Construction of a Working T-34 Replica for the 80th Anniversary of the Great Victory

In response to growing demand for the T-34 to take part in events dedicated to the Great Patriotic War, the Stalin Line has built a working T-34 replica.

The new vehicle was built on the chassis of a Soviet ATS-59 medium artillery tractor. For historical accuracy, the tractor’s hull was widened and lengthened to create the extended gap between the second and third road wheels characteristic of the T-34 running gear.

The purpose of building a working T-34 replica was to enable the vehicle to be used extensively not only in historical reenactments, but also for visitor rides and even for a ride-and-shooting experience targeting German tanks. It was therefore decided to build a very rare T-34 variant regarded as a ‘tank destroyer’. This T-34 was armed with a long-barrelled 57 mm gun developed from the 57 mm ZiS-2 anti-tank gun. Its armour-piercing shells could penetrate thicker armour than the 76 mm shells fired by standard T-34 tanks.

In 1941, only ten T-34s armed with a 57 mm gun were built.

All of them took part in the famous raid behind enemy lines by the 21st Tank Brigade, commanded by Heroes of the Soviet Union Mikhail Lukin and Mikhail Agibalov. A further four tanks were built in 1943. With the introduction that year of the more powerful 85 mm tank gun, production of T-34s armed with the 57 mm gun ceased.