This was reported by a Turmush correspondent.
According to Aizhan, her husband bought this Soviet adding machine at a flea market for a very low price.
“A year ago, my husband passed away, but this calculator remains a symbol of our memory and that era for me. This mechanical device, known as ‘Iron Felix,’ was named after Felix Dzerzhinsky,” Aizhan shares.
It is known that the adding machine was produced from 1929 to 1978, and several million units were ultimately released. The main manufacturing plants were located in Kursk, Moscow, and Penza. This archaic device, which has no electronics, performed four arithmetic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. More advanced models, such as ‘Felix-M,’ like Aizhan's, could work with fractions. To perform calculations, levers were used to input the necessary numbers, and then a handle was turned to carry out operations: one turn for addition or subtraction, several turns for division and multiplication.
“My husband bought this calculator about eight to ten years ago at our ‘flea market.’ He came home joyfully, saying, ‘Do you know what I brought you? This is the very first calculator!’ I am an accountant, but I didn’t know about such things before. I became interested and started researching them online. He always loved unusual things, and after buying this calculator for 100 or 150 soms, he made me take a look at it. Previously, calculations were done using paper and logarithmic scales, so mechanical adding machines were in demand. The last model was released in 1978, marking the end of an entire era. I don’t know how to calculate on it, but it is fully functional — all the parts move. If I want, I can learn; there are tutorial videos online. This is what Soviet quality means: after half a century, the device works without needing lubrication. And the most amazing thing is that it requires neither electricity nor solar panels to operate. The price is even indicated on it — 15 rubles. My ‘Felix’ was produced in 1970 and weighs three and a half kilograms,” Aizhan explained.
In addition to the calculator, Aizhan has other antique items, such as a spinning wheel given to her by an elderly neighbor. The family also keeps one of the first national banknotes, which turned out to be defective due to the incorrect placement of the design on the reverse side.
Aizhan is so passionate about vintage items that even her wall clock is made in a retro style.
“If you have things from the USSR in your garage, at your dacha, in the attic, or in the shed, don’t rush to throw them away. It’s quite possible that you possess something that interests collectors. We often overlook such items, having become accustomed to them, and they have become part of our daily lives. Unique specimens can be found at flea markets for little money. Such markets deserve attention, as for many, this is not just a hobby, but a passion akin to sports or fishing. I understand people who collect antiques, as each item carries the history of the person who owned it. Many of us keep items associated with our ancestors, and they don’t necessarily have to be valuable — sometimes they are just trinkets. They can hold memories better than photographs. For example, it’s not uncommon for girls to have powder compacts or mirrors that belonged to their grandmothers or great-grandmothers. There’s something magical about that,” she added.
Aizhan believes that touching the past allows one to feel a connection to history, without which it is impossible to understand the present and the future.
It is interesting to consider why modern people turn to the past and study history. Some do this to avoid mistakes, while others do it out of nostalgia. Nevertheless, antique items remind us that the past cannot be reclaimed…
