Index

01 – is the universal telephone number for the Fire Brigade in the USSR and Russia.

02 – is the universal telephone number for the Police (Militsiya) in the USSR and Russia.

03 – is the universal telephone number for the Ambulance in the USSR and Russia.

04 – is the universal telephone number for the Gas Leaks in the USSR and Russia.

Aurus – (from Au — “gold” and rus — short for Russia) — a Russian brand of executive and luxury-class automobiles.

Chaika – (seagull) was a legendary Soviet luxury limousine produced by the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) from 1959 to 1981.

Dongfanghong BJ760 – Gaz-21

GAZ – the Gorky Automobile Plant.

LADA – Soviet and modern Russian cars manufactured by AvtoVAZ (VAZ), marketed as Zhiguli on the local market.

LADA 1500s. Shesterka – VAZ-2106

Lada 4×4 – the brand name of the NIVA car manufactured by VAZ, when NIVA name moved o Chevrolet NIva 2006-2022.

Lada Niva – VAZ-2121 Soviet and Russian off-road vehicle of increased cross-country ability — a compact SUV with a monocoque (unibody) body and permanent all-wheel drive.

Lada Niva Legend – the brand name of NIVA vehicle since 2021.

Moskvitch (Moskwitch, Moskvich)

MZMA – Moscow Small Car Factory, name of the AZLK Moscow Factory 1945-1967

Niva – VAZ-2121 Soviet and Russian off-road vehicle

Samara (LADA Samara) – A family of Soviet and Russian small-class passenger cars produced by the Volga Automobile Plant from 1984 to 2013, and also in Ukraine by the Zaporizhzhia Automobile Plant from 2004 to 2011. VAZ-2108, VAZ-2109, VAZ-21099, VAZ-2114, VAZ-2115.

Scaldia‑Volga – car name by Scaldia-Volga S.A. – A joint Soviet-Belgian company created for the sale, servicing, and small-scale assembly of Soviet passenger cars in the Benelux countries.

Shestyorke – (en. The sixth one) Model №6, Lada 2106, Zhiguli 2106

Sputnik – name of “Samara” cars for the local market

Volga – An automobile brand in the USSR and Russia from 1956 to 2010, manufactured on GAZ.

Zaporozhetz An automobile brand in the USSR manufactured on ZAZ.

Zhiguli – An automobile brand in the USSR and Russia on VAZ.

ZIL – Zavod imeni I.A.Likhacheva Moscow automobile manufacturer, founded in 1916 as AMO, later ZIS, since 1956 renamed to ZIL.

ZIM – Zavod imenu Molotova, name of the Moscow ZIL plant before 1956

ZIS – Zavod imeni I.V.Stalina , since 1956 ZIL

ВАЗ – VAZ in Russian

ВАИ – VAI , Military Automobile Inspection

Волга – Volga in Rissian

Вооруженные силы – (Vooruzhennyye sily) means Armed Forces.

Вооруженные силы России – (Vooruzhennyye sily Rossii) means Armed Forces of Russia.

ВС – stands for Вооруженные силы (Vooruzhennyye sily) Armed Forces.

ГАЗ – (GAZ) the Gorky Automobile Plant.

ГАЗель – Gazelle An automobile brand in Russia manufactured on GAZ

ГАИ – (GAI) stands for State Automobile Inspection (Gosudarstvennaya Avtomobilnaya Inspektsiya). Used on police cars up to 1998.

Дежурная Часть – Police Duty Station or Police Duty Unit

ДПС – (DPS) stands for Road Patrol Service (Dorozhno-Patrulnaya Sluzhba).
Жигули

ЗИЛ – ZIL (rus)

ЗИМ – ZIM (rus)

ЗИС – ZIS (rus)

Инкассация – Cash collection or cash-in-transit

Иномарка – (inomarka eng. foreign car )A strange term that emerged at the dawn of perestroika late 1980s in the USSR as the Soviet Union began to open up and foreign cars started appearing on the streets. It became the name for all cars not made in Russia. And to this day, the press can still report accidents involving Ladas and “inomarka”.

Лесная охрана

МВД России

Милиция

Москвич-444 – ЗАЗ-965
Москвич-560 – ЗАЗ-965
МЧС
Оперативный Штаб

Пожарная Охрана – Fire Brigade or Fire Protection Service (Fire Department).

Пожарная Служба – same as Пожарная Охрана

Полиция – Police.

ППС – stands for Patrol and Guard Service ( Patrulno-Postovaya Sluzhba).

Скорая Медицинская Помощь – Emergency Medical Service (EMS) or Ambulance.

Скорая Помощь – Emergency Medical Service (EMS) or Ambulance.

Такси – Taxi.

Тел – stands for Tel. or Telephone

Техпомощь – (Tekhpomosch) service or roadside assistance vehicle.

УАЗ –

Чайка – (seagull) was a legendary Soviet luxury limousine produced by the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) from 1959 to 1981.

копейка (Kopeyka): The VAZ-2101. Named after the “kopek” (the smallest coin) because it was the first and most basic model.

шоха (шахаб Shokha): The VAZ-2106. In Russian slang, shesterka means “six,” and shokha is a cool, street-slang version of that number.

семерка (Semyorka): The VAZ-2107. Simply “The Seven.”

Slang and colloquial names of cars by models:

зубило. (Zubilo): Literally “The Chisel.” This refers to the VAZ-2108 and 2109. When they first came out, their sharp, wedge-shaped front looked like a metalworking chisel compared to the rounded cars of the past.

Девятка (Devyatka): “The Nine” (VAZ-2109). This car was the ultimate “cool guy” car in the 1990s.

Горбатый (Gorbatyy): “The Hunchback.” The ZAZ-965 (Zaporozhets). Famous for its curved rear engine cover.

Тазик (Tazik): Literally “The Basin” (like a washbasin). This is a play on the factory name VAZ (Volzhsky Avtomobilny Zavod). People jokingly call Ladas “Taziks” to imply they are just simple metal containers.
Тазовод (Tazovod): A person who drives a Lada and is obsessed with modifying or fixing it.

Козлик (Kozlik): “The Little Goat.” This refers to the UAZ-469 (the classic Russian military jeep). It’s called this because the suspension is so stiff that the car “jumps” over bumps like a goat.

Буханка (Bukhanka): “The Loaf.” The UAZ-452 van. It has looked exactly like a loaf of grey bread since 1965 and is still in production today.

Головастик (Golovastik): “The Tadpole.” The pickup-truck version of the UAZ van, because it has a big “head” (cabin) and a small “tail” (flatbed).

Беременная антилопа (Beremennaya antilopa): “The Pregnant Antelope.” A hilarious (and mean) nickname for the VAZ-2110. It was more aerodynamic than previous Ladas, but people thought the rear wheel arches made it look “bloated.”

Bukhanka (Буханка): The UAZ-452 van. Informally known as “The Loaf” because its boxy, rounded shape looks exactly like a loaf of Russian bread.

Bobik (Бобик): The GAZ-69 or UAZ-469. “Bobik” is a common generic name for a small guard dog or stray; the car was nicknamed this because it was often used by the police or because it “charged around” like an energetic dog.

Kozlik (Козлик): Also used for the GAZ-69. It means “Little Goat” because the stiff suspension causes the car to “jump” over bumps.

Kopeika (Копейка): The VAZ-2101. Named after the kopek (the smallest coin) because it was the first, most affordable “people’s car”.

Shakha (Шаха): The VAZ-2106. Derived from shest (six). It actually comes from criminal card-game slang, where the six of clubs is called a “shakha”.

Semyorka (Семёрка): The VAZ-2107. Simply “The Seven.” It also earned the sarcastic nickname KhBM, an abbreviation for Khochu Byt’ Mersedesom (“I want to be a Mercedes”), due to its large chrome grille.

Zubilo (Зубило): The VAZ-2108. Literally “The Chisel”. Its sharp, wedge-shaped front was a radical departure from older, rounder Soviet designs.

Zapor (Запор): A general shortening of the brand name, which unfortunately is also the Russian word for “constipation”.

Ushasty (Ушастый): The ZAZ-968. It means “Big Ears” because of the prominent air intake vents on the rear sides used for engine cooling.

Gorbatyy (Горбатый): The ZAZ-965. Literally “The Hunchback” due to its curved rear engine cover.

Cherny Voronok (Чёрный воронок): The GAZ-M1. Known as the “Black Raven.” This was the car used by the secret police (NKVD) during the 1930s; seeing one parked in a courtyard was a sign of impending trouble.

Chlenovoz (Членовоз): Luxury limousines like the ZIL-111 used by high-ranking Communist Party members. It literally translates to “Member Carrier” (referring to “Members of the Politburo”).

Baleen (Китовый ус): The third-generation GAZ-21 Volga. It earned the name “Baleen” (whalebone) because of its distinctive 36-slit vertical grille.

ЗАЗ-968 — Big-eared / Floppy-eared

ЗАЗ-968М — Soap dish

УАЗ-452 — Loaf, Tablet, Pencil case, Bread loaf (Bukhanka)

УАЗ-452Д — Tadpole

УАЗ-469 — see GAZ-69

УАЗ «Patriot» — Hippo, Patr, Patrick
VAZ — VAZ

ВАЗ — Basin / Tub (TAZ)

ВАЗ (2101–2107) — Classics

ВАЗ-2101 — Kopek, Gopnik-flyer

ВАЗ-2103 — Troika, Lada, Trojan

ВАЗ-2104 — Four

ВАЗ-2105 — Five

ВАЗ-2106 — Shokha, Six

ВАЗ-2107 — Seven

ВАЗ-2108/09 — Chisel, Guy-mobile

ВАЗ-2110 — Hippo, Suitcase, Pregnant antelope, Chirik

ВАЗ-2115 — Fifteen

ВАЗ-1118 «Kalina» — Hunchbacked mouse

ВАЗ-2120 «Nadezhda» — Hopeless one / No-hoper

ВАЗ-21213 «Niva» — Boot

ВАЗ-2131 «Niva» (5-door) — Crocodile, Ural
ИЖ-2715 — Heel, Moskvitch, Pie, Chignon, Knapsack, Cheburashka, Boot

ОКА — Little cuckoo, Mad stool, Turd, Half-past seven, KAMAZ keychain, Nano-Kamaz

Москвич-2141 — Renegor

Москвич «Aleko» — Cripple

Москвич-407 — Stilyaga (dandy)

Москвич-21406 — Collective farmer

РАФ-2203 — Rafik

ЗИЛ-5301 — Boar, Little bull

ГолАЗ-ЗИЛ-4242 — Godzilla

ЛуАЗ-969 — Lunokhod (Moon rover)

ЗАЗ-968 – Ушастый
ЗАЗ-968М – Мыльница

УАЗ-452 – Батон, Таблетка, Пенал, Буханка
УАЗ-452Д – Головастик
УАЗ-469 – см. ГАЗ-69
УАЗ «Патриот» – Бегемот, Патр, Патрик

VAZ – ВАЗ

ВАЗ – ТАЗ
ВАЗ (2101-2107) – классика
ВАЗ-2101 – Копейка, ГОПолет
ВАЗ-2103 – Тройка, Лада, Троян
ВАЗ-2104 – Четверка
ВАЗ-2105 – Пятерка
ВАЗ-2106 – Шоха, Шестерка
ВАЗ-2107 – Семерка
ВАЗ-2108(9) – Зубило, Пацаномобиль
ВАЗ-2110 – Бегемот, Чемодан, Беременная антилопа, Чирик
ВАЗ-2115 – Пятнашка
ВАЗ 1118 «Калина» – Горбатая мышь
ВАЗ-2120 «Надежда» – Безнадёга
ВАЗ-21213 «Нива» – Ботинок
ВАЗ 2131 «Нива» (5-дверная) – Крокодил, Урал

ИЖ-2715 – Каблук, Москвич, Пирожок, Шиньон, Котомка, Чебурашка, Сапог
ОКА – Кокушонок, бешеная табуретка, какашка, полвосьмого, Брелок от КамАЗа, нанокамазик
Москвич-2141 – Ренегор
Москвич «Алеко» – Калека
Москвич-407 – Стиляга
Москвич-21406 – Колхозник
РАФ-2203 – Рафик
ЗИЛ-5301 – Кабан, Бычок
ГолАЗ-ЗИЛ-4242 – Годзилла
ЛуАЗ-969 – Луноход