"Time machine" in his own garage. An Orsha resident restores old Soviet cars

Postage stamps, commemorative badges, coins… And there are those who collect cars. And not miniature copies, but full-size versions. The main thing is that it should be retro technology.

You never cease to be amazed at how versatile and passionate people live next to us! One of them is Leonid Kuznetsov, a native of Orsha. A technician-mechanic by profession, and now a pensioner, he finds and brings back to life cars of the last century. According to Leonid Adamovich, each of these cars has a soul.

Everything connected with technology has attracted the resident of Orsha since childhood. But he was able to fulfill his dream and fully devote himself to his hobby only 6 years ago, upon retirement.

The love for "Volgas" began with a GAZ-21 manufactured in 1961, which the collector found in Gomel through an advertisement. It took almost a year to restore the car, and now this gray-and-white glossy car is in high demand during the wedding season among newlyweds.

The next two "time machines" – also "Volgas" from the post-war years, restored by the master's hands – once traveled thousands of kilometers along Soviet roads. And you feel somehow special in their now comfortable interiors, as if you are touching history.

Leonid Adamovich put his whole soul into the restoration of the legendary "Pobeda" cars of 1949. And it was worth it – the pearls of his collection evoke admiration from both ordinary people and professional motorists. A black chrome-plated "Pobeda" M-20 and retro cars in the colors of the Belarusian flag became the highlight of the Victory Day parade in Orsha.

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The hardest part is finding spare parts for the cars, because the factories haven't produced them for a long time, and you have to look everywhere you can», – says Leonid Kuznetsov. The collector admits that this hobby is not cheap, but the adrenaline rush during the process and the incredible joy upon completion of the work are incomparable. The mechanic's immediate plans include acquiring and restoring a GAZ-67 from the war years. In the meantime, Leonid Adamovich's personal car fleet includes 6 retro cars, each with its own unique story.

Olga Lebedeva, "Vitebskie vesti"