Alongside baklava and tea, something that is omnipresent on all the streets of this country is the common man’s car of Russia and the Soviet Union, and that is the LADA. Yes, Lada is the most driven car in this country, and most taxis are Lada cabs. LADA is an iconic car like the Fiat and the Ambassador. It is the first truly Soviet car built and assembled indigenously. It costs just over ten thousand dollars and thus is within the reach of lower-income families in Azerbaijan.
The history of this nationalist Russian car is also very intriguing. It was first manufactured in Russia by AutoVaz, a Russian state-owned company. Outside the Eastern Bloc, it was used as an affordable, value-for-money car, often priced as much as half the cost of its Western competitors. In 2016, Renault took over Lada and had a technical collaboration with Lada.
The model of Lada that is everywhere on the streets is the 1970s model. In a sense, it looks like a matchbox with wheels to me. But yes, it is basic, very sturdy, and above all, value for money. As of now, over two million Lada cars have been manufactured and shipped to regions of the old Soviet Union, or the USSR as we knew it once.
The Lada was made in the likeness of the old Fiat 124 and is the most popular car in Russia. I managed to capture the vintage classic Lada all over the streets of Ganja in all its avatars: as a passenger and family car, and as a taxi and transportation vehicle as well. So enjoy the grand old Lada basking in its glory.