MOSCOW

Cars have long been more than modes of transportation – they are symbols of status, wealth, and personal identity. For world leaders, their vehicles also serve as custom-built expressions of national pride, technological prowess, and security.

In Russia, this symbolism is showcased at the Museum of the Special Purpose Garage in Moscow, the only museum in the world operated by an active special service.

Run by the Russian Federal Protective Service, the elite body tasked with safeguarding the president and other top officials, the museum established in 2021 traces the evolution of official vehicles from the Russian Empire to the modern Russian Federation.

Each car on display – from imperial Delaunay-Belleville models to contemporary Aurus limousines – serves as a witness to history.

(Photo by Elena Teslova)

When cars initially appeared in the late 19th century, they quickly made their way to royal households around the world, and in Russia, the first ones were bought during the reign of Tsar Alexander III, Yekaterina Ostapenko, the museum’s presenter, told Anadolu.

Yet, as a conservative monarch, he remained faithful to the traditional mode of transport of his time – a stately horse-drawn carriage.

His successor, Nicholas II, was more enthusiastic about modern innovations and quickly embraced the automobile. “By 1917, Emperor Nicholas II’s garage housed 56 cars of various makes, more than any other head of state in the world at the time,” Ostapenko said.

Early Soviet era

The Russian Revolution and the rise of Bolshevik power led to the dispersal and destruction of much of the imperial vehicle collection, according to Ostapenko.

Some of these historic cars were later recovered by the Federal Protective Service for the museum, including prized models like the Delaunay-Belleville C4 40/45 CV triple phaeton and the Delaunay-Belleville SMT 70 CV landau, custom-built by Parisian ateliers Rothschild and Sons, Reims, and Auscher.

(Photo by Elena Teslova)

“The SMT abbreviation stood for ‘Sa Majeste le Tsar’ – ‘His Majesty the Tsar,’” she explained.

Some of Nicholas’ vehicles were sold off, while others were repurposed by the revolutionary elite.

“Vladimir Lenin, the foremost Bolshevik, preferred a Rolls-Royce, considered the most reliable car by his security advisers,” said Ostapenko.

Joseph Stalin, Lenin’s successor, favored American Packard limousines, but “he viewed the reliance on foreign luxury as unbecoming for a great power like Russia,” she added.

Determined to create a domestic alternative, he ordered the development of the ZiS limousine. However, though grand in design, the ZiS lacked the technical excellence of Western models, prompting Stalin to continue using his trusted Packards until his death.

As the Cold War era drove further innovation, Nikita Khrushchev, who succeeded Stalin, demanded a car that could rival the West.

Notably, Ostapenko continued, Khrushchev also became the first Soviet leader to refuse the use of armored vehicles, striving to symbolize closeness to the people.

From Khrushchev onward, Soviet leaders traveled in domestically produced ZiL limousines. Over time, these vehicles evolved to match – and at times surpass – their Western counterparts, an evolution documented through the museum’s remarkable exhibits.

By the time of Mikhail Gorbachev’s Perestroika, Soviet automotive technology was in visible decline, and following the USSR’s collapse, Russia’s struggling economy and industrial sector could no longer sustain luxury car production, said Ostapenko.

Aurus: ‘Gold of Russia’

Despite economic hardship, the importance of appearances remained.

Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s first post-Soviet president, commissioned armored Mercedes-Benz limousines from Germany, marking a return to armored vehicles unseen since Stalin’s time.

(Photo by Elena Teslova)

When President Vladimir Putin assumed power in 1999, he set an ambitious goal: to create a modern Russian luxury vehicle. This project, born in a country emerging from war and economic turmoil, would take nearly two decades to realize.

Ostapenko explained that the brand was initially set to be named Marusya, a traditional Russian female name, but a more dignified title was ultimately chosen: Aurus, a portmanteau of “aurum,” Latin for gold, and “Rus,” from the country’s name.

Designed with ceremony in mind, Aurus now offers a fleet of limousines, sedans, crossovers, and minibuses. In 2024, the family expanded further with the Aurus Merlon, a ceremonial motorcycle used for high-level motorcades.

 (Photo by Elena Teslova)

Today, Aurus stands as the crown jewel of the Museum of the Special Purpose Garage, said Ostapenko, and at the heart of the collection is the limousine used by Putin during his presidential inauguration.

She emphasized how the cars of Russian presidents, monarchs, and top officials “offer a lens into national priorities and political messaging,” revealing not only personal tastes but also the broader intersection of power, culture, and image on the world stage.