Soviet large-capacity quarry KrAZ-219 – a gift from Yaroslavl

Largely thanks to the Yaroslavl plant, the Soviet country had many powerful trucks for various purposes. Let's start with the fact that KrAZ, MAZ, and some other Soviet models had unchanged power units under the hood marked “YaMZ”.


Moreover, when the plant still bore the prefix “automobile”, a whole range of excellent equipment under the YaAZ brand was designed at it (later many of them were produced at the facilities of the Kremenchug plant). So Yaroslavl specialists, like no one else, deserve special mention when it comes to heavy road and quarry equipment.


The hero of our today's material was no exception. Born in the second half of the 50s under the name YAZ-219, by the end of the decade it had to not only change the geography of its production facilities, but also its name, becoming KrAZ-219.

The in-demand equipment was produced in Kremenchug until 1963. During this time, it acquired a number of modifications designed for narrow specific uses. Among them it is worth mentioning:

✅ KrAZ-221 – truck tractor
✅ KrAZ-222 – road or quarry dump truck
✅ E-305V - single-bucket excavator based on the “two hundred and nineteenth”

All these versions received maximum unification with the base car in terms of main units and components. This direction has always been generally applicable in the Soviet automobile industry, which perfectly solved the issue of spare parts, anticipating their possible shortage.



The basic model had a platform with opening rear and side sides. In front was a hood-type cabin, made up of metal and wooden elements. It was not very comfortable, but quite roomy - three people, including the driver, could ride on the KrAZ-219 at the same time.

Technical component of the car

The truck received the classic formula for that period: the engine is in the front, the drive wheels are in the rear. It was a direct modernization of the previous Yaroslavl model YaAZ-210. The base laid there was gradually developed at an enterprise located in the Poltava region.


In addition to the shortened wheelbase, the car received an improved Yaroslavl-made diesel unit (YAZ-M206), which was boosted to increase power characteristics. Here are his indicators:

✅ working volume - 6970 cubic meters. cm
✅ power - 180 liters. With
✅ number of cylinders - 6

The vehicle assembled at the Kremenchug plant differed from Yaroslavl trucks of previous models by a more spacious cabin, with high glazing and improved visibility. The driver's workplace has also become more comfortable thanks to the use of pneumatic power steering. Here are some of the KrAZ-219 indicators:

✅ weight - 11,3 tons
✅ length - 9,66 m
✅ width - 2,65 m
✅ height - 2,62 m
✅ maximum speed - 55 km / h

In addition, the truck could simultaneously transport 12 tons, which was very decent at that time, while consuming about 55 liters of diesel fuel per 100 km of travel. It also had a good supply of fuel, which included two huge tanks on different sides of the cargo platform, each holding 225 liters.

Assembly of the model abruptly stopped just six years after the release of the first car, despite high demand. The reason was the fact that a new KrAZ-257 entered the assembly line in Kremenchug, which later turned into a whole line of popular heavy trucks.


The only exception was the E-305V single-bucket excavator based on the KrAZ-219. Similar equipment could be found in use for many years to come. She has survived to this day. But the base car has long been considered a rarity.