There's one brand of car that's come to define the automotive industry in Russia.

It's called Lada.

Lada came out in the 1970s during the Cold War when the Soviet Union wouldn't allow foreign

companies, including car manufacturers, into the country.

It was basically the only car that had 80% of the market during Soviet times.

What's their colleague Nick Kostov in the USSR, that is what everybody drove.

You couldn't get everything, but you could get a vehicle.

And if you did get a vehicle, that vehicle tended to be a Lada.

Even after the Cold War, Lada remained an important car in Russia.

It's the biggest homegrown brand.

It's a symbol of national pride for Russians and for President Vladimir Putin.

He's been photographed in the Lada, like a boxy Lada, with like kind of military print

and said to customers, look, you can buy this Lada like me.

He's even appeared on state TV, test driving new models.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is behind the wheel.

But this week, Lada was forced to halt production.

Due to the war in Ukraine, sanctions against Russia are choking off supply chains.

The Soviet era car brand could be forced back into its Soviet era ways.

Welcome to the journal, our show about money, business and power.

I'm Ryan Knutson.

It's Friday, March 11th.

Coming up on the show, the story of Russia's iconic car brand, and what it says about

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