The only monument in Ukraine to a garbage truck based on the Soviet GAZ-51 car is located near the Berkovets cemetery. It was erected in honor of the 35th anniversary of Kievspetstrans (opposite the building of which the monument itself stands) and the 10th anniversary of the Ukrainian Association of Automotive Sanitary Cleaning Enterprises.
The modification of the GAZ-53 medium-tonnage truck into a garbage truck was inevitable, because this vehicle was the most popular in the USSR and had a lot of other modifications, some of which were even exported. The garbage truck model, which is installed on a pedestal, appeared on Soviet streets in the 80s, had a carrying capacity of up to 4.5 tons and consumed almost 30 liters of fuel per 100 km.
The workers of the Kyiv enterprise “Spetstrans” considered that “the garbage man also deserves a monument – the garbage truck will increase the prestige of the profession of sanitation workers.” The garbage truck monument was erected in April 2004 and consists of a pedestal with a sign and a garbage truck on it. By the way, the garbage truck itself is still in working order. Before installation, the oil and fuel were drained from it, painted, and installed on a pedestal using a crane. The machine worked for almost 15 years and covered about 1,000,000 kilometers.
Today, most of the GAZ-53 garbage trucks and its subsequent modifications have been replaced with better models from other manufacturers: they are able to collect more garbage, operate more quietly and consume less fuel.
Where is the monument to the garbage truck?
Pravdy Avenue, 85