*Birzha Plus Avto* — a Nizhny Novgorod specialized weekly publication on automotive topics, published under the Birzha publishing house — the Birzha Plus information and advertising agency — from 1992 to 2011.

History and Structure

The publication was part of a group of themed supplements issued alongside the business weekly *Birzha*. The Birzha Plus agency was headed from 1992 to 2011 by Lapyrin Vladimir Viktorovich, who simultaneously served as editor-in-chief of the entire family of *Birzha* publications. In addition to *Birzha Plus Avto*, other titles published under the same imprint at various times included *Birzha Plus Svoy Dom*, *Birzha Plus Karyera*, *Birzha Plus Finansy*, *Birzha Plus Torgovyy Ryad*, and *Internet-Lotsman*.

Editorial Staff

From the weekly's founding, its consulting editor was Nikolay Aleksandrovich Kuzmin — a specialist in the reliability of automotive engines, head of the corresponding research field, and author of more than one hundred scientific and methodological works. Over the years of his collaboration with the publication, he published more than 300 articles on vehicle operation. In January 2010, Mariya Aleksandrovna Peshkova served as deputy editor-in-chief of Birzha Plus Avto LLC.[1] In May 1995, the weekly's editorial staff, together with GAZ JSC, organized the "Parade of Victories" — an automotive celebration that brought together 116 GAZ-M20 Pobeda" automobiles in Nizhny Novgorod, having traveled from across Russia and the near abroad; participants competed for the right to take part in a motor rally along the route Nizhny Novgorod — Moscow — Nizhny Novgorod, and on the morning of 9 May 1995, the 50 best crews made a ceremonial entry into Minin Square.[2]

The *Birzha Plus Avto* weekly was one of the organizers of the annual festival of home-built and vintage automobiles "Samavto NN," held at the Nizhny Novgorod Yarmarka as part of the "Avtoforum" exhibition; the sixth festival, "Samavto NN-2005," took place from 27 to 29 May 2005, and was organized by the Birzha Plus information and advertising agency, the weekly's editorial staff, the Nizhny Novgorod Auto Club, and VZAO "Nizhny Novgorod Yarmarka." The Samavto festival was first held in 1988 at the pedestal of the patrol boat *Geroy* (Hero); from 2002 it became an annual event, with more than 40 owners of home-built and vintage vehicles from Nizhny Novgorod and other towns of the region taking part each year.

The editorial calling card of *Birzha Plus Avto* was the flagship 1982 Toyota Land Cruiser — a rare vehicle that invariably led the column of Samavto NN festival participants during the ceremonial drive through the streets of Nizhny Novgorod. In February 2010, the weekly's editorial staff covered the second all-Russian regatta of amphibious vessels, "VolgaHoverShow-2010," held on 12 February on the ice of the Volga in Nizhny Novgorod; the winner of the competition was Aleksandr Derbenev from the Nizhny Novgorod company "Aerokhod."[3][4][4][4]

Sources

  1. web.archive.org — In February 2010, the weekly's editorial team covered the second all-Russian amphibious vessel regatta "VolgaHoverShow-2010," held on February 12 on the ice of the V (archive)
  2. Vremya N — The weekly "Birzha Plus Auto" was one of the organizers of the annual festival of home-built and vintage cars "Samavto NN," held at the Nizhny Novgorod (archive)
  3. centr-prioritet.ru — In January 2010, Mariya Aleksandrovna Peshkova served as deputy editor-in-chief of LLC "Birzha Plus Auto." (archive)
  4. drive2.ru — In May 1995, the weekly's editorial team, together with JSC GAZ, organized the "Victory Parade" — a motoring festival that brought 116 G automobiles together in Nizhny Novgorod