1974 Gaz-13 Chaika Limousine

I suspect this car falls into the same class of collectible as hearses—you can’t get away from the Dark Side

by Paul Duchene

This Russian Gaz-13 “Chaika” limousine is number 2,511 of only 3,719 built between 1959 and 1981. The Chaika—which means Gull—was favored by Kremlin officials, Soviet heads of state, and senior KGB officers. To the average Russian, however, the cars were sinister symbols of the terrible power of the state. The large rear seat made it easy for the KGB to simply pull up beside citizens on the sidewalk and drag them into the car for a trip to the feared Lubyanka prison. Nikita Khrushchev was known to have three Chaikas at his disposal and Premier Brezhnev reportedly preferred his Chaika over his ZIL, another Russian luxury car. Official Russian policy dictated that the cars be destroyed at the end of their duty cycle, so few survive. This car was sent out of Russia to Lithuania and used by Algirdas Brazauskas, the former Chairman of the Central Committee in Lithuania, during the Soviet era. He was elected first president after independence and is the current...