It was worth getting up early today – despite the early hour and minus 20 outside, I’ve got a chance to hear and record the local factory hooters.

Once used as token sound marking the beginning of a shift by factories all over the country, it was abandoned later on. This is the ZOMZ factory sounds (ZOMZ stands for Zagorsk optical and mechanics plant). There were at least two super loud hooters in Sergiyev Posad, aimed at workers living in the Rabothcka (ZOMZ) and Skobyanka (ZEMZ with ‘e’ for electrical) areas so that the workers living there weren’t late for work. Both of these sirens stood silent for decades. I’m not sure why the sounds were brought back – some say this is to promote new job opportunities both for young graduates and for those feeling nostalgic. Yes, it’s a nostalgic sound for many.


Recorded February 8th, 2012 (AT2022)
Published February 8th, 2012.

/ 08.02.2012

8 📨

  1. Катя Балакина 09.02.2012 at 17:17

    я себе гудок совсем другим представляла. это же просто песня!

  2. Говорят, в советском прошлом гудок этого же завода звучал несколько брутальнее. А здесь я действительно слышу почти человеческие голоса.

  3. How eerie. It sounds like it is heralding the beginning of the apocalypse. This recording is quite fascinating; it’s a nice reminder that sound can signal the lifestyles of people who come from different parts of the world.

  4. I’ve heard people saying it sounds like a UFO’s landing. Others feel romantic about it. You never know.

  5. Wow, what a sound! We have something similar here in Sweden, some kind of emergency alarm system that they test run one day every month. I’ll try to capture it sometime soon!

    So, the ZOMZ-factory is located in Sergiyev Posad? I actually stumbled upon the ZOMZ just last week as I found a pair of these for sale at my workplace: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nWhbBfIHNQg/TuAEsnv2JVI/AAAAAAAAAMw/EdyDDfVc4QY/s1600/Opera+Glasses+%25287%2529.JPG
    I have been looking for a pair of handy binoculars for some time so I bought them and then looked them up on google as I got home. It turned out to be a pair of KOMZ 4×20, made at the ZOMZ-factory in 1966 if I’m not wrong. They’re quite fantastic with very clear optics. And yes, they came with the original pouch. 🙂

  6. It surely is an amazing find but this particular item seems to be made in the city of Kazan some 700 km to the east of Sergiyev Posad. Hence the name KOMZ where K stands for Kazan whereas Z in ZOMZ is for Zagorsk, a pre-1991 name of Sergiyev Posad. It also bears the KOMZ logo, I’m pretty sure about that. Thank your for your comment and the picture, I was impressed by the pouch too – these leather case and belts were quite common type those days but now they looks so very special. I remember we used to have a camera at home many years ago accompanied by the same pouch. I hope you will find the binoculars of good use!

  7. Гудок действительно очень красив. Даже релаксирует, за что спасибо автору записи!

  8. Они бы лучше зарплату нормальную платили людям, а не хваставолись своим гудком

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