There are plenty of modern cars in Addis Ababa, but it is the boxy blue Soviet-era sedans that quietly tell the city’s political history.
Lada’s roots in Ethiopia trace back to the Cold War and the Derg regime, which ruled the country from 1974 to 1991. After Emperor Haile Selassie was overthrown, Ethiopia aligned itself with the Soviet Union, both ideologically and economically. As Soviet support flowed in, so did Soviet machinery, weapons, and vehicles. Ladas became government cars, military transport, and official vehicles for party officials during the period of the Red Terror.
As I explored the Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum, it struck me how deeply embedded the Soviet relationship was in everyday life. The Ladas still roaming Addis today are not just old cars; they are physical remnants of that era, artifacts of a time when Ethiopia’s fate was closely tied to Moscow.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Live and Let's Fly.
