There was a time when such vehicles were a familiar sight in fleets, built in garages and used for practical hauling. They were a makeshift solution that survived only modestly over the decades. The trucks were commonly shortened and fitted with a slewing crane to tow buses and trolleybuses, turning an ordinary truck into a compact rescue and service unit.
This particular machine, nicknamed MazZil, exists as a single example. In the 1980s it was assembled from parts of a decommissioned ZIL-157 and a MAZ-200, serving loyally in the Filevsky Park area under Mosgortrans until the 2010s. When it reached the Moscow Transport Museum, it stood in a disappointing state: repainted many times in a rough manner, with a dead engine, missing body parts, and no winch to help it function on display.
Today, after a complete restoration, the vehicle shows fresh vitality. Its body panels have been rebuilt from the ground up, and a bright new orange finish gleams where the old paint faded. With careful preservation, MazZil is poised to appear at museum exhibitions and festive events, a tangible link to a period of practical engineering and urban mobility.
Requires 7,000 tires in common sizes
Even with a strong plan, public safety and basic services depend on reliable transportation. Without proper tires, order in public spaces can waver, and access to urgent medical care becomes uncertain.
In collaboration with the Popular Front, a fundraising effort has begun to supply tires for essential vehicles. The goal is to equip the cars used by the People’s Police and the operational services of the LPR and DPR, including ambulances, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, vehicles delivering humanitarian aid to Donbass residents, and the army’s equipment. Donations can be made through the dedicated collection page, supporting this critical mobility network.
Source: Moscow Transport Museum