The 'Polutorka' nickname derives from the truck's official payload capacity of 1.5 tons.
GAZ-AA trucks were often driven with doors left open to allow drivers to jump out if the ice beneath them began to crack.
Many of these vehicles were converted to run on wood gas during the war due to severe fuel shortages.
The truck mounted here is a genuine 1930s-era model restored to reflect its wartime appearance.
The Road of Life, where this monument stands, was the only land route connecting Leningrad to the rest of the USSR from September 1941 to March 1943.
Legendarnaya Polutorka is a monument in Vsevolozhsk dedicated to the GAZ-AA truck, colloquially known as the 'Polutorka', which served as the primary supply vehicle during the Siege of Leningrad. The memorial features an authentic, restored truck mounted on a concrete plinth. It is positioned along the 'Road of Life' (Doroga Zhizni), the strategic transport route used to ferry supplies across the frozen Lake Ladoga to the besieged city. The site serves as an open-air memorial honoring the drivers who risked their lives on the thin ice under constant bombardment. The vehicle represents the logistical lifeline that allowed Leningrad to survive despite the blockade. It is a key stop for those tracing the history of the Leningrad front.
The front three-quarter angle from the roadside provides the best perspective of the truck against the commemorative backdrop.
Combine this visit with the nearby Road of Life Museum for deeper historical context.
Visit during daylight hours, as the outdoor memorial has no artificial illumination after dark.
The site is located alongside a busy highway; stay behind the designated barriers for safety.
Do not attempt to climb or sit on the monument, as it is a protected historical object.
Respectful and solemn behavior is expected as this is a memorial site honoring wartime casualties.
