Vintage Streetcars Paraded in St.Petersburg

Streetcars of different epochs paraded the streets of the modern city
A parade of vintage streetcars and trolleybuses took place in Russia's northern capital, St.Petersburg, on May 28. The parade was held in the network of festivities dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the city. Russia's news agency RIA Novosti was told in the press-service of St.Petersburg governor that the procession was headed by LVS-97, one of the modern cars. It was followed by the oldest streetcar of St.Petersburg. A streetcar of this model built by Britain's company Bresh had opened streetcar traffic in Petersburg in 1907. The rarity was followed by MS, the first Soviet streetcar made of steel and LM-33, the streetcar made in the 1930s (it is also known as "legendary American").

Post-war streetcars designed in 1947 and 1949, those that were called "elephants", and LM-57, the tram called "dandy", also took part in the parade. A tram that was called "aquarium", the model designed in the late 1960s – early 1970s, was next in the procession. LM-99, the last tram model built in Petersburg completed the procession.
The streetcar parade started from the oldest tram depot, the Vasileostrovsky one, and proceeded to Petrogradskaya Storona (Petrograd Quarter). The streetcars had lined up along Kronverksky Avenue at 11.30 p.m. from where they started at noon after the cannon of the Peter and Paul Fortress volleyed. Near the Circus in Inzhenernaya Street (Engineer Street), St.Petersburg’s oldest trolleybus, YaTB-1 was exhibited. The oldest trolleybus first went out to Nevsky Avenue in 1936.

At 1:00 p.m., the streetcar column proceeded to Primorsky Victory Park where an athletic festival was held. The trams participating in the parade could house about 1,500 passengers; passengers paid no fare for a tour about the city in retro streetcars.

RIAN