April 14, 2015. Three tanks made at Uralvagonzavod Corporation’s head plant, namely, T-34-85, T-72B3, and T-90C, are going to take part in the Victory Day Parade in Nizhniy Tagil, the corporation’s press service reports.

‘Uralvagonzavod vehicles joining the parade has already grown traditional. Our T-34-85 first entered the streets of Nizhniy Tagil on May 9, 1985. The tank was made at the plant in 1945 and mounted on a pedestal next to the main entrance in 1946. In 1985, the tank was driven off the pedestal and (after a quick repair) onto the streets. This vehicle and a number of others have been taking part in the parades and other important events every year ever since. For one, the T34 went to Uralvagonzavod Stadium in February 2015 to serve as the ‘mascot’ for the Russian Classic open-air hockey game,’ the press service says.

Because of its combat and technological performance, T-34-85 is considered the best medium tank to be used in the Second World War. The tank was first manufactured at the plant in 1944, with 13,941 units produced in that year and over 25,000 units all in all: a new T34 left the assembly line every thirty minutes. The scale of the assembly-line tank manufacturing during the war was and still is unmatched.