What Yeltsin’s garage hid: from the Volga to armored Mercedes

The garage of the first Russian President Boris Yeltsin has long been the subject of myths and speculation. Official figures on his fleet vary, and some cars disappeared from view after 1999. Service limousinesGifted foreign cars, armored SUVs – all this was stored in specially equipped boxes near Moscow and in the residence “Gorki-9”. But what exactly stood in these garages, how they were serviced, and why some cars still raise questions from historians?

Today we will restore the full list of Yeltsin vehicles, analyze the technical features of the most famous examples and reveal little-known facts – for example, why. Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard It is the most protected car in the history of Russia and how ZIL-41047 He saved the president during the August 1991 coup. We will also find out what happened to the cars after Yeltsin’s resignation and where they can be seen now.

Spoiler: one of the cars is still wanted, and the other was sold at auction for a record amount – and it is not Volga GAZ-3102The one that Yeltsin used to drive in Sverdlovsk.

Official fleet: from ZIL to Mercedes

The service fleet of the President of Russia was formed according to strict rules: the cars had to correspond to the status of the head of state, provide maximum safety and at the same time not to yield in comfort to Western analogues. The basis of the collection domestically ZILESAfter the collapse of the USSR, foreign models appeared in the garage, first of all, in the form of a car. Mercedes-Benz.

According to the Federal Security Service (FSO), in different years Yeltsin used at least 7 main cars. At the same time, some of the cars were duplicated - for example, different types of cars were used for trips in Moscow and abroad. Mercedes S-Class with different levels of reservation.

Interesting fact: until 1996, Yeltsin preferred domestic limousines, but after the incident with the limousines. ZIL-41047 (when the car got stuck in the mud near Sochi) it was decided to buy German cars. From now on Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard It was the president’s main vehicle.

• 🚗 ZIL-41047 Main service limousine 1991-1996, armored version with bulletproof glass. It was on this that Yeltsin stood on a tank during the coup.
• 🛡️ Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard (W140) - Flagship armored car with level protection B6/B7A gift from the German government in 1995.
• 🚙 Volga GAZ-3102 The “people’s” car that Yeltsin drove in Sverdlovsk before being elected president.
• 🏔️ Mercedes-Benz G500 - SUV for trips to mountain residences, equipped with additional armor.
• 🚘 Audi A8 L6.0 W12 A backup vehicle for visits to Germany, later transferred to the museum.

The mansion stands ZIL-41047 The last model of Soviet limousines, released in a single copy especially for Yeltsin. The car had a unique communication system with the Kremlin, an armored dome hatch (for performances) and even a small bar in the cabin. After 1996, it was replaced by Mercedes Due to frequent breakdowns and low reliability.

Armored Mercedes S600 Pullman Guard: technical secrets

Yeltsin's flagship car - Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard (W140) It was not just a luxury limousine, but a real fortress on wheels. The car was delivered to Russia in 1995 on a special order and had a level of reservation. B6/B7Which meant protection from caliber bullets. 7.62 mm and explosive devices equivalent to 15 kg in TNT equivalent.

Key features of the car:

• 🔫 Armour.: multilayer steel and Kevlar in doors, roof and floor. The thickness of the armorels reached 30-40 mm.
• 🪟 Glasses.bulletproof, thickness 65 mm, heated and tinted.
• 💨 Engine.: V12 6.0 l (394 hp), modified to work with additional weight (the weight of the car exceeded the weight of the car) 4 tons).
• 📡 Connection: satellite phone, encrypted radio communication with the Kremlin and FSO, GPS tracking system.
• 🚨 Security: mine protection under the bottom, fire extinguishing system, armored fuel tanks.

A unique detail: a special “presidential” remote with an emergency communication button with the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff was installed in the cabin. This function was never advertised and became known only after the declassification of some of the FSO documents in 2010.

Interestingly, despite its super-reliability, the car once failed Yeltsin: in 1998, during a trip to Germany. Mercedes I was stuck on the road due to a fuel pump failure. As it turned out later, the fault was filling with low-quality gasoline at one of the Russian gas stations before departure.

Yeltsin’s Volga: How a Normal Car Became a Symbol of the Era

Before moving to Moscow and being elected president, Boris Yeltsin traveled to Moscow. Volga GAZ-3102 - a standard Soviet car, which today stands in the museum of his name in Yekaterinburg. This car, released in 1986, had no armor or special equipment, but became one of the most recognizable symbols of the early 90s.

Why the Volga?

• 🏭 It was the most prestigious domestic machine for the party nomenclature.
• 🔧 Yeltsin personally monitored her condition and even repaired minor breakdowns.
• 📸 It was on this car that he came to rallies in Sverdlovsk, which created the image of a “people’s” politician.

After being elected president Volga It remained in Yeltsin's garage as a backup car, but was rarely used. Today it is exhibited in the Boris Yeltsin Center Museum with original rooms. 001 G. 66 RUS (This was specifically designed for this car.)

In 1991, when Yeltsin was already president of the RSFSR, he once got behind the wheel. Volgas He took the delegation to Sverdlovsk airport. The episode made news and caused a scandal - security was shocked by such a breach of protocol.

Disappearances and Disappearances: What Happened to Cars Since 1999

After Yeltsin’s resignation in December 1999, his fleet was to be transferred to the new president, Vladimir Putin. However, not all cars reached the new owner. Three cars. The following questions are still being asked by historians and journalists:

1. Mercedes-Benz G500 1997 - A booked SUV that disappeared from a garage in 2000. According to one version, it was sold at a closed auction, according to another - it is still stored in one of the hangars of the FSO.

2. ZIL-41047 (backup) - after 1996, the car was decommissioned, but instead of the museum was in a private collection. In 2015, it was sold at an auction in Dubai for the €1.2 millionBut the deal fell through.

3. Audi A8 L6.0 W12 A gift from German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. The car was listed in the inventory of the FSO until 2003, after which its traces were lost.

The most notorious scandal broke in 2007, when Forbes magazine published an investigation into the sale of the company. Mercedes S600 Pullman Guard. According to the publication, the car was sold to oligarch Roman Abramovich for the $1.5 millionBut this information was later refuted. Officially, the car is still stored in the museum of the FSO, but access to it is closed.

⚠️ Attention: If you meet an offer to sell the Presidential ZIL, or Mercedes Yeltsin is almost guaranteed fraud. All original cars are registered with the FSO, and their sale without special permission is impossible.