Kurgan, Oblast Krugan in west Siberia – Russia, near Omsk (±500km to the south – east), or Yekaterinburg (±400km to the north –east), was one of these places that had a blooming industry during the war, and still profits from the relocation of factories nowadays. On one of the entrance roads to the city, there is a big roundabout. In the centre is a T34-85 on display. Almost in every major city in Russia you will find a T-34 on display, it’s a national symbol for the victory in World War Two.
The T34-85 was the successor of the T-34-76. It had a 85mm gun instead of the 76,2mm and presented itself on the battlefield in 1944. Between 1944 and 1945 the Russian war industry constructed over 22600 T34-85. After World War Two the T-34-85 was produced under licence in other countries as well, Poland and Czechoslovakia. together with the T-34-76 and other chassis purposes they constructed number of T34 is a staggering more than 84000 pieces, the second most produced thank in the world. Only the T54/55 has a higher production number.
Even today, tracked army vehicles are build in large numbers in the city of Kurgan, Miass still holds a big truck plant and Chelyabinsk still has his tractor factory. The T-shirt above is for sale in our webshop by the way. – LandmarkScout Webshop
