Legendary motor race Moscow – Karakums – Moscow: how people and vehicles conquered desert
July 19, 2017 | 20:12 |297
The 30s of the XX century went under booming growth of industry in young Soviet State. Especially, the motor one. When the first GAZs and ZILs, which lately became famous, were made at open Gorky automobile factory and Moscow reconstructed plant, which was headed by legendary director Lihachyov, back in 1929 and 1931 accordingly, the decision for their test was taken. It was aimed not only at the test but also to find out if they can be competitive to American vehicles. It required making long-distance and extremely difficult race to understand the worthiness in competition. Forthcoming race was supposed to be an exam for the vehicles, which were made during the first five-year plan. The purpose of the expedition was to check new vehicles for durability under extreme climate and natural conditions. The plan of the motor race was impressive. The participants of the first motor rally had to come over 9400 kilometres, where 2270 kilometres of the highways, 4580 kilometres of rural, 1320 kilometres of dirt roads and 1200 kilometres off-road. 96 people and 23 vehicles, 16 trucks and seven light cars, took part in the raid. It was GAZ-A light cars, 1.5 ton GAZ-AA lorries, 2.5 ton AMO trucks, 2.5 ton AMO-3 as well as their competitors – three triple-axe Fords and Ford-AA truck painted white for better sun reflection. They were not super sophisticated new construction vehicles with increased capabilities but regular motors, which even did not have air filters. The selection of the participants was tough just like the selection of the spacemen. They had to face hard and dangerous journey, which laid along different roads and climate zones and therefore only the strongest and endurable drivers were included to the convoy. The team also included the producers of the vehicles – designers, test drivers, engineers, mechanics, plant workshop managers and the scientisit, the desert researchers, in particular the scientific group of the All-Union Agricultural Academy. Taking this favourable opportunity, the scientists had to do the studies on development of the Karakum Desert. Famous cameramen Eduard Tisse and Mikhail Gomorov as well as outstanding documentary journalist Roman Carmen had to highlight the motor raid in media. This was Roman Carmen, who had to shoot one of the most difficult part of the road – the Karakums. The route of the raid was defined Moscow – Gorky – Cheboksary – Kazan – Samara – Orenburg – Aktyubinsk – Kyzyl-Orda – Chimkent – Tashkent, then from Charjou across the desert to Krasnovodsk (Turkmenbashy in our days), after the crossing of the Caspian sea to Baku - Tiflis – Armavir – Rostov-on-Don – Kharkov (the capital of Ukraine in those days) – Voronezh – Tula – Moscow. Most difficult part of the journey was the raid across waterless Karakum desert. This was exactly the place that drew special attention of mass media. Finally, all preparations were done and on June 6, 1933, the motorcade started its way from the Gorky Park. The start was given! It goes without saying how difficult the journey was. The water in radiators was boiling at 85 degrees in oxygen-deficient and cold temperature of Pamir Mountains and there was no chance to inflate the tires. Because of the Syrdarya River flood, the expedition got lost in Kazakhstan steppes without fuel and water. The commander of the raid collected the remains of fuel from all the vehicles and left alone to search for the way while the rest of the participants finished the water from the radiators. Having come over the largest part of planned Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan territory, the motorcade arrived in Turkmenistan in the beginning of August. The journey took almost one and half months. All participants of the race were preparing anxiously to the coming meeting with hardest, dangerous, severe and unpredictable part of the route. Karakums, the Black Sands… it was hard to make something more difficult for the motor race. What are the roads in the desert? There is none. The sands, trapping the legs up the knees, the sun is unbearable hot and water only from well to well. Overheated engines were cooled off by water, sometimes by drinking one, which reserves were very limited. Part of the vehicles had to be literally carried manually. Here is what Roman Carmen wrote in his “The Vehicle Cross the Desert” memories book: “Agonizing heat of the desert and thirst knocked people down. Everyone in the motorcade had limited water ratio per day. This ratio included water for washing, shaving, hot food and finally drinking water. You have to have a strong willpower not to drink your daily ratio in one go. The temperature reached 70 degrees in the cabins at daytime. The vehicles were skidding in the sand wasting precious liquid. Water was boiling in the radiators. People poured last drops from personal flasks”. According to the participants of the expedition, local residents rendered all possible help throughout the whole route. They cordially welcomed the motorcade and if necessary the guides were showing the right way. Local citizens cheered up the members of the expedition and gave them food. Special reporters of “Turkmen Spark” newspaper working on the route wrote back in 1933: “August 15. According to the commission for support of the race, the motorcade has covered more than 5000 km of different roads including camel paths under various climate conditions, at 60 degrees. From Karakul to Charjou, the convoy covered 20 kilometres of quicksand. It took all night for it, about 12.5 hours. The whole motorcade finally arrived successfully in Charjou. Great attention was paid to the rally in Turkmenistan. 8 to 10 thousand people took part in the meeting in Charjou. The vehicles were placed at the territory of motor base. They had technical inspection and were re-supplied with fuel and water. The members of the race are in good condition, have good mood and hope for timely and successful crossing of Karakum Desert”. “August 17. The column arrived in Dargan-Ata. The roads were in beautiful condition and organization of the rally was excellent. Early in the mornig, the column is to head for Novo-Urgench”. “August 18. The motorcade left Dargan-Ata. After short stop, arrived to Novo-Urgench at 1700. Now, the way will run along Tashauz – Ilyaly – Hojeyly – Kunnya-Urgench route. The condition of the roads from Charjou to Hazarasp is excellent. Highest technical speed of the race – 30 km/h, was reached at this section. Three Turkmen vehicles equipped with radio transmitting devices unstoppably serving the motorcade, were accompanying the convoy on the move”. “August 20. Yesterday, at 11:30, the motorcade arrived in Tashauz having covered 500 km of Turkmen territory. The members of the race were warmly welcomed throughout the journey. The farmers were greeting the drivers of passing vehicles. Special welcome was given in Tashauz. Near Tashauz, the off-road test of light vehicles running on super tubes and regular tires was conducted. The test revealed excellent results – the vehicles crossed difficult dunes with sharp slopes easily. Now, the concentration is on the hard crossing of the desert. All members of the motorcade are in good spirit and confident in success” “August 200. The motorcade left Tashauz. We spent the night at Hojeyly and proceeded to Kunya-Urgench. After a day rest in Kunya-Urgench, the motorcade entered Karakums. All the bases, located on the route, were inspected. Considerable drop of the temperature favours the rally. Owing to exemplary service of the convoy by Turkmen radio vehicle, we have an opportunity to pass the messages from any place in Karakums.” “August 24. The arrival day of Moscow – Karakums – Moscow motorcade to Karabogaz is coming”. “August 25. According to the information form the committee for support of the motorcade, we inform that the column spent the night in 50 km from Uzun-Kuyu well. All vehicles are in good order and the mood of the participants is good. Everyone is confident that the desert will be crossed ahead of the schedule”. Bare, telegraph lines of the reports cannot give the full view of the race and speak of all dangers and troubles awaited the convoy in the rally, which become a legend. And we did not have such a task to describe vividly the adventures in the deseets. Besides, electronic communication devices did not simply exist at those times and we had to send information by radiograms. This is how Roman Carmen described one case occurred at Uzun-Kuyu water well: “it was the nearest water well and it was more than hundred kilometres away from motorcade. The way to it was closed by the sand barrier. The 61st day from the day we left for the journey was spent to overcome this slope memorable for all the participants. Probably, it was the hardest ordeal for the vehicles and people. All 96 people grabbed thick ropes and pulled the vehicles up using all their power. Inflamed throat felt like burning. There were iridescent circles in the eyes and a man could feel every beat of his heart and was losing his strength. The feet were sinking in hot sand and the sun was hanging motionlessly high filling entire entire sky. The people fell down tired but nobody complained, moaned or grumbled. Nobody was upset, quite the contrary joyful laughter and jokes were heard from everywhere. The whole next day was dedicated to free the vehicles from sand captivity. The wat to Uzun-Kuyu water well was open. From the distance we heard the roar of camels – the caravan with water was awaiting for us near the well. It was sent to us by the Government of Turkmenistan. We felt true care of the country of our expedition”. “August 27. The whole convoy left Uzun-Kuyu well area at the dawn. We passed Dohly well in the morning and headed for Chagyl. During the crossing of Kum-Sabjent lowland, the motorcade run into heavy sands. Only three kilometres were covered for 10 hours. Part of the vehicles was caught by night and has to stay on the dune for a night”. “August 28. The motorcade started to Chagyl. We crossed Taur Pass in the evening. The vehicles came over 60 meters of steep slope quite easily. The view of Karabogaz was opened from the peak of Sary-Baba”. “August 29. Krasnovodsk. The city has celebration attire, flags, banners and posters are hanging everywhere. Everything is ready to meet the conqueror of Karakum Desert”. “August 29. The motorcade arrived in Krasnovodsk at 7 pm. The hardest part of most difficult section was successfully overcome. 900 km way from Kunya-Urgench to Krasnovodsk was completely covered by vehicles. The race across Karakums was done not as it was planned for 288 hours but according to the counter plan little more than for 150 hours”. In the evening, entire convoy left for Baku by Moskva and Krasniy Orlyonok ferries. Representatives of social organization of Krasnovodsk went with the members of the expedition to the capital of Azerbaijan. Farewell ceremony was held at the pier. From Baku, the convoy is to hit Baku – Rostov highway and farther to Moscow. The scientists of agricultural academy confessed in the interview given to the correspondents of Turkmen newspapers that valuable data on desert condition gathered by them and the observations allowed summing up huge industrial potential of the Karakums. It was also confirmed by Academic of the All Union Agricultural Academy Nikolay Ivanovich Vavilov who came to Turkmenistan during those days for study of the opportunities of development of Turkmen cotton growing. But even outstanding academic could hardly guess of the spectrum of colossal resources of Karakum. With regards to the test of the vehicles, the motors having come over long way and undergone super serious trials by desert for endurance, having shown high off-road capabilities and endurance, returned to Moscow on September 30. The automobiles started to be produced and for several decades served to people. Technical novelty of the motor race – wide-profile tires super tubes have revealed itself from the best side. Roman Carmen recollected that light cars having new tires run on the sand easily while other vehicles were stuck in the dunes. Part of the road, they were literally carried on the shoulders of the drivers. Ever since, increased profile tires were distinguishing feature of USSR’s vehicles. Moscow – Karakums – Moscow motor rally gave huge material for improvement of automobile technology. Dozens of scientific works, several books were written about it, documentary and motion pictures were made. Karakum rally entered forever the history of the country as consummate technical and human feat.Vladimir ZAREMBO
