment for the Moscow Transport Museum, the vehicle entered service at the 6th Moscow bus depot following its debut in 1973. In the early 1980s through the early 2000s, it served as a maintenance and support vehicle at the Aremkuz plant, highlighting the vehicle’s long operational history beyond its original tourist service role.
Historical notes state that AvtoVAZ supplied specialized versions of the Lada Vesta and Niva that were equipped with features tailored for tourist-related use. This detail underscores the broader context of how transport manufacturers customized vehicles to meet the needs of organized travel and group transportation during that era. Source: Moscow City Hall notes on the restoration and provenance of the LAZ-697M Tourist.