Why all electric trains in the USSR were painted green: the reason is known only to a few

Ask yourself what color you associate with the words "train" and "electric train". Most likely, you will answer that it is green, even if you did not live through the Soviet era.

It is from the Soviet era that this idea of rail transport as locomotives and cars painted with green paint comes from. OBOZ.UA figured out why it was chosen in the Soviet Union. It turns out that there is even more than one theory on this matter.

Historically, back in the days of the Russian Empire, railroad cars were painted in different colors. And the color corresponded to the class. Thus, the first class with comfortable compartments was blue. Medium-priced and comfortable cars were covered with yellow paint. And the economy class was green.

After the formation of the USSR, the country's authorities declared a course to eliminate class inequality. Railroad services began to be provided at the most affordable prices, so citizens were offered to travel only in economy. Accordingly, only green cars could be seen on the tracks.

Another theory of the appearance of this color is related to the Second World War. Then there was a need to camouflage transportation. The walls of the car were supposedly painted green and the roof gray. It was believed that this way they would be invisible among the vegetation and difficult to see from an airplane.

However, this theory raises doubts, because for half of the year there was no greenery in most of the USSR, and the ground is not always gray. In addition, a train or a train makes a lot of noise while traveling, which reduces their camouflage ability.

There is another explanation, which is much simpler. According to it, the Union simply produced too much green paint. That's why it was used to paint everything imaginable - from railroad cars to truck cabs and entrance walls.

Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events.