Tractor History Museum. Museum and Industrial Center of Labor Glory MTZ

On September 22, 2017, the Museum of the Minsk Tractor Plant, the flagship of the mechanical engineering industry of the Republic of Belarus, opened its doors wide to visitors.

Our museum will tell you the bright and eventful history of the creation of the Minsk Tractor Plant, its development and formation.

The museum's exhibition includes interesting authentic historical documents of the past, as well as modern interactive elements.

The history of our museum dates back to 1971. When was the first exhibition in the form of a labor glory room created?

The modern museum of the Minsk Tractor Plant involves the following tasks:

Creation of the most accessible permanent career guidance base and material and production base for all categories and groups of students - schoolchildren, college and gymnasium students, undergraduate and graduate students of both technical and humanitarian fields;

Creating optimal conditions for holding creative meetings related to the theme and profile of the museum, adapted to receive a larger number of visitors at a time;

Development and strengthening of the corporate culture of the enterprise;

Strengthening and maintaining a positive information background around the enterprise’s activities.

Our museum can offer you not only artifacts, but also interactive zones, a 5D cinema for visitors of different ages, a place for scientific and practical conferences and poetry evenings.

Cost of visiting the museum:

Entrance fees for:
adults – 1.7 rubles;
for children – 0.85 rubles;
children of preschool age - free.

Excursion for a group of up to 25 people (45 minutes):
for adults – 20 rubles;
full-time students and secondary educational institutions - 12.5 rubles;
school students – 12.5 rubles;
employees of enterprises of the MTZ-HOLDING holding - 15 rubles.

Excursion for a group of up to 10 people (45 minutes):
full-time students and secondary educational institutions - 10 rubles;
school students – 8.5 rubles;
employees of enterprises of the MTZ-HOLDING holding - 10 rubles.

5D cinema:
for adults – 5 rubles;
for full-time and secondary school students, school students – 2.5 rubles;
for school students – 2.5 rubles;
for employees of enterprises of the MTZ-HOLDING holding – 2.5 rubles;
for pensioners 2.5 rubles.

Rent of a conference room in the museum of OJSC MTZ (37.5 sq.m.) with a capacity of up to 35 people.

We have everything you might need for your presentation or business meeting (mixing console, microphones, flip chart, Wi-Fi, water cooler, coffee machine, parking).
Rental cost is 15 rubles per hour.

It is also possible to organize coffee breaks and hot lunches in our Kolos restaurant.

And in the museum lobby you can purchase a wide range of souvenirs with the BELARUS logo.

We work for you from Monday to Sunday from 8.00 to 18.00.

Five years ago, a very unusual museum appeared in Russia, one might even say exceptional. It amazes visitors with its exhibits. This is a scientific and technical museum of the history of the tractor in Cheboksary. At the end of October 2016, it celebrates its small, but still significant historical anniversary for the Republic of Chuvashia and the country as a whole.

Cheboksary city

The Tractor Museum opened in Cheboksary not by chance. This is not just a city in Chuvashia, part of the Volga region, on the geographical map of Russia. It is called the pearl and cultural capital (since 2003) of the Volga region. This is a city with a long history, rich culture and its own traditions. It is recognized as one of the most comfortable (2001, 2013), clean and green (2006, 2007) subjects of Russia. In addition, the capital of Chuvashia is one of the centers of domestic tractor manufacturing.

Concern "Tractor Plants"

It must be said that tractor manufacturing is an integral branch of Russian mechanical engineering. The products produced are finished tractors, as well as all the necessary spare parts and components for them.

In our country there is a concern “Tractor Plants”. This is a mechanical engineering and industrial association of companies since 2006. These include 25 enterprises around the world, among which 10 are from the Chuvash Republic (and 9 are located in Cheboksary):

JSC "Promtractor"
Promtractor-Promlit LLC.
OJSC "Cheboksary Aggregate Plant".
MIKONT LLC.
LLC "AMH"
JSC "CHETRA-PM".
CHETRA - KZCH LLC.
LLC "SPM"
CJSC "Complex solution".
CJSC "Promtractor-Vagon" (in Kanash).

Cheboksary: tractor museum

What does this have to do with tractor enterprises? The point is this: the Tractor Plants concern took a direct part in the creation of a republican landmark in the capital of Chuvashia in 2011. The president of the concern, Mikhail Bolotin, proposed opening a tractor museum in this city (Cheboksary). The proposal was responded to and supported by: the Russian Mechanical Engineers Union, the Russian Culture Foundation and the Russian Technologies State Corporation. This museum in Russia has become exceptional in its kind, there is nothing like it anywhere else: it is at the same time specialized (specialization - tractor construction), educational, and scientific-educational (explains information in an accessible and reliable way and introduces the history to anyone).

Modern museum for visitors

Approximately 1.5 thousand square meters of museum space are located on Mira Avenue, 1. Tourists who have come to get to know Cheboksary better, as well as local residents of the republic (some for the first time, and some again) flock here. The administration takes a fairly active position in communicating with the audience and offers interesting programs. For example, the “weekend club” offers an active and very entertaining time for both adults and children: listeners can not only learn about the history of the development of mechanical engineering (in the world, in Russia) and see with their own eyes different brands of tractors, but also take part personally in. .. tractor test drive! Both young and old will be able to happily test radio-controlled tractor models, assemble their own themed equipment from Lego, participate in various competitions, watch films, use a sledgehammer to knock out an imprint on a coin depicting the very first tractor in the world (and take it with them as a souvenir ). Here you can get a lot of impressions by riding on a local museum attraction. A big advantage is the opportunity to touch and feel the exhibits (for example, it’s great to climb into the legendary “Belarus” - its name is often confused, apparently due to its consonance with the name of the country, so it is popularly known more as the “Belarus” tractor), sit inside cabins, take photos.

Another undoubted advantage is that children's parties (for example, birthdays) can be held in this place. Amazing museum!

Programs are being transformed and supplemented. The museum staff focuses on visitors who simply cannot get bored within the walls of this establishment. If you call and tell us about your desire to come on a tour, they will probably tell you what exactly will be waiting for you in the program. Or you can simply go to the official website and read the latest news, information is constantly updated there.

Museum models

The Tractor History Museum introduces visitors to the history of the development of not only domestic, but also foreign tractor construction. You can see the museum's collection: it contains about 40 different tractors (some are even in working condition), including legendary tractors (for example, the model range of MTZ - Minsk Tractor Plant). By the way, upon careful examination and close acquaintance with this series, pay attention to “Belarus” (you can and should ask the guide why this name is trying to displace another one - the “Belarus” tractor).

Among other things, the exhibition includes about 500 models of tractor samples and over 5,000 historical rarities.

More about the exhibition

The museum has several zones logically arranged in historical order:

Availability

The Tractor History Museum is accessible to the public. The cost of visiting is low. If you decide to come and get acquainted with the history of the transformation of the tractor, look and sit inside the exhibits (without a guide), it will cost inexpensively: students - 50, children - 40, adults - 100 rubles. Visiting time is not limited. If you wish, you can book a tour to not only see, but also listen to information and ask questions. The ticket price will be slightly higher. If there are less than 15 people in the group, the price will be 250 rubles. For groups of more than 15 people - only 25 rubles per visitor. Without payment, preschool children, museum employees, Heroes of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation, WWII participants and full holders of the Order of Glory will be able to get acquainted with history and culture. A separate price list is presented for photography and video shooting, test drives, the use of radio-controlled equipment and coin making. It is better to check ticket prices and services in advance on the website or by phone.

How to get there

If you come to Cheboksary, the Tractor Museum will gladly welcome you: it will provide opportunities to explore unknown areas and lift your spirits. It is located at the address: Mira Avenue, 1. You can get to the “Agregatny Zavod” stop by city minibuses (No. 42, 45, 48, 51, 52, 54, 63) or trolleybuses (No. 5, 9, 15, 18 , 19). It won’t be difficult to find your way further: the museum is located on the territory of the plant, and signs will tell you where to go.

I can’t say that I’m an ardent fan of the tractor. But I have a lot of respect for all heavy equipment, and I have some warm feelings for tractors. It is beautiful, rattles pleasantly and has many benefits: for example, you can tag along with it on a bicycle and ride forty kilometers per hour without stress. In general, I love the tractor. Therefore, an unplanned visit to the Tractor History Museum in Cheboksary gave me a special thrill. Here I was lucky twice: firstly, we did not intend to stop by the capital of Chuvashia, but we had to visit it on the way from Nizhny Novgorod for one trivial work matter, secondly, we ended up in a museum that had not yet been officially opened, and we were allowed in with with the wording “okay, come in now that you’ve arrived.” We walked in and were pleasantly surprised. Unlike the Nizhny Novgorod technical museums, which are based more on enthusiasm, which we toured en masse during that trip, here the enthusiasm was clearly supplemented by good financial investments: they clearly invested well in the interior. Actually, the rather large sign on the façade of the museum already spoke of the museum’s non-poverty. And the interior is decorated quite modernly, in the foyer there are reproductions of old Soviet posters with tractors, everything is decorated discreetly and pleasantly.

The exhibition is to match: slender, neat, well-lit shelves with exhibits - from tools of ancient farmers to futuristic sketches, lightboxes, shelves with models, books, albums, and a lot of historical material, photographs and posters. It's a pity that our spontaneous visit did not include an excursion; a detailed story from the guide would have added educational value to this cultural trek.

The museum's dioramas deserve special mention. Nicely made, high quality. They cover times from the distant past to the present and even the future. Here, for example, is “The Evolution of the Plow and Traction Force”:

Fragment of the interior of the forge:

Closer to our times. Locksmith workshop:

"In the diamond quarry"

"In ancient forests." Pathetic name :)

(Un)probable future. "Cetra tractor on Mars"

A separate story - models and layouts. There is an incredible amount of them collected here! In the first halls dedicated to history, there are not many of them, but towards the end of the exhibition there are rows of shelves densely packed with a variety of models - not only tractors, but also excavators, bulldozers, cranes, dump trucks, combine harvesters. Real abundance in 1:43 scale! There are so many “models” that I couldn’t photograph them all, and while grumbling about the blatant lack of spirituality towards visitors, I limited myself to a panorama, in which all the racks didn’t fit anyway.

But the best part comes at the end. In the last room, it would be more accurate to call it a hangar - a large, spacious, bright hangar, there is a collection of real tractors, from ancient rarities to modern examples. Two dozen wheeled and tracked vehicles, beautifully restored and painted in elegant colors. What a sight for sore eyes!

The oldest exhibit is the Fordson-Putilovets, the first-born of Soviet tractor manufacturing, copied from the American Fordson F, produced in the USA since 1917. The Fordson was one of the most popular, simplest and cheapest light tractors in the world at the time. "FP" was produced at the Putilov plant in Leningrad from 1924 to 1932. It was the first tractor in the world to have a frameless design and the first designed for mass production.

Simplicity of design, ease of operation, low cost and low metal consumption made the Putilovets the most popular Soviet tractor of its time, and its production was constantly increasing, reaching tens of thousands of units per year. But the simplicity and cheapness of the design also had a downside. The ignition system was far from perfect, causing the factory workers a lot of trouble. The repair of some structural components was difficult. The twenty-horsepower engine did not have enough power, and in heavy work conditions it overheated due to the design features of the lubrication system. The Ford design was designed for a much more gentle operation on medium-sized farms, and not for hard work on collective farm fields. Finally, the absence of wings on the rear wheels turned into inconvenience for the driver: not only could he easily be thrown with mud, the open spurs of the wheels could also cause injury to him (Apparently, this drawback was later eliminated. The museum exhibit has wings, they are also found on some historical photographs).

In the early 30s of the 20th century, the Putilovets was replaced by the more technically advanced STZ (SKhTZ)-15/30. The history of its appearance is curious. Already in 1925, when the production of “FP” had just begun in Leningrad, the authorities started talking about the need to build a specialized plant for the production of tractors. Since the USSR had virtually no experience in its own tractor building, they again decided to take a foreign design as a basis, but this time on a competitive basis. Five young engineers were given the task, at their discretion, to take as a basis the design of a foreign tractor and present it to the commission for defense. In the summer of 1926, the commission chose the International 10/20 project of the American company McCormick Deering. A year later, an industrial task was approved for the construction of a plant in Stalingrad with an annual production of 10,000 tractors of this type, and a year later they decided to double the design capacity of the plant.

McCormick Deering International 10/20 tractor:

But in the meantime, at an international testing competition, the McCormick Deering International 15/30 tractor took first place, and the plant’s design was redone again: now it was supposed to produce 40,000 International 15/30 tractors annually! The first STZ-15/30 came out of the gates of the largest tractor plant in 1930, and STZ reached its design capacity only in 1932, having overcome “childhood illnesses” with great difficulty. By this time, production of a tractor of the same design had also been launched at the Kharkov plant, where it received the designation SHTZ-15/30.

The design of the STZ-15/30 was more advanced compared to the Putilovets. More powerful engine (30 hp), lubrication system with oil pump and filter, oil air cleaner. The engine was started manually, from a “crooked starter,” and the collective farmers in their own way deciphered the HTZ abbreviation: “you’ll start the tractor horseradish.” The 15/30 remained on the assembly line until 1937, when both factories that produced it were repurposed to produce the STZ-NATI tracked tractor. In 1948-50, the tractor was produced by the Second Automobile Repair Plant in Moscow. In total, almost 400,000 of these tractors were produced.

Fordson-Putilovets and STZ-15/30 were suitable for arable work, but were not suitable for row cropping. On a row-crop tractor, the wheel arrangement must exactly correspond to the distance between the rows, which varies within one and a half meters for different crops. A row-crop tractor, in addition, must be reliable in control and not “yaw” when moving from side to side, and the ground clearance must take into account the height of the plants being processed - and this is only a small part of the basic requirements for such machines. In the early 30s, designers tried to create a row-crop tractor based on the Putilovets and STZ-15/30, but tests showed that such measures could not be achieved, and specialists from the Scientific Automotive Tractor Institute (NATI) were tasked with developing a “row-crop tractor.”

The basis was again taken from the American McCormick Farmall, as the most successful design of that time. When adapting the universal American car to Soviet realities, engineers faced a number of problems. For example, it turned out that it was not possible to create a universal tractor suitable for processing all crops cultivated in the Union. Therefore, for the first time in world practice, two modifications of the tractor were developed simultaneously - three- and four-wheeled (U-1 and U-2). In the 1940s, the U-3 and U-4 appeared for working with cotton.

Museum U-2:

The tractor, largely unified with the STZ-15/30, was called “Universal” and was mass-produced from 1934 to 1940 at the Leningrad plant “Krasny Putilovets”. From 1944 to 1955, the pioneer among domestic row-crop tractors was produced at a new tractor plant in Vladimir. By the way, the “Universal” became the first Soviet tractor to be exported abroad.

The three-wheeled U-4, designed to install cotton pickers, received pneumatic tires for the first time in the USSR:

At the end of the 30s, the question arose about the production of a medium tractor that would occupy an intermediate position between the low-power STZ-15/30 and the heavy STHZ-NATI with a power of 52 hp. The history of the appearance of such a model stretched over a decade and a half - the first prototypes of a machine of this class were developed back in 1932-33. at the Kharkov Tractor Plant, but there they soon accepted the already mentioned STHZ-NATI for production, and the development of the medium-power tractor continued at the Kirov Plant, where from 1936 to 1939 eight modifications based on the Caterpillar R-2 were created. But the Patriotic War that soon began interrupted design research until 1943, when specialists were recalled from the front and tasked with developing a medium-sized caterpillar tractor that could be used both for arable and row-crop farming, and the plant in Lipetsk was reconstructed to produce the tractor. In December 1944, the first batch of K-35s with a ZIS-5T gasoline engine was sent to the Crimea and the North Caucasus. Modified based on test results in the second half of 1946, they were tested in Armavir, after which they were approved for mass production, and the creators of the K-35 were awarded two state awards - for the tractor and separately for its diesel engine. In 1950, a modification of the KDP-35 appeared - “Kirov diesel row crop”.

The KD-35 was produced, in addition to Lipetsk, at the Minsk MTZ and in Brasov (Romania). It turned out to be a long-liver: it was produced until 1960, and many of its units were used on the T-38 / T-38M that replaced it on the conveyor until 1973.

The T-38 eliminated all the shortcomings of the KDP-35. The designers increased the reliability and service life of the chassis, used centralized lubrication of the rollers, which reduced their maintenance time several times, increased the smoothness of the ride, and improved stability. To perform general-purpose work, a second, wide pair of tracks was attached to the tractor.

The first Soviet small-sized tractor, KhTZ-7, produced from 1950 to 1956 in Kharkov. Designed for light agricultural work in vegetable growing and gardening with trailed and mounted agricultural implements. It had a 12-horsepower gasoline engine. The design made it possible to adjust the ground clearance, track width, and operate in reverse mode, for which the position of the controls and the driver's seat was changed. Stationary machines could be driven via the power take-off shaft onto the drive pulley. The rear wheels could be filled with water to increase traction weight.

In my opinion, HTZ-7 is one of the most beautiful exhibits in the museum.

KhTZ-7 evolved into the diesel DT-14, and that, in turn, into the DT-20. Produced from 1958 to 1969. The DT-20 was distinguished by its great versatility - its ground clearance and track width were also adjustable, the driver’s workplace was transformed to work with front-facing agricultural machines in reverse, and even the wheelbase could be changed.

Perhaps, one of the two Vladimirtsev T-28s on display at the museum boasts the most dapper livery. If the first, an inconspicuous blue-gray color, modestly perched itself in the corner behind one of the Station Wagons, the second stands in the very center of the hall and attracts attention with its bright and contrasting purple-yellow color. Hipster, no less! The time of its release coincided with the heyday of this youth subculture in the Union: 1958-1964. The design of the T-28, which became a further development of the T-24, was so successful that Vladimirets was awarded first prize and the Grand Gold Medal of the World Exhibition in Brussels.

In 1946, a new tractor manufacturing enterprise was created in Minsk on the basis of the 453rd Aviation Plant - Minsk Tractor Plant, MTZ. Starting with the assembly of plows and then starting engines, the plant soon began producing KD-35 tractors. And since 1953, MTZ-1 and MTZ-2 of their own design went into production. A few years later, as a result of a thorough modernization, the MTZ-50 tractor appeared, one of the most successful and widespread tractor designs in the USSR. It’s no joke - constantly changing, the “fifty kopeck” rolled off the assembly line for 23 years - from 1962 to 1985, after which for some time it was produced in limited quantities for export, and in the 90s, having experienced another reincarnation, it returned to the market under the Belarus brand. 500". The total number of MTZ-50 produced is more than 1,250,000 units.

The tractor was equipped with a 55 hp diesel engine, the transmission had 9 forward speeds and 2 reverse.

Several modifications were produced. For example, the all-wheel drive MTZ-52, the drive front axle of which is activated automatically depending on road conditions.

And this is a cotton-growing version of the MTZ-50X with a dual front wheel. Produced jointly with the Tashkent Tractor Plant.

An experimental tractor from the Lipetsk Tractor Plant with all driven steered wheels, a central cab location, and an engine located above the front axle. The permanent drive was front-wheel drive, the rear axle was engaged automatically when the front wheels slipped. The tractor did not go into production.

High-power crawler tractor DT-74, designed for agricultural, land reclamation and road construction work. Produced at the Kharkov plant from 1960 to 1984.

The most popular tracked tractor in the USSR is the DT-75, which has gained fame for its good performance and low cost compared to its analogues. Produced in various modifications from 1962 to this day - naturally, constantly being modernized - in Volgograd, from 1968 to 1992 it was also produced in Pavlodar under the “Kazakhstan” brand. Those modifications in which the enlarged fuel tank was located to the left of the driver’s cabin, and the cabin itself was shifted to the right of the longitudinal axis of the tractor, received the nickname “postman”. This cabin appeared in 1978. The museum DT-75, painted in authentic red, has a “postman’s” cabin. The tractor was awarded the Gold Prize at the International Fair in Leipzig in 1965.

DT-75M early production with old cabin:

And this, in my opinion, is the main show-stopper of the entire museum: the arable tracked “Altai” T-4, produced at the Altai Tractor Plant from 1964 to 1970, and until 1998 as the T-4A. In the museum, apparently, there is a transitional model - with a new cabin from the T-4A, but an old-style engine hood. T-4(A), common in the virgin lands of Siberia and Kazakhstan, were powerful and suitable for heavy work on irrigated soils. They were not very pleasant to operate - the design of the tracks was unreliable, the tractor was difficult to maintain, and in the summer and autumn, due to the low (only 9 km/h) speed, the T-4s were idle, since they were not suitable for work during this period.

But all this is not so important. The most important thing is what this particular museum “Altai” is like. It is essentially cut lengthwise. As in a visual aid, in a picture in a textbook or on a poster, a cross-section of the inside of the tractor, its components and parts is shown; you can look inside and get an idea of their structure. Well, how can you not admire it?!

Two modern “kids” come from Kurgan. The “multi-purpose municipal construction machine” MKSM-800, quite familiar to a city dweller...

And a mini-tractor KMZ-12. Both machines are designed to work with a wide variety of attachments - from forks to concrete mixers.

But the largest exhibits are located in the open area of the museum. Here is another veteran of Soviet construction projects, the Chelyabinsk “weaving” T-100. On board it is written S-100, although the cockpit with a sloping “forehead” is clearly from a Teshka; Wikipedia tells us that “the T-100 tractor was often traditionally called the S-100.” Produced from the mid-60s to the end of the 70s. In 1968 he received a gold medal at an international exhibition.

ChTZ T-170, a descendant of the Sotka, which went into production in 1988. By this time, its design was already quite outdated compared to foreign analogues. For example, the clutches were inherited from the Stalin S-80 model of 1946. The advantages of the T-170 include simplicity of design and low cost compared to analogues.

The most important giant of the exposition is the heavy industrial tractor Chetra T-330, “Cheboksary”. The first-born of the Cheboksary Tractor Plant appeared in the mid-1970s and was then a completely modern unit. A solution that is rare for bulldozers is a cab shifted forward, which improves visibility. The dimensions of the tractor are really impressive: length - 10.4 meters, height - more than 4! And it looks impressive: in front there is a bulldozer blade the size of a man, and at the back a ripper hangs like a predatory sting. Brutal handsome!

Great museum. A pleasant combination of love for your business and financial support. Not every technical museum is so lucky. In addition to the traditional exhibition, they say there is also an interactive part - virtual walks through the country's factories and 3D design modeling for everyone. With all this, ticket prices are quite affordable: an adult ticket costs 25 rubles, photography, it seems, is another 50. The only thing that is not entirely clear is the situation with the website: it looks clearly unfinished. But this is perhaps not a very significant fly in the ointment. Considering that this museum is the only one of its kind, it definitely becomes a must-visit.