Refrigerators “ZIL”: brand history + secret of longevity

The Soviet Union collapsed a long time ago, many factories modernized or completely replaced the production lines that produced household appliances. But some engineering projects are still surprising in their reliability, despite imperfect operating conditions.

One such example is the ZiL refrigerator - a truly “indestructible” technique that can still be found in the kitchens of our apartments or summer cottages. What is the secret of such longevity? Let's try to figure it out.

History of the production of ZIL refrigerators

The starting point for the start of production of domestic compression refrigerators operating on freon is considered to be the Decree of September 7, 1949, by order of which a design bureau was created at the Moscow plant named after Y. V. Stalin.

It was here that drawings were developed and prepared for the manufacture of small 85-liter Saratov units and more capacious 165-liter ZiLs.

For the first time, the famous refrigerators left the assembly line in April 1950, but since their “native” automobile factory was named after Stalin, the instrument logo was formed from the abbreviation ZiS-Moscow, and already in 1956, when the company was renamed to “ Plant named after Likhachev ", its products have become a brand ZiL

The prototype for the first ZiS-Moscow refrigerator was a sample of prewar US production. One of the “premier” devices, by the way, was presented to Brezhnev and was highly appreciated.

But in the difficult post-war period, the people were not able to acquire expensive equipment - at first the plant had serious sales problems, but after a couple of five-year plans, the line for products was scheduled for many years to come.

The Likhachev plant collected more than 5 million ZiLs, but after the collapse of the Union, foreign manufacturers appeared on the market.

Domestic equipment could not compete with them due to interruptions in financing new developments and incorrect marketing policies.

To stay afloat, management began to reduce the quality of products, to “close their eyes” to various defects, which immediately affected consumer demand.

Today on the territory of the former multi-kilometer industrial zone of the enterprise there are only a few buildings that were reconstructed and turned into a car center with show rooms

In 2016, the legendary Likhachev plant celebrated its centenary, but there is no question of restoring its production facilities - most of the workshops were demolished for the construction of a new residential neighborhood.

Reasons for the popularity of ZIL

The main secret of the longevity of Soviet refrigerators is the high quality of all parts, from housing materials to all components.

For a long time, these devices belonged to an elite technique, accessible not to everyone: a third of the output was sent for export, the same number was sold in Moscow, and the rest was sold according to the orders for senior officials from various cities of the Union.

Advantages of ZIL refrigerators:

• stylish (at that time) appearance;
• high-quality assembly;
• thick-walled strong case;
• strong, adjustable in height, not absorbing smells and easily washed shelves;
• loyalty to voltage drops in the network;
• easy disassembly and high maintainability.

Each product has passed strict quality control. Even a fully serviceable device could be rejected if there were only minor scratches or minor irregularities on the welded material of the case.

But in other factories producing refrigerators, such nuances were not considered defects.

High standards were set to every detail. There are cases when whole wagons with billets were rejected on which spots or deviations in surface color were detected.

Not passed control components were redirected to other, less "picky" plants. Such a tough position has become the main reason why the ZIL brand has long been considered the manufacturer of the most reliable refrigerators in the Union.

Design features of various models

At the Likhachev plant several ZiL lines were created, each of which had its own indisputable advantages at that time.

Of course, it was not without drawbacks, but Soviet refrigerators leave far behind modern appliances in terms of service life, and many of them still serve their owners faithfully. Let us consider in more detail the lineup of ZiLs.

No. 1 - the first bird "ZiS" DH-2

The flagship of the enterprise was assembled at the factory from 1951 to 1960. The first "swallow" KB plant named after Likhacheva had a small freezer with a volume of 8 liters, a stainless steel evaporator and a reliable steel condenser.

The body with rounded corners and streamlined shapes was made of welded steel with a thickness of 8 mm and protected from corrosion by a layer of silicate enamel. A characteristic “highlight” of the model is a massive handle that could be used as a lock.

The volume of the first DH-2 refrigerator was 165 liters, but it had rather compact dimensions: its height was 133 cm with a width of 67 cm

But the “first pancake” of the plant also had impressive drawbacks:

1. The normalized temperature was not maintained in the freezer (even up to the declared indicator of -6 ° C, the device did not pull it out in hot climates).
2. A huge amount of metal was used in the production.
3. The unit itself was massive, heavy and took up a lot of space in the kitchen.
4. At that time, the volume of 165 liters was considered unreasonably large (consumer demand for 85-liter models was much higher).

But over time, when people appreciated the benefits of storing food in the refrigerator instead of the string bag outside the window, this drawback not only turned into a virtue, but also served as an impetus for the development of more spacious appliances.

Such refrigerators were produced a little - about 50 thousand a year. And today, this model is equated to a rare technique.

There is a known case when in Kazakhstan it was possible to sell the unit for almost 1 million.tenge, but this is rather a fluke than the adequate price of the device.

No. 2 - advanced "ZIL-Moscow" KX-240

The second model of the plant. Likhacheva was produced in 1960-1969, and production volumes increased significantly due to already high demand and the best advertising - positive consumer reviews.

Refrigerators of this line had a total volume of 240 liters, and the capacity of the low-temperature compartment increased to 29 liters.

About 120 thousand ZiL KX-240 were produced annually at the enterprise, and it was this model that became the first Soviet refrigerator sent for export to other countries

In addition to increasing the usable volume, the modernized ZiL provided 4 duralumin shelves for dishes of various sizes, illuminated and varnished.

Also appeared egg trays, a place for storing oil and "nests" for bottles. At the bottom of the refrigerator was a retractable metal tray for fresh vegetables / fruits and other chilled products.

The temperature in the freezer of the refrigerator was maintained due to the operation of the thermostat with the ability to manually adjust the degree of cooling

In addition, the designers corrected many of the shortcomings of the previous model and increased the shelf life of provisions due to the temperature set for NTO of -10 degrees.

The doorway was sheathed with plastic lining, and thin fiberglass was used as the heat-insulating material.

Hermetic closure was provided by an elastic rubber seal installed around the perimeter of the inner wall of the door, and the trigger bolt.

No. 3 - rectangular “ZiL-62” KSh-240/26 **

In the third model of ZiL, the appearance of the unit has significantly changed. It turned out that despite the attractive rounded lines, the design of the device does not allow it to be compactly placed in small-sized Soviet kitchens.

Therefore, the shape of the body has acquired the appearance of a rectangle with clearly defined right angles.

Marking with two asterisks meant that in the new ZIL-62 refrigerators, the freezer was able to maintain a temperature of -12 degrees

At the same time, the volume of the device remained the same - 240 liters, but new models could be installed in the same unit with a kitchen set, and the upper surface could be used as a shelf (objects from the previous sloping forms constantly fell).

In addition, the rubber seal on the doors was replaced by a magnetic one, which is used today on almost all refrigerators, and the case width is brought to the standard - 60 cm.

The disadvantages of ZIL-62:

1. Outdated model compressor, famous for its loud “soundtrack” at work.
2. The low quality of thermal insulation, which did not significantly reduce the thickness of the walls of the case and led to the appearance of a snow "coat" on the freezer.
3. Shelves that made it difficult to store food in non-standard containers.
4. The new “traumatic” design of the handle with sharp edges.

In addition, the developers have not been able to eliminate the main production problems of previous versions - the high consumption of metal and the complexity of manufacturing.

No. 4 - "transitional" version of "ZiL-63"

With the appearance on the Soviet market of the first two-door models Minsk and Oka with an auto-defrosting system and a volume increased to 300 liters, the demand for ZiLs fell sharply.

Therefore, the design bureau of the plant. Likhachev was instructed to create a project of a three-chamber refrigerator, which could compete not only with domestic but also foreign devices.

One of the prototypes of the three-chamber “ZIL-65” with an electric control system and a working volume of 600 liters, which was never entered into mass production

The design of new devices was developed together with relevant institutes, and a license was purchased from the American brand Tecumsen to replace an outdated compressor.

But, as it turned out, the industrial capacities of the plant were not ready for the implementation of a promising project — it “died out” as soon as it became clear that it would be necessary to build a new workshop and purchase a production line for then scarce currency.

Therefore, on the basis of new developments, a model of increased comfort was released - “ZiL-63” KSh-260/26 **, which was assembled at the plant until 1988.

And although the device was conceived as a transitional model before launching a fundamentally new refrigerator, high demand and excellent profitability indicators “delayed” its production by 12 years.

Management was satisfied with high sales volumes, so promising developments were put aside.

In the ZIL-63 refrigerators, the technology of the “hanging handle” was first used, which could be installed for left- or right-hand opening

A compression refrigeration unit was installed in Zil-63, and the compressor and asynchronous electric motor with a starting winding were mounted on a spring suspension and hidden under a common casing.

Advantages of the new line:

• improved thermal insulation;
• noise reduction - the engine compartment of the device began to be closed with a sound-absorbing shield;
• shelves of metal rods, comfortably adjustable in height in increments of 3 cm;
• increase in usable volume by 20 l;
• the ability to "outweigh" the door in a convenient direction;
• Lightweight, removable handle with convenient length.

In addition, the device was supplemented with numerous comfort elements - a small shelf for small products, compartments for butter and cheese, a tray of 15 eggs, a limiter for the maximum door opening to 105 degrees.

As well as adjustable rollers for transportation, a mold for making ice, a container with a glass lid to preserve fresh vegetables and fruits.

The disadvantages could be attributed to the remaining manual defrosting, reliable and durable, but outdated compressor, which was still manufactured at the plant itself.

But the stubborn use of backward technologies and the cessation of continuous improvement of their product took the "palm" of the ZiL refrigerators.

Modern two-door refrigerators can be found in this article.

No. 5 - representative of the "transitional" ZIL-64 line

Since 1988, the modernized ZiL-64 KSH-260/30 models, which were produced until 2001, went on sale.

These refrigerators proved to be long-lived. Moreover, even now in the summer residences of some zealous owners you can meet such an "old man" in working condition

In these refrigerators, an automatic defrosting function has already appeared, improved PPU insulation and the possibility of lowering the freezing temperature to -18 degrees.

NTO volume was increased to 30 dm³, there was a dividing plastic shelf for rational distribution of products.

The innovative cooling and auto-defrosting system with the removal of melt water from the chamber in the ZIL-64 refrigerators is an analogue of the modern NoFrost

But these devices could not compete with foreign manufacturers for a long time, so their production was stopped.

Despite their reliability and build quality, the "old" ZILs also fail.

But here they have a slight advantage over modern technology: the devices are easy to disassemble themselves, and consumables are inexpensive, however, over the years, there may be problems with their purchase.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

For more information about famous refrigerators, see our video collection.

The history of the Soviet brand of ZIL refrigerators:

Replacing the thermostat at the ZIL-64:

How to make a stylish rarity from an old device - restoration of the ZiL building:

Despite its glorious history, the ZIL models are outdated a long time ago and cannot be compared with modern refrigerators in terms of capacity, noiseless operation, or ease of defrosting.

But if you have such a rarity, do not rush to part with it - some workshops offer modernization services for old appliances and can turn your ZIL into a stylish highlight that will decorate the interior of a summer house or apartment in a vintage style.

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