MOSCOW (Reuters) – One of the Soviet Union’s most popular bicycle brands has been revived by a Russian factory after spending decades in obscurity, the latest Russian-made product to hit shelves as Moscow champions domestic production over Western imports.
Originally mass-produced by a state-owned Soviet plant in the Russian city of Perm, the Kama bicycle became popular in the 1970s and 1980s for its foldable design and distinctive red frame, but fell out of use after the Soviet collapse of 1991.
Now Russia’s Forward car factory is bringing the Kama brand back with a new model resembling its Soviet counterpart, marketing what was once considered a vintage collector’s item to a new generation of cyclists.
“Not everyone had one, but it was everyone’s dream to have one,” Forward’s commercial director Alexei Boyaryshnikov told Reuters.
At 98 roubles – around half the average Soviet monthly wage in 1980 – it was not the most affordable bike on the market but was highly sought after.
“At the time there was not much of a choice. There was not a great variety of bicycles,” he said. “This bike was the most popular and interesting.”
“Although two generations have probably passed since people first rode the bike … our bicycle factory decided to start producing the Kama again because we’re in Perm and it is the ancestor of the (previous) large bike factory.”
The new model will cost about 10,000 roubles ($133) and be made from parts sourced from Russia and abroad, the company said, although even producing a Russian-made bicycle like the Kama has become more difficult due to sanctions.
“We produce many bike models, over 300. For other models, the sanctions affected us a lot,” Boyaryshnikov said.
“We are now deprived of parts we use for our production, from Japan, Taiwan, the Czech Republic, France … As for the Kama – there was a lack of paint. We used Finnish paint – and now we have to switch to another one.”
Since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine almost a year ago, Western sanctions and the subsequent exodus of foreign companies have forced Moscow to end its reliance on foreign imports and develop its own brands and goods.
Dozens of Western products have been replaced with domestic equivalents, as Russian entrepreneurs aim to capitalise on the departure of brands such as Coca-Cola and McDonald’s.
Last year, the former factory of French automaker Renault was bought by the local authorities and repurposed to produce the Soviet-era Moskvich line of cars, featuring new designs that barely resemble their Soviet predecessor.
($1 = 74.75 roubles)
(Reporting by Reuters,; Writing by Caleb Davis,; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Alison Williams)
