The Last Russian Limousine | Witness

For the first time in twenty years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the workers and engineers of the Soviet ZIL car factory in Moscow receive a special order from the Russian Ministry of Defence.

Three brand new trademark ZIL limousines have been commissioned for the Victory Day Parade on Red Square. In times past they would have had 5 years to make these, but now they only have 2.

The team feels it has a chance to show their specialist skills, despite the fact that the workforce is depleted and the machinery is obsolete. Professionals are called out of retirement to help, and migrant workers are called on to meet the deadline. They all cling to their routines, out of pride, out of desperation, and out of a basic need to survive.

The writing is on the wall for the factory: the government has plans to ‘re-assign’ the factory land. This could be the last order the factory fulfils. And once the final checks are made and the limousines are ready to star in the parade, the order is cancelled for no reason. This is Russian tragicomedy at its best.

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