Automuseum of Mikhail Krasinets in Chernousovo: a collection of cars

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:35

Mikhail Krasinets is one of the most scandalous and discussed private collectors in the post-Soviet space. He is known for creating the largest collection of domestic cars in the open air, which already has more than 300 examples. Among them are many rare and collectible models. However, many are still ambivalent about its exposition, arguing whether it is: a unique museum or an ordinary dump. After all, on the one hand, he saved many cars from destruction at scrap metal collection points, on the other hand, he himself arranged a dump for once rare cars under the scorching sun and snow. In this article, we will talk about the collector himself and his collection, which many call the graveyard of Soviet cars.

Biography

Now Mikhail Krasinets is retired. Previously, he was a race car driver, lived in Moscow, worked as a mechanic at the Lenin Komsomol Automobile Plant, nowbetter known as "Moskvich".

He began collecting a unique collection of Soviet cars back in the 90s. The turning point in the biography of Mikhail Yuryevich Krasinets was 1993, when the hero of our article quit the factory where problems began. Together with his wife, he sold the apartment and moved to the village of Chernousovo, located in the Tula region.

This is a very small settlement, in which, according to the All-Russian population census, only five people live. It is located 7 kilometers from the village of Krasivka, which is considered a rural administrative center, and 7 kilometers from an urban-type settlement called Chern. The village is located in the southeast of the Tula region, not far from the border with the Bryansk region.

The path

As visitors who have seen the collection of Mikhail Yuryevich Krasinets admit, getting to this place is not easy even now. Not to mention the state of the roads in these places in the early 90s.

To go on the highway M2 "Crimea". A short route to the Mikhail Krasinets car museum passes through Ugot, as another landmark - the small village of Millionnaya with several houses. The road leaves much to be desired: at first it is concrete slabs, battered by life and time, and then the usual primer, in some places with deep and difficult ruts.

Most vehicles will only be able to get through this route in dry weather. If it rains heavily, there is a risk of sitting down, for example, when descending to the bridge over the river. Is there beforeplaces and an easier way - through the villages of Bredikhino and Donok, but it is much longer.

Foundation of the museum

Mikhail Yurievich Krasinets says that he ran out of money from the sale of his Moscow apartment in 1993 in just three months. For 150-200 dollars, he actively bought cars from demolished garages, which turned out to be at the construction site of the Third Ring Road. Today, they form almost the basis of his collection.

The museum of Mikhail Krasinets itself turned out to be divided into two unequal parts. Most of the cars are still on the open-air field today. The most valuable and rare are located on the inside of the private house of the collector himself.

Now Mikhail Krasinets buys new copies exclusively with donations left by museum visitors. He guarantees that all money, without exception, goes to replenish the collection. At the same time, he admits that living on one pension is not easy, but he tries to stay above social and domestic problems. He puts a lot of work into preserving his museum.

It takes a lot of effort and time to maintain such a huge collection, but there are so many cars that external factors still affect most of them very negatively.

Highlights of the collection

There are a lot of truly unique specimens in the Mikhail Krasinets Automuseum in Chernousovo. For example, the ancient GAZ M-20, which used to be used by Soviet police officers. His appearancemay be well known to many from the detective films of the times of the Soviet Union. It is interesting that the copy presented in the collection of Mikhail Krasints was in private hands, it was never on the balance sheet of state structures.

Some cars are improved by the museum curator. For example, as Mikhail Krasinets says, he independently delivered the "Victory" found in one of the Moscow courtyards in 1998 to Chernousovo and already here he made the inscription "ORUD Police" with a brush. Law enforcement officers also traveled on such machines in Soviet times. Mikhail Yuryevich painted one of the rare Volga cars to look like a rally car.

Seagulls

The museum of Mikhail Krasinets in Chernousovo is especially proud of two "Seagulls" - these are the GAZ-13 and GAZ-14 models. It is believed that this was the first executive class car in the history of the Soviet automobile industry. Its design is in the style of the "Detroit Baroque" popular at the time. Such cars were produced from 1959 to 1979. Just over 3,000 were produced. In the museum you can admire a luxurious sedan with an automatic transmission. In Soviet times, such a car was truly a unique thing. Now it has sunk a lot, the paint has peeled off. But even now "The Seagull" is able to impress. The salon is much better preserved, it is in almost perfect condition. Museum visitors can not only view the exhibits, but also drive.

Second"Seagull" from this collection represents a sample of the GAZ-14 model. This is another "limousine", of a later build, but not so elegant. They were produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant from 1977 to 1988, having managed to produce more than a thousand cars.

Volga and Pobeda

Victory and Volga cars are widely represented in the museum. Among the unique exhibits, there are several rare GAZ-21s from the very first series with the famous star on the radiator grille. Nearby - rare "Volga" with springs and front axles.

There are a lot of Moskvich cars in the collection from the factory where Krasinets worked for many years. For example, a convertible with a steering wheel from Opel. These were only made before 1953, so this one is truly rare and unique.

Cars with history

Only in this museum you can see the only surviving "Moskvich 3-5-5". Only three such copies were built, intended for state testing. This is a wide car with spring suspension, original gearbox and 1.7 liter engine. It was assumed that this prototype would become the Moskvich 2140 model during the transition to mass production, but the project was never implemented.

The story of the appearance of this rare "Moskvich" in the Krasinets Museum is very interesting. For a long time he stood in the backyard of AZLK. In 1994, when activelythey got rid of everything superfluous and unnecessary, they were even going to cut it into metal. Then the collector managed to agree on the transfer of "Moskvich" to him in exchange for a used engine from the "Volga".

This story is the exception rather than the rule. Krasinets rarely barter cars, as a rule, he buys them for money. He doesn't sell anything from his own collection. He admits that he has been repeatedly offered offers, but he firmly stands his ground, believing that everything that got into the museum should remain in it.

Auto in open field

The principled character largely determined the fate and biography of Mikhail Krasinets. Many argue with his position, especially since the refusal to sell cars from his collection leads to the fact that many of them rust, stand in a field overgrown with grass taller than human height. The collector has to keep track of such a large fleet almost alone, so there is simply no time left for everything.

Moreover, some of the exhibits were looted during this time. Of course, most cars are not on the move, but body elements, headlights are massively removed from them, and interior details are carried away. All this is a sad, even frightening sight. At the same time, the pattern is very simple: the farther the car is from the house of Mikhail Yuryevich himself, the more deplorable his condition.

At the same time, in the open field there are also significant, rare and unique exhibits that could take their rightful place in any automobile museum in the world. In Chernousovothe condition of the machines is depressing, they continue to die in the open without any care. For example, in the field there is a sports model "Moskvich-2140" from the "Rally" series, which once belonged to the famous Russian racer Sergei Shipilov. In the late 90s, Krasinets bought it for about $200. Today, her condition and appearance are very depressing.

Cemetery of old cars

Most of the exhibition, located today in an open field, is more like not a museum, but a grandiose art object. Reminds many of the infamous Georgia junkyard.

Also a popular place with tourists, for which you have to pay $25 to enter. Mikhail Yuryevich has no fixed fee. Each visitor leaves as much money as he sees fit.

Criticism Collector

The museum and Krasinets himself are often criticized. Moreover, dissatisfaction is expressed not only by ordinary visitors, but even by his friends and relatives. The main claim is that in his field, Mikhail Yuryevich has actually already destroyed many rare cars that could be of great interest to collectors, tell a lot about the history of the Soviet automobile industry. Bringing them to his museum, Krasinets does not restore them, but simply leaves them on the street. Many consider this approach simply unacceptable.

At the same time, it is worth recognizing that if it were not for this car enthusiast, many of these cars would have beenwere put into scrap metal, especially in the 90s, when they were absolutely useless to anyone. Therefore, the debate about what to consider the Krasinets collection: a cemetery of vintage cars, an art object or a museum, continues to this day.

Attempts to restore individual models

At the same time, it is known that Krasinets tried to restore some models of his cars, but nothing good came of it.

It is known that Mikhail Yurievich made attempts to restore the legendary SMZ S-3A. This is a two-seater motorized stroller produced at the Serpukhov Motorcycle Plant from 1958 to 1970.

As experts say, nothing happened. The car was not only badly painted, but it also turned out that its headlights were assembled incorrectly, one of the parts was inserted upside down.

A serious complaint against the collector lies in the fact that he is not even able to install an elementary fence to enclose his rare specimens. As a result, those machines that were not sent for processing in the 90s were stolen in parts by residents of the surrounding villages, who had unhindered access to the field.

Most people think that anyone else in Krasinets' place would have built a profitable European-level museum a long time ago. However, Mikhail Yuryevich does not want to do this or cannot. As a result, unique exhibits continue to rust and rot.