Oldtimer gallery. Registration plates. USSR (1934-1937).
In this standard USSR was 1st time divided to 45 regions (Dortranses), every Dortrans issued own unique plates which differed from other Dortrans plates by the name of Dortrans written in the 2nd string of the plate.
Conditional names of Dortranses:
1. Severnyi - Север Sever
2. Karel'skiy - Карелия Karelia
3. Leningradskiy - Ленинград Leningrad (really - Лен-град Len-grad - according to the rule of 8 letters)
4. Zapadnyy - Запад Zapad
5. Moskovskiy - Москва Moskva
6. Ivanovo-Promyshlennyi - Иваново Ivanovo
7. Gor'kovskiy - Горький Gor'kiy
8. Chuvashskiy - Чувашия Chuvashia
9. Tatarskiy - Татария Tataria
10. Tsentral'no-Chernozyomnyy - ЦЧО TsChO
11. Sredne-Volzhskiy - Ср. Волга Sr. Volga
12. Saratovskiy - Саратов Saratov
13. Stalingradskiy - Сталинград Stalingrad (not known what 8 symbols were really used)
14. Nemtsev-Povolzh'ya - Н.-Поволжья N.-Povolzh'ya (not known what 8 symbols were really used)
15. Bashkirskiy - Башкирия Bashkiria
16. Sverdlovskiy - Урал Ural
17. Chelyabinskiy - Челябинск Chelyabinsk (not known what 8 symbols were really used)
18. Obsko-Irtyshskiy - Обь-Иртыш Ob'-Irtysh
19. Krymskiy - Крым Crimea
20. Severo-Kavkazskiy - С.-Кавказ S.-Kavkaz
21. Azovo-Chernomorskiy - Азов.-Чер. Azov.-Cher.
22. Dagestabskiy - Дагестан Dagestan
23. Kazakskiy - Казакстан Kazakstan (not known what 8 symbols were really used)
24. Kirgizskiy - Киргизия Kirgizia
25. Kara-Kalpakskiy - Кара Калп. Kara Kalp.
26. Zapadnosibiskiy - З. Сибирь Z. Sibir'
27. Vostochnosibirskiy - В. Сибирь V. Sibir'
28. Buryato-Mongol'skiy - Бур. Монг. Bur. Mong.
29. Yakutskiy - Якутия Yakutia
30. Dal'nevostochnyy - ДВК DVK
31. Odesskiy - Одесса Odessa
32. Khar'kovskiy - Харьков Khar'kov
33. Kiyevskiy - Киев Kiyev
34. Chernigovskiy - Чернигов Chernigov
35. Dnyepropetrovskiy - Днепр Dnieper
36. Donetskiy - Донец Donets
37. Vinnitskiy - Винница Vinnitsa
38. Moldavskiy - Молдавия Moldavia
39. Armdortrans - Армения Armenia
40. Gruzdortrans - Грузия Georgia
41. Azdortrans - Баку Baku
42. GDT BSSR - БССР Byelorussia
43. GDT UzbSSR - Узбекистан Uzbekistan (not known what 8 symbols were really used)
44. GDT TurkSSR - Туркестан Turkestan (not known what 8 symbols were really used)
43. TadzhSSR - Таджикистан Tadzhikistan (not known what 8 symbols were really used)
This standard acted since 1 I 1934, and old standard plates (type A-52-12) must be replaced by 1 VII 1934. Earlier rule of life-time plate for vehicles has been cancelled, now if vehicle is re-registering in other Dortrans it receives new plate of this other region. Normal size plates for commercial and private automobiles, towtrucks, tractors and trailers. Motorcycle plates had lesser size but otherwise were the same.
Plate was white rectangular plate with black records:
upper string - serial number up to 5 digits, every right pair of which separated by dash (for 3, 4 and 5- digit numbers);
lower string - conditional name of Dortrans (not more than 8 letters).
Normal (automobile) number plate:
Dimensions: 35,5 x 18 cm.
Digit height - 7 cm, width - 4 cm, between digits - 2,5 cm without dash, 3,5 cm with dash.
Touch width - 1,2 cm.
Dash lenght - 1,7 cm, width - 1 cm.
Letter height - 4 cm, width - 2,5 cm, between letters - 2 cm, touch width - 0,5 cm.
Between strings - 3 cm, margins - 2 cm.
Reduced (motorcycle) number plate:
Dimensions: 25 x 13 cm.
Digit height - 5 cm, width - 3 cm, between digits - 1,5 cm without dash, 2,5 cm with dash.
Touch width - 1 cm.
Dash lenght - 1,2 cm, width - 0,5 cm.
Letter height - 3,5 cm, width - 2 cm, between letters - 1 cm, touch width - 0,4 cm.
Between strings - 2,5 cm, margins - 1 cm.
Front number of motorcycle is 2-side, rear one - 1-side.
The standard demanded a 20 x 0,5 cm line between strings, but practically I didn't met such line on both size plates.
If number is less than 5 digits or Dortrans name is less than 8 letters, the records were in the middle of the plate symmetrically, and margins were naturally larger.
Letters, digits and rims were relief stamped.
The standard prohibited to paint rims, but on practice such plates existed.
Also the standard demanded was a stamp of plate giving organisation in lowerright corner, but on practice I didn't see any.
For new vehicles following from factories it was special plates, black on light yellow. They were the same as normal plates but instead of Dortrans name there was the word "Транзит" ("Transit") and one digit, unique for every factory.
For organisations and factories testing vehicles were special plates, differed from normal ones by 2nd string again.
Instead of Dortrans name there was "Проба" ("Proba") word with horizontal 6 x 1 cm lines on both sides.
I don't know why there are inverse colors on the photo here. The standard says nothing about such color scheme.
In case of trailered automobile, rear plate of the towtruck must be moved to rear side of trailer.
It is not known when (and if) this standard plates have been compulsorily replaced by the next standard.
In May 1937 they still were valid, perhaps in parallel with new standard.
Thanks for help to Yevgeniy Sergeyevich Baburin (Moscow).
Other sources of data and photos are:
USSR standard number 6291(61), printed in the "Automobil'" magazine, Nr.3, 1934.
Europlate - Registration Plates of the World (in English).
"Za rulyom" magazine.
AutoCityChannel.com
Archives of Lev Shugurov and Denis Orlov (Moscow).
You are welcome to write me by E-mail Contact. Andrei Bogomolov.
Entrance Gallery Number plates Sale Links
Last updated 12 VIII 2002.
18. Obsko-Irtyshskiy - Обь-Иртыш Ob'-Irtysh
26. Zapadnosibiskiy - З. Сибирь Z. Sibir'
35. Dnyepropetrovskiy - Днепр Dnieper
42. GDT BSSR - БССР Byelorussia