The first automatic washing machine in the USSR
Housewives from Europe and America have had the advantage of automatic washing since the forties of the 20th century. But women in the Soviet Union did not have such a sweet time. The first automatic washing machine appeared in the USSR in 1975, and their mass production began only in the mid-1980s. Let's get acquainted with the history of the "washing" revolution in the USSR, its key stages, events and patterns.
Introducing Soviet citizens to automatic washing machines
At the end of the 1970s, the Soviet population first became acquainted with what an automatic machine was. “Vyatka-automatic”, as it was called, began to be produced in Kirov at a special enterprise built by the Italian company Merloni for these needs. These washing machines completely copied Ariston units. It is not surprising that the demand for new equipment has broken all records; compared to the semi-automatic machines used before, it was just a gift. There was no need to rinse, wash, or wring out by hand; the new unit did everything itself.
The trial model of Vyatka was released in 1980, it had as many as 12 programs. After successful tests, the plant produced the first batch of 100 pieces, this happened on February 23, 1981. You could buy a machine at retail for $4, which at that time was a huge amount, equivalent to the average salary. Then the price was slightly reduced (to $4).
Important! It is noteworthy that one of the first advertisements in the usual sense of the word, which appeared on the Soviet television screen, was dedicated specifically to Vyatka.
It was possible to purchase it freely, but for this it was necessary to provide the Housing Office with a certificate confirming that the wiring complied with power consumption standards. Such wiring was found in houses built later than 1978.
History of washing machines in the USSR
In fact, the very first washing machines appeared in the USSR long before the era of Stagnation. Back in the 1920s, the party nomenklatura brought “household assistants” from America, but as for the common people, literally until the 50s they had practically no idea that such a miracle of technology even existed. Let's consider the main milestones in the development of washing machines in the USSR.
- Back in the 1950s, the Riga plant produced a series of EAYA-2 and 3 machines, which were sold for $6, but were not available to a wide range of consumers. The second generation of machines from the same plant was called “Riga-54” with a capacity of 2.5 kg. "Riga-55", released a little later, completely copied the Swedish model brought from the exhibition by the chief engineer of the plant.
- The first washing machine with a timer in the USSR came off the assembly line of the same Kirov plant, this was the very first Vyatka. This happened in 1966. Water had to be poured and drained manually; the washing duration was set using a timer. The design was a huge cylindrical tank with a screw in the bottom, which powered the unit.
- The Cheboksary plant named after Chapaev soon produced the first semi-automatic machine in the Union called “Volga-8”. Units of this type have survived to this day in some families.
Semi-automatic machines had spinning rollers, but they were not very convenient and were practically not used in everyday life. However, a few years later the first ZVI machines with a centrifugal spinning device appeared.
The beginning of the 1970s was marked by the appearance of the first Eureka washing machines. Compared to previous models, this was a technological breakthrough. The washing machine was already equipped with an automatic draining system, spinning without removing laundry, and a drum device for the tank.
Well, in the 1980s, automatic Vyatkas began to spread, although they were in short supply. If someone had such a unit, it became a local landmark. Washing machines entered the lives of our compatriots en masse only with their entry into the international market and the appearance of imported models.
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1 reader comment
In the 1970s, during the USSR-GDR project in Chisinau, an excellent automatic washing machine “Chisinau” with vertical loading was produced. I saw it myself in the GDR. The Germans were very pleased. But in Chisinau it was in short supply. “Vyatka automatic” was not even close.