ZIM

ZIM. The predecessor of the ZIL. The Cadillac equivalent Limousine of the Soviet-Union. This is how members of the Politburo moved around Moscow in the 50ies and 60ies.

In the early 90ies, as the Soviet-Union was crumbling, I worked in newly independent Georgia, where I had the pleasure and privilege of being driven around for a few weeks in the original ZIM Limousine of Josef Djugashvili, the former Communist great and most famous son of Georgia, known to the world as Josef Stalin.

I even went to the Georgian city of Gori in this car, and visited Stalin's birthplace. The great dictator was not surprisingly born in a shack; it's still there (probably rebuilt). A hovel of lime earth with a door and one window. They also had his original - rapidly corroding - train wagon at the Stalin museum. Tried to borrow that one too, but too bad...