A trip beyond the Iron Curtain

[adriancristea]

Hello. First of all I would like to congratulate you on your splendid collections. You put a lot of "heart" in it, anyone can see that.
The reason I created this topic is to introduce you in the world of "working class" cleaners, the models that have kept the Eastern European Revolution dust free ). I will begin with the ones made in my country of Romania, Dracula's land, but also a manufacturer of cheap, funny but durable machines. I will also be happy to answer any questions,(with the condition that I know the answer) about old Eastern Block cleaners. I will post pictures of old adds and cleaners in my collection as I go along and funny little stories about how hard it was sometimes to buy a vacuum cleaner. I hope you will enjoy my thread as much as I have enjoyed yours.
All the best,
Adrian Cristea.

 

[columbus]

Please Do.

Dear Adrian-

Yes, collecting vacuum cleaners has many aspects to it, history, development, improvements, stories, sentimental values, colours of fashions, etc. Very very nostalgic. Call me a fool for nostalgia........

Please enlighten us with what was available on your end of the world.

Many Thanks
Adrian Smith
South-Africa

 

[adriancristea]

The first one on the list is this one: The "Practic", Made in Romania, in 1969, a part of my collection. It was made at the "Electromotor" factory in the city of Timisoara. "Practic" was the second most popular model cleaner in Romania. Millions were made betweeen 1967-2000. During the years the little communist cleaner had some face lifts and diferent names like: "Ajax", "Eltim" or "Super". The changes were just cosmetic, as the motor did not suffer any changes. I should know, I have all of them )
It was made with a pressed cardboard body, somewhat like the East-German Trabant cars. The case was covered in some kind of fabric similar to wallpaper. They all had permanent cloth dustbags. With a 420 watt motor, not powerful, but reliable and long-lasting. The one in the picture was bought in 1969 by a neighbor of mine.Him and his wife purchased it just days after they moved in their new apartment. It has worked for more then 35 years until the family bought a modern machine. It has been sitting in a cellar of the apartment building for more then 10 years.
Outside the fact that all the rubber gaskets are dry and brittle, the motor is in an impeccable state. The bearing show little wear, the brushes are still good.
The model in my collection is called the "crocodile skin", because of it's pattern. This type of body finish was rare as most cleaners were simple, red, grey, blue, orange and other colors. It is planned for restoration. I'll get back as soon as I finish it.
Fun fact: You could only buy it in state owned shops. The cleaner came with simple plastic nozzles and a spray jar. Hundreds of "Pratic's" have met their demise in the hands of house painters. Lightweight and with a strong jet of air, this was the way to paint your walls in the '80's and '90's. Best way to find a good "Practic" vacuum cleaner in Romania...keep your eyes on the trash cans.

 

[adriancristea]

Hi

Dear Adrian,
I will not call you o fool for I am a nostalgic myself. My house and my parents house are full of old stuff. Radios, vacuums, watches, adds, books, newspapers, etc. They all have a history and a story. I sometimes regret spending money on my hobby, but soon get over. I was depressed for nearly 3 days when I sent the rotor from an old soviet vacuum, (a copy of the Lewyt no. 80) for rewiring in Hungary. I got over when the rotor came back, shinning, with a new commutator. I will post pictures as soon as I have the cleaner back together. It will have new bearings, brushes and turbine blades. I am sorry that I could not keep it original but...that was the condition it came in.
If you ask me why I like old Soviet, GDR, Polish,Czechoslovakian cleaners when there are machines like Nilfisk(I have a GA 70, green original paint), Electrolux, Hoover, AEG, etc, I would not be able to answer. I guess I just got used to them and am trying to keep them alive.
All the best.

 

[vacbear58]

Eastern Bloc Cleaners

Welcome Adrian

And thank you for already posting some interesting pictures. Please tell us more of the cleaners which you have and which you remember. It is always interesting to see how markets and manufacturers vary from country to country - for the most part we know little enough about Western Europe never mind behind the iron curtain.

If you have not seen it before you might find the thread on the link interesting - it features Russian cleaners.

And, if you should have any information on washing machines, driers or dishwashers please remember the companion site www.automaticwasher.org as the guys over there would be interested in seeing the too

Al

http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?19557

 

[adriancristea]

Dear Al,

That topic is what brought me to vacuumland. Boy, have I got knowledge of those russian cleaners. ))) Back in the day soviet machines were the thing to have. They were famous for their quality. People didn't have access to western cleaners. Chaika, Raketa, Viher, Ural, Uraletz, Venta and Buran were the dream of every housewife. In 1968 former president Nicolae Ceausescu tried to build a communism away from the USSR. He got in conflict with the soviets so soviet goods were rationalized in Romania. The way you could get a soviet cleaner was with the aid of "smart guys". Truck drivers, sailors, people that went to the Ussr and brought vacuums, radios, coffee grinders, fans and other stuff. The most desired vac from the USSR was the "Buran" brand. Buran-1, a copy of the Fairfax and Buran-3, a soviet design with a motor copied from Hoover. You had to pay a lot to get one, but lasted a lifetime. My grandparents had a "Dnipro", they bought it from my mothers uncle who had traveled to the USSR and bought 3 vacuums. One for him and 2 for sale. He gave the customs officer a bottle of cognac and a hairdryer to get them in the country ))). Soviet cleaners were superior to Romanian made cleaners. Metal bodies and 600 watt motors. The soviet vacuum "contraband" led to the birth of the first romanian metal-body vacuum, the "Ideal". I will take pictures of it and post it alongside it's story.

 

[adriancristea]

The "Ideal" vacuum, romanian response to the soviet "contraband" of the early '70's. The first romanian vacuum with a metal body. The most popular model. 5 out of 10 houses had an "Ideal". It was produced in two options. With the 420 watt motor, cheaper version, and the "deluxe" 600 watt motor. The one in the picture is mine, found in a trash can, the 600 version. It needs a yellow power switch. It was missing it so I adapted the blue one from a 420 model. It is in great working condition, silent, more silent then the 420 watt model. It was produced in many color schemes in the 32 years of assembly. The one in my collection dates from the early ' 80's. Cloth dustbag, cheap plastic nozzles. It was taken out of production in 2003 when the Karcher company bought a part of the Electro-Arges plant where it was made.

 

[adriancristea]

Sorry, problems with my phone. This is the "Ideal" vacuum cleaner.

 

[adriancristea]

Soviet "Uraletz" motor. Both case and motor were copies of the model 40 Lewyt. Brand new rotor armature winding, new commutator, new soviet bearings(from an old guy at a flea-market), I will put on new brushes and have polished it a bit. I am a little nervous about the new wiring in the rotor, I hope it will not blow up, spin the wrong way or to slow. Learned the "trick" of wrapping the tourbine joints with tape from an old guy that had a small shop in my neighborhood.

 

[adriancristea]

Newest buy

Here is my newest buy. A 1962 soviet "Venta" vacuum. Very rare, I've been looking for some time for this one. It was popular in the early 60's in the socialist soviet republic of Ukraine. Click on the link to see picture !

http://img03.olx.ro/images_mercadorro/60369210_3_1000x700_aspirator-rusesc-vintage-electrice.jpg