
MAZ-525

MAZ-525 (BelAZ-525 from 1959) was a Soviet heavy truck produced by the Minsk Automobile Plant. Development started in 1949 at the Yaroslavl Automobile Plant Design Bureau as the YaAZ-225. It was planned to install a cab from the YaAZ-200, offset to the left. However, further technical documentation was passed on to MAZ where the design was substantially enhanced.
Appearance.
The cab appearance changed slightly during production. On the early models the hood was the same width as the cab, in the later editions, it became much narrower. Initially, a guard was installed on the hood sides for safety while the engine was serviced, but was later removed. On the early models a chrome bison hood ornament was placed on the front of the hood while on later models the bison emblem was stamped into the sides. In addition, the early MAZ-525 grille externally resembled that of the MAZ-200.
Variants.
In 1952, the MAZ-E-525D was developed to work in tandem with a 15m³ D-189 tractor-scraper. In 1954, the joint efforts of MAZ, Institute of Mining and Kharkov Trolleybus Depot developed a trolley dump truck equipped with two D-202 trolleybus electric motors with total capacity of . In 1964, NAMI developed a similar truck called the DTU-25. In 1959, the MAZ-525 was used as a basis for the MAZ-541 aircraft tug, of which three were built. Also in 1959, the MAZ-525A tractor was developed as part of a road train with the 45-ton BelAZ-5271 semitrailer, but this did not enter production because the engine was not powerful enough.
Production moved.
In 1959, production was transferred to the Belarusian Automobile Plant, where the truck was produced until 1965 under the name BelAZ-525. At the same time the MAZ bison on the side on the hood disappeared and was replaced with the "BELAZ" inscription. 
Use.
Operation of machines continued until the early 1970s. The MAZ-525 participated in virtually every major Soviet construction site in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as in overseas construction projects (e.g. in the construction of the Aswan Dam in Egypt).
Survivor.
The only surviving copy is installed as a monument in Divnogorsk, near the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power station.