SCRAP METAL

"Zhiguli" is a trademark for models of cars produced by the Volga Automobile Plant, first assigned to the VAZ-2101 model in June 1970. It is the most mass-produced car model in the history of the USSR, with 17.6 million units manufactured during its production run. The first Zhiguli model was based on the Italian Fiat 124. Under the "Zhiguli" brand name, the VAZ-2101/2102/2103 family of cars was sold both domestically and internationally (with the exception of several European countries where the word "Zhiguli" was associated with the questionable term "gigolo" by customers, and in Hungary, where it coincided with a vulgar term). Therefore, the "Zhiguli" brand name was quickly replaced by "LADA" in foreign markets. While citizens of civilized democratic countries could afford to buy a top-tier Chevrolet Corvette Stingray for $6,650, in the USSR one could purchase a VAZ-2101 for 5,620 rubles (equivalent to $6,771). The year 1970 is used as a reference, when the exchange rate was officially set at 1:0.83 (thus, the car's price is converted from rubles to dollars). The photographs were taken in Ukraine between 2018 and 2021.