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The gaming culture in the Soviet Union appeared unexpectedly, developed quickly and just as quickly declined. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the Soviet public mastered slot machines only 100 years after their appearance. To find out how and where it all began, the Reedus correspondent went to the Museum of Soviet Slot Machines, located in the very center of Moscow.

The museum is located in the very center of the capital, a five-minute walk from the Kuznetsky Most metro station. Entrance to the museum is paid - 450 rubles per person. The ticket price includes an orientation tour and 15 tokens. The museum's collection includes several dozen different models of slot machines - from classic pinball to virtual billiards.

A little history

The first slot machines appeared in the USA. One of the pioneers was the well-known pinball, which is the parent of its electronic version in the Windows operating system. In the Soviet variation it was called “Circus”, but the principle of operation was absolutely the same.

A little later, other machines appeared that already carried a share of excitement - the classic “ one-armed bandits" The machine was a box with a handle, on the screen of which images rotated. And if the player got three identical pictures, he received a prize. The first such machines did not have a coin acceptor, so the player received sweets or drinks as a reward, and not a jackpot in the form of a mountain of coins. This is where the classic images of fruits and berries on the reels came from.

Such equipment reached the USSR only a hundred years after the creation of the first slot machine. In 1971, an exhibition called “Attraction-71” was held in the Moscow Gorky Park of Culture and Leisure. It was there that the Soviet inexperienced public became acquainted with slot machines. More than ten thousand people visited the exhibition every day, and in the wake of this excitement, the USSR Ministry of Culture decided to buy all the slot machines from this event. Having studied the technology and slightly modernized it, Soviet engineers released the first slot machines of their own production.

The first slot machines

One of these attractions was the Turnip slot machine. This is an analogue of the classic American strength meter, with the help of which anyone could test their physical abilities by hitting their fist on punching bag or hammer on a spring. The Soviet version of the force meter was designed so that during the process itself there were no signs of aggression. Therefore, instead of the typical “push-push”, a person had to pull a spring device reminiscent of a turnip from the Russian fairy tale of the same name. It is noteworthy that the most high level could be obtained by pulling a turnip with a force of 200 kilograms. It is not known whether anyone was able to achieve such a result, since on average a healthy adult man knocks out about 80 kilograms on this machine.

One of the main differences between Soviet slot machines and foreign ones was their service life. Most of the machines made in the USSR still work and, if handled with care, will last at least another 50 years. The reason for this is quite simple - everything Soviet machine guns were produced on the territory of one of 22 military factories from the highest quality and most expensive materials. Meanwhile, finding an American or Japanese slot machine from the 80s is an almost impossible task.

On average, the production price of one slot machine in the USSR was 4,000 rubles - cosmic money at that time. And according to the plans of Soviet marketers, such a machine was supposed to pay for itself in exactly 365 days, that is, bring a profit of 8 rubles 10 kopecks every day. If after a year the attraction did not pay for itself, then it was no longer produced.

All Soviet machines were exclusively arcade machines and did not have any gambling nature. The most you could win on any attraction is an extra game time. The only machine that gave out any prizes was the classic “tap machine”. The player could use a mechanical arm to pull a prize in the form of chewing gum or candy from a box.

End of an era

But closer to the 90s, all Soviet machine guns ended up either in landfills or at scrap metal collection points. The reason for all this was the emergence of computer video games. The child no longer had to run to the park to play " sea battle”, but it was enough to buy a game console once and enjoy your favorite games at home at any time convenient for him.

Soviet slot machines were produced from 1973 to 1991, copying American or Japanese prototypes, cash prizes were not given out and did not give rise to any fan subculture. MOSLENTA found out from one of the creators of the Museum of Soviet Slot Machines how it was possible to get free game in “Battleship”, what prize in a plastic box was given out by the “Penalty” machine and for what frauds “Soyuzattraktsion” was disbanded.

Alexander Vugman, one of the founders of the Museum of Soviet Slot Machines

In the beginning there was an exhibition

The era of slot machines in the USSR began in 1971, when at the highest level it was decided to hold the “Attraction-71” exhibition in Moscow, in which people were invited to participate from a dozen countries, from the USA to Japan. The situation in the country then developed in such a way that it became possible to load heavy industry factories with something other than the production of saucepans and rockets.

The exhibition took place in Gorky Park and Izmailovsky Park. They were brought there as “large-form attractions”: roller coasters, carousels different types, and “small-form attractions”, which we are all accustomed to calling slot machines. These included pinballs that had been tested for decades, as well as “shooters” of all stripes that had already appeared by that time, and television slot machines, for example, with ping-pong.

Slot machines were supplied to pioneer camps for free play. The richest camps, those belonging to defense industry enterprises, were best equipped in this regard. Not every day, but rather on weekends, there were hours when each squad could come and play. It is clear that this restriction did not apply to counselors and other employees of the pioneer camp administration.

In all other places you could only play for money. From a commercial point of view it was very profitable business: people wanted to play, and people were willing to pay for it.

The standard price of the game was 15 kopecks, which was good money at that time: travel on the metro cost 5 kopecks, a large mug of kvass from a barrel - 6, popsicles - 7. And the profit from the machines at that time was colossal: with a plan of 6-8 rubles per day, but in fact they earned much more. Let's do the math: on a day off, the machine worked for 10 hours without a break, the playing session lasted 2 minutes, so I think that was 40-45 rubles. My childhood, for example, was spent in Taganka, and I remember that in our recreation park it was impossible to approach the machine guns, the same story happened in Central children's world. There, if you only managed to play “Battleship” once, then only if your dad stood up for you, but all you could do was look at the backs of the high school students playing.

In each machine, the cash box with coins was not only locked with a number key, but also sealed. Initially, it was planned that collectors would get and take out the money, but then this idea was abandoned. And a corrupt scheme was established: a significant part of the coins from the machines went past the state treasury into private hands. Individual employees Soyuzattraktsion supervised specific points with machines from which profits were withdrawn. And it didn’t cost them anything to pay 50-70 rubles to fly once a week to some distant city where the machines under their control were located and withdraw profits from them amounting to hundreds and thousands of rubles.

In the 1980s, there was even a high-profile investigation that revealed exactly how the money ended up in the hands of the top members of Soyuzattraction. This organization existed for about 10 years, after which it was disbanded due to its corruption. The country's entire gaming industry was transferred to the jurisdiction of Soyuzteaprom, which produced theater equipment. But essentially it didn't change anything, key positions the same people remained.

Gamer culture

There was no fan gamer culture in the USSR. , but they didn’t make a cult out of it: there were no amateur clubs, no joint training sessions or competitions.

Communication around games and their discussion were based mainly on inventions and boasting. Just as they said about pocket “Electronics” that if you score 999 points, they will show you a series of “Well, wait a minute!”, about machine guns they said that if you jerk the gun sharply in “Sniper”, you can shoot down at once whole line targets, and if in “Battleship” you shoot sharply at the corners, you will only hit. And if you unplug the machine and then plug it back in, it will give you a free game.

Now I repair all these devices and know their structure well, so I can say for sure: all of this is fiction. The only thing is that in “Sniper” you can actually get a free game after turning off the power and turning it on, but this only happens in cases where something in the machine does not work correctly.

It is extremely difficult to deceive a well-tuned machine. You can pick up a metal washer the size of a “tag”, but if it is steel, it will be attracted by a magnet, which is located inside specifically to catch all the iron-containing junk that is thrown there.

The slot machines have a button to control the start of the game, and this is probably their only sore spot. It is impossible to reach it with the front door closed on most devices, but, for example, on the “Battleship” it is so located behind this door, 20 centimeters from the right edge, that if you insert a ruler there, you can still press it. Therefore, the manufacturer changed the design several times: moved it, and in some models installed a separate switch that blocked the action of this button. We have various variations of this machine in our collection, and if you open the front panel, you can see how this button migrated from model to model.

Rare devices

There were about 100 varieties of Soviet slot machines, some of them were discontinued or modernized at some point. For example, “Underwater Battle” was discontinued in the 1980s, it was modernized, something was simplified, and it was released until 1991 under the name “Submarine.” The most popular, widespread, easy to maintain and reliable in operation at all times remained “Battleship”.

It is worth mentioning separately about the ET-10M assault rifle, which was the same “Battleship”, but without a coin acceptor. The mysterious abbreviation stands for simply: ET - electronic simulator, 10 - number of shots, M - modernized. They were installed only on nuclear submarines for the entertainment of sailors on long voyages. Unlike diesel submarines, where there was no space at all, they were manufactured with increased attention to the issue of organizing the crew’s leisure time: back in Soviet times, they began to build a room with plants - a small winter garden, and on some even a swimming pool.

In fact, there were no simulators among Soviet machine guns, except for the “Quiz”, which was conceived to test knowledge in various fields, but was produced in a single configuration - with signs traffic. They were installed in the traffic police, where those who came to take their license could refresh their memory of traffic signs.

If we continue the topic of unique slot machines, then in our collection we have the only slot machine produced by the Soviet industry with cash winnings- Lobis. It was impossible to meet it in the USSR; it was supplied only to Poland, despite the fact that, oddly enough, it accepted 15-kopeck coins, although all the inscriptions on it were made in Polish.

It was impossible to win money on other Soviet machines. The bonus game was given if you completed the task flawlessly: shoot down 10 ships with 10 shots - get three additional shots. “Penalty”, “Quiz” and “Submarine”, depending on the settings of the machine, could issue or bonus game or a prize - badges in small plastic boxes. For example, “Penalty” gave out a small green icon with the same inscription and an image of the ball. That's all the fan symbols available to Soviet gamers.

“Soyuzattraction” also produced branded calendars with the theme of slot machines, but they were distributed not among players, but among clients: buy a slot machine for 3 thousand rubles - get a calendar. By the way, the most expensive was the bulky Bowling Alley, which cost, like a Zhiguli, 5 thousand rubles.

The production of domestic slot machines came to an abrupt end with the collapse of the USSR. They were expensive, sold only by enterprises - to enterprises, and when this system collapsed, it became unprofitable to produce them.

In the early 1990s, cheaper and more reliable foreign slot machines, such as Pac-Man, began to appear in Moscow and throughout the country. And they quickly replaced the old Soviet devices, which for the most part went to the landfill, to be melted down.

MTS launched for its subscribers free promotion“Prize Machine” in order to increase loyalty. Participation in the event is free. Everyone can win. You can see what prize you can get in the game just below in this article.

Promotion period: 06/08/2017 to 05/31/2018

Everyone can participate in the promotion individuals who have reached 18 years of age. Legal entities Those with corporate rates are not allowed to participate.

Venue: All Russia.

Cost of participation: For free(three attempts every day)

Promotion website: www.priz.mts.ru

Year: 2017-2018

You can participate in the “Prize Machine” promotion two ways:

On the prize machine website

How to play via USSD special commands

Dial on the phone *878# and the call key
Next, select the item 1. Play for free(to do this, click “reply” and enter the number 1)
There will be a prize draw. You will also have three attempts to win any prize.
The draw can be repeated the next day from 00 o'clock.

For each Participant, at least one attempt out of three is successful. Attempts made in the first and second ways are summed up.

Receiving a prize

If you win, you can use the prize immediately by clicking on the “Connect”/”Get” button. In case of winning one of the prizes on the Promotion Website, the Participant may postpone the prize on the Promotion Website, but for no more than 24 hours.

If you win using USSD, information about the prize will be sent via SMS from number 8780. The participant can use the winnings by sending the word “YES” in a free SMS response to number 8780 within 24 hours

In case of winning category B prize through the participation channel - USSD information about the prize, validity period and procedure for receiving it is sent via SMS from number 8780.

What prizes can you win in the Prize Machine?

Below are the prizes you can get in the game. These are various discounts on communication services, tariff plans, minute packages, SMS and Internet.

There are also category B prizes; information about the prize can only be found out by winning this prize. Most likely these are various discounts on the purchase of phones and accessories at MTS offices and from partners.

Category A Prizes

Prizes from MTS	Peculiarities
20%/25%/30% discount on monthly fees for Smart and Ultra plans for 30/90 days. 20% discount on the monthly fee for the BIT Internet option, “SuperBIT”, “Internet-Mini”, “Internet Maxi”, “Internet-VIP” within 90 days. 10% discount on the monthly fee for tariff plans of the Smart line when activating the “Autopayment” service for 12 months— 100% discount on the monthly fee for the “MTS Good’Ok” service for 14 days. 100% discount on the monthly fee for the MTS TV service for 7 days. 100% discount on the monthly fee for the MTS Books service for 14 days. 100% discount on the monthly fee for the MTS Press service for 14 days. 100% discount on the monthly fee for the “Second Memory” service for 30 days. 100% discount on the monthly fee for the “Child under supervision” service for 30 days. 100% discount on the monthly fee for the MTS Antivirus service for 30 days.	To receive a discount, the Participant must switch to a tariff plan or activate the option received as a win. The discount period begins to count from the date of switching to the tariff plan/connection of the Internet option. At the end of the discount period, the tariff plan/Internet option will begin to be charged in accordance with the basic conditions of the Participant’s home region. The discount period begins to count from the date of activation of the corresponding service. After the expiration of the discount, the services continue to be provided in accordance with the basic conditions.
100% discount on the cost of the SMS Package (50 or 100 pcs.) for 30 days	The package validity period begins to count from the connection date. The package includes outgoing SMS to Cell phones everyone mobile operators of the Participant's home region when the Participant being within the home region.
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A 100% discount on the cost of the Internet Traffic Package (500 MB) for 60 days used throughout Russia. The Promotion package is consumed first, and then the main packages connected by the Participant outside the Promotion.	The package validity period begins to count from the connection date. The package includes Internet traffic, which can be used throughout Russia. The Promotion package is consumed first, and then the main packages, connected by the Participant outside the Promotion.

Category B prizes

Prizes from MTS partners(discounts from partners of MTS PJSC, provided upon presentation of promotional codes):

JSC "RTK"
LLC "CTV"
LLC "FRIEETLAST"
LLC "Inform-Mobil"

Detailed information on how to take advantage of the discount will be available to the Participant at the time of winning.

Support

Any complaints regarding the “Automatic MTS” Promotion can be sent to the organizer’s address:

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Gaming history Soviet culture 70s

A little history

A little later, other machines appeared that already carried a share of excitement - the classic “one-armed bandits”. The machine was a box with a handle, on the screen of which images rotated. And if the player got three identical pictures, he received a prize. The first such machines did not have a coin acceptor, so the player received sweets or drinks as a reward, and not a jackpot in the form of a mountain of coins. This is where the classic images of fruits and berries on the reels came from.

The first slot machines

One of these attractions was the Turnip slot machine. This is an analogue of the classic American strength meter, with the help of which anyone could test their physical abilities by hitting a punching bag with their fist or hitting a spring with a hammer. The Soviet version of the force meter was designed so that during the process itself there were no signs of aggression. Therefore, instead of the typical “push-push”, a person had to pull a spring device reminiscent of a turnip from the Russian fairy tale of the same name. It is noteworthy that the highest level could be obtained by pulling a turnip with a force of 200 kilograms. It is not known whether anyone was able to achieve such a result, since on average a healthy adult man knocks out about 80 kilograms on this machine.

One of the main differences between Soviet slot machines and foreign ones was their service life. Most of the machines made in the USSR still work and, if handled with care, will last at least another 50 years. The reason for this is quite simple - all Soviet machine guns were produced on the territory of one of 22 military factories from the highest quality and most expensive materials. Meanwhile, finding an American or Japanese slot machine from the 80s is an almost impossible task.

Soviet business plan

All Soviet machines were exclusively arcade machines and did not have any gambling nature. The most you could win on any attraction was extra play time. The only machine that gave out any prizes was the classic “tap machine”. The player could use a mechanical arm to pull a prize in the form of chewing gum or candy from a box.

End of an era

But closer to the 90s, all Soviet machine guns ended up either in landfills or at scrap metal collection points. The reason for all this was the emergence of computer video games. The child no longer had to run to the park to play “battleship”, but only had to buy a game console once and enjoy his favorite games at home at any time convenient for him.

To summarize, we can say that all those who like to feel nostalgic or simply feel the spirit of the Soviet gaming industry The museum is a must visit.

The Museum of Soviet Slot Machines is one of the most amazing capital museums. Unique collection This museum features slot machines manufactured in the USSR. It is unlikely that anywhere else you will be able to show your children a piece of the world in which you lived when you were a child.

Museum address: Baumanskaya street, 11 (it’s a five-minute walk from the Baumanskaya metro station).

Operating mode:
Monday - Thursday: from 13:00 to 21:00
Friday: from 13:00 to 20:00
Saturday - Sunday: from 11:00 to 20:00

Entrance fee is 350 rubles. With this money you will be given 15 tokens - these are original Soviet 15-kopeck coins!

Perhaps one of the most popular slot machines is Battleship

Game duration 10 shots

The slot machine museum will be interesting for both adults and children

You can “hunt” bears, hares and ducks together

Slot machine - Sniper (produced at the Cheboksary Production Association "Prompribor" plant since 1979, release date of the presented copy: 1983.

Place a coin in the coin acceptor and after the word “Fire” appears on the display, aiming at the center of the selected target, pull the trigger. A hit is recorded by the disappearance of the affected target. Hitting 20 targets gives you the right to a bonus game. What does the "Bonus game" board indicate?

Slot machine - Pilot.

Produced at the Serpukhov Radio Engineering Plant since 1985. The same enterprise produced radar control systems for anti-aircraft missile and artillery systems, fire control modules for ship-based jammer systems. Came into the museum's collection from Nizhny Novgorod through an amateur radio circle in Moscow

Slot machine "Puck, Puck!" After dropping the coin, you need to use the buttons to select a game for one or two players. The left player controls the attacker using a rotating manipulator with a button. The right player controls the goalkeeper with a rotating paddle.

Slot machine - Hockey (two players play with one coin)

Slot machines: “The Little Humpbacked Horse” and “Teletir 4C” were not working that day

Slot machine - Lucky Shot. To play with two people, at the beginning of the game you need to place two fifteen-kopeck coins in succession. At single player shoot from the left gun. Produced by the Severodonetsk Instrument-Making Plant. IN Soviet time The plant specialized in the production of computer equipment for automated systems management of thermal and nuclear power plants, enterprises of the chemical and petrochemical industries.

Four of you can race (slot machine - "Champion-M")

It’s more interesting to play slot machines together

Slot machine - Tankodrom. The "SEARCH" button is not used during the game. To hit targets, you need to drive the tank into firing lines. To move the tank, use only the control lever. The position of the “speed” lever at the moment of hitting the firing line does not matter.

I somehow couldn’t control the tank :)) wasted token

Slot machine "Winter Hunt"

It's more interesting to shoot together.

Slot machine - "Penalty". The game consists of two halves. To start the second half you need to press the red button on the machine. Each half ends when there are no free balls to throw out

Slot machine - "Quiz". To play together, you need to place two fifteen-kopeck coins in succession before pressing the “Start” button. Produced by Penza PPO "Era". In Soviet times, the company manufactured simulators for pilots. Previously, a machine gun could be found in the traffic police. It came into the museum’s collection from the Kireevsk Culture and Leisure Park

"Horses" slot machine. One coin can pay for a game of two players.

Slot machine "Motor racing". Game duration is 120 seconds. Control the motorcyclist using the steering wheel and throttle, try to take first place in the race without breaking the rules and avoiding collisions.

"Break a leg". There are 30 shots available for the entire game. The hunter in the field may shoot before you. This will take away your shot.

Another very popular slot machine at one time was the Gorodki slot machine.

"Safari" slot machine. The galloping hunter must hit the animals

Many people come to the museum with their whole families.

Not all slot machines work in the museum

For example, the Forward slot machine does not work

Another slot machine that is used in the museum in great demand- Strength meter

You are given 4 attempts within 2 minutes. The “turnip” should not be torn, but pulled, resting one foot on the inclined platform

Effort up to 40 kg - Mouse, up to 80 kg - Cat, up to 120 kg - Bug, up to 160 kg - Granddaughter, up to 200 kg - Grandmother, over 200 kg - Grandfather.

We pulled 302 kg :))

An information desk where you can learn about the history of the museum and its exhibits (previously, such information desks stood at railway stations)